Abstract: Wipers for sliding electrical contact have a form with gradual and progressive reduction in width and therfore decreasing stiffness and mass as they proceed towards the tip. This form results in higher resonant vibrational frequencies, enabling a wiper to follow the contact surface in high speed motion with less contact force. The lower contact force in turn produces less wiper distortion and consequently less hysteresis and wear.

Abstract: A potentiometer circuit by which a continuous, sawtooth 360 degree ramp output voltage is obtained from a single turn continuous rotation potentiometer having an annularly disposed resistance element and two angularly displaced rotatable wipers providing displaced voltages from the resistance element. The circuit includes comparator means responsive to one of the wiper voltages providing a comparator output signal and switch means responsive to the comparator output signal for switching between the wiper voltage outputs to provide a continuous, sawtooth 360 degree ramp analog output voltage. An analog-digital converter may be connected to it to provide a digital output voltage.