Oscillator frequency control by phase null detection

Claim 1

A FREQUENCY-CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR SYSTEM, COMPRISING MEANS FOR PRODUCING OSCILLATIONS, SAID OSCILLATION PRODUCING MEANS INCLUDING VARIABLE FREQUENCY DETERMINING COMPONENTS, FREQUENCY CHANGING MEANS CONNECTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FREQUENCY-DETERMINING COMPONENTS AND ADAPTED FOR CHANGING THE FREQUENCY OF SAID OSCILLATIONS, APPROXIMATELY AT A DESIRED RATE, AND MEANS FOR PROVIDING A VERNIER CONTROL OF THE FREQUENCY OF SAID OSCILLATIONS, SAID VERNIER CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING A SOURCE OF PULSES OCCURING AT A CONSTANT FREQUENCY EQUAL TO THE SQUARE ROOT OF AN INTEGRAL SUBMULTIPLE OF SAID DESIRED RATE, A PHASE NULL DETECTOR HAVING A FIRST INPUT COUPLED WITH SAID OSCILLATION PRODUCING MEANS AND A SECOND INPUT CONNECTED TO SAID PULSE SOURCE, SAID DETECTOR BEING RESPONSIVE TO SAID PULSES FROM SAID SOURCE TO PRODUCE AN OUTPUT SIGNAL DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PHASE OF SAID PRODUCED OSCILLATIONS AT THE OCCURRENCE OF EACH OF SAID PULSES, AND A FEEDBACK NETWORK HAVING AN INPUT CONNECTED TO SAID DETECTOR TO RECEIVE SAID DETECTOR OUTPUT SIGNAL AND HAVING AN OUTPUT CONNECTED TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FREQUENCY-DETERMINING COMPONENTS IN A POLARITY FOR REDUCING VARIATIONS IN SAID PHASE RESPONSIVE SIGNAL.