Modular gas laser cathode assembly

Claim 2

In a gas laser, a construction for a cathode assembly comprising, a laser tube including a housing, cathode electrode means disposed within the housing at an end of the tube for providing ionizing electrons to a gas medium in said housing, said electrode means terminating in at least one cathode wire located entirely inside of the laser tube, feedthrough means bonded to said housing for bringing electrically conductive leads into said housing into electrical communication with the cathode wire while maintaining insulation of said leads, swaged electrically conducting sleeve means located inside said laser tube for mechanically securely joining in electrical conduction said leads to said cathode wire.

Claim 3

A construction for laser cathode assembly for use within a laser housing comprising, first and second wires having first and second ends, the second ends joined to opposite ends of an electron emitting cathode, the first ends being straight and spaced apart by a first distance, a laser housing for confining a lasing medium and the entirety of said first and second wires, the housing having first and second insulative feedthroughs and having conductive wires extending through the housing with free ends extending toward the lasing medium, the feedthrough wires being spaced apart by said first distance, a pair of electrically conductive sleeves, each sleeve disposed over one of said first ends of the first and second wires and over the free end of each of said feedthrough wires, said sleeves being crimped in place.

Claim 4

A construction for laser cathode assembly for use within a laser housing comprising, first and second wires having first and second ends, the second ends joined to opposite ends of an electron emitting cathode, the first ends being straight and spaced apart by a first distance, a laser housing for confining a lasing medium and the entirety of said first and second wires, the housing having first and second insulative feedthroughs and having conductive wires extending through the housing with free ends extending toward the lasing medium, the feedthrough wires being spaced apart by said first distance, a pair of electrically conductive sleeves, each sleeve disposed over one of said first ends of the first and second wires and over the free end of each of said feedthrough wires, said sleeves being crimped in place.

Claim 5

A construction for cathode mounting assembly for use in a gas discharge tube comprising, a cathode electrode means mounted in a gas reservoir at one end of a gas discharge tube for providing ionizing electrons to a gas medium in said tube, two cathode wires entirely within said gas reservoir, each joined at one end to opposite ends of said cathode electrode means and spaced apart at a second end by a distance, support means, to which said cathode is mounted, bonded to the end of said gas reservoir for supporting said cathode in said gas reservoir, two electrically insulating feedthroughs bonded to said support means and spaced apart by said distance, each of said feedthroughs having a wire lead extending through the center thereof, said leads terminating in stubs inside said gas reservoir, and two electrically conducting sleeves, each of said sleeves fitted over one of said stubs and a second end of one of said cathode wires, said sleeves being crimped for securely joining in electrical conduction said wire leads to said cathode wires.

Claim 6

A construction for cathode mounting assembly for use in a gas discharge tube comprising, a cathode electrode means mounted in a gas reservoir at one end of a gas discharge tube for providing ionizing electrons to a gas medium in said tube, two cathode wires entirely within said gas reservoir, each joined at one end to opposite ends of said cathode electrode means and spaced apart at a second end by a distance, support means, to which said cathode is mounted, bonded to the end of said gas reservoir for supporting said cathode in said gas reservoir, two electrically insulating feedthroughs bonded to said support means and spaced apart by said distance, each of said feedthroughs having a wire lead extending through the center thereof, said leads terminating in stubs inside said gas reservoir, and two electrically conducting sleeves, each of said sleeves fitted over one of said stubs and a second end of one of said cathode wires, said sleeves being crimped for securely joining in electrical conduction said wire leads to said cathode wires.