Switching system for selectively ionizing gas tubes by radio frequency energy under control of moveable blocking shield

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY ENERGIZING PREDETERMINED ONES OF A PLURALITY OF ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS EACH CONTAINING A COLD CATHODE GASEOUS GLOW DISCHARGE TUBE HAVING A DIELECTRIC ENVELOPE COMPRISING MEANS FOR ENERGIZING A PLURALITY OF SAID TUBES WITH AN OPERATING POTENTIAL INSUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN IONIZATION OF THE GAS THEREIN; MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PROVIDING A RADIO FREQUENCY RADIATING FIELD WHICH IS TOTALLY INDEPENDENT OF SAID OPERATING POTENTIAL ADJACENT THE ENVELOPE OF SAID PLURALITY OF TUBES WHICH IN COMBINATION WITH SAID OPERATING POTENTIAL IS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE IONIZATION OF THE GAS IN SAID TUBES; MEANS FOR NORMALLY SHIELDING SAID TUBES FROM SAID RADIO FREQUENCY FIELD TO PREVENT IONIZATION OF THE GAS IN SAID TUBES AND FOR SELECTIVELY UNSHIELDING SAID TUBES TO EFFECT IONIZATION OF GAS IN UNSHIELDED ONES OF SAID TUBES AND ENERGIZATION OF ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNSHIELDED ONES OF SAID TUBES.