Apparatus for counting electric impulses comprising a bistable multivibrator and a glow discharge counting tube having a plurality of cold cathodes

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR COUNTING ELECTRIC IMPULSES COMPRISING A BISTABLE MULTIVIBRATOR HAVING TWO OUTPUT RESISTANCES, THE IMPULSES TO BE COUNTED ACTUATING SAID MULTIVIBRATOR IN SUCH A MANNER THAT OUTPUT VOLTAGES OF DIFFERENT VALUE ARISE IN AN ALTERNATING SEQUENCE ACROSS EACH OF SAID OUTPUT RESISTANCES, A DIFFERENTIATING NETWORK COUPLED TO ONE OF SAID OUTPUT RESISTANCES, A SECOND DIFFERENTIATING NETWORK COUPLED TO THE OTHER OF SAID OUTPUT RESISTANCES, A GLOW DISCHARGE COUNTING TUBE HAVING 2N COLD CATHODES AND A COMMON ANODE AND WHEREIN N DENOTES AN EVEN INTEGER, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE CATHODES NOS. 1, 5, 9, TO 2N-3 OF SAID COUNTING TUBE TO FORM A FIRST AUXILIARY CATHODE GROUP, MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID FIRST AUXILIARY CATHODE GROUP TO ONE OF SAID DIFFERENTIATING NETWORKS, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE CATHODES NOS. 2, 6, 10 TO 2N-2 OF SAID COUNTING TUBE TO FORM A FIRST MAIN CATHODE GROUP, MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID FIRST MAIN CATHODE GROUP TO ONE OF SAID OUTPUT RESISTANCES OF SAID MULTIVIBRATOR, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE CATHODES NOS. 3, 7, 11, TO 2N-1 OF SAID COUNTING TUBE TO FORM A SECOND AUXILIARY CATHODE GROUP, MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID SECOND AUXILIARY CATHODE GROUP TO THE OTHER OF SAID DIFFERENTIATING NETWORKS, MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE CATHODES NOS. 4, 8, 12, TO 2N OF SAID COUNTING TUBE TO FORM A SECOND MAIN CATHODE GROUP, AND MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID SECOND MAIN CATHODE GROUP TO THE OTHER OF SAID OUTPUT RESISTANCES OF SAID MULTIVIBRATOR.