Tunnel diode controlled transistor regulator

Claim 1

A VOLTAGE REGULATOR HAVING AN INPUT TERMINAL AND AN OUTPUT TERMINAL ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A REGULATED VOLTAGE AT SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL REGARDLESS OF VARIATIONS IN VOLTAGE MAGNITUDE OF AN UNREGULATED SOURCE CONNECTED TO SAID INPUT TERMINAL COMPRISING A CONTROLLABLE IMPEDANCE MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID INPUT AND SAID OUTPUT TERMINALS OF SAID REGULATOR, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL FOR CONTROLLING SAID CONTROLLABLE IMPEDANCE MEANS SO AS TO PROVIDE A REGULATED VOLTAGE OF PREDETERMINED MAGNITUDE AT SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL, SAID CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A TUNNEL DIODE DEVICE CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL AND EXHIBITING A CURRENT-VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTIC DEFINING A FIRST REGION OF POSITIVE RESISTANCE AND ADJOINING AT A PEAK VALUE A SECOND REGION OF NEGATIVE RESISTANCE AND THENCE A THIRD REGION OF POSITIVE RESISTANCE, SAID DEVICE OPERABLE ALONG SAID SECOND REGION WHEN VOLTAGES IN EXCESS OF SAID PREDETERMINED MAGNITUDE APPEAR AT SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL SO AS TO OSCILLATE AT A VARIABLE REPETITION RATE DEPENDENT UPON THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID EXCESS VOLTAGE, AND FREQUENCY METERING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID DEVICE AND SAID CONTROLLABLE IMPEDANCE FOR CONTROLLING SAID CONTROLLABLE IMPEDANCE MEANS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REPETITION RATE OF SAID DEVICE WHEREBY THE VOLTAGE AT SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL IS MAINTAINED AT SAID PREDETERMINED MAGNITUDE.