Electric discharge circuit

Claim 1

A SELF-TIMING ELECTRIC DISCHARGE CIRCUIT COMPRISING: (A) A DISCHARGE CAPACITOR HAVING TWO TERMINALS; (B) A FLYBACK INVERTER CIRCUIT INCLUDING A MAGNETIC CORE MEMBER HAVING INPUT, HOLD, AND OUTPUT WINDINGS AND THE ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENT OF A SINGLE TRIGGER WINDING, ALL DISPOSED IN INDUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP THERETO, WITH SAID OUTPUT WINDING CONNECTED THROUGH A DIODE DEVICE TO THE TERMINALS OF SAID DISCHARGE CAPACITOR, SAID INVERTER CIRCUIT BEING ADAPTED, WHEN ENERGIZED, TO CHARGE SAID DISCHARGE CAPACITOR IN INCREASING VOLTAGE STEPS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TO INDUCE IN SAID TRIGGER WINDING CORRESPONDINGLY INCREASING VOLTAGE POTENTIALS; (C) A GASEOUS DISCHARGE DEVICE HAVING TWO MAIN ELECTRODES AND A TRIGGER ELECTRODE; AND (D) CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID DISCHARGE CAPACITOR TO THE MAIN ELECTRODES OF SAID DISCHARGE DEVICE AND SAID TRIGGER WINDING TO SAID TRIGGER ELECTRODE AND DIRECTLY TO A MAIN ELECTRODE OF SAID DISCHARGE DEVICE, SUCH THAT, AS SAID CAPACITOR VOLTAGE INCREASES IN STEPS, A CORRESPONDINGLY INCREASING TRIGGER VOLTAGE POTENTIAL IS DEVELOPED WHICH SAID CIRCUIT MEANS APPLIES DIRECTLY ACROSS SAID TRIGGER ELECTRODE AND SAID MAIN ELECTRODE AND WHICH EVENTUALLY IONIZES SUFFICIENT GAS BETWEEN SAID TRIGGER ELECTRODE AND SAID MAIN ELECTRODE FOR ITS CORRESPONDING CAPACITOR VOLTAGE TO DISCHARGE BETWEEN SAID MAIN ELECTRODES.