US2353775A

US2353775A - Electrode brace

Info

Publication number: US2353775A
Application number: US476158A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Ward W Watrous
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1943-02-17
Filing date: 1943-02-17
Publication date: 1944-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1961-07-18

Description

' Jyly 18; 1944.

W. W. WATROUS, JR

ELECTRODE BRAGE Filed Feb. 17, 1943 INVENTOR J 1 K4 W/777?0US,Jk'. Wm M ATTORNEY Patented July 18, 1944 Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationFebruary 17, 19 43, SerialNo. 478,158

7 Claims. (01. 250-275) This invention relates to electrode braces and more particularly to braces by which the electrode afiected is retained in desired position by bracing support from the envelope or other part surrounding the electrode.

An object of the invention is to obtain bracing of an electrode which will be unfailing in operation and yet afford desired resiliency for introduction of adequate pressure to hold the electrode in position.

Another object of the invention is to avoid the use of mica and eliminate detrimental effects of presence of mica within an envelope of an electron discharge device.

A further object of the invention is to assure proper alignment or coaxial relation of the electrodes.

Again, an object of the invention is to deter conduction of heat from the electrode to the enclosing envelope.

Further objects of the invention are to obtain simplicity of construction, avoid multiplicity of parts, afford a neat appearance, and provide ease of assembly lending itself to efficient production methods.

Still further objects of the invention will appear as the description progresses, both by direct recitation thereof and by implication from the context.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in:

which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an electron discharge device, with part of the envelope broken away, showing the invention in place.

Figure 2 is a magnified cross-section on line 11-11 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on line III-III of Fig. 2; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3. showing the electrode and its brace in process of assembly. I

In the specific embodiment of the. invention illustrated in said drawing, the reference numeral l designates an electron discharge device in general which comprises a base II in which is secured a glass or other envelope l2 an upper portion whereof is constricted, as at I3, to form a part usually identified as a dome in the parlance of the art. This dome provides a cylindrical side wall of less diameter than the main part of the envelope. Within the envelope, concentric therewith, are located the desired electrodes, indicated herein as a cathode l4, anode l5 and grid "5 assembled to constitute thedevice a thyratron. As shown, the grid is a cylinder and the cathode and anode are within but spaced therefrom and respectively near the bottom and top ends of the cylindrical grid. According to usual practice, the cathode is supported from lead-in wires sealed through a stem and press I! constituted as a re-entrant part'at the base of the envelope, and the anode is similarly supported by a lead-in wire sealed through a'press H3 at the dome end of the envelope. I r

The grid I6 is supported at its lower end from a collar l9 applied to the stem; ll, general practice being to clamp the collar as tightly as possible without breakingthe glass of the stem. Studs or supporting. members are secured to the collar I9 and project upwardly therefrom at the outside of the grid cylinder longitudinally and in contact with the surface thereof and welded or otherwise secured thereon. The studs or supporting members 20 preferably extend to the upper end of the grid cylinder, but an upper end portion approximately the depth of the envelope dome, is left unw'elded from the grid cylinder, thereby enabling that end portion, now identified by numeral 2|, free to be bent outwardly as shown in Figure 4.

Studs or supporting members 2I are of a suitably resilient metal and formed with the upper end portions 2| thereof normally in the bent-out or diverging position as above described. Closely adjacent to the upper ends of said bent-out portions are provided beads 22,

tially of doughnut shape. These beads are of high electrical and thermal resistivity, the latter being important for preventing the conduc-- tion of heat to the envelope that might set up suificientglass strain to cause cracking. The beads are, accordingly, preferably a suitable ceramic. In registration with the bead in each instance, the grid cylinder is provided with a slot or opening 23 of appropriate size, shape and location to receive the portion of the bead projecting toward the grid from the support. An edge portion of thebead projects into said opening even with the stud bent outward, and the button is accordingly held assembled upon the stud by this engagement in the slot and does not require special attachment to the stud itself. Location of the bead in the slot keeps the bead from sliding either up or down on the stud. The envelope and grid are slid from the full-line position of Fig. 4 to the dotted line position, and in this step of assembly the beads ride against the tapering wall 24 of the envelope joining the main part of the envelope and the dome, thereby flexing the studs inwardly toward the grid with the ceramic bead having one marginal portion in contact with and pressing against the wall of the dome and a diametrically opposite marginal portion of the bead projecting into the said slot or opening in the grid.

The studs or supporting members 20 are symmetrically situated around the grid, and as envelope and a cylindrical and coaxial member within the envelope with an outer peripheral portion in proximity to an inner peripheral portion of the envelope, ceramic beads intenposed a result of the resilient lateral pressure exerted by each upon the said grid, the grid is retained coaxial within the envelope and with respect to the other electrodes. The bracing afforded by the resilient end portions of the studs overcomes inertia due to the mass of the grid and possibility of dislodg'ing the collar on the stem. Obviously the mass center for the grid is at a considerable distance from the collar, thereby setting up an effectively long leverage and endangering proper coaxial location of the grid if held at one end only. The structure here shown supports the grid at both ends.

Preferably the studs are formed from metal not only having resiliency but having adequate strength and other characteristics acceptable to its use and to electron-tube manu-- facture, andas examples, may be of K Monel or Z nickel.

From the foregoing, it will now be evident that the structure of the present invention provides a very neat appearing assembly, of few and simple parts and readily assembled and held tolerance permitted for misalignment of the electrodes.

I claim:

1. An electron discharge device having an envelope and electrodes of which one electrode is cylindrical and coaxial within the envelope with an outer peripheral portion in proximity to an inner peripheral portion of the envelope, ceramic beads interposed at intervals between the said one electrode and said envelope, and resilient means on which said beads are mounted.

2. An electron discharge device havingan envelope with a constricted cylindrical wall, said device having electrodes ofwhich one is cylindrical and projects into the space within the said constricted wall of the envelope in spaced relation thereto, ceramic beads inte-r' posed at intervals between said constricted wall and the portion of the said cylindrical electrode projecting into said space within said wall, and

resilient means on which said beads are mounted.

3. An electron discharge device having an at intervals between the said member and said envelope, and resilient means on which said beads are mounted, said resilient means exerting an outward pressure on the beads and maintaining the beads in engagement with the envelope thereby retaining said member in position in and braced by said envelope.

4. An electron discharge device having an envelope and electrodes of which one electrode has an end portion exposed to and in proximity to an inner wall of the envelope, studs supporting the other end of said electrode and secured to said electrode and extending to the firstmentioned end of the electrode and bent away from the electrode thereat and resilient, and means on said studs next the bent-away ends thereof for engagement with the envelope whereby the resilient pressure of the studs is exerted against the envelope and reacts to retain the electrode in position.

5. An electron discharge device having an envelope and electrodes of which one electrode has an end portion exposed to and in proximity to an inner wall of the envelope, studs welded to and supporting the other end portionof said electrode and extending the length of and on the outside of said electrode and bent away from the said electrode at the said end thereof exposed toward the envelope and resilient thereat so as to be depressed in assembly toward the electrode and resiliently retain the electrode, and beads of high electrical and thermal resistivity on said studs next the bent-away ends thereof in contact with the said envelope and reacting with the resiliency of the studs for retaining the electrode in position.

6. An electron discharge device having an envelope and electrode of which one electrode is cylindrical and has an end portion thereof spaced in proximity to the envelope, ceramic beads within the space between said electrode and envelope and of greater dimension normal to the envelope than the space between the electrode and envelorp, said elctrode having slots for receiving an edge portion next thereto of the bead, and means for resiliently mounting the bead to press into engagement with the wall of the envelope.

'7. An electron discharge device having an envelope and electrodes of which one electrode is cylindrical and has an end portion thereof spaced in proximity to the envelope, ceramic beads within the space between said electrode and envelope, resilient means also between said electrode and envelope and mounting said beads thereon, said resilient means and beads combining to afford resilient bracing of the electrode and holding total permissible movement of the electrode with respect to the envelope within a close tolerance.

WARD W. WATROUS, JR.