Liquid level sender with linear float

Claim 1

A liquid level sender for use in conjunction with an electrical circuit comprising: a generally cylindrical support tube with a vertical support rod fixed therein; a thick-film resistor plate mounted vertically in the tube having a thick-film sender resistor and a thick-film ground resistor on one side thereof; means for placing said sender resistor in electrical communication with the electrical circuit and means for placing said ground resistor in electrical communication with ground; a foam float in the tube slideably mounted on the support rod and permitted limited pivotal movement thereabout; a generally U-shaped contact member having arms mounted for movement in and generally transverse to the float toward and away from the resistor plate, a sender contact proximate one end at a base portion of the contact member engagable with the sender resistor and a ground contact proximate a second end of said base portion on the contact member engagable with the ground resistor; a first spring in the float biasing said one end of the contact member toward the resistor plate and a second spring biasing the second end of the contact member toward the resistor plate, said contact member being mounted for limited pivotal movement in the float in its own plane.