Control systems

Claim 1

A CONTROL SYSTEM THAT CAN BE USED WITH CIRCUITS TO WHICH ALTERNATING CURRENT IS SUPPLIED AND THAT CAN BE USED TO CONTROL THE APPLICATION OF CURRENT TO A LOAD AND THAT COMPRISES RECTIFYING MEANS AND A CONTROLLED RECTIFIER CONNECTED ACROSS THE OUTPUT OF SAID RECTIFYING MEANS, SAID CONTROLLED RECTIFIER HAVING THE CATHODE AND GATE THEREOF CONNECTABLE TO A SIGNAL SOURCE THAT CAN SUPPLY PULSES TO SAID CATHODE AND GATE AND THEREBY RENDER SAID CONTROLLED RECTIFIER CONDUCTIVE, SAID CONTROLLED RECTIFIER RESPONDING TO THE FALLING OF CURRENT TO ZERO DURING EACH HALF CYCLE OF THE ALTERNATING CURRENT TO BECOME NON-CONDUCTIVE, THEREBY OBVIATING ALL NEED OF A COMMUTATING CAPACITOR FOR SAID CONTROLLED RECTIFIER, SAID LOAD BEING CONNECTED BETWEEN ONE OF THE INPUT TERMINALS OF SAID RECTIFYING MEANS AND ONE SIDE OF LINE, WHEREBY SAID CONTROLLED RECTIFIER AND SAID RECTIFYING MEANS CAUSE ALTERNATING CURRENT TO FLOW TOWARD SAID LOAD ALTHOUGH SAID CONTROLLED RECTIFIER PASSES ONLY UNI-DIRECTIONAL CURRENT, SAID CONTROLLED RECTIFIER IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID RECTIFYING MEANS SERVING AS AN ALTERNATING CURRENT SWITCH.