Linear displacement transducer device

Claim 1

A transducer device for translating increments of linear displacement by means of opto-electronic sensing into proportional increments of units expressed in volts; said device comprises in combination housing means having first and second interdependent components, said first interdependent component comprises first and second radiation sensing element each having first and second electrical connection, and each having a planar, radiation sensitive surface defined by four corners of right angular configuration, said first and said second radiation sensitive surface being disposed in tandem, at a co-planar relationship adjacent to one another; a second interdependent component, comprising first and second electrical connection, and a planar, radiation emissive surface defined by four corners of right angular configuration, said surface having an uniformly over its active area distributed radiation pattern; said radiation emissive surface being disposed opposite to, and facing said first and said second radiation sensitive surface at a closely spaced, parallel relationship; means for providing relative movement between said first and second interdependent components, being disposed within said housing means so as to move intrinsically to a position, where said radiation emissive surface faces opposite to at least one half of said first and opposite to at least one half of said second radiation sensing surfaces, and being disposed so that it may be influenced by external means to change position through stations of infinite resolution relative to said first and said second radiation sensitive surfaces, wherein at maximum change in position, a major portion of said radiation emissive surface faces a major portion of said first radiation sensitive surface, and a minor portion of said radiation emissive surface faces the minor portion of said second radiation sensing surface.