Abstract: A floating pin joint is provided for coupling a linear potentiometer to a machine for measuring relative movement between first and second component parts of the machine. The potentiometer has an elongated housing securable to the first component part and a drive actuator slidably attached to the housing. In one embodiment, the floating pin joint includes a bushing, an actuator rod and a spring. The bushing can be positioned in a mounting hole on the drive actuator with an annular bearing surface disposed at one end of the bushing facing outwardly from the mounting hole. The actuator rod has a flange disposed between a first end and second end which contacts the bearing surface when the second end of the rod is extended through the bushing. The spring attaches to the second end of the rod for maintaining the flange in contact with the bearing surface.

Abstract: The power resistor has a metal housing and heatsink, the bottom wall of which is planar and has a bolt hole therethrough for tight securing of the resistor to a chassis. A planar film-type power resistor is mounted in the housing and encapsulated therein, being held close to the bottom wall of the housing. Heat from the film-type resistor passes through the bottom wall into the chassis, the result being that the power rating of the resistor is high. The metal housing is die-cast of a zinc alloy, at extremely low cost yet with substantially the same heat-transmission characteristic as that of conventional die-castable aluminum alloys.

Abstract: A rotary position transducer for generating electrical rotary angle signals as a function of the pivoted position of a rotary device, in particular a throttle valve in the fuel supply system of an internal combustion engine, has a first carrier with concentrically disposed electric contact tracks and a second carrier with fixedly disposed wipers, which rest with axial pressure on the contact tracks. One of the two carriers is rotatable relative to the other, and the rotatable carrier has a securing element for coupling of the rotary device in a manner fixed against relative rotation. To suppress a transmission of radial and axial play of the rotary device to the arrangement of wipers and contact tracks, the securing element is joined to the carrier via a spring coupling that is torsionally rigid in the rotational direction but highly elastic in the axial and radial direction.

Abstract: Hand control devices are disclosed which provide for damping of vibrations and other unintended motion with three or more degrees of freedom. In one embodiment, a four degree of freedom damped hand control is illustrated, including a chamber filled with a viscous fluid, and a transmission which couples movement of a handle in the X, Y and Z directions and rotation in a .theta. direction about one of the axes to movements of one or more drag elements in the fluid. The hand control further includes a position-sensing and a rotation-sensing assembly for sensing the position of the handle relative to a reference frame and for generating electrical signals indicative of the position and angle.

Abstract: A hand control capable of suppressing tremors and other unwanted vibrations is disclosed which incorporates viscous damping in two degrees of freedom to mechanically filter the forces applied by the user's hand. To suppress pathological intention tremors, the damping characteristics are chosen so as to selectively reduce the amplitude of movements at or above about 3 Hertz. The hand control includes a chamber filled with a viscous fluid, a position-sensing actuator assembly and a damping element connected to the actuator and disposed within the chamber to suppress involuntary movements of the actuator. The volume of the chamber, size of the damping element and viscosity of the fluid are chosen to achieve a damping constant of about 2 to 20 lbf-sec/ft., preferably from about 5 to about 15 lbf-sec/ft. The viscous fluid is preferably a silicone oil having a viscosity of about 300,000 to about 900,000 cstokes.