Triggerable vacuum discharge devices with a gas producing trigger electrode

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED TRIGGERABLE VACUUM DISCHARGE DEVICE INCLUDING A PRIMARY GAS ACROSS WHICH A DISCHARGE IS INITIATED BY INJECTION OF AN IONIZED ACTIVE GAS, SAID DEVICE BEING ADAPTED FOR THE REPLENISHMENT OF SAID ACTIVE GAS WITHOUT BREAKING THE HERMETIC SEAL OF SAID ENVELOPE, AND COMPRISING: A HERMETICALLY SEALED ENVELOPE; A PAIR OF PRIMARY ELECTRODES DISPOSED IN SAID ENVELOPE AND DEFINING A PRIMARY GAP THEREBETWEEN; TRIGGER MEANS ADAPTED TO INJECT A GASEOUS PLASMA INTO SAID PRIMARY GAP TO INITIATE A DISCHARGE THEREBETWEEN, SAID TRIGGER MEANS COMPRISING AN ACTIVE GAS-CHARGED METAL; AND AN ADDITIONAL QUANTITY OF THE SAME ACTIVE GAS-CHARGED METAL DISPOSED IN SAID ENVELOPE AT A LOCATION REMOVED FROM THE AREA OF SAID DISCHARGE AND ACCOMPANYING HEATING THEREOF SO AS TO MAINTAIN SAID ADDITIONAL QUANTITY OF METAL BELOW THE TEMPERATURE RANGE IN WHICH A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID GAS IS RELEASED THEREFROM DURING ARCING, BUT ADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY HEATED TO CAUSE THE EVOLUTION OF ACTIVE GAS THEREFROM TO RECHARGE SAID TRIGGER MEANS.