The current passing in at binding-post A travels to J and B, the latter being the resting-plate for the switch-arm. A move of the arm to C sends the current up over the first coil and down; then over the second, third, and fourth coils, and out at G; through plate H (which is the rest at the right side), and out at I.
A move of the switch-arm to D cuts out the first coil; a move to E, the first and second coils; and so on until the last plate is reached, when the current will pass without resistance in at A, through J, and out at I.
A simple arrangement for a resistance-coil is shown in Fig. 5. This consists of a set of small metal plates in which two holes are made, one for a screw, the other for a screw-eye (see Binding-posts, chapter iii.). Two lines of steel-wire nails are driven along a board, and German-silver wire is drawn around them in zig-zag fashion, beginning at the left and going towards the right side of the board. One end of wire is made fast under the screw-head on plate A. The strand is carried out around the first nail on the lower row and over the first one on the upper row, then down, up, down until six nails have been turned. The wire is then carried down to the screw in plate B, given two turns, and carried up again and over the nail on the top row, repeating the direction of zigzag No. 1, until six of them are made. The end of the wire is then made fast to plate G, and all the screws are driven in to hold the plates and wire securely.
The inlet wire is attached to A, the outlet to G, and any degree of resistance can be had by moving the inlet wire to the various plates along the line, cutting out sections Nos. 1 to 6 as desired.
For heavier wire the arrangement as shown in Fig. 6 should be satisfactory.
A frame twelve by fifteen inches is constructed of wood three-quarters of an inch thick and one inch and a quarter wide, having the ends securely fastened with glue and screws. Spirals are wound of German-silver wire (any size from No. 16 to 22), and drawn apart. The ends are caught to the frame with small staples, and each alternate coil-end is joined, as shown in Fig. 6. The leading-out wires to the contact-points on the switch should be of insulated copper, and are to run down the sides of the frame, and so to the switch-board. To clearly illustrate, however, the plan of wiring, the drawing is made so as to show the leads from the coil-ends to the switch. Care should be taken to study this drawing well, so as not to make an error in connecting a wrong end to a contact-point, thereby causing a short circuit. When properly connected the current passes in at A and out at I; but if wires are improperly connected, the current will jump when the switch-arm reaches the misconnected contact.