Image intensifier device with mirror on rear surface, photocathode on front surface, and fiber optics in center of rear surface

Claim 1

AN ELECTRO-OPTICAL IMAGE CONVERTER DEVICE COMPRISING A PAIR OF AXIALLY SPACED CIRCULAR SMALLER DIAMETERS FRONT AND LARGER DIAMETER REAR CONCENTRIC SPHERICAL LENS MEMBERS, SAID FRONT LENS MEMBER COMPRISING A TRANSPARENT MAKSUTOW LENS HAVING CONCENTRIC SPHERICAL CONCAVE OUTER AND CONVEX INNER SURFACES, HAVING A COMMON RADIAL CENTER; A CORRECTION PLATE IN FRONT OF SAID OUTER FRONT CONCAVE SURFACE; SAID REAR LENS MEMBER HAVING AN INNER OPAQUE SPHERICAL CONCAVE FULL MIRROR REFLECTING SURFACE FACING SAID INNER CONVEX SURFACE OF SAID FRONT LENS MEMBER AND HAVING A CENTER OF CURVATURE CONCIDENT WITH THE CENTER OF CURVATURE OF SAID FRONT LENS MEMBER; AN OPAQUE FRUSTOCONICAL ENCLOSURE CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS IN SEALED RELATION TO THE PERIPHERIES OF SAID FRONT AND REAR LENS MEMBERS TO PROVIDE A VACUUM CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN, SAID CHAMBER BEING EVACUATED; A METALLIC PLUG CONCENTRICALLY SEALED IN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID FRONT LENS MEMBER TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR TRANSPARENT LIGHT PASSING AREA SURROUNDING SAID PLUG FOR PASSING OPTICAL RADIATION FROM DISTANT OBJECTS SUBSTANTIALLY AT INFINITY THROUGH SAID SURROUNDING AREA TO SAID OPAQUE SPHERICAL CONCENTRIC CONCAVE FULL MIRROR REFLECTING SURFACE OF SAID REAR LENS MEMBER; SAID PLUG HAVING A COOLING PASSAGE FORMED THEREIN; MEANS FOR CIRCULATING A COOLING MEDIUM THROUGH SAID COOLING PASSAGE; SAID PLUG HAVING AN INNER CONVEX REFLECTING SURFACE WITHIN SAID VACUUM CHAMBER COEXTENSIVE WITH THE INNER CONVEX SURFACE OF SAID FRONT LENS MEMBER; A PHOTOCATHODE LAYER DISPOSED ON THE INNER SURFACE IF SAID PLUG IN INSULATED RELATION TO SAID PLUG AND HAVING A SPHERICAL CONVEX SURFACE FACING SAID REAR LENS MEMBER SPACED TO RECEIVE THE OPTICAL RADIATION REFLECTED BY SAID MIRROR REFLECTING SURFACE OF SAID REAR LENS MEMBER AT CORRESPONDING FOCAL POINTS ON THE SPHERICAL CONVEX SURFACE OF SAID PHOTOCATHODE LAYER; SAID SPHERICAL REAR LENS MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR CENTRAL OPENING IN THE OPAQUE REFLECTING MIRROR SURFACE THEREOF HAVING A GREATER AREA THAN THE FACING AREA OF SAID PHOTOCATHODE LAYER TO PROVIDE AN OPAQUE SPHERICAL CONCENTRIC CONCAVE FULL MIRROR REFLECTING SURFACE SURROUNDING SAID ANNULAR CENTRAL OPENING; A GROUP OF FIBER-OPTICS CLOSING SAID LAST OPENING IN SEALED RELATION THERETO, EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE CONCAVE SURFACE OF SAID REAR LENS MEMBER, AND TERMINATING IN A VISUAL IMAGE VIEWING PLANE IN BACK OF SAID REAR LENS MEMBER PERPENDICULAR TO THE OPTICAL AXIS THEREOF; SAID FIBER-OPTICS HAVING THEIR INNER ENDS COEXTENSIVE WITH THE CONCAVE REFLECTION SURFACE OF SAID REAR LENS MEMBER; A CIRCULAR PHOSPHOR LAYER CONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED ON SAID INNER ENDS OF SAID GROUP OF FIBER-OPTICS AND FACING SAID PHOTOCATHODE LAYER; A HIGH VOLTAGE D.C. SOURCE HAVING A NEGATIVE TERMINAL CONNECTED TO SAID PHOTOCATHODE LAYER AND A POSITIVE TERMINAL CONNECTED TO SAID PHOSPHOR LAYER; A PLURALITY OF METALLIC BANDS DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER AROUND THE INTERIOR OF SAID FRUSTO-CONICAL ENCLOSURE IN PARALLEL PLANES BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND REAR LENS MEMBERS; A VOLTAGE DIVIDER NETWORK CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID BANDS AND SAID POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE TERMINALS OF SAID HIGH VOLTAGE D.C. SOURCE FOR ENERGIZING SAID BANDS; A CYLINDRICAL ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD COIL CONCENTRICALLY SURROUNDING SAID FRUSTO-CONICAL ENCLOSURE AND SAID FRONT LENS MEMBER, DISPLACED AXIALLY IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID REAR LENS MEMBER TO ENCIRCLE SAID FRONT LENS MEMBER AND ONLY A PORTION OF SAID ENCLOSURE TO PRODUCE AN EXPANDING MAGNETIC FIELD THROUGH SAID REAR LENS MEMBER HAVING DIVERGING SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT LINES OF FORCE PASSING THROUGH AND BETWEEN SAID PHOTOCATHODE LAYER AND SAID PHOSPHOR LAYER TO PROVIDE AN EXPANDING ELECTRON-GUIDING PATH FROM SAID PHOTOCATHODE LAYER TO SAID PHOSPHOR LAYER; AND MEANS FOR ENERGIZING SAID COIL TO CREATE SAID EXPANDING MAGNETIC FIELD.