Snap-action trigger circuit for semiconductor switching devices

Claim 1

A TRIGGER CIRCUIT FOR TURNING A FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING DEVICE ON AND OFF, SAID TRIGGER CIRCUIT COMPRISING: INPUT MEANS FOR CONNECTION WITH A CYCLICALLY VARYING POTENTIAL SOURCE, A TIMING CAPACITOR, A SECOND SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING DEVICE COUPLED TO SAID FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING DEVICE AND SAID INPUT MEANS THEREBY BEING SYNCHRONIZED WITH THE POTENTIAL SOURCE FOR PERIODICALLY DISCHARGING THE TIMING CAPACITOR TO EFFECT A TURN ON OF THE FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING DEVICE WHEN THE POTENTIAL ON SAID TIMING CAPACITOR REACHES A PREDETERMINED LEVEL, A CONDITION RESPONSIVE CHARGING CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID INPUT MEANS FOR APPLYING A POTENTIAL ACROSS SAID TIMING CAPACITOR, SAID CONDITION RESPONSIVE CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE POTENTIAL DIVIDING NETWORK HAVING A POTENTIAL DIVIDING POINT CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE TIMING CAPACITOR, SAID POTENTIAL DIVIDING NETWORK BEING CONNECTED WITH AT LEAST ONE CONDITION SENSING ELEMENT COUPLED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE POTENTIAL DIVIDING POINT TO VARY THE POTENTIAL AT SAID POTENTIAL DIVIDING POINT IN RESPONSE TO THE CONDITION SENSED BY SAID CONDITION SENSING ELEMENT, AND PEAKING CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID TIMING CAPACITOR FOR INCREASING THE POTENTIAL APPLIED ACROSS THE CAPACITOR BY SAID CONDITION RESPONSIVE CHARGING CIRCUIT MEANS NEAR THE START OF A HALF CYCLE WHEREBY THE POTENTIAL ACROSS THE CAPACITOR REACHES ITS MAXIMUM VALUE NEAR THE START OF A HALF CYCLE TO TURN ON THE FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING DEVICE ONLY NEAR THE START OF A HALF CYCLE OR NOT ALL THEREBY PROVIDING A SNAP TYPE OF SWITCHING ACTION.