Positive ramp voltage generator

Claim 1

A RAMP VOLTAGE GENERATOR CIRCUIT, COMPRISING: A VACUUM TUBE INCLUDING CATHODE, CONTROL GRID AND ANODE ELECTRODES AND HAVING A CONSTANT CURRENT CHARACTERISTIC OVER A WIDE RANGE OF CHANGING ANODE TO CATHODE VOLTAGE; MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING INITIAL OPERATING POTENTIALS ON SAID ELECTRODES SUCH THAT SAID CONTROL GRID IS NEGATIVELY BIASED A FIRST AMOUNT RELATIVE TO SAID CATHODE AND SAID ANODE IS POSITIVE RELATIVE TO SAID CATHODE; LOAD CAPACITANCE MEANS CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH SAID TUBE; MEANS IN CIRCUIT BETWEEN SAID CONTROL GRID AND SAID CATHODE FOR ABRUPTLY REDUCING BY EXTERNAL TRIGGER THE NEGATIVE BIAS BELOW SAID FIRST AMOUNT TO ESTABLISH A SECOND POTENTIAL DIFFERENT BETWEEN SAID CONTROL GRID AND SAID CATHODE SO AS TO INCREASE THE CURRENT FLOW THROUGH SAID TUBE AND CHARGE SAID LOAD CAPACITANCE MEANS; MEANS FOR MAINTAINING CONSTANT SAID SECOND POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAID CONTROL GRID AND SAID CATHODE FOR THE DURATION OF THE DESIRED RAMP VOLTAGE, THEREBY TO ESTABLISH CONSTANT CURRENT FLOW THROUGH SAID TUBE AND PRODUCE A LINEAR RAMP VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID LOAD CAPACITANCE MEANS; AND MEANS FOR TERMINATING THE OPERATION OF SAID GENERATOR CIRCUIT AFTER GENERATION OF A SINGLE RAMP VOLTAGE TO CAUSE THE GENERATOR CIRCUIT TO RESET ITSELF FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE NEXT TRIGGER.