Dynamic mass spectrometer wherein ions are periodically oscillated until se- lectively accelerated to a detector

Claim 1

A MASS SPECTROMETER COMPRISING A VACUUM-TIGHT ENVELOPE; MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A GAS OR VAPOR TO BE ANALYZED INTO SAID ENVELOPE; MEANS FOR PRODUCING ALONG AN AXIS IN SAID ENVELOPE A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM D.C. POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION HAVING IN THE ORDER NAMED A FIRST POINT OF RELATIVELY POSITIVE POTENTIAL, A FIRST POINT OF RELATIVELY NEGATIVE POTENTIAL, A SECOND POINT OF RELATIVELY POSITIVE POTENTIAL, A SECOND POINT OF RELATIVELY NEGATIVE POTENTIAL AND IN THE VICINITY OF WHICH THERE IS ONLY A D.C. POTENTIAL, AND A THIRD POINT OF RELATIVELY POSITIVE POTENTIAL; AN ION SOURCE FOR IONIZING SAID GAS OR VAPOR IN A REGION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND POINTS OF RELATIVELY POSITIVE POTENTIAL AT A POINT OF SAID AXIS ON WHICH A POTENTIAL PREVAILS WHICH IS LESS POSITIVE THAN THE POTENTIAL OF SAID SECOND POINT OF RELATIVELY POSITIVE POTENTIAL; MEANS FOR PERIODICALLY TRANSFERRING IONS OF A SPECIFIC RATIO OF CHARGE TO MASS OVER SAID SECOND POINT OF RELATIVELY POSITIVE POTENTIAL INTO A REGION ON SAID AXIS BETWEEN SAID SECOND AND THIRD POINTS OF RELATIVELY POSITIVE POTENTIAL; MEANS FOR RETARDING THE TRANSFERRED IONS; AND MEANS FOR DETECTING THE TRANSFERRED IONS.