Controllable alternating-current converter

Claim 1

A GENERATOR OF ALTERNATING CURRENT, COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELECTRONIC BREAKDOWN DEVICES EACH WITH TWO OUTPUT ELECTRODES AND A CONTROL ELECTRODE FOR TRIGGERING IT INTO A CONDUCTIVE CONDITION, SAID DEVICES BEING PROVIDED WITH AN OUTPUT CIRCUIT INCLUDING A SOURCE OF OPERATING CURRENT CONNECTED ACROSS THE RESPECTIVE OUTPUT ELECTRODES THEREOF, AT LEAST TWO CONDENSERS CONNECTED IN SERIES BETWEEN CORRESPONDING OUTPUT ELECTRODES OF SAID DEVICES, A NORMALLY NON-CONDUCTIVE DISCHARGE DEVICE CONNECTED BETWEEN THE JUNCTION OF SAID CONDENSERS AND THE REMAINING OUTPUT ELECTRODES OF SAID BREAKDOWN DEVICES, A SOURCE OF FIRST PULSES CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL ELECTRODES FOR ALTERNATELY RENDERING SAID DEVICES CONDUCTIVE, A SOURCE OF SECOND PULSES SYNCHRONIZED WITH SAID SOURCE OF FIRST PULSES CONNECTED TO SAID DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR PERIODICALLY RENDERING THE LATTER CONDUCTIVE AND TERMINATING THE CONDUCTIVE CONDITION OF EITHER OF SAID BREAKDOWN DEVICES BY MOMENTARILY CONNECTING THE PROXIMAL ONE OF SAID CONDENSERS ACROSS ITS OUTPUT ELECTRODES IN A MANNER APPLYING A QUENCHING POTENTIAL THERETO, AND TIMER MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID PULSES SOURCES FOR VARYING THE RELATIVE SPACING OF THE RESPECTIVE PULSES THEREOF, THEREBY ADJUSTING THE DURATION OF SAID CONDUCTIVE CONDITION.