Log-time voltage generator

Claim 1

A LOG TIME VOLTAGE GENERATOR COMPRISING A VOLTAGEINTEGRATING D.C. AMPLIFIER INCLUDING A FEED-BACK CAPACITOR AND ADAPTED UPON APPLICATION OF A PREDETERMINED D.C. POTENTIAL TO THE INPUT THEREOF TO PRODUCE AN OUTPUT VOLTAGE WHICH VARIES SUBSTANTIALLY LINEARLY WITH TIME, A RESISTIVE FEED-BACK CIRCUIT SHUNTING SAID CAPACITOR AND COMPRISING A FIRST RESISTANCE MEANS AND A FIRST DIODE CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH ONE ANOTHER AND MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND DIODE CONNECTING AN INTERMEDIATE POINT ON SAID RESISTANCE MEANS TO A POINT OF PREDETERMINED REFERENCE POTENTIAL, THE VALUES IN SAID SHUNT CIRCUIT BEING SO SELECTED THAT SAID FIRST DIODE WILL BECOME CONDUCTIVE WHEN THE OUTPUT FROM SAID AMPLIFIER REACHES A FIRST PREDETERMINED VALUE AND SAID SECOND DIODE WILL SUBSEQUENTLY BECOME CONDUCTIVE WHEN THE OUTPUT REACHES A SECOND PREDETERMINED VALUE WHEREBY THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE FROM SAID AMPLIFIER WILL VARY LINEARLY WITH RESPECT TO TIME UNTIL SAID FIRST DIODE BECOMES CONDUCTIVE, THEN GENERALLY EXPONENTIALLY UNTIL SAID SECOND DIODE BECOMES CONDUCTIVE, AND THEN AGAIN LINEARLY FOR THE REMAINDER OF ITS INTENDED PERIOD OF OPERATION, A SECOND D.C. AMPLIFIER HAVING A RESISTANCE FEEDBACK CIRCUIT IN SHUNT THEREWITH AND A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL RESISTANCE PATHS CONNECTING ITS INPUT TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED AMPLIFIER, CERTAIN OF SAID PARALLEL RESISTANCE PATHS EACH HAVING A DIODE CONNECTING AN INTERMEDIATE POINT ON SAID RESISTANCE PATH OF A POINT OF PREDETERMINED REFERENCE POTENTIAL, SAID DIODES BEING ARRANGED TO SEQUENTIALLY BECOME CONDUCTIVE IN RESPONSE TO THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE FROM SAID FIRST AMPLIFIER REACHING CORRESPONDING PREDETERMINED VALUES DURING SAID SECOND LINEAR PERIOD OF OPERATION TO EFFECTIVELY VARY THE RESPONSE OF SAID SECOND AMPLIFIER TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID FIRST AMPLIFIER.