Touch responsive circuit

Claim 1

A TOUCH RESPONSIVE CIRCUIT FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF EXCITATION FROM AN A.C. LINE TO A LOAD COMPRISING: (A) A RELAY WHICH CONTROLS THE SUPPLY OF CURRENT FROM THE LINE TO THE LOAD; (B) A CAPACITATIVE BALLAST CIRCUIT IN SERIES BETWEEN THE A.C. LINE AND THE COIL OF THE RELAY TO SUPPLY THE RELAY WITH EXCITATION; (C) A RECTIFYING MEANS COUPLED ACROSS THE COIL TO SHUNT CURRENT PAST THE COIL DURING THE HALF CYCLES OF ONE POLARITY OF THE SUPPLIED EXCITATION; (D) A SEMICONDUCTIVE SWITCHING DEVICE WITH A BASE, AN EMITTER, AND A COLLECTOR TERMINAL THAT IS COUPLED ACROSS THE COIL THROUGH ITS EMITTER AND COLLECTOR TERMINALS; (E) A BIAS SUPPLY COUPLED TO THE BASE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR KEEPING THE SEMICONDUCTOR NON-CONDUCTING AND THEREBY PERMITTING CURRENT TO FLOW THROUGH THE COIL ON THE HALF CYCLES OF OPPOSITE POLARITY OF THE SUPPLIED EXCITATION; (F) PULSE MEANS COUPLED TO THE BASE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING DEVICE SUPPLYING PULSES TO THE BASE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE TOP TRIGGER THE DEVICE AND SHUNT CURRENT PAST THE COIL DURING THE HALF CYCLES OF OPPOSITE POLARITY; AND (G) TOUCH RESPONSIVE MEANS COUPLED TO THE PULSE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF PULSES TO THE BASE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WHEREBY THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MAY BE EITHER RENDERED CONDUCTING OR NONCONDUCTING BY SELECTIVELY TOUCHING THE TOUCH RESPONSIVE MEANS.