Operating circuit for a discharge type of transducer

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION OF AN OPERATING CIRCUIT AND A GASEOUS DISCHARGE TYPE OF TRANSDUCER HAVNG AN ELECTRODE AS A POINT AND THE OTHER ELECTRODES HAVING A RELATIVELY LARGER SURFACE, SAID TRANSDUCER OPERATING WITH A GASEOUS ARC DISCHARGE ABOUT SAID ONE ELECTRODE MAINTAINED BY RADIO FREQUENCY POTENTIALS BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODES, SAID TRANSDUCER, IN THE ABSENCE OF A DISCHARGE, PRESENTING A CAPACITIVE LOAD, SAID LOAD, AFTER DISCHARGE INITIATION, HAVING SO MUCH OF A RESISTIVE COMPONENT THAT THE NORMALLY 90* CAPACITIVE PHASE SHIFT CHANGES VERY SUBSTANTIALLY, SAID TRANSDUCER ALSO REQUIRING A VOLTAGE FOR INITIATING AN ARC DISCHARGE WHICH IS GREATER THAN THE VOLTAGE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE ARC, SAID OPERATING CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: A VACUUM TUBE AMPLIFIER HAVING A CATHODE, ANODE AND CONTROL GRID, A DIRECT WIRE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID CONTROL GRID AND SAID OTHER TRANSDUCER ELECTRODE, MEANS FOR IMPRESSING A UNI-DIRECTIONAL ENERGIZING POTENTIAL ON SAID CATHODE AND ANODE, SAID ANODE BEING CONNECTED TO THE POSITIVE TERMINAL OF SAID ENERGIZING POTENTIAL SOURCE, A FIRST CAPACITOR CONNECTED BETWEEN THE TUBE ANODE AND THE TUBE CATHODE, AN INDUCTOR CONNECTED BETWEEN THE TUBE ANODE AND SAID ONE TRANSDUCER ELECTRODE, SAID FIRST CAPACITOR HAVING A VALUE OF THE ORDER OF ABOUT 25 TIMES THE TRANSDUCER CAPACITANCE WITH NO DISCHARGE, SAID RATIO DROPPING TO THE ORDER OF ABOUT 12 AFTER DISCHARGE HAS BEEN INITIATED IN SAID TRANSDUCER, SAID FIRST CAPACITOR AND INDUCTOR HAVING SUITABLE VALUES TO DETERMINE GENERALLY A DESIRED RF FOR TRANSDUCER OPERATION, THE OPERATING CIRCUIT AND TRANSDUCER COOPERATING TO PROVIDE A NETWORK WHICH IS CONDUCTIVE TO IMPRESSING A DESIRED RF POTENTIAL ON SAID TRANSDUCER FOR AN INITIATION AND FOR MAINTAINING A LOWER DESIRED POTENTIAL FOR ARC MAINTENANCE, AND MEANS FOR MODULATING THE RF IMPRESSED ON SAID TRANSDUCER FOR SIGNALLING PURPOSES.