US1858698A

US1858698A - Neon lamp for television

Info

Publication number: US1858698A
Application number: US409805A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick W Zons
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1929-11-26
Filing date: 1929-11-26
Publication date: 1932-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 1949-05-17

Description

May17, 1932. F. w. ZONS NEON LAMP FOR TELEVISION Filed Nov 25, 1929 IN Efi TTORNEY Passed Midi-17,1932

"UNITED STATES rnnnmrcx w. zone, or m 1:033, 11. :Y.

NEON mm roe rumors Application filed November 28, 1928. Serial No. 406,605.

My invention relates to luminescent tubes and more particularly to devices of this type which are adaptable for use as television lamps and in sound reproduction in connec- 5 tion with motion pictures.

In the copending application of Zons and Albert, Ser1al No. 367,690, there is described and claimed a type of luminescent tube in i which a discharge tube of small diameter is enclosed within a larger tubecontaining a quantity of neon, argon or other gas which becomes luminescent when a charge of electricity is passed through it. .In the tube mentioned the small enclosed discharge tube is 1 perforated permitting the gas contained in the large enclosing'reservoir tube free access thereto; but when the current is passed between the electrodes, which are within the smaller tube, the luminescence is confined to the channel of thesmaller tube.

The present invention employs someof the instrumentalities of the invention of the aforesaid'application but applies them in,

such a manner as to utilize the quick conduction of the neon gas and the brilliancy of the arc to the end that a very brilliant beam may be directed ina desired direction. Y The invention will be more clearly understood from the drawings in which; 7 ig. I represents the preferred form of the invention; and

Fig. II represents an alternative form. Referring now to Fig. I, 1 is an envelope such as a glass bulb, 2 and 3are electrodes preferably of a type described and claimed in my copendin application Serial No. 367,690. These electro es are insulated from each other by sleeves, 4 and 5, made of silica, quartz, porcelain or other suitable insulating mate- 40 rial. In Fig. I, these sleeves are broken away to show the electrodes, 2 and 3, within them and it will be noted that the sleeves are much longer than their enclosed electrodes. It will also be observed that the sleeve, 4, is somewhat shorter than the sleeve 5. Sleeve 4, is, however, surmounted by-an elbow member, 6,

' which may be of quartz, pyrex or the like,

cemented to it by the cement joint,-7. The elbow, 6, bends at ri ht angles towards and preferably touching t e lip of sleeve, 5. Lead wires, 8 and 9, sealed through a press 10, of a stem 11, as in an ordinary incandescent lamp connected with an external source of electrical current not shown. I i

The bulb, 1, is filled with one of the rare gases such as neon,.hel-ium, argon, kryptonor xenon, or with mixtures of these highl con-- ductlve gases at a suitable pressure. ere certain color efiects are desired mercury vapor may also be mixed by adding a drop of mercury within the bulb. When current is turned on, a discharge takes place from elec-' trode, 2, through sleeve, 4, and bending through the elbow, 6, passes into sleeve, 5, to electrode, 3. Accordingly when the beam thrown from the opening of the elbow in the direction of the dotted line to the eye of an observer at a is of very great intensity for at that position the eye is' looking lengthwise of theara.

Fig. 11 utilizes the same principle of pre senting this longitudinal beam to the desired"- spot but less erfectly thanFig. I. The in-\ dicating numbers in the drawings show the V same arrangement of electrodes, 2 and3, in y theirsleeves, 4 and 5, and connected'withan external sourcewf electrical current by "the leads, 8 and 9, sealed through the press 10 of the stem, 11. A ve important difference lies, however, in that or the elbow, 6,: of Fig. I, a capillary tubing, 6, of pyrex, silica, or the like, bent into the form of a rather sharp y is substituted. This capillary. tube, 6, is sealed: to the sleeve, 4, by the cement, 7, but is merely 1 inserted into the up er end of sle eve,"5, at 5 12, and not sealed t ere. The gas enclosed within the bulb 1, has, therefore, free access- I to both electrod es thro h the opening in the manner described in the applicatib of Zeus and Albert, erial No. 367,690, herelnabove referred 1T7"; I Accordingly in the form of the device, shown in Fig. II thedischarge passes from,

one electrode tothe other through the capil lary, 6, and the eye positioned at a 1001225 9 211611 the dotted line to the point of V sha cap: ary, 6, perceives a very brilliant point of hght. The beam so thrown from the capil;

lary, 6, of F H, is somewhat less brilliant 4..

than "that thrown from the elbow, 6,;of

I, for the reason that the V shaped capillary does not present the arc in exactly a longitudinal beam along the line a.

In using the device for a television lamp 6 the beam along the line a should be directed to the televisor and the lass bulb of the lamp may be mirrored or ot erwise obscured except at the point where this beam passes through the glass. At this point a window 10 may be left open.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is -1. A glow discharge vacuum tube comprising an envelope; electrodes operatively supported therein; and means for guiding the glow discharge comprisin tubes, one for each electrode, said tubes contaming the electrodes at one end and being open-mouthed at the other end, the mouths of said tubes being juxtaposed to deliver into each other, one of said tubes having a portion thereof adjacent its mouth directed endwise to the wall of the container so that the glow discharge therein is viewable end-on through said wall.

2. A glow discharge vacuum tube comprising an envelope; electrodes operatively supported therein; and means for guiding the glow discharge comprising tubes, one for each electrode, said tubes containing the electrodes at one end and being open-mouthed at the other end, the mouths of said tubes being juxtaposed to deliver at right angles into eac other, the mouth of one of said tubes being directed to the wall of the container so that the glow discharge therein is viewable end-on throu h said wall. 7

3. glow discharge vacuum tube comprising an envelope; electrodes operatively supported therein; and means for guiding the 49 glow discharge comprising adjacent tubes, one for each electrode, said tubes containing the electrodes at one end and bein 0 enmouthed at the other end, the free en 0 one of said tubes consisting of a'straight length of tubin extending transversely over to the other tu e with the mouths ofsaid tubes brought into juxtaposition to deliver into each other said transversely extending straight len h of tube being directed endwise toward the wall of the container so that the glow dischargf therein is viewable end-on through said wa 4. The glow discharge vacuum tube of any of the preceding claims further characterized by the envelope being non-transparent to the glow discharge except for atransparent spot in line with said discharge when viewed endon as aforesaid.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed my so name hereto this 30th day of October, 1929.

FREDERICK W. ZONS.