Ballast apparatus for starting and operating electric discharge lamps

Claim 1

A BALLAST APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ELECTRIC DISCHARGE LAMPS FROM AN ALTERNATING POWER SOURCE COMPRISING: A VOLTAGE TRANSFORMING MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE MAGNETIC CORE, A PAIR OF INPUT LEADS FOR CONNECTION WITH THE ALTERNATING POWER SOURCE, A FIRST, A SECOND, A THIRD AND A FOURTH PRIMARY PART, SAID FIRST AND FOURTH PRIMARY PARTS BEING CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE INPUT LEADS AND SAID SECOND AND THIRD PRIMARY PARTS BEING CONNECTED IN PARALLEL CIRCUIT RELATION WITH EACH OTHER, SAID PARALLEL CONNECTED SECOND AND THIRD PRIMARY PARTS BEING CONNECTED IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATION WITH SAID FIRST AND FOURTH PRIMARY PARTS, AT LEAST ONE HIGH LEAKAGE REACTANCE SECONDARY WINDING INDUCTIVELY COUPLED WITH AT LEAST A PAIR OF SAID PRIMARY PARTS, ONE JUNCTION OF SAID PARALLEL CONNECTED SECOND AND THIRD PRIMARY PARTS BEING CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH ONE END OF SAID SECONDARY WINDING AND CIRCUIT MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THE OUTPUT OF THE APPARATUS TO SAID ELECTRIC DISCHARGE LAMPS AND INCLUDING OUTPUT LEADS FOR CONNECTION WITH SAID LAMPS, ONE OF SAID OUTPUT LEADS BEING CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE OTHER END OF SAID SECONDARY WINDING AND THE OTHER OF SAID OUTPUT LEADS BEING CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE OTHER JUNCTION OF SAID PARALLEL CONNECTED SECOND AND THIRD PRIMARY PARTS.