Malfunction indicator and protective system for semiconductor voltage regulator

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A GENERATOR HAVING AN OUTPUT WINDING AND A FIELD WINDING, A DIRECT CURRENT OUTPUT CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT WINDING TO BE ENERGIZED THEREBY, THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF SAID GENERATOR BEING A FUNCTION OF THE AMOUNT OF FIELD CURRENT SUPPLIED TO SAID FIELD WINDING, A VOLTAGE REGULATING MEANS, SAID VOLTAGE REGULATING MEANS INCLUDING VOLTAGE SENSING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID DIRECT CURRENT OUTPUT CIRCUIT FOR SENSING THE VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID OUTPUT CIRCUIT AND INCLUDING MEANS CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH SAID FIELD WINDING AND ACROSS SAID DIRECT CURRENT OUTPUT CIRCUIT FOR CONTROLLING THE CURRENT SUPPLIED TO SAID FIELD WINDING FROM SAID OUTPUT CIRCUIT AS A FUNCTION OF THE VOLTAGE APPEARING ACROSS SAID OUTPUT CIRCUIT, AND A PROTECTIVE SWITCHING DEVICE CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH SAID FIELD WINDING FOR CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING SAID FIELD WINDING AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR TO AND FROM SAID DIRECT CURRENT OUTPUT CIRCUIT, SAID SWITCHING DEVICE INCLUDING HIGH VOLTAGE RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR SENSING THE VOLTAGE APPEARING ACROSS SAID DIRECT CURRENT OUTPUT CIRCUIT, SAID VOLTAGE RESPONSIVE MEANS BEING OPERATIVE TO CAUSE SAID SWITCHING MEANS TO DISCONNECT SAID FIELD WINDING FROM SAID DIRECT CURRENT OUTPUT CIRCUIT WHEN THE VOLTAGE APPEARING ACROSS SAID DIRECT CURRENT OUTPUT CIRCUIT EXCEEDS THE VOLTAGE TO BE MAINTAINED BY SAID VOLTAGE REGULATING MEANS BY A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT, A BATTERY CONNECTED ACROSS SAID DIRECT CURRENT OUTPUT CIRCUIT TO BE CHARGED BY SAID GENERATOR, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID BATTERY WITH SAID SWITCHING DEVICE, SAID SWITCHING DEVICE INCLUDING MEANS ENERGIZED BY SAID BATTERY FOR MAINTAINING SAID FIELD WINDING AND OUTPUT CIRCUIT DISCONNECTED ONCE SAID HIGH VOLTAGE CONDITION IS SENSED AND FOLLOWING AN INITIAL DISCONNECTION OF SAID FIELD WINDING AND A CONSEQUENT REDUCTION IN OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF SAID GENERATOR.