Silicon diode protective circuit

Claim 1

IN A RECTIFIER SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF RECTIFIER UNITS INTERCONNECTED WITH A SUITABLE ALTERNATING CURRENT INPUT CIRCUIT AND INTERCONNECTED WITH A SUITABLE OUTPUT CIRCUIT RECEIVING THE RECTIFIED CURRENT FROM THE RECTIFIER UNITS, SAID RECTIFIER UNITS EACH INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL RECTIFIER DEVICES CONNECTED IN SERIES, IN COMBINATION, SENSING MEANS TO DETECT THE FAILURE OF ANY OF SAID RECTIFIER DEVICES OF ANY OF SAID RECTIFIER UNITS, SAID SENSING MEANS INCLUDING RELAY MEANS CONNECTED ACROSS A FIRST DEVICE OF SAID RECTIFIER DEVICES, SAID RELAY MEANS OPERATIVE WHEN SAID FIRST DEVICE FAILS, RATIO SENSING RELAY MEANS INCLUDING TWO RELAY COILS HAVING A COMMON MAGNETIC CIRCUIT WITH ONE OF SAID COILS BEING CONNECTED ACROSS SAID FIRST RECTIFIER DEVICE AND THE OTHER OF SAID COILS, SUITABLY BIASED, CONNECTED ACROSS THE DIRECT CURRENT OUTPUT, SAID RATIO SENSING RELAY MEANS BEING OPERATIVE UPON THE FAILURE OF ANY OF SAID RECTIFIER DEVICES, OTHER THAN SAID FIRST RECTIFIER DEVICE, TO PROTECT THE RECTIFIERS THAT HAVE NOT FAILED AGAINST FAILURE AND SAID RELAY MEANS CONNECTED ACROSS A FIRST DEVICE OF SAID RECTIFIER DEVICES OPERATIVE UPON FAILURE OF SAID FIRST DEVICE, TO PROTECT THE RECTIFIERS THAT HAVE NOT FAILED AGAINST FAILURE.