Apparatus for igniting and operating gaseous discharge devices

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR IGNITING AND THEREAFTER PROVIDING OPERATING VOLTAGE FOR AT LEAST ONE GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE FROM A SOURCE OF A.C. VOLTAGE WHICH COMPRISES, AN ELONGATE IRON CORE HAVING A PRIMARY WINDING MOUNTED THEREON ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED ACROSS SAID SOURCE AND BEING FORMED OF FIRST AND SECOND PRIMARY PARTS, SAID PRIMARY PARTS BEING SERIES CONNECTED IN VOLTAGE OPPOSITION TO ONE ANOTHER AND PHYSICALLY SEPARATED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID CORE, AT LEAST ONE SECONDARY WINDING DISPOSED ON SAID CORE, SAID SECONDARY WINDING BEING MORE CLOSELY COUPLED WITH SAID SECOND PRIMARY PART THAN WITH SAID FIRST PRIMARY PART, A CONDENSER, LEAD MEANS CONNECTING SAID CONDENSER IN SERIES WITH SAID ONE SECONDARY WINDING, SECOND LEAD MEANS BEING CONNECTED EXTERIORLY OF SAID LAST NAMED SERIES CONNECTED CONDENSER AND WINDING AND ADAPTED FOR CONNECTING SAID ONE GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE IN SERIES THEREWITH; AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID ONE SECONDARY WINDING IN AUTO-TRANSFORMER RELATIONSHIP WITH AT LEAST SAID SECOND PART OF SAID PRIMARY WINDING, AND SAID SECOND PRIMARY PART AND SAID ONE SECONDARY WINDING BEING IN BUCKING VOLTAGE RELATIONSHIP ON OPEN CIRCUIT, BUT BEING ADDITIVELY OPERATIVE AFTER IGNITION OF A GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE ENERGIZED THEREBY.