Overload protective circuit

Claim 1

IN A POWER SUPPLY OF THE TYPE WHEREIN A SOURCE OF UNREGULATED VOLTAGE IS APPLIED TO A PAIR OF INPUT TERMINALS OF A REGULATOR CIRCUIT, WHEREIN A REGULATED OUTPUT VOLTAGE FOR A LOAD IS DERIVED BETWEEN A PAIR OF OUTPUT TERMINALS OF SAID REGULATOR CIRCUIT, AND WHEREIN A SAMPLE OF SAID OUTPUT VOLTAGE IS FED BACK DEGENERATIVELY TO A CONTROL ELECTRODE OF A VARIABLE IMPEDANCE DEVICE CONNECTED IN SERIES BETWEEN ONE OF SAID INPUT TERMINALS AND ONE OF SAID OUTPUT TERMINALS TO CONTROL SAID IMPEDANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH VARIATIONS IN SAID OUTPUT VOLTAGE; A SECOND SOURCE OF UNIDIRECTIONAL VOLTAGE, SAID SECOND SOURCE OF VOLTAGE BEING INDEPENDENT OF SAID SOURCE OF UNREGULATED VOLTAGE, MEANS INCLUDING A VOLTAGE DIVIDER CONNECTING SAID SECOND SOURCE BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF OUTPUT TERMINALS, A TRANSISTOR, MEANS CONNECTING THE EMITTER-COLLECTOR PATH OF SAID TRANSISTOR BETWEEN SAID VOLTAGE DIVIDER AND SAID CONTROL ELECTRODE AND MEANS CONNECTING THE BASE ELECTRODE OF SAID TRANSISTOR TO SAID SECOND SOURCE OF VOLTAGE TO BIAS SAID TRANSISTOR TO CUT OFF DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF SAID POWER SUPPLY AND TO CAUSE SAID TRANSISTOR TO CONDUCT WHEN THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF SAID POWER SUPPLY FALLS BELOW A PREDETERMINED AMPLITUDE, WHEREBY SAID BIASING VOLTAGE WILL BE APPLIED TO SAID CONTROL ELECTRODE TO CAUSE SAID IMPEDANCE OF SAID DEVICE TO BECOME INFINITE.