Abstract: A parachute control apparatus for enabling control of an unmanned slave parachute from a manned simultaneously descending parachute is described. The apparatus includes two hand held master controllers each comprising a body and a thumb operable reciprocating plunger. The plunger is coupled to a potentiometer to provide proportional control. The parachutist carries a radio transmitter including an encoder responsive to the plunger movements and an antenna. A control signal receiver is attached to the load carried by the slave parachute and includes a receiving antenna and signal decoder operative to provide drive signals for a slave parachute control line drive. The drive includes a servo system, electric motors, gearboxes and winches for operating the slave parachute control lines.

Abstract: A secondary and/or piggy-back brake pedal transducer assembly adapted to be secured to a primary brake pedal, said secondary or piggy-back pedal being moveable with respect to the primary brake pedal responsive to foot pressure and including novel spring means and an integral lever controlled by that said spring means, said lever being deflectible to correspondingly deflect a plunger member of a connected potentiometer to thereby develop an electric signal proportionate to said foot pressure, said signal being translatable to corresponding electrical energization of an electric brake situated on a vehicle towed by the vehicle bearing said secondary or piggy-back brake assembly.

Abstract: A foot pedal operated motor control is provided for controlling the speed of a motor. The entire motor control circuit is mounted in a foot pedal housing which circuit includes a generally disc shaped potentiometer having a rotatable and a stationary member with the movement of the rotatable member with respect to the stationary member determining the resistance of the potentiometer which controls the current to a motor whose speed is to be controlled. The disc shaped potentiometer has an opening therethrough. A foot pedal is pivotally mounted on the housing overlying the potentiometer and a helical member extends between the foot pedal on one end thereof and into the opening of the disc shaped potentiometer on the other end thereof.

Abstract: A controller for electric motors comprises a casing, a carbon pile resistor contained in a through hole of an insulating frame carried by the casing, a U-shaped spring conductor plate with an end secured to the insulating frame, a rotational plate pivotally supported on the casing, a first terminal connected to an end of the carbon pile resistor, and a second terminal connected to the conductor plate. The other end of the conductor plate is operatively connected to the rotational plate. Thus the other end of the conductor plate is biased and presses the other end of the carbon pile resistor in response to the rotation of the rotational plate.

Abstract: A pallet truck for lifting and transporting pallets. The truck is moved by a self-propelled carriage having two wheels. Each wheel is propelled by a separate direct current electric motor, the motors being wired in series, so as to automatically adjust the speed of the respective wheels during turning.

Abstract: A round foot controller has a molded cover 75 attached to a molded base 11 by interengaging projections 79 and 16 extending in opposite directions toward each other from the rims of telescoping walls 77 and 13. The wall 77 is near the perimeter of the cover and is concentric with another wall 76 that surrounds the wall 77. The wall 13 concentrically surrounds another wall 14 in the base. The base has openings 96 and the cover has corresponding openings 97 left by the respective molds that form the undersides of the projections 16 and 79. The double-walled structure of the cover telescoping with the double-walled structure of the base prevents inadvertent access to the electrical components in the foot controller. However, the resistence of a variable resistor 21 or 103 in the controller, can be varied by pressure on any part of the cover 75.

Abstract: A variable resistance controller for electrical braking systems and the like wherein the form on which the resistance wire is wound has spaced apart flats into which some of the coils are drawn during winding. This arrangement provides alternate lands and depressions over which a leaf spring type contact rolls. The preferred arrangement has only two coils per land to give increased contact pressure of the leaf spring therewith and to provide predetermined incremental increases in electrical output as the leaf spring rolls from one land to the other. In the preferred embodiment, the spacing of the lands is arranged so that the electrical output is proportional to the hydraulic actuating pressure.The preferred embodiment also includes a diode connected between the output of the controller and ground through a fusible link to permit the collapsing magnetic field of the controlled braking electromagnets to draw current through the diode on deactuation of the unit to bypass the wound resistor.

Abstract: A control mechanism for a hydraulically driven vehicle in which a control member is mounted and linked to forward and reverse actuating pedals such that when one of the directional pedals is depressed the control member body is maintained stationary and an operating shaft is rotated to generate a first directional control signal, and when the other directional pedal is depressed the operating shaft is held stationary and the control member body is rotated to generate a second, opposite directional control signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for the control of variable speed electrical positioning drives, especially for sewing machine positioning drives, is disclosed in two exemplary embodiments. The apparatus provides a preset nominal value of speed and a range of adjustment for additional signals in digital form, thus making possible a continuous or incremental change in the nominal value as well as additional digital signals. The apparatus includes lamellar contact elements of a potentiometer arranged on a base element in the path of a slider for the nominal value of speed and at least one low resistance lamellar contact element arranged in the slider path for producing an additional digital signal.

Abstract: An apparatus having an accelerator element has a potentiometer including an inner portion movable relative to an outer portion thereof in response to movement of the accelerator element. Adjusting and support members are interconnected for adjusting the outer potentiometer portion relative to the inner portion.

Abstract: A control box is provided having a control shaft which projects from the box and is adapted to be connected, directly or by linkage, to the accelerator pedal of a battery-operated motor vehicle. Connected to the inward end of the control shaft is the movable arm of a potentiometer which is moved angularly to change the circuit resistance when the accelerator pedal is depressed. Mounted on the control shaft are a pair of cams, the followers rollers of which actuate a pair of microswitches which control a solid-state control system which controls the current delivered by the battery to the traction motor of the vehicle.

Abstract: An electronic synthesizer instrument incorporates bass pedals for the notes of the musical scale, together with foot control apparatus adapted to select and modify the tone quality of sounds produced by operation of the bass pedals. The foot control apparatus includes push button switches which are operated by the toe of an operator's foot, and slide controls which are positioned by the operator's foot. At least some of the switches are preset switches for selecting and controlling multiple combinations of the functional units of the synthesizer. The control state of the instrument is at all times indicated by readily observable indicating lights.

Abstract: An apparatus having an electrical power source and an accelerating element has pivotally actuated control means connected to the accelerating element.

Abstract: A rotary potentiometer is actuated by a pedal movement converted to rotary motion by a cable-sheave arrangement in which the sheave has a varying radius to its peripheral surface. The sheave is preferably mounted on the potentiometer shaft in an angular relationship that causes a minimum rotation of the shaft for a given pedal movement at a minimum resistance condition of the potentiometer.

Abstract: A switch construction, comprises a support base upon which is mounted a spring of hemispherical outline which includes an annular lower portion with a plurality of upstanding circumferentially spaced curved segment portions which are spaced apart at their tops to define a centering area for a top cover which is pivotal on the base. A contact member is in the form of a lever which is pivoted at one end on an upstanding portion of the base, and has an opposite engagement end which, for example, is movable along a rheostat control for the purpose of changing the setting thereof. The switch contact member is provided with a central substantially hemispherical cam portion which cooperates with a foot actuated cover and a similar cam portion defined on the cover which is located within the central part of the supporting spring.