Lightning arrester spark gap

Claim 1

AN AIR GAP CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED METALLIC MAIN ELECTRODES CONVERGING TO A MINIMUM SPACING THEREBETWEEN AND DEFINING A MAIN AIR GAP, SAID MAIN ELECTRODES HAVING DIVERGENT ENDS ON ONE SIDE OF SAID MAIN AIR GAP AND EACH MAIN ELECTRODE HAVING A PORTION ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID MAIN GAP CARRYING ALL OF THE CURRENT OF AN ARC FORMED IN SAID MAIN GAP AND BEING DISPOSED TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF MINIMUM SPACING AND TO THE ARC IN SAID MAIN GAP, A PLURALITY OF SPACED AUXILIARY ELECTRODES IN THE PLANE OF SAID MAIN ELECTRODES DEFINING AUXILIARY AIR GAPS THEREBETWEEN AND HAVING THE END AUXILIARY ELECTRODES DISPOSED ADJACENT TO BUT SPACED FROM THE DIVERGING ENDS OF SAID MAIN ELECTRODES AND DEFINING ADDITIONAL AUXILIARY GAPS THEREBETWEEN, FERROMAGNETIC MEMBERS SURROUNDING A PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID MAIN ELECTRODES ADJACENT SAID MINIMUM SPACING AND DECREASING THE RELUCTANCE OF THE MAGNETIC FLUX PATH SURROUNDING SAID MAIN ELECTRODES BUT LEAVING FREE THE CONFRONTING PORTIONS OF SAID MAIN ELECTRODES, AND INSULATING MEANS BETWEEN SAID FERROMAGNETIC MEMBERS AND SAID MAIN ELECTRODES, WHEREBY THE MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY IN SAID MAIN GAP IS INCREASED AND THE ARC THEREIN IS RAPIDLY MOVED TOWARD THE DIVERGING ENDS OF SAID MAIN ELECTRODES AND BROKEN UP INTO SMALLER ARCS FORMED IN SAID AUXILIARY GAPS.