Arc arresting spark gap assembly for lightning arresters

Claim 1

IN AN ARC ARRESTING SPARK GAP ASSEMBLY FOR LIGHTNING ARRESTERS OF THE TYPE WHEREIN THE SPARK GAPS ARE CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH VOLTAGE DEPENDENT RESISTANCES AND QUENCHING OF THE ARCS IN THE GAPS IS EFFECTED BY AN ARC PRODUCED MAGNETIC FIELD, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY STACKED CYLINDRICAL PLATES MADE FROM INSULATING MATERIAL AND AN ELECTRODE PIECE INSERTED INTO EACH SAID PLATE EACH SAID ELECTRODE PIECE BEING ESSENTIALLY OF HAIRPIN SHAPE, THE TWO LEGS OF EACH ELECTRODE PIECE INCLUDING AN INDENTURE FORMING A POINT OF ARC RESPONSE AND THE FREE ENDS OF THE LEGS BEING BENT BACK TO ESTABLISH HORNS, SAID TWO LEGS OF EACH ELECTRODE PIECE BEING DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO A DIAMETRAL AXIS OF THE INSULATOR PLATE AND LOCATED RESPECTIVELY ON OPPOITE SIDES OF THE INSULATOR PLATE IN WHICH IT IS INSERTED SUCH THAT EACH ARC GAP IS ESTABLISHED BY THE INDENTURES OF RESPECTIVE LEGS OF ELECTRODE PIECES INSERTED IN ADJACENT INSULATOR PLATES, SAID LEGS OF ALL OF SAID ELECTRODE PIECES HAVING A LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY EXCEEDING THE RADIUS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL INSULATOR PLATES THEREBY TO ESTABLISH A MAXIMUM POSSIBLE LENGTH OF ARC IN EACH ARC GAP GREATER THAN THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE QUENCHING CHAMBER FORMED WITHIN EACH ADJACENT PAIR OF SAID INSULATOR PLATES, AND ALL OF SAID ARC GAPS BEING LOCATED AXIALLY ONE ABOVE THE OTHER.