US1946695A - Spark gap - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 13, 1934. w. ILBERG 1,946,695

SPARK GAP Filed May 6, 1931 INVENTOR WALDE R ILBERG BY W ATTORNEY gaps which serve for the Patented Feb. 13, 1934 PATENT OFFICE SPARK GAP Waldemar Ilberg, Berlin,

Telefunken Gesellschaft graphic m. b. 11., Berlin,

tion of Germany Application May 6, 1

Germany, assignor to fur Drahtlose Tele- Germany, a corpora- 931, Serial No. 535,392,

and in Germany May 6, 1930 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a spark-gap for the production of ultra-short electrical oscillations or Waves.

The present invention is concerned with sparkgeneration of very short electrical waves, say, of a length less than around 2 meters. The production of such short waves by means of one or more spark-gaps nowadays is attended with serious difiiculties as soon as the generation of relatively large energies is dealt with. This is due to the slight interelectrode distance (order of magnitude of 0.1 mm.) which must be used, as is well known from practical experience, in order to result in active sparks. Such a small distance between the electrodes in continual operation can be maintained without readjustment of the spark-gap only if the wear of the electrode material is small; in other words, if the intensity of the sparks is kept small. Another drawback residing in small interelectrode distances consists in that the sparking potential is comparatively low and that as a consequence this also makes for low energetic efliciency of the spark-gap. The invention hereinafter to be disclosed has the object to overcome both of the said disadvantages of the ordinary spark-gap in that both the life as well as the energy conversion are augmented.

With this end in view, according to the invention, the spark-gap is to be surrounded with the atmosphere of an indifferent gas such as hydrogen or helium which will not chemically attack the material of the electrodes even in the heat. By the adoption of this scheme the wear and tear of the electrodes is diminished in the desired manner so that the preservation of a small interelectrode distance is insured also for long times. If deemed necessary and advantageous, the gas to be used for surrounding the gap may be of high thermal conductivity inasmuch as this precludes the destructive action caused by the heating of the electrodes.

To be sure, the idea has been quite frequently expressed and carried into practice to place quenched spark-gaps in the atmosphere of a gas other than air; but arrangements 01' this kind have heretofore been used for far greater wave lengths, and the same was used for another purpose than the one hereinbefore dis closed. The main object in such earlier arrangements invariably has been to expedite deionization of the gas or discharge gap by insuring rapid abduction of heat, say, by an atmosphere of hydrogen, illuminating gas or alcohol vapors in order to thus enhance the quenching effect of the spark-gap. In the invention here disclosed, however, the question of insuring good quenching action plays a wholly secondary part inasmuch as due to the high radiation damping inherent in short waves the adoption of the principle 0 discharges, since 10 the glass vessel wherein the two electrodes 3 7 and 3' are accommodated and mounted by means of two pins 2 and 2' serving as supply leads.

I claim:

1. An ultra short wave spark gap comprising a hermetically sealed barrel-shaped glass vessel,

a pair of electrodes spaced substantially .1 mm. apart and supported within said vessel, an atmosphere of hydrogen within said vessel and surrounding said electrodes.

2. A spark gap for the generation of ultra short electric wave lengths of less than 2 meters, comprising a hermetically sealed barrel-shaped glass vessel, a pair of electrodes having curved sparking surfaces mounted within said vessel,

connecting means passing through the walls of said glass vessel, and an atmosphere of helium contained within said vessel.

3. A spark gap for the generation of ultra short electric wave lengths of less than 2 meters, comprising a closed cylindrical glass vessel, 2. pair of curved metallic electrodes spaced substantially .1 mm. apart from each other, mounted within said vessel, connecting leads passing through a thickened portion of the wall of said glass vessel, and an atmosphere of helium contained within said vessel.

4. Apparatus for the use in ultra short wave circuits, comprising a hermetically sealed cylindrical glass vessel containing helium gas under pressure, a pair of curved electrodes spaced apart from each other and supported by the wall of said vessel, said electrodes being arranged within said vessel to act as a spark gap for the generation of ultra high frequency currents.

WALDEMAR ILBERG.

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