Electro-optic light deflector utilizing total internal reflection

Claim 1

IN A LIGHT DEFLECTOR, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ACTING ON A BEAM OF PLANE POLARIZED LIGHT TO PRODUCE EITHER OF TWO LINEARLY POLARIZED LIGHT BEAMS, THE POLARIZATION DIRECTION OF ONE BEAM DIFFERING BY 90* FROM THE POLARIZATION DIRECTION OF THE SECOND BEAM; FIRST BIREFRIGENT MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF FACES, ONE SAID FACE DISPOSED NORMALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE PATH OF SAID LINEARLY POLARIZED LIGHT BEAM AND ORIENTED PARALLEL TO THE OPTIC AXIS OF SAID FIRST BIREFRINGENT MEANS AND AT LEAST A SECOND FACE ORIENTED AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID LINEARLY PRODUCED LIGHT BEAMS, THE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE OF SAID LIGHT BEAMS ON SAID SECOND FACE INVARIABLY FALLING BELOW THE CRITICAL ANGLE FOR THE POLARIZATION DIRECTION OF THE ONE BEAM SO THAT SAID ONE BEAM PASSES THROUGH SAID SECOND FACE WITH SUBSTANTIALLY UNDIMINISHED INTENSITY, SAID ANGLE OF INCIDENCE OF SAID LIGHT BEAMS ON SAID SECOND FACE INVARIABLY FALLING ABOVE THE CRITICAL ANGLE FOR THE POLARIZATION DIRECTION OF THE SECOND BEAM SO THAT SAID SECOND BEAM IS COMPLETELY REFLECTED BY SAID SECOND FACE; SECOND BIREFRINGENT MEANS SPACED FROM SAID FIRST BIREFRINGEMENT MEANS BY AN AIR GAP AND DISPOSED IN THE PATH OF SAID PASSED ONE BEAM, FOR REALIGNING SAID ONE BEAM ALONG ITS ORIGINAL DIRECTION BY CORRECTING ANY REFRACTION IMPARTED TO IT WHEN SAID ONE BEAM EXITS INTO SAID AIR GAP FROM SAID FIRST BIREFRINGENT MEANS; AND REFLECTIVE MEANS DISPOSED IN THE PATH OF THE REFLECTED SECOND BEAM FOR REFLECTING SAID SECOND BEAM IN A PATH PARALLEL TO AND IN DISPLACED RELATION TO SAID ONE BEAM.