Control systems for sequentially actuating a plurality of loads

Claim 1

A CONTROL SYSTEM THAT CAN SEQUENTIALLY ACTUATE A PLURALITY OF LOADS AND THAT COMPRISES: A PLURALITY OF VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCHES, EACH OF SAID VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCHES NORMALLY HAVING A RELATIVELY HIGH IMPEDANCE BUT RESPONDING TO A PREDETERMINED VOLTAGE TO BECOME ACTUATED AND THEREBY IRREVERSIBLY CHANGE TO A RELATIVELY LOW IMPEDANCE, AN ENERGY-STORING ELEMENT, SAID VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCHES BEING CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH EACH OTHER AND SAID SERIES-CONNECTED VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCHES BEING CONNECTED TO ONE TERMINAL OF SAID ENERGY-STORING ELEMENT, A PLURALITY OF LOADS, EACH OF SAID LOADS NORMALLY HAVING A LOW IMPEDANCE BUT RESPONDING TO A PREDETERMINED CURRENT FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO BECOME ACTUATED AND THEREBY IRREVERSIBLY CHANGE TO A HIGH IMPEDANCE. SAID LOADS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCHES SO ANY GIVEN LOAD OF SAID PLURALITY OF LOADS HAS AT LEAST ONE VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCH INTERPOSED BETWEEN IT AND SAID ONE TERMINAL OF SAID ENERGY-STORING ELEMENT, SAID ONE VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCH INITIALLY ACTING TO SUBSTANTIALLY KEEP CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH SAID GIVEN LOAD, BUT RESPONDING TO THE ACTUATION THEREOF TO PERMIT CURRENT TO FLOW THROUGH SAID GIVEN LOAD, SAID ENERGY-STORING ELEMENT NORMALLY HAVING A VOLTAGE THEREACROSS WHICH IS LOWER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED VOLTAGE, AND MEANS ADAPTED TO ADD A VOLTAGE TO SAID VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID ENERGY-STORING ELEMENT TO DEVELOP A TOTAL VOLTAGE WHICH EXCEEDS SAID PREDETERMINED VOLTAGE, SAID TOTAL VOLTAGE ACTING TO ACTUATE THE UNACTUATED VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCH WHICH IS CLOSEST TO SAID ONE TERMINAL OF SAID ENERGY-STORING ELEMENT, THEREBY CAUSING SAID VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCH TO IRREVERSIBLY CHANGE FROM A RELATIVELY HIGH IMPEDANCE TO A RELATIVELY LOW IMPEDANCE, AND THEREBY ENABLING SAID PREDETERMINED CURRENT TO FLOW THROUGH THE UNACTUATED LOAD WHICH IS CLOSEST TO SAID VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCH, SAID UNACTUATED LOAD RESPONDING TO SAID PREDETERMINED CURRENT TO BECOME ACTUATED AND THEREBY IRRERVERSIBLY CHANGE FROM A LOW IMPEDANCE TO A HIGH IMPEDANCE, SAID MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO ADD A SECOND VOLTAGE TO SAID VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID ENERGY-STORING ELEMENT TO DEVELOP A SECOND TOTAL VOLTAGE WHICH EXCEEDS SAID PREDETERMINED VOLTAGE, SAID SECOND TOTAL VOLTAGE ACTING TO ACTUATE THE UNACTUATED VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCH WHICH IS CLOSEST TO SAID ONE TERMINAL OF SAID ENERGY-STORING ELEMENT, THEREBY CAUSING SAID VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCH TO IRREVERSIBLY CHANGE FROM A RELATIVELY HIGH IMPEDANCE TO A RELATIVELY LOW IMPEDANE, AND THEREBY ENABLING SAID PREDETERMINED CURRENT TO FLOW THROUGH THE UNACTUATED LOAD WHICH IS CLOSEST TO SAID VOLTAGE ACTUATED SWITCH, SAID UNACTUATED LOAD RESPONDING TO SAID PREDETERMINED CURRENT TO BECOME ACTUATED AND THEREBY IRREVERSIBLY CHANGE FROM A LOW IMPEDANCE TO A HIGH IMPEDANCE.