Ballast apparatus for starting and operating a pair of fluorescent lamps

Claim 1

A BALLAST APPARATUS FOR STARTING AND OPERATION A PAIR OF FLUORESCENT LAMPS FROM AN ALTERNATING POWER SUPPLY COMPRISING: A HIGH REACTANCE TRANSFORMER HAVING AT LEAST ONE PRIMARY WINDING AND AT LEAST ONE SECONDARY WINDING INDUCTIVELY COUPLED WITH SAID PRIMARY WINDING ON AN ELONGATED MAGNETIC CORE, A PAIR OF INPUT TERMINAL LEADS FOR CONNECTION WITH THE ALTERNATING POWER SUPPLY, SAID PRIMARY WINDING BEING CONNECTED ACROSS SAID INPUT TERMINAL LEADS, A SERIES CAPACITOR CONNECTED IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATION WITH THE SECONDARY WINDING TO PROVIDE A NET CAPACITIVE REACTANCE IN THE SECONDARY CIRCUIT OF SAID HIGH REACTANCE TRANSFORMER, CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING A STARTING CAPACITOR AND A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL LEANDS FOR CONNECTING SAID STARTING CAPACITOR IN SHUNT WITH ONE OF SAID PAIR OF FLUORESCENT LAMPS AND FOR CONNECTING AT LEAST SAID SECONDARY WINDING OF SAID HIGH REACTANCE TRANSFORMER AND SAID SERIES CAPACITOR IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID LAMP, AND A SATURABLE REACTOR CONNECTED IN SERIES RELATION WITH SAID PRIMARY WINDING, SAID SATURABLE REACTOR HAVING A PREDETERMINED UNSATURATED INPEDANCE, AND SAID SATURABLE REACTOR PROVIDING DURING OPERATION A VOLTAGE DROP IN THE EARLY PORTION OF EACH HALF CYCLE OF THE ALTERNATING POWER SUPPLY TO PREVENT A SUBSTANTIALLY PEAKED WAVE SHAPE FROM OCCURRING IN EACH HALF CYCLE OF THE WAVEFORM OF THE CURRENT SUPPLIED BY THE APPARATUS TO THE PAIR OF FLUORESCENT LAMPS.