Transistor switching rectifier with controlled conduction

Claim 1

IN A RECTIFIER FOR SUPPLYING POWER FROM A SOURCE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT TO A LOAD WHICH MAY HAVE A POWER FACTOR OTHER THAN UNITY, AT LEAST ONE SWITCHING TRANSISTOR HAVING ITS EMITTER-COLLECTOR PATH CONNECTED FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID SOURCE TO ONE SIDE OF SAID LOAD TO CONVERT THE ALTERNATING CURRENT FROM SAID SOURCE TO DIRECT CURRENT, A BISTABLE TRIGGER CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SWITCH TO A FIRST STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM WHEN THE VOLTAGE ACROSS THE EMITTERCOLLECTOR PATH OF SAID TRANSISTOR RISES ABOVE THE FIRST PREDETERMINED LEVEL AND TO SWITCH TO A SECOND STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM WHEN SAID VOLTAGE FALLS BELOW A SECOND PREDETERMINED LEVEL, AND MEANS TO SWITCH SAID TRANSISTOR INTO ITS CONDUCTING STATE WHEN SAID TRIGGER CIRCUIT SWITCHES INTO SAID FIRST STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM AND TO SWITCH SAID TRANSISTOR BACK INTO ITS NONCONDUCTING STATE WHEN SAID TRIGGER CIRCUIT SWITCHES INTO SAID SECOND STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM, WHEREBY THE TIME SAID TRANSISTOR IS IN ITS CONDUCTING STATE IS LIMITED TO THE PORTION OF EACH OPERATING CYCLE DURING WHICH SAID SOURCE SUPPLIES POWER TO SAID LOAD.