Bias controlled bilateral switching arrangement for the selective interconnection of electrical conductors

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY COUPLING A FIRST CONDUCTOR TO ONE OF A SECOND CONDUCTOR AND A THIRD CONDUCTOR INCLUDING IN COMBINATION FIRST AND SECOND BILATERAL SWITCHING DEVICES, EACH HAVING A FIRST TERMINAL AND SECOND TERMINAL, EACH OF SAID DEVICES COMPRISING MEANS PROVIDING A BIASING VOLTAGE OF A GIVEN MAGNITUDE NORMALLY TO RENDER SAID DEVICE NONCONDUCTIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF UNEQUAL DIRECTCURRENT POTENTIALS AT ITS FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS AND TO RENDER SAID DEVICE CONDUCTIVE IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESENCE OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL DIRECT CURRENT POTENTIALS AT ITS FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS, MEANS INCLUDING A CAPACITOR FOR COUPLING SAID FIRST CONDUCTOR TO THE FIRST TERMINAL OF EACH DEVICE, MEANS PROVIDING A FIRST DIRECT-CURRENT REFERENCE VOLTAGE AND A DIFFERENT SECOND DIRECT-CURRENT REFERENCE VOLTAGE, EACH OF SAID REFERENCE VOLTAGES BEING OF A MAGNITUDE APPRECIABLY LESS THAN SAID BIASING VOLTAGE, MEANS COUPLING THE FIRST DEVICE AND TO THE SECOND CONDUCTOR, MEANS OF THE FIRST DEVICE AND TO THE SECOND CONDUCTOR, MEANS COUPLING THE SECOND REFERENCE VOLTAGE TO THE SECOND TERMINAL OF THE SECOND DEVICE AND TO THE THIRD CONDUCTOR, A DIRECT-CURRENT SOURCE PRODUCING AN OUTPUT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO ONE OF SAID REFERENCE VOLTAGES, MEANS COUPLING SAID SOURCE TO THE FIRST TERMINAL OF EACH DEVICE AND A CIRCUIT COMPLETING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID REFERENCE VOLTAGE PROVIDING MEANS AND SAID BIASING VOLTAGE PRODUCING MEANS AND SAID SOURCE.