Pulse-generating apparatus

Claim 2

Electrical apparatus having a source of electrical energy, a multisection storage condenser means connected to said source so as to be incrementally charged thereby with the sections of the condenser connected in parallel, a step-up transformer having primary and secondary windings, a load circuit including said secondary winding and a high-voltage discharge gap connected to be energized by the discharge of the storage condenser means, a first control gap interposed between one section of the storage condenser means and the load circuit having a breakdown potential less than that of said discharge gap, a second control gap having a breakdown potential less than that of the first control gap and less than the voltage attainable by the parallel-connected sections of the storage condenser means as charged by said source, first circuit means connecting the second gap to the storage condenser means so that the second gap is ionized when the charge on the parallel-connected sections of the storage condEnser means reaches the breakdown potential of said second gap, and second circuit means for thereupon connecting said sections of the storage condenser means in series and subjecting the first gap to the full voltage of the series-connected sections of the storage condenser means so as to ionize the first gap and discharge the storage condenser means to said primary winding to thereby induce a voltage across said secondary winding to ionize said discharge gap and discharge said one section across the latter.

Claim 3

Electrical apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said one section of the storage condenser has a capacity substantially greater than that of the other of said condenser sections.

Claim 4

Electrical apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first circuit means includes the primary winding of the transformer and the second gap connected in series.

Claim 5

Electrical apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the primary winding of the transformer and the second gap are connected in series between the junction of said condenser sections and ground.

Claim 6

Electrical pulse-generating apparatus comprising a source of electrical energy, first and second storage condensers connected in parallel across said source to be simultaneously charged thereby, a voltage step-up transformer having primary and secondary windings, a control gap having a predetermined breakdown potential, a triggering gap having a breakdown potential less than that of said control gap, a control circuit comprising said condensers, said gaps and said primary winding connected in series, a triggering circuit comprising said second condenser, said triggering gap and said primary winding in series, whereby the triggering gap is rendered conductive when the charge on said second condenser attains the breakdown voltage of said triggering gap to thereby connect said condensers in series, voltage-adding relation across said control gap to render it conductive to the discharge of said condensers in series through the primary winding in the control circuit, a discharge gap having a sparkover voltage greater than the breakdown voltage of said control gap, means connecting said discharge gap across said secondary winding to be ionized by the voltage induced across the latter in response to the discharge of said condensers in said control circuit, and a load circuit connected across said first condenser comprising said control gap, said secondary winding and said discharge gap in series.

Claim 7

Electrical pulse-generating apparatus comprising a source of electrical energy, first and second storage condensers connected in parallel across said source to be simultaneously charged thereby, a voltage step-up transformer having primary and secondary windings, a control gap having a predetermined breakdown potential, a triggering gap having a breakdown potential less than that of said control gap, a control circuit comprising said condensers, said gaps and said primary winding connected in series, a triggering circuit comprising said second condenser, said triggering gap and said primary winding in series, whereby the triggering gap is rendered conductive when the charge on said second condenser attains the breakdown voltage of said triggering gap to thereby connect said condensers in series, voltage-adding relation across said control gap to render it conductive to the discharge of said condensers in series through the primary winding in the control circuit, a discharge gap having a sparkover voltage greater than the breakdown voltage of said control gap, means connecting said discharge gap across said secondary winding to be ionized by the voltage induced across the latter in response to the discharge of said condensers in said control circuit, and a load circuit connected across said first condenser comprising said control gap, said secondary winding and said discharge gap in series.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 comprising an inductance connected in series with said second condenser in the charging circuit therefor and in said triggering circuit.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 6 comprising a resistor in said charging circuit.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 7 comprising a second resistor common to said charging and triggering circuits.

Claim 11

Electrical pulse-generating apparatus comprising a source of electrical energy, first and second storage condensers connected in parallel across said source to be simultaneously charged thereby, a voltage step-up transformer having primary and secondary windings, a control gap having a predetermined breakdown potential less than the sum of the voltages to which said condensers are charged in parallel by said source, a triggering gap having a breakdown potential less than that of the control gap, a triggering circuit comprising said second condenser and said primary winding connected in series across said triggering gap, a control circuit comprising said first condenser, said second condenser, said triggering gap and said primary winding connected in series relation across said control gap, whereby said triggering gap is rendered conductive when said second condenser is charged to the breakdown potential of the triggering gap and the sum of the voltages of the charges on said series-connected condensers in the control circuit is applied across said control gap to render the same conductive to the discharge of said condensers in series through the primary winding, A discharge gap having a sparkover voltage greater than the breakdown potential of said control gap, means connecting said discharge gap across said secondary winding to be ionized by the voltage induced across the latter in response to the discharge of said condensers through the primary winding in said control circuit, and a load circuit connected across said first condenser comprising said control gap, said secondary winding and said discharge gap in series.

Claim 12

Electrical pulse-generating apparatus comprising a source of electrical energy, first and second storage condensers connected in parallel across said source to be simultaneously charged thereby, a voltage step-up transformer having primary and secondary windings, a control gap having a predetermined breakdown potential less than the sum of the voltages to which said condensers are charged in parallel by said source, a triggering gap having a breakdown potential less than that of the control gap, a triggering circuit comprising said second condenser and said primary winding connected in series across said triggering gap, a control circuit comprising said first condenser, said second condenser, said triggering gap and said primary winding connected in series relation across said control gap, whereby said triggering gap is rendered conductive when said second condenser is charged to the breakdown potential of the triggering gap and the sum of the voltages of the charges on said series-connected condensers in the control circuit is applied across said control gap to render the same conductive to the discharge of said condensers in series through the primary winding, A discharge gap having a sparkover voltage greater than the breakdown potential of said control gap, means connecting said discharge gap across said secondary winding to be ionized by the voltage induced across the latter in response to the discharge of said condensers through the primary winding in said control circuit, and a load circuit connected across said first condenser comprising said control gap, said secondary winding and said discharge gap in series.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said control gap comprises spaced electrodes, one of which is operatively connected to the positive terminal of one of said condensers, and the other of which is operatively connected to the negative terminal of the other of said condensers as charged in parallel by said source.