Gas-filled surge arrestors

Claim 1

In a surge arrestor having two electrodes separated from each other by, and secured within an insulator tube having a substantially cylindrical interior cavity, said tube and electrodes defining a closed interior space, said electrodes comprising rear portions secured to said tube, intermediate portions extending toward one another, each of said intermediate portions having a continuously tapered surface substantially in the form of the surface of a conical section, such that the distance between the wall of said cavity and said surface varies along the length of said intermediate portion, and front portions laterally spaced from said tube and spaced from one another to define a gap therebetween, and a gas filling the space between said elctrodes within said tube, the improvement comprising; at least one conductor attached to the inner surface of said tube, completely spaced from said electrodes, and having axial edges exposed to said interior space adjacent said electrodes but relatively remote from said gap, wherein said at least one conductor is comprised of two circumferentially spaced conductors with each extending from most of the length of said tube and around a portion of the circumference of said tube.