Thermionic converter circuits

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT FOR CONVERTING HEAT ENERGY INTO A.-C. ELECTRICAL ENERGY COMPRISING A PAIR OF THERMIONIC CONVERTERS EACH HAVING A COLLECTOR, AN ION-EMITTING ELECTRODE ADAPTED, WHEN HEATED, TO EMIT POSITIVE IONS, AND A CATHODE, TWO TRANSFORMERS EACH HAVING A PRIMARY WINDING AND A SECONDARY WINDING, MEANS CONNECTING SAID COLLECTORS TO EACH OTHER THROUGH SAID PRIMARY WINDING OF ONE OF SAID TRANSFORMERS, SAID LAST-MENTIONED PRIMARY WINDING HAVING A CENTER TAP, MEANS CONNECTING SAID CENTER TAP TO SAID CATHODES, MEANS CONNECTING SAID ELECTRODES TO EACH OTHER THROUGH SAID SECONDARY WINDING OF THE OTHER OF SAID TRANSFORMERS, SAID LAST-MENTIONED SECONDARY WINDING HAVING A CENTER TAP CONNECTED TO SAID CATHODES, MEANS CONNECTING SAID SECONDARY WINDING OF SAID ONE TRANSFORMER IN SERIES WITH SAID PRIMARY WINDING OF SAID OTHER TRANSFORMER, MEANS TO DERIVE AN A.-C. OUTPUT ACROSS SAID SECONDARY WINDING OF SAID ONE TRANSFORMER, AND MEANS TO APPLY A SOURCE OF UNIDIRECTIONAL VOLTAGE MOMENTARILY BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODE AND SAID CATHODE IN ONE OF SAID THERMIONIC CONVERTERS FOR STARTING PURPOSES, SAID ELECTRODE BEING BIASED POSITIVELY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CATHODE WHEN SAID SOURCE OF UNIDIRECTIONAL VOLTAGE IS APPLIED.