Multi-stable flip-flop circuit for generating rectangular pulses from an alternating current control voltage source

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH AN ALTERNATING CURRENT CONTROL VOLTAGE SOURCE, A MULTI-PHASE SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR GENERATING RECTANGULAR PULSES HAVING THE SAME FREQUENCY AND PHASE NUMBER AS, AND A PHASE POSITION CORRESPONDING TO, SAID CONTROL VOLTAGE SOURCE, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONTROLLED SWITCHING DEVICES, THE NUMBER OF SWITCHING DEVICES BEING EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF PHASES OF THE CONTROL VOLTAGE, EACH SWITCHING DEVICE HAVING AN OUTPUT TERMINAL AND A CONTROL ELECTRODE, A COMMON DIRECT-CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE, FIRST CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING THE DIRECT-CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE TO THE OUTPUT TERMINALS OF EACH OF THE SWITCHING MEANS, RESISTANCE MEANS IN SAID FIRST CONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN THE DIRECT-CURRENT VOLTAGE SOURCE AND THE OUTPUT TERMINALS, SECOND CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING THE CONTROL VOLTAGE SOURCE TO THE CONTROL ELECTRODES OF EACH OF SAID SWITCHING DEVICES, DIODES IN SAID SECOND CONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN THE CONTROL VOLTAGE SOURCE AND EACH OF THE CONTROL ELECTRODES, THE OUTPUT PHASE VOLTAGES OF THE CONNECTION BEING TAKEN FROM THE OUTPUT TERMINALS OF THE SWITCHING DEVICES, THIRD CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF EACH SWITCHING DEVICE TO THE OUTPUT TERMINAL OF THE SWITCHING DEVICE OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING PHASE, AND FOURTH CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING THE CONTROL ELECTRODE OF EACH SWITCHING DEVICE TO THE OUTPUT TERMINAL OF THE NEXT PRECEDING PHASE, EACH OF SAID FOURTH CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING THE DIODE IN THE SECOND CONNECTING MEANS OF THE LATER OF THE TWO CONNECTED PHASES AND THE IMPEDANCE OF THE WHOLE CONNECTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY RESISTIVE.