Starter for multiple electrode lamps

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT FOR IGNITING AND OPERATING A CONTINUOUS ARC LAMP PROVIDED WITH A STARTING ELECTRODE IN ADDITION TO THE MORMAL DISCHARGE ELECTRODES COMPRISING: FIRST UNIDIRECTIONAL ELECTRIC CURRNT SUPPLY MEANS HAVING AN OUTPUT VOLTAGE UNDER LOAD AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE VOLTAGE REQUIRED FOR CONTINUOUS OPERATION OF SAID DISCHARGE ELECTRODES; FIRST CIRCUIT MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID DISCHARGE ELECTRODES WITH SAID FIRST SUPPLY MEANS; ELECTRICALLY RESPONSIVE SWITCHING MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID FIRST CIRCUIT MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO CURRENT FLOW THEREIN RESULTING FROM STARTING OF SAID LAMP; SECOND UNDIRECTIONAL ELECTRIC CURRENT SUPPLY MEANS SEPARATE FROM SAID FIRST SUPPLY MEANS; SWITCH STRUCTURE; ELECTRICAL ENERGY STORING MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID SWITCH STRUCTURE; MEANS COUPLING SAID SWITCH STRUCTURE AND STORING MEANS WITH SAID SECOND SUPPLY MEANS; SECOND CIRCUIT MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID STARTING ELECTRODE WITH SAID SWITCH STRUCTURE, THE LATTER HAVING A NORMAL, FIRST SWITCH POSITION PERMITTING ELECTRICAL ENERGY FROM SAID SECOND SUPPLY MEANS TO FLOW INTO SAID STORING MEANS AND A SECOND SWITCH POSITION PERMITTING ELECTRICAL ENERGY TO FLOW FROM SAID STORING MEANS TO THE STARING ELECTRODE; ELECTRICALLY RESPONSIVE ACTUATOR MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID SWITCH STRUCTURE FOR CYLICALLY OPERATING THE LATTER TO REPEATEDLY PLACE SAID SWITCH STRUCTURE IN SAID SECOND POSITION MOMENTARILY AND THEN RETURN TO THE SAME TO SAID NORMAL POSITION; AND MEANS ELECTRICALLY COUPLING SAID ACTUATOR MEANS WITH SAID FIRST SUPPLY MEANS AND SAID ELECTRICALLY RESPONSIVE SWITCHING MEANS, THE LATTER INTERRUPTING CURRENT FLOW FROM SAID FIRST SUPPLY MEANS TO SAID ACTUATOR MEANS WHEN CURRENT FLOWS IN SAID FIRST CIRCUIT MEANS, WHEREBY THE STARTING ELECTRODE IS PULSED WITH ELECTRICAL ENERGY UNTIL CURRENT FLOWS BETWEEN THE DISCHARGE ELECTRODES AND HENCE IN SAID FIRST CIRCUIT MEANS.