Counting device, utilizing controlled rectifiers, with particular sequencing means

Claim 1

IN A COUNTING MECHANISM; A PLURALITY OF DISCONTINUOUS CONTROL TYPE ELECTRIC VALVES; EACH VALVE HAVING A PAIR OF MAIN ELECTRODES AND A CONTROL ELECTRODE OPERALBE TO INITIATE CONDUCTION BETWEEN ITS SAID MAIN ELECTRODES AND INEFFECTIVE TO INTERRUPT CONDUCTION THEREBETWEEN; A PLURALITY OF IMPEDANCE DEVICES; EACH OF SAID IMPEDANCE DEVICES HAVING A FIRST AND SECON TERMINAL; A PLURALITY OF STORAGE ELEMENTS; EACH OF SAID STORAGE ELEMENTS HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND TERMINAL; A FIRST AND A SECOND BUS; SEQUENCING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BUSES AND EFFECTIVE TO REDUCE AND THEREAFTER RESTORE THE POTENTIAL THEREBETWEEN; A PLURALITY OF SEQUENTIALLY ACTUATED CURRENT CONDUCTING PATHS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID BUSES; EACH SAID PATH COMPRISING AN INDIVIDUAL ONE OF SAID VALVES AND AN INDIVIDUAL ONE OF SAID IMPEDANCE DEVICES, THE SAID VALVE WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE SAID PATH HAVING ONE OF ITS SAID MAIN ELECTRODES CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND BUS, SAID IMPEDANCE DEVICE WICH IS INCLUDED IN THE SAID PATH HAVING ITS SAID FIRST TERMINAL CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST BUS AND ITS SAID SECOND TERMINAL CONNECTED TO THE OTHER OF SAID MAIN ELECTRODES OF SAID VALVE WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE SAID PATH; A PLURALITY OF CHARGING CIRCUIT MEANS OF A NUMBER EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF SAID PATHS; EACH SAID CIRCUIT INDIVIDUALLY CONNECTING AN INDIVIDUAL ONE OF SAID STORAGE ELEMENTS BETWEEN SAID BUSES THROUGH A FIRST OF SAID MAIN ELECTRODES AND SAID CONTROL ELECTRODE OF AN INDIVIDUAL ONE OF SAID VLAVES WHEREBY SAID STORAGE ELEMENTS ARE CHARGED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF CURRENT FLOW THROUGH SAID CONTROL AND SAID FIRST MAIN ELECTRODES ESTABLISHED BY THE POTENTIAL BETWEEN SAID BUSES; A PLURALITY OF DISCHARGING CIRCUIT MEANS OF A NUMBER EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF SAID PATHS; EACH SAID DISCHARGING CIRCUIT MEANS INDIVIDUALLY INCLUDING AN INDIVIDUAL ONE OF SAID STORAGE ELEMENTS AND INDIVIDUALLY INCLUDING SAID MAIN ELECTRODES OF AN INDIVIDUAL ONE OF SAID VALVES WHEREBY SAID PATHS ARE SEQUENTIALLY RENDERED CONDUCTING BY SAID SEQUENCING MEANS.