GB980339A - Multi-electrode cold-cathode discharge tube - Google Patents

Abstract

980,339. Multi-electrode cold-cathode tubes. ERICSSON TELEPHONES Ltd. April 26, 1963 [June 1, 1962], No. 21131/62. Heading H1D. An electric counting circuit comprises a multi-electrode coldcathode tube having a first electrode C, a plurality of second electrodes A 0 -A 9 arranged equidistant from the first electrode, and a similar plurality of intermediate electrodes L 0 -L 9 located one between each pair of adjacent second electrodes, wherein in operation a discharge is invested between the first electrode and one of the second electrodes, the discharge moving from one to another of the second electrodes under the influence of a uniform deflecting field perpendicular to the field existing between the two invested electrodes, and wherein the movement of the discharge is prevented by the application of a locking potential to the intermediate electrodes. The deflecting field may be magnetic, Fig. 1, or electric, Fig. 3. In Fig. 1, a cylindrical magnet 12 surrounds the tube and produces a magnetic field parallel to the axes of the electrodes, the magnet may be a permanent or an electromagnet, and may be disposed inside the tube. In Fig. 3, a plurality of bias electrodes B 1 . . B 20 are arranged outside the other pluralities of electrodes midway between each of them, alternate bias electrodes being electrically connected together.