Electronic glow-discharge indicator

Claim 1

AN ELECTRONIC-INDICATOR, COMPRISING A COLD-CATHODE GLOW DISCHARGE TUBE HAVING A PLURALITY OF CATHODES AND A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT ANODE COMMON TO SAID CATHODES OF WHICH ONE IS A DISCHARGE HOLDING CATHODE AND AT LEAST ANOTHER ONE IS AN INDICATIONG CATHODE, SAID ANODE AND SIAD CATHODES HAVING PLATE-VOTLAGE SUPPLY MEANS IN COMMON, SAID HOLDING CATHODE AND SAID INDICATING CATHODES BEING CLOSELY JUXTAPOSED TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID ANODE SO THAT THE TOTAL PLATE CURRENT IS DISTRIBUTED ONTO SAID LATTER CATHODES AND SAID CATHODES ARE IONIZATION COUPLED WITH EACH OTHER, RESISTIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID INDICATING CATHODE, A SIGNAL CIRCUIT CONNECTING SAID HOLDING CATHODE WITH SAID INDICATING CATHODE THROUGH SAID RESISTIVE MEANS AND BEING ELECTRICALLY INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID CATHODES AND SAID PLATE-VOLTAGE SUPPLY MEANS, SAID SIGNAL CIRCUIT HAVING SIGNAL-RESPONSIVE VOLTAGE CONTROL MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE POTENTIAL OF SAID INDICATING CATHODE RELATIVE TO THAT OF SAID HOLDING CATHODE SO AS TO INCREASE THE FLOW DISCHARGE OF SAID INDICATING CATHODE DURING THE APPLICATION OF A SIGNAL AND FOR RETURNING THE FLOW DISCHARGE TO ITS INITIAL CONDITION UPON THE REMOVAL OF SAID SIGNAL.