Ring counter stabilizing circuitry for condition of non-conduction of all stages or conduction of more than one

Claim 1

IN ASSOCIATION WITH A RING COUNTER CIRCUIT HAVING A PLURALITY OF BISTABLE STAGES EACH HAVING A CONTROL ELECTRODE, A STABILIZATION CIRCUIT FOR COUPLING THERETO IN ORDER TO CORRECT MALFUNCTIONS IN SAID RING COUNTER CIRCUIT COMPRISING: A SOURCE OF POSITIVE ANODE POTENTIAL; A FIRST MEANS FOR SENSING AND CORRECTING A FIRST IMPROPER CONDITION OF OPERATION OF SAID RING COUNTER CIRCUIT WHEREIN ALL OF SAID PLURALITY OF BISTABLE STAGES ARE IN A NONCONDUCTING STATE SIMULTANEOUSLY, SAID FIRST MEANS BEING COUPLED IN SERIES BETWEEN SAID SOURCE OF POSITIVE ANODE POTENTIAL AAND SAID PLURALITY OF BISTABLE STAGE OF SAID RING COUNTER CIRCUIT FOR SENSING SAID FIRST IMPROPER CONDITION OF OPERATION, AND SAID FIRST MEANS BEING ALSO COUPLED TO ONE SAID CONTROL ELECTRODE OF A SINGLE PRESELECTED STAGE OF SAID PLURALITY OF BISTABLE STAGES FOR CORRECTING SAID FIRST IMPROPER CONDITION OF OPERATION BY PLACING SAID PRESELECTED STAGE IN A STATE OF CONDUCTION; AND A SECOND MEANS FOR SENSING AND CORRECTING A SECOND IMPROPER CONDITION OF OPERATION OF SAID RING COUNTER CIRCUIT WHEREIN MORE THAN ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF BISTABLE STAGE ARE IN A STATE OF CONDUTION SIMULTANEOUSLY, SAID SECOND MEANS BEING COUPLED IN SERIES BETWEEN SAID SOURCE OF POSITIVE ANODE POTENTIAL AND SAID PLURALITY OF BISTABLE STAGES OF SAID RING COUNTER CIRCUIT FOR SENSING SAID SECOND IMPROPER CONDITION OF OPERATION, AND SAID SECOND MEANS BEING ALSO COUPLED TO SAID CONTROL ELECTRODES OF SAID PLURALITY OF BISTABLE STAGES FOR PLACING ONE PRESELECTED STAGE IN A STATE OF CONDUCTION AND ALL OTHER STAGES IN A STATE OF NONCONDUCTION.