High voltage control circuit

Claim 1

A CONTROL CIRCUIT CIRCUIT COMPRISING: (A) A HIGH VACUUM ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE HAVING A CATHODE, AN ANODE AND A CONTROL ELECTRODE, SAID DEVICE BEING NORMALLY CONDUCTIVE TO PROVIDE A CURRENT PATH BETWEEN THE CATHODE AND ANODE THEREOF, SAID DEVICE BEING RESPONSIVE TO A NEGATIVE SIGNAL APPLIED TO THE CONTROL ELECTRODE THEREOF TO BECOME NONCONDUCTIVE TO INTERRUPT SAID CURRENT PATH; (B) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CURRENT PATH FOR PROVIDING A VOLTAGE IN RESPONSE TO CURRENT FLOW THEREIN; (C) A THYRATRON HAVING A CATHODE, AN ANODE AND A CONTROL ELECTRODE, SAID THYRATRON BEING NORMALLY NONCONDUCTIVE, THE CONTROL ELECTRODE THEREOF BEING COUPLED TO SAID MEANS FOR PROVIDING A VOLTAGE, SAID THYRATRON BEING RESPONSIVE TO A PREDETERMINED VOLTAGE APPLIED TO THE CONTROL ELECTRODE THEREOF TO CONDUCT CURRENT FROM THE CATHODE TO THE ANODE THEREOF; (D) AN INDUCTION COIL HAVING A PRIMARY WINDING AND A SECONDARY WINDING, SAID PRIMARY WINDING HAVING A FIRST TERMINAL CONNECTED TO THE CATHODE OF SAID THYRATRON, SAID SECONDARY WINDING HAVING A FIRST TERMINAL CONNECTED TO THE CATHODE OF SAID DEVICE AND A SECOND TERMINAL CONNECTED THROUGH A DIODE TO THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF SAID DEVICE, SAID DIODE BEING POLED TO PROVIDE A NEGATIVE SIGNAL AT THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF SAID DEVICE; (E) A CAPACITOR CONNECTED FROM THE ANODE OF SAID THYRATRON TO A SECOND TERMINAL OF SAID PRIMARY WINDING; (F) MEANS COUPLED TO SAID CAPACITOR FOR PROVIDING A CHARGING POTENTIAL THERETO; (G) AND MEANS COUPLED TO THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF SAID DEVICE FOR MAINTAINING SAID NEGATIVE SIGNAL THEREAT FOR A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF TIME FOLLOWING THE APPLICATION OF SAID NEGATIVE SIGNAL THERETO.