Switching arrangement for fast on-off switching of high amplitude current

Claim 1

A SWITCHING ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING: A FIRST SWITCHING DEVICE HAVING FIRST, SECOND AND CONTROL TERMINALS AND OF THE TYPE WHICH IS INITIALLY RENDERED CONDUCTIVE TO TRANSLATE CURRENT BETWEEN ITS FIRST AND ITS SECOND TERMINALS IN RESPONSE TO THE TRANSLATION OF TRIGGERING CURRENT IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION BETWEEN ITS CONTROL TERMINAL AND ITS FIRST TERMINAL, WHICH REMAINS CONDUCTIVE SUBSEQUENT TO THE TERMINATION OF THE TRIGGERING CURRENT, AND WHICH IS THEREAFTER RENDERED NONCONDUCTIVE IN RESPONSE TO REVERSING THE CURRENT FLOW BETWEEN ITS CONTROL TERMINAL AND ITS FIRST TERMINAL; AN OUTPUT LOAD COUPLED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS OF SAID FIRST SWITCHING DEVICE; MEANS FOR TRANSLATING TRIGGERING CURRENT IN SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID CONTROL TERMINAL AND SAID FIRST TERMINAL OF SAID FIRST SWITCHING DEVICE TO RENDER SAID FIRST DEVICE CONDUCTIVE AND TO EFFECT CURRENT FLOW BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND TERMINALS AND THROUGH SAID OUTPUT LOAD; A SECOND SWTICHING DEVICE HAVING FIRST, SECOND AND CONTROL TERMINALS; MEANS COUPLING SAID FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS OF SAID SECOND DEVICE TO SAID CONTROL AND SAID FIRST TERMINALS OF SAID FIRST DEVICE; AND MEANS COUPLED TO SAID CONTROL TERMINAL OF SAID SECOND DEVICE FOR RENDERING SAID SECOND DEVICE CONDUCTIVE, SUBSEQUENT TO THE TERMINATION OF THE TRIGGERING CURRENT TRANSLATED BETWEEN SAID FIRST TERMINAL AND SAID CONTROL TERMINAL OF SAID FIRST DEVICE, TO EFFECT CURRENT FLOW BETWEEN SAID CONTROL AND SAID FIRST TERMINALS OF SAID FIRST DEVICE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION TO RENDER SAID FIRST DEVICE NONCONDUCTIVE AND TO EFFECT TERMINATION OF CURRENT FLOW THROUGH SAID LOAD.