Measuring sensing device

Claim 1

A measuring sensing device for generating a signal corresponding to the relative rotation between a rotating portion and a stationary portion of an apparatus, a rotor rotatable with said rotating portion, an axially displaceable stator supported on the stationary portion axially normal to the axis of said rotor and normally axially spaced apart from said rotor with an axial gap of predetermined distance therebetween, and wherein the improvement comprises a spring assemblage including a resilient axially deformable washer type spring element coaxially surrounding the stator for providing a predetermined degree of frictional adhesion therebetween, said stator being axially displaceable relative to said spring element out of an initial axial position by an actuating force sufficient for overcoming said frictional adhesion, in one direction to a stop position in abutting contact with said rotor and in which stop position said spring element is resiliently axially deformed out of a normal shape an amount corresponding to the amount of axial displacement of the stator, said spring element being effective, upon release of said actuating force and consequent return of the spring element to its normal shape, for locking onto said stator and causing axial movement in unison with each other in a direction opposite to said one direction to a predetermined axial position in which an axial gap of predetermined length is provided between the rotor and the stator as determined by the amount of axial movement of the stator in said opposite direction effected by return of the spring element to its said normal shape.