US2774820A - Electric discharge tube circuits - Google Patents

Electric discharge tube circuits Download PDF

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Publication number
US2774820A
US2774820A US334192A US33419253A US2774820A US 2774820 A US2774820 A US 2774820A US 334192 A US334192 A US 334192A US 33419253 A US33419253 A US 33419253A US 2774820 A US2774820 A US 2774820A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
circuits
circuit
group
potential
gap
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US334192A
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English (en)
Inventor
Bray Frederick Harry
Knight Ronald George
Hartley George Clifford
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
International Standard Electric Corp
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International Standard Electric Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB377552A external-priority patent/GB756322A/en
Application filed by International Standard Electric Corp filed Critical International Standard Electric Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2774820A publication Critical patent/US2774820A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q3/00—Selecting arrangements
    • H04Q3/42—Circuit arrangements for indirect selecting controlled by common circuits, e.g. register controller, marker
    • H04Q3/52—Circuit arrangements for indirect selecting controlled by common circuits, e.g. register controller, marker using static devices in switching stages, e.g. electronic switching arrangements
    • H04Q3/525—Circuit arrangements for indirect selecting controlled by common circuits, e.g. register controller, marker using static devices in switching stages, e.g. electronic switching arrangements using tubes in the switching stages
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J17/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with solid cathode
    • H01J17/38—Cold-cathode tubes
    • H01J17/48—Cold-cathode tubes with more than one cathode or anode, e.g. sequence-discharge tube, counting tube, dekatron
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
    • H03K17/51—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used
    • H03K17/52—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used by the use, as active elements, of gas-filled tubes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J2893/00—Discharge tubes and lamps
    • H01J2893/007—Sequential discharge tubes

Definitions

  • This invention relates to electric circuit switching by means of cold cathode gas discharge tubes.
  • the object of the invention is the establishment of a connection or' connections out of a number of possible connections through one or more anode-cathode gapsof cold cathode gas discharge tubes. 7
  • One aspect of the invention comprises an electric switch comprising a first circuit, and a numberof additional circuits, and switching means intermediate said first circuit and said additional circuits, such that operation of said switching means in response to conditions of availability of said first circuit and one of said additionalcircuits automatically connects together said pair of circuits to the exclusion of any other additional circuit and causes a change in the electrical conditions of said interconnected circuits to busy said circuits against other connections.
  • Figs. 1 and 2 show known circuits for firing gas discharge tubes'
  • Figs. 3 and4 show novel circuits in accordance with the invention for firing gasdischarge tubes
  • Fig. 5 shows the application of the circuit of Fig. 3' to a multi-gap gas discharge tube,-
  • Fig. 6 shows the interrelation of electric pulse cycles used in the operation of the circuit of Fig. 5,
  • Fig. 7 shows a switching circuit for connecting any one of a first group of lines to any one of a second group of lines, broadly similar in function to the conventional line switch group of an automatic telecommunication exchange, while Fig. 8 shows the interrelation of electric pulse cycles usedin the operation ofthe circuit of Fig; 7.
  • ionisation of the gas occurs when avoltage, in. excess of what is. commonly called the breakdown or firing voltage of the gap, is applied between the anode and the cathode. Having broken down, the gap will continue to pass current or discharge until the nited States Patent 0 a voltage between the anode and the cathode is reduced 1 below what is commonly called the maintaining voltage of the gap.
  • Figs. 1 and-2 show known circuit arrangements whereby a single gap in a gas discharge tube G having an anode A and a cathode C and a-ga-p therebetween may be connected across a source of potential and caused to break down and pass current by the application of one or more poten-- tials at different points-in the circuit.
  • the tube- G is connected between a potential +V and earth through an anode resist-- ance R1 and a cathode rectifier W1 arranged in conduct ing direction.
  • V is insuificient to-fire the tube G but sutficient to maintain it in conducting condi tion when fired.
  • Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention
  • firing of the tube is caused to occur by the coincident application of two potentials to the circuit, one on the anode side of the tube and one on the cathode side.
  • Tube G is connected between potential +V and earth through anode rectifier W2 and resistance R1, and cathode resistance R2 and rectifier W1, and the potentials on the anode and cathode respectively will be referred to hereinafter as non-available potentials.
  • a potential +Q is applied to the anode A through high resistance R4 and resistance R1
  • a potential -P' is applied to the cathode C through high resistance R3 and resistance R2.
  • the values of +Q and P' which will hereinafter be referred to as available potentials, are such that the tube may be subjected to four different potentials, only one of which is efiective to fire the gap. These four potentials are:
  • Fig. 4 One example of reduction to practice of the circuit of Fig. 3 is shown in Fig. 4 in which the potentials used are indicated.
  • the break-down voltage of the tube is 400 v. and the minimummaintaining voltage is 180 v., while the forward resistance of the rectifiers is in the neighbourhood of 1000 ohms and their reverse resistances 10 megohms.
  • the centre point of the battery was earthed instead of the negative pole.
  • the anode and" cathode series resistances whose function is to safeguard the tube against overloading, caneach be varied between zero and 60,000 ohms. However, values of 15,000 ohms are normally used.
  • Fig. 5 shows a circuit arrangement in which a multigap gas discharge tube is employed, such as a multi cathode single-anode tube.
  • a multigap gas discharge tube is employed, such as a multi cathode single-anode tube.
  • Such tubes are known in which the firing of one gap does not prime or apprecia manner similar to that explained in connection with Fig. 3. That is to say, the potential l-V is sufliclent to maintain but not fire any one of the gaps and only the application of a potential +Q to the anode through a high resistance R4 and resistance R1, together with the application of a potential P' to one of the cathodes through a high resistance R3 and resistance R2 will apply available potentials to both electrodes and cause breakdown of the appropriate gap. Since, as already explained, the potentials +Q and P' are inelfective after the gap is struck, either or both may be of any momentary application provided they are coincident.
  • the construction of the tube is such that ionisation does not spread to any other gap nor is the break-down voltage of any other gap appreciably reduced.
  • pulse P']. is suppressed so that the first gap does not fire, then pulse PZ will be effective to fire the second gap and the remaining pulses will be ineffective.
  • any desired one of the gaps can be fired.
  • a circuit of a group X comprising x circuits is to be connected to a circuit of a group Y comprising y circuits.
  • a number of multi-cathode tubes G1 Gx of the kind described, equal to the number of circuits x in group X, each tube having a number of cathodes equal to the number of circuits y in group Y.
  • the tubes contain less than y cathodes, two or more tubes may have their anodes connected together and be regarded as one tube.
  • Each of the circuits in group X is connected to the anode of a different tube through an individual limiting resistance R1 and also provides, through individual rectifiers W2, a potential +V.
  • Each of the circuits of group Y is connected through an individual limiting resistance R2 to a different cathode of the first tube G1 and is multiplied through individual resistances R2 to corresponding cathodes in each of the other tubes G2-Gx, so that no cathode of any tube has more than one circuit connected to it.
  • the individual resistances R2 may be replaced by common resistances, immediately to the right of the multiple points.
  • the circuits Y may if desired, be connected in different orders to the cathodes of the different tubes.
  • Each of the circuits of group Y also provides earth through an individual rectifier W1. The direction of connection of the rectifiers W1 and W2 is such that current can flow from +V, through an appropriately ionised gap in a tube, to earth.
  • a series of positive pulses +Q1 +Qx is allotted, one each, to the 1 x circuits of group X and a series of negative pulses Pl P'y is allotted, one each, to the 1 y circuits of group Y, making the X and Y circuits individually available in turn.
  • the negative pulses P'l -Py are applied p91)- 4 tinuously to the 1 circuits of group Y, each through a high resistance R3.
  • each of the positive pulses occurs one after the other in a cycle time T and each of the negative pulses occurs one after the other within the individual time of a single one of the positive pulses.
  • each positive pulse occurs once in conjunction with each negative pulse.
  • circuit No. 2 of group X is to be connected to a free circuit in group Y and that circuits Nos. 1, 2, 7, in group Y are busy in some manner, for instance through other tubes not shown, such that their pulses P'l, P2 and P'7 are ineffective through their respective high resistances R3 in a manner already described.
  • Circuit No. 2 of group X applies pulse +Q'2 to the anode of tube G2.
  • Pulses Pl P'y are, as already stated, being continuously applied in turn, but pulses P'1, P'2 and P'7 are ineffective through their high resistances R3 due to circuits Nos. 1, 2 and 7 of group Y being busy as already described.
  • the appropriate gap in tube G2 will fire, due to there being available potentials on both electrodes. For instance, if the +Q2 pulse supply of No. 2 circuit of group X is connected during an interval between the appearances of pulse +Q2, the first negative pulse which will coincide with it when it does appear will be -P'3, and gap No. 3 of tube G2 will fire and circuit No.
  • the firing of a gap busies the circuits connected to both electrodes.
  • circuits in group X may simultaneously require connection to a circuit in group Y and that such simultaneous requirements will be met without mutual interference in one cycle time T by coincidence of the appropriate pairs of and pulses.
  • any or all of the X group circuits may simultaneously or at irregular intervals be connected to Y group circuits in random order of arrangement, and without mutual interference either during connecting up or while connected up or during release.
  • multi-alnode tubes may be used with appropriate modifications to the circuits or a plurality of single gap tubes may be used, their anodes or cathodes being connected together, as already described.
  • the limiting resistances R1 and R2 may be varied or eliminated without departing from the substance of the invention.
  • the positive potentials in connection with Figs. 7 and 8 may be of short duration and the negative potentials of long duration, such that each positive potential appears once during each appearance of each negative potential.
  • a plurality of sets of equipment identical with those shown in Figs. 5 and 7 can be provided, each corresponding plurality of pulse leads being connected to the same pulse source. In this way, application of a +Q pulse will cause a plurality of gaps to fire, one in each set of equipment, and a two-, three-, or more, wire connection could be set up.
  • a static electrical switch comprising a plurality of groups of cold cathode gas discharge gaps having anode and cathode electrodes, an equal plurality of circuits constituting a first group each circuit multipled to one electrode of a respective group of gaps, a number of cincuits constituting a second group each circuit multipled to the other electrode in each of said groups of gaps, the circuits of both said first and second groups of circuits being individually adapted to assume any one of three difierent electrical conditions in respect of said gaps: the
  • first condition representing non-availability a second condition representing availability
  • a third condition representing that the line is busy means for biasing said anode and cathode electrodes of said gaps so that no gap will fire unless the connected circuits are simultaneously in the electrical condition representing availability
  • means for changing the electrical conditions of said first group of circuits from a condition representing nonavailability to one representing availability in turn in a first cycle of time positions means for changing the electrical conditions of said second group of circuits from a condition representing non-availability to one representing availability in turn in a second cycle of time position, said first and second cycle of time positions being such that pairs of circuits each consisting of a circuit of the first group and a circuit of the second group can be ofiered to one another in a condition representing availability in time positions individual to each pair, whereby a circuit of the first group can be connected to a circuit of the second group to the exclusion of all other circuits by firing of the gap individual to said pair of circuits in the time position individual thereto, and means for automatically changing the electrical condition
  • each individual circuit comprises a potential lead including a rectifier, and a pulse lead including a high resistance connected in parallel via a resistance to the respective gap electrode.
  • An automatic telecommunication exchange switch of the static electrical type comprising a set of cold cathode gas discharge transmission paths for interconnecting a first telecommunication transmission circuit and any one of a group of other telecommunication transmission circuits, said paths comprising anode and cathode electrodes and means for establishing the corresponding gas discharge path at a time position in an unvariable sequence of time positions in which each time position is individual to one of said other circuits, said means comprising means for applying a potential to the electrode of said path which is connected to said other circuit during said respective time position, said potential being sufficient to establish the discharge path.
  • An automatic telecommunication exchange switch of the static electrical type comprising two sets of gas discharge transmission paths for interconnecting a first two-wire telecommunication transmission circuit and any one of a group of other two-wire telecommunication transmission cincuits, said paths comprising anode and cathode electrodes, and means for simultaneously establishing the corresponding pair of gas discharge transmission paths at a time position in an unvariable sequence of time positions in which each position is individual to one of said other two-wire circuits, said means comprising means for applying a potential to the electrodes of said paths which are connected to said other two-wire circuits during said respective time positions, said potential being sufficient to establish the discharge paths.
  • An automatic telecommunication exchange switch of the static electrical type comprising three or more sets of gas discharge transmission paths for interconnecting a first three or more wire telecommunication transmission cincuit and any one of a group of other three or more wire telecommunication transmission circuits, said paths comprising anode and cathode electrodes, and means for simultaneously establishing the corresponding three or more gas discharge transmission paths at a time position in an unvariable sequence of time positions in which each position is individual to one of said other three or more wire circuits, said switch means comprising means for applying a potential to the electrodes of said paths which are connected to said other three or more wire circuits during said respective time position, such potential being sufficient to establish the discharge paths.
  • An automatic telecommunication exchange switch of the static electrical type comprising a set of cold cathode gas discharge transmission paths for interconnecting a first telecommunication transmission circuit and any one of a group of other telecommunication circuits, said paths comprising anode and cathode electrodes, said first circuit being connected to all the corresponding electrodes of said set and said other circuits being connected respectively to said other corresponding electrodes, each said other circuit comprising a coincidence gate having two inputs and means for applying a potential on the electrode connected to said circuit sutficient to cause a discharge when predetermined potentials are simultaneously applied to said inputs, means for applying said predetermined potential to a corresponding one of said inputs of each of said coincidence gates at a time position in an unvariable sequence of time positions, whereby each of said other circuits is offered for connection to said first circuit during a different time position.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Lasers (AREA)
  • Electron Sources, Ion Sources (AREA)
  • Electrostatic Separation (AREA)
US334192A 1952-02-13 1953-01-30 Electric discharge tube circuits Expired - Lifetime US2774820A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB377552A GB756322A (en) 1952-02-13 1952-02-13 Improvements in or relating to electric switching circuits
GB12067/55A GB756419A (en) 1952-02-13 1955-02-13 Improvements in or relating to electrical switching circuits

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2774820A true US2774820A (en) 1956-12-18

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US334192A Expired - Lifetime US2774820A (en) 1952-02-13 1953-01-30 Electric discharge tube circuits

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US (1) US2774820A (xx)
BE (1) BE519943A (xx)
CH (2) CH325317A (xx)
DE (1) DE969953C (xx)
GB (1) GB756419A (xx)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2960575A (en) * 1952-04-10 1960-11-15 Int Standard Electric Corp Automatic telecommunication systems
DE1262443B (de) * 1960-09-03 1968-03-07 Fernseh Gmbh Mehrfach-Elektronenschalter

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2937318A (en) * 1958-10-27 1960-05-17 Baird Atomic Inc Counting tube read out system

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1677414A (en) * 1927-05-25 1928-07-17 Reserve Holding Co Automatic telephone system
US2299229A (en) * 1941-11-26 1942-10-20 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Selecting system
US2549064A (en) * 1948-03-05 1951-04-17 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Multiswitching gaseous discharge device
US2553263A (en) * 1946-10-04 1951-05-15 Hazeltine Research Inc Traveling wave vapor-electric current generator
US2560691A (en) * 1949-06-14 1951-07-17 Northrop Aircraft Inc Voltage regulated multiple amplifier for pulses
US2562100A (en) * 1948-11-17 1951-07-24 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Coordinate selecting and lock-out circuit
US2607891A (en) * 1950-06-10 1952-08-19 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Translating circuits utilizing glow discharge devices
US2648831A (en) * 1950-08-30 1953-08-11 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Selective signaling system
US2722567A (en) * 1951-02-23 1955-11-01 Automatic Telephone & Elect Electronic tube switching system

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL51557C (xx) * 1936-02-17
BE505506A (xx) * 1936-11-14
US2291752A (en) * 1941-02-05 1942-08-04 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Selecting system
US2306882A (en) * 1941-03-11 1942-12-29 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Selective system

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1677414A (en) * 1927-05-25 1928-07-17 Reserve Holding Co Automatic telephone system
US2299229A (en) * 1941-11-26 1942-10-20 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Selecting system
US2553263A (en) * 1946-10-04 1951-05-15 Hazeltine Research Inc Traveling wave vapor-electric current generator
US2549064A (en) * 1948-03-05 1951-04-17 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Multiswitching gaseous discharge device
US2562100A (en) * 1948-11-17 1951-07-24 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Coordinate selecting and lock-out circuit
US2560691A (en) * 1949-06-14 1951-07-17 Northrop Aircraft Inc Voltage regulated multiple amplifier for pulses
US2607891A (en) * 1950-06-10 1952-08-19 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Translating circuits utilizing glow discharge devices
US2648831A (en) * 1950-08-30 1953-08-11 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Selective signaling system
US2722567A (en) * 1951-02-23 1955-11-01 Automatic Telephone & Elect Electronic tube switching system

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2960575A (en) * 1952-04-10 1960-11-15 Int Standard Electric Corp Automatic telecommunication systems
DE1262443B (de) * 1960-09-03 1968-03-07 Fernseh Gmbh Mehrfach-Elektronenschalter

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE969953C (de) 1958-08-07
BE519943A (xx)
GB756419A (en) 1956-09-05
CH336095A (fr) 1959-02-15
CH325317A (fr) 1957-10-31

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