Fluorescent discharge lamp and electrode therefor

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED FLUOROSCENT LAMP INCLUDING: AN OPEN-ENDED TUBE OF TRANSPARENT MATERIAL WITH A COATING OF FLUORESCENT PHOSPHOR ON ITS INNER WALL AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID INNER WALL; A QUANTITY OF MERCURY VAPOR AND ARGON AT LOW PRESSURES CONTAINED WITHIN SAID TUBE; AN IMPROVED ELECTRODE STRUCTURE MOUNTED AT EACH END OF SAID TUBE, SAID IMPROVED ELECTRODE STRUCTURE COMPRISING: AN INSULATING END PLUG HERMETICALLY SEALED IN EACH OF THE OPEN ENDS OF SAID TUBE; A PAIR OF ELECTRICAL CONTACT LEADS PASSING THROUGH SAID END PLUG AND BEING PARALLEL TO SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS; A DOUBLE COILED FILAMENT SUPPORTED BY SAID PAIR OF LEADS IN THE INTERIOR OF SAID FLUOROSCENT TUBE, SAID FILAMENT CONSISTING OF TWO SEPARATE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED COILED SEGMENTS EACH OF SAID COILED SEGMENTS HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE OTHER COILED SEGMENT AND PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID TUBE; ELECTRON EMITTING MATERIAL SURROUNDING SAID FILAMENTS FOR TRANSFORMING SAID MERCURY VAPOR AND ARGON INTO AN IONIZED PLASMA; AND PARAMAGNETIC MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LONGITUDINALLY COILED FILAMENT SEGMENTS FOR CREATING A MAGNETIC FIELD FOR CONTROLLING THE DISTRIBUTION AND NATURAL OSCILLATIONS OF SAID PLASMA.