GB898177A - Improvements in and relating to multi-electrode glow discharge tubes - Google Patents

Abstract

898,177. Multi-gap cold cathode tubes. ERICSSON TELEPHONES Ltd. Dec. 15 1960 [May 16, 1960], No. 17261/60. Class 39(1). In a multi electrode glow discharge tube of the type comprising a common electrode and a ring of electrodes adjacent the common electrode in a gas filled envelope, the ring of electrodes being made up of a sequence of main electrodes and guide electrodes, and a glow discharge can be struck between any main electrode and the common electrode and a discharge thus struck may be moved from main electrode to main electrode by way of intervening guide electrodes by pulsing the guide electrodes, at least one main electrode has associated therewith an auxiliary electrode disposed in the region between the main electrode and the common electrode which is in operation occupied by a glow discharge struck between the main electrode and the common electrode. There are ceramic spacing sleeves 15, 16, Fig. 1, and a stack of discs between them. The anode is surrounded by 40 rod like electrodes, 30 in one circle, Fig. 2. Ten anodes A1..A10 are connected to individual pins. The first guide electrodes G1 are connected together and welded to metal ears on disc 22, the second guide electrodes G2 are connected together by metal disc 20. The guide electrodes, auxiliary electrodes, A1 A 10, and cathodes K1..K10 are aligned by mica discs 17, 24, the cathodes being covered with ceramic sleeves 27.. The discharge is struck K1-A1, moves to K2-A2 on pulsing the guide electrodes G1, G2. The cathodes may be displaced circumferentially from the anodes. The device may be used to control a register tube. The main electrodes A1 . . A10 can be further away from common electrodes K1 .. K10 than the guide electrodes G1, G2. Ceramic disc 32, sleeve 15 and annulus 33 hold the ten cathodes. On top of annulus 33 is another ceramic disc 34, a flat metal annulus 35, to which all the ten second guide electrodes are connected, a third small ceramic disc 36, a flat metal annulus 37 to which all the ten first guide electrodes are connected. Each disc 32, 34, 36 has a central bore for the anode support rod and ten surrounding bores. 39 is a large ceramic disc which holds the radial limbs of the auxiliary electrodes. Specifications 712,215 and 875,314 are referred to.