Alternator control utilizing semiconductor controller rectifiers

Claim 1

IN A GENERATING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PHASE WINDINGS IN WHICH ALTERNATING CURRENTS ARE INDUCED AND AN OUTPUT TERMINAL FOR EACH PHASE WINDING, A FIELD WINDING WHOSE ENERGIZATION CONTROLS THE VOLTAGES INDUCED IN SAID PHASE WINDINGS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THE PRIMARY EXCITATION CURRENT FOR SAID WINDING COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONTROLLED RECTIFIERS OF THE SEMI-CONDUCTOR TYPE HAVING ANODE-CATHODE CIRCUITS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID TERMINALS AND A COMMON JUNCTION CONNECTED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID FIELD WINDING WHEREBY SAID FIELD WINDING IS PRIMARILY ENERGIZED THROUGH SAID RECTIFIERS FROM SAID PHASE WINDINGS, SAID RECTIFIERS BEING CONNECTED TO DIFFERENT PHASE WINDINGS AND BLOCKING THE FIELD CURRENT IN SAID WINDING WHEN NONCONDUCTIVE AND EACH HAVING A CONTROL ELECTRODE TO WHICH AN ON CURRENT SIGNAL MAY BE APPLIED TO CONDITION THE RECTIFIERS TO BE CONDUCTIVE WHEN THE ANODE THEREOF IS POSITIVE WITH RESPECT TO THE CATHODE THEREOF, SAID CONTROL ELECTRODES LOSING CONTROL OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CURRENT FLOW THROUGH THE RECTIFIERS WHEN THE RECTIFIERS ARE CONDUCTIVE DUE TO AVALANCHE BREAKDOWN OF THE RECTIFIERS; CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID CONTROL ELECTRODES FOR APPLYING A COMMON CURRENT SIGNAL THERETO FOR SWITCHING SAID RECTIFIERS ON INCLUDING A SWITCHING DEVICE AND AN OUTPUT SENSING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OUTPUT OF THE MACHINE FOR SENSING THE OUTPUT OF SAID MACHINE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID MACHINE FOR OPERATING SAID SWITCHING DEVICE OFF AND ON TO SWITCH THE CURRENT SIGNAL OFF AND ON WHEN THE OUTPUT OF THE MACHINE RESPECTIVELY RISES TO A PREDETERMINED LEVEL AND DROPS TO A PREDETERMINED LOWER LEVEL.