Abstract: An electrical device is disclosed which is small in size and easily assembled. The device employs a rotatable housing and a grooved geometrically programmed disc to locate a ball contact at a desired position on a substrate. The substrate may comprise a resistor, spaced contacts or other conductive surface, and the movable ball contact may change circuit conditions incrementally when compared with the degree of movement of the drive for the ball. The ball has two points of contact with the grooved disc reducing noise and wear. The grooved disc is readily replaceable for changing the operating characteristics of the device.

Abstract: A turret-type controller includes a base with a plurality of resistive strips mounted thereon, each of which is associated with a conductive contact movable with respect thereto. A pair of annular conductive strips are also situated on the base, but axially spaced from the resistive strips. The annular conductive strips are each operably connected to a different end of the resistive strips by means of a conductive strip, one of which is at least partially situated on the underside of the base. Each of the resistive strips has a length preselected such that the change in the magnitude of the tuning signal required to provide a given frequency change in the tuner in different regions of the frequency spectrum is achieved through substantially equal variations in the conductive contacts associated with each resistive strip.

Abstract: A variable resistance control of the rectilinear and multiturn type is provided with a contactor having a plurality of contactor paddles. The contactor paddles are wedge-shaped, are defined by a saw-tooth shaped shear line in a planar portion of the contactor, and are bent upwardly to provide flexing clearance between adjacent contactor paddles.

Abstract: A slider arrangement for potentiometers is presented, which provides good contact between the potentiometer resistor and the slider with low friction and low wear. With each position of slider guide means, the slider contacts the potentiometer resistor in an associated well defined point regardless of the direction of movement of the guide means. To this end the slider comprises a wire helix in crossed relation to the potentiometer resistor. The wire helix is urged into engagement with the potentiometer resistor by a strap extending into the wire helix and engaging the inner side thereof under spring tension, whereby engagement between helix and strap and the required contact pressure between helix and potentiometer resistor is established. The strap has bays or recesses in the area of the potentiometer resistor to permit the turns of the wire helix to conform to the cross sectional contour of the resistor.

Abstract: A variable electric resistor device comprises a block of electrical insulating material. An elongated member of current resistive metal is removably positioned in the insulating material. A pair of electrically conductive terminal leads are each electrically connected to a corresponding end of the current resistive member. An elongated ancillary member of electrically conductive material is embedded in the insulating material in spaced parallel relation with the current resistive member. A plurality of spaced transverse internally threaded bores are formed through the ancillary member. A plurality of spaced bores are formed through the block extending from both sides of the internally threaded bores from the current resistive member to a surface of the block.

Abstract: A variable resistor includes a low-friction contact such as a ball or roller, which may be stabilized by a magnet or trough.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a variable resistor device which may be used as a tuner in an electric appliance such as a television receiver and a stereophonograph, which resistor device comprises a support member having a base wall portion and at least one end wall portion perpendicular to the base wall portion, an elongate resistance element on the inner face of the base wall portion, a control shaft rotatable on the end wall portion and having a threaded axial portion extending over the resistance element, a slider having a contact portion elastically forced against the resistance element and an edge portion in mating engagement with the threaded axial portion of the control shaft for providing electrical connection between the resistance element and the shaft, and an electrically conductive retainer for holding the control shaft in position relative to the support member while permitting the control shaft to rotate about its axis. Features of the device include ease of assemblage and reliability of operation.

Abstract: A variable resistance control containing a one-piece stamped mounting bracket having an integral collector ring for positioning a rotatable gear and having a pair of integral yokes for aligning a lead screw in driving relationship with the rotatable gear. A contactor constrained to rotate with the gear wipingly engages a resistance element. Each of the yokes comprises a pair of arms arcuately clinched around the lead screw to secure the lead screw to the mounting bracket. Integral with the gear are two outwardly extending resilient fingers for engagement with a respective one of the yokes to arrest rotation of the gear. Continued rotation of the lead screw after rotation of the gear has been arrested flexes the resilient finger toward the lead screw for driving the gear out of engagement with the lead screw. An aperture is provided in the lead screw for insertion of a shaft or tool for remote actuation of the control or for actuation of another control.

Abstract: A contact spring, suitable for use in a variable resistance device having a resistance strip and at least one collector strip adjacent the resistance strip. The contact spring is formed in a unitary construction from a single piece of sheet metal and includes electrically conductive cantilever spring members which depend from a base member and are adapted for sliding electrical contact with the resistance and collector strips. Stiffly flexible, resilient means, preferably in the form of additional cantilever spring members disposed in cruciform relation to the contact spring members, depend from the base member to back up each of the contact spring members by engaging an intermediate portion thereof to retard flexing of the contact spring members toward the base member. The resulting contact spring is quite simple in construction, yet produces a substantially greater contact force with the resistance and collector strips than is achieved by simple cantilever contact spring arms.

Abstract: A wiper brush contact of miniature and microminiature size for use in potentiometers, variable resistors and the like, and including a plurality of densely arranged spring fingers projecting from a plate-like base portion in such angular offset relation to the plane of the base portion that the fingers are disposed in side-by-side closely spaced or even light contacting relationship but with the fingers being free to flex independently of one another to independently follow irregularities in cermet and metal film tracks of various types used in microminiature assemblies of the type contemplated; and with the base plate portion and spring contact fingers formed from a flat stamping with subsequent offsetting and orientation of the fingers relative to one another and to the base portion.

Abstract: A device for controlling the amount of resistance in an electric circuit. A variable resistor is fixedly attached to a carriage slidably mounted on a pair of spaced apart guide rods within a hollow frame. A pinion gear is fixedly attached to a shaft of the variable resistor for allowing the resistance of the variable resistor to be varied by rotation thereof. A rack gear is fixedly attached to the frame in engagement with the pinion gear whereby manual lineal movement of the carriage back and forth upon the guide rods will cause rotary movement of the shaft of the variable resistor thereby varying the resistance of the variable resistor.

Abstract: A single turn potentiometer is constructed as either an open frame or a housed unit. Both units incorporate a helical coil spring wiper mounted within a rotor. In the open-frame unit, the rotor includes a shaft which extends through a corresponding hole on a ceramic substrate. The ceramic substrate cooperates with the rotor and includes a deposited cermet resistance element and a circular collector ring. A stop arrangement is built into the rotor in the open-frame unit. The closed-frame unit includes a housing having a molded-in stop for cooperation with a similar stop on the rotor. In the open-frame unit, the shaft which protrudes through the hole in the substrate is of split configuration and is spread by an insert to hold the rotor to the substrate in riveting fashion. The closed-frame unit employs a peened-over portion of the housing which is used to constrain the assembly. Means and method for affixing the conductor leads to the substrate are disclosed.

Abstract: A control unit, for example, a light dimming unit for controlling the intensity of brightness of a lamp load connected in series with the unit, includes a switching potentiometer for serially connecting the unit between a supply line and the load and for selectively adjusting the current delivered to the load. The switching potentiometer in the unit includes a shaft mounted for both rectilinear and rotary movement. The shaft is normally urged by a spring in a first axial direction, to urge a wiper mounted on the shaft resiliently into electrical contact with a resistive strip. A ratchet means carried on one end of the shaft actuates a snap-action switch which includes an armature, movable between first and second stable positions by the ratchet means when the shaft is moved in a second opposite axial direction to disengage the wiper from the resistive strip.

Abstract: A variable resistance control comprises a resistance element supported on an electrically conductive supporting plate. A driver connected to the supporting plate is provided with a knob and with an integral stabilizing and particle excluding skirt. The ratio of the diameter of the stabilizing skirt to the diameter of the knob is relatively high. The stabilizing skirt rotatably engages the resistance element and encloses a contactor carried by the driver and prevents foreign particles from engaging the contactor. Indicator means integral with the stabilizing skirt and projecting beyond a truncated portion of the knob visually indicate the angular position of the contactor. The indicator means also engages a stop integral with the supporting plate and extending between the legs of the resistance element to arrest rotation of the contactor. Terminals provided with staggered ears are secured to the legs of the resistance element.

Abstract: A trimming potentiometer in which three parallel resistance paths are located in a plane on an insulating plate. Wiper contacts are displaceable in the same direction on the resistance paths, and are attached to a common carrier which is longitudinally displaceable by a threaded spindle. Inductance loops are arranged between the resistance paths and the respective terminals for the paths, for the purpose of matching the trimming potentiometer to its inductance and capacitive input and output values.

Abstract: A multifinger contact device is produced by a series of deforming stations which compress the fingers into die cavities decreasing the width of the fingers while severing the adjacent fingers from one another, by deforming the adjacent fingers first in one direction and then in the other to decrease the formation of burrs. A subsequent forming station may be utilized to confine the entire periphery of the finger so as to form opposing longitudinal edges on adjacent fingers into noncontacting curved surfaces.