Current limiting inverters for operating electric discharge devices and other loads

Claim 1

IN A CURRENT LIMITING INVERTER FOR SUPPLYING AN ALTERNATING POTENTIAL TO AN ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE FROM A D.C. POTENTIAL SOURCE, AN INPUT MEANS INCLUDING INPUT TERMINALS FOR CONNECTION TO THE D.C. POTENTIAL SOURCE, AN OUTPUT MEANS INCLUDING OUTPUT TERMINALS FOR CONNECTION TO THE ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE, A SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING MEANS OPERABLE BETWEEN A LOW INPEDANCE AND A HIGH IMPEDANCE CONDITION, AND CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH ONE OF SAID INPUT TERMINALS, FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD SATURATING REACTORS, EACH OF SAID SATURATING REACTORS HAVING A SATURABLE CORE, A MAIN WINDING WOUND THEREON WITH A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF TURNS AND A BIAS MEANS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH FOR APPLYING A BIAS MAGNETOMOTIVE FORCE IN OPPOSING RELATIONSHIP TO THE MAGNETIZING MAGNETOMOTIVE FORCE OF THE MAIN WINDING, SAID FIRST SATURATING REACTOR BEING CONNECTED IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATION WITH SAID SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING MEANS, FIRST AND SECOND PARALLEL CIRCUIT BRANCHES. SAID CIRCUIT BRANCHES BEING CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID FIRST SATURATING REACTOR AND THE OTHER OF SAID INPUT TERMINALS, SAID FIRST CIRCUIT BRANCH INCLUDING SAID SECOND SATURATING REACTOR AND SAID OUTPUT TERMINALS, SAID SECOND CIRCUIT BRANCH INCLUDING SAID THIRD SATURATING REACTOR, SAID PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF TURNS OF THE MAIN WINDINGS OF SAID SECOND AND THIRD SATURATING REACTORS BEING SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A MAGNETOMOTIVE FORCE AT DESIRED CURRENT LEVELS THAT CANCELS SAID BIAS MAGNETOMOTIVE FORCE, SAID SECOND AND THIRD REACTORS THEREBY PRESENTING A HIGH INPEDENCE DURING THEIR UNSATURATED CONDITION TO LIMIT THE CURRENT SUPPLIED FROM THE SOURCE DURING THE POSITIVE HALF CYCLE, SAID FIRST SATURATING REACTOR BEING DRIVEN OUT OF SATURATION NEAR THE END OF THE POSITIVE HALF CYCLE WHEN THE THIRD SATURATING REACTOR APPROACHES SATURATION TO CAUSE SAID FIRST SATURATING REACTOR TO THEREBY SUPPORT VOLTAGE AND REDUCE THE VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID THIRD SATURATING REACTOR, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID THIRD SATURATING REACTOR TO DRIVE SAID SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING MEANS TO A HIGH IMPEDANCE CONDITION IN ORDER TO ALLOW SAID SATURATING REACTORS TO RECOVER, THE CURRENT TO THE OUTPUT MEANS DURING THE NEGATIVE HALF CYCLE BEING PRO VIDED BY AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SATURATING REACTORS DURING ITS RECOVERY PERIOD.