Capacitor protective system

Claim 1

AN EXPLODING WIRE FUSE DEVICE FOR USE WITH CAPACITORS IN A HIGH VOLTAGE D.C. ENERGY STORAGE CAPACITOR BANK COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED TUBULAR BOUSING OF HIGH STRENGTH ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MELAMINEBONDED FIBERGLASS CLOSED AT ITS ENDS BY METAL CAP MEMBERS, SAID TUBULAR HOUSING DEFINING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT DIAMETER AXIAL BORE THEREIN, THE LENGTH OF SAID HOUSING BEING DEPENDENT UPON THE VOLTAGE AGAINST WHICH INTERRUPTION MUST BE OBTAINED AND RESTRIKE PREVENTED, SAID HOUSING BEING ABOUT 8 TO 15 INCHES LONG, HAVING A WALL THICKNESS OF AT LEAST ABOUT 1/4 INCH, AND SAID BORE BEING ABOUT 3/8 INCH IN DIAMETER, AND A COPPER WIRE HAVING A DIAMETER OF ABOUT 20-50 MILS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BORE AND CONNECTED TO ITS END TO SAID METAL CAP MEMBERS, SAID BORE BEING FREE OF MATERIAL OTHER THAN SAID WIRE AND AIR, SAID FUSE OPERATING OPEN DIELECTRIC FAILURE OF THE CAPACITOR ASSOCIATED THEREWITH AND RESULTING IN DISCHARGE THEREIN OF THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL ENERGY AT INSTANTANEOUS POWER LEVELS OF ABOUT 1,000,000 KILOVOLT-AMPERES IN SAID CAPACITOR BANK, SAID WIRE IN THE OPERATION OF SAID FUSE EXPLODING AND INTERRUPTION THE CURRENT OF SAID DISCHARGE, SAID FUSE REMAINING CLOSED WITHOUT EXPELLING GAS OR FLAME, WHEREBY THE CAPACITOR ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FUSE IN DISCONNECTED FROM THE REMAINING CAPACITORS IN THE BLANK BEFORE IT IS RUPTURED BY SAID DISCHARGE.