Semiconductor switching circuit comprising series-connected gate controlled switches to provide slave control of switches

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED FROM A SOURCE OF SUPPLY VOLTAGE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A PLURALITY OF GATE CONTROLLED SWITCHES CAPABLE OF BEING TURNED ON AND OFF BY A CONTROL PULSE OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE POLARITY, RESPECTIVELY, EACH SAID PLURALITY OF GATE CONTROLLED SWITHES HAVING A GATE, AN ANODE AND A CATHODE ELECTRODE; SWITCHES TOGETHER IN A SERIES CIRCUIT; A LOAD CONTROLLED SWICHES TOGETHER IN A SERIES CIRCUIT; A LOAD IMPEDANCE COUPLED TO SAID SERIES CIRCUIT; CIRCUIT MEANS COUPLING SAID LOAD IMPEDANCE AND SAID SERIES CURCUIT ACROSS SAID SOURCE OF SUPPLY VOLTAGE; A PAIR OF INPUT TERMINAL MEANS COUPLED TO THE GATE ELECTRODE OF ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF GATE CONTROLLED SWITCHES FOR APPLYING A CONTROL PULSE THERETO; A CAPACITOR CHARGING CIRCUIT COUPLED TO THE GATE ELECTRODE OF ALL SAID PLURALITY OF GATE CONTROLLED SWITCHES AND BEING SELECTIVELY COUPLED TO AN ADJACENT SWITCH OF SAID PLURALITY OF SWITCHES FOR CHARGING TO SUBSTANTIALLY A PREDETERMINED FRACTION OF THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID SOURCE OF SUPPLY VOLTAGE; A CAPACITIVE DISCHARGE CIRCUIT COUPLING SAID ALL OTHER GATE CONTROLLED SWITCHES FOR DISCHARGING IN SUCCESSION RENDERING EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF GATE CONTROLLED SWITCHES CONDUCTIVE IN SUCCESSION BEGINNING FROM SAID ONE SWITCH UPON HAVING BEEN TRIGGERED ON BY A POSITIVE PULSE APPLIED TO SAID PAIR OF INPUT TERMINALS, SAID CHARGING CIRCUIT BEING ADAPTED TO SUCCESSIVELY TURN-OFF ALL OTHER SAID PLURALITY OF GATE CONTROLLED SWITCHES WHEN SAID ONE SWITCH IS TURNED OFF BY A NEGATIVE PULSE APPLIED TO SAID PAIR OF INPUT TERMINALS.