US3567988A - Filament support structure having vibration suppressing means - Google Patents

Filament support structure having vibration suppressing means Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3567988A
US3567988A US665091A US3567988DA US3567988A US 3567988 A US3567988 A US 3567988A US 665091 A US665091 A US 665091A US 3567988D A US3567988D A US 3567988DA US 3567988 A US3567988 A US 3567988A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
support rods
filament
wires
support
attached
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
US665091A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jacob A Randmer
George J Agule
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.)
Machlett Laboratories Inc
Original Assignee
Machlett Laboratories Inc
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
Application filed by Machlett Laboratories Inc filed Critical Machlett Laboratories Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3567988A publication Critical patent/US3567988A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J1/00—Details of electrodes, of magnetic control means, of screens, or of the mounting or spacing thereof, common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J1/02—Main electrodes
    • H01J1/13—Solid thermionic cathodes
    • H01J1/15—Cathodes heated directly by an electric current
    • H01J1/18—Supports; Vibration-damping arrangements

Definitions

  • Pannone arranged as a group on one side of the center of the structure and all wires carrying output current arranged as a second group on the other side thereof, filament support rods having peripheral grooves at equally spaced intervals along the length thereof attached at one end to the filament wires and at the other end to respective coil springs, and thin metallic frames surrounding each group of filament support rods in planes perpendicular thereto such that the ends of opposing cantilever arms attached to the frames engage the peripheral grooves of the support rods to restrain lateral movement thereof while permitting longitudinal movement to allow the coil springs to compensate for thermal elongation and contraction of the filament wires.
  • SHEET 2 [IF 3 II M 5& w 76 ⁇ 2 IN VENTORS JACOB A. RANDMER GEORGE J. AGULE FILAMENT SUPPORT STRUCTURE HAVING VIBRATION SUPPRESSING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • This invention relates to an electrode structure and is more particularly concerned with a cathode structure for electron discharge tubes.
  • the cathode, grid and anode electrodes are not concentric as in conventional power tubes but are arranged in parallel planes. In order to utilize the entire emitting surface of the cathode, it is located between spaced, parallel sections of the grid and further-spaced, parallel sections of the anode. Since each longitudinal half of the cathode is exposed to the grid and anode in this arrangement of electrodes, an electron current can be drawn from both sides of the cathode toward the grid and anode.
  • the cathode usually comprises a linear array of parallel filament wires extending longitudinally in an axial plane of the tube.
  • the filament wires are attached at one end to a similar array of aligned support rods which, in turn, are attached to one of two supporting decks.
  • Alternate filament support rods are attached to one support deck and the other support rods are attached to the other support deck.
  • the two decks are insulated from each other and connect to respective cathode terminals of the tube.
  • the filament support rods pass insulatingly through aligned holes in the support decks and connect to respective coil springs on the far side. The coil springs maintain tension on the filament wires and compensate for the effects of thermal elongation or contraction when the filament wires are heating or cooling.
  • the intervening support rods are made as long as possiie.
  • the long filament support rods have a serious disadvantage when the tube is subjected to shock or vibration. It has been discovered from such tests that filament wires tend to break at the point of attachment to the support rod. This is especially true when the support rods are only slidably engaged by holes in the support decks and connected to coil springs on the other side.
  • the basic problem is to restrain lateral movement of the filament support rods but still permit longitudinal movement thereof so that the coil springs can compensate for thermal elongation or contraction of the attached filament wires.
  • a supporting device that restrains lateral motion of the filament support rods should maintain the attached filament wires in accurate alignment with each other and with the grid.
  • the present invention features a unique suspension and support system for the filament support rods. It will accurately align the attached filament wires, restrain lateral motion of the filament support rods without distortion and will allow longitudinal motion so that the coil springs attached to one end of the support rods can maintain a tension on the filament wires attached to the other end of the support rods. This is accomplished by a linear array of parallel filament wires which are arranged so that all wires connected to one cathode terminal are located at one side of the planar filament structure and all wires connected to the other cathode terminal are on the other side.
  • the filament wires are attached to support rods which have peripheral grooves lying in selected planes.
  • the rods pass through perpendicularly disposed, thin metallic frames and connect to respective coil springs on the far side.
  • the thin metallic frames are supported in planes adjacent to the planes of the peripheral grooves and have opposing cantilever arms which fit into the peripheral grooves on the support rods.
  • the cantilever arms restrain the support rods from moving laterally and flex to allow the support rods to move longitudinally.
  • the coil springs can expand to take up any slack produced in the filament wires during thermal elongation or compress when the filament wire is cooling.
  • FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a typical tube embodying this invention
  • FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a typical filament support rod
  • FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the mounting and construction of the insulated support box
  • FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the mounting and construction of the uninsulated support box
  • FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a typical metal frame having flexible cantilever supporting arms
  • FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partially in section, showing the position of the cantilever supporting arms when the filaments are hot.
  • FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partially in section, showing the position of the cantilever supporting arms when the filaments are cold.
  • the illustrative tube embodying the invention comprises a gastight envelope closed at one end by an oval-shaped anode cup 10 having extended flat sides 11 and 12.
  • Anode 10 is made of a highly conductive metal, such as copper, and encloses a cavity designated generally as 13.
  • the open end of anode 10 terminates in an outwardly extending flange 14 which has a circular perimeter and which functions as the anode terminal of the tube.
  • a metallic sleeve 15, preferably kovar, is hermetically attached, at one end, to flange 14 and circumferentially sealed at the opposite end to one end of a dielectric cylinder 16.
  • cylinder 16 is sealed, around its entire periphery, to the collar portion of a metallic member 20, preferably copper, which provides the grid terminal of the tube.
  • Grid terminal member 20 extends radially inward of cylinder 16, flaring back toward anode cavity 13, and is attached, at the other end, to tubular support 21 by suitable means such as welding or brazing.
  • a dielectric cylinder 40 is sealed throughout one end to the other side of grid terminal 20 and throughout the other end to collar portion of cathode terminal member 41. Extending radially inward and flaring back toward the anode within the tapering cavity formed by annular grid terminal 20, cathode terminal 41 is circumferentially attached, at the other end, to a circular support disc 42 preferably of copper.
  • a cathode terminal 61 is insulatingly connected to cathode terminal 41 by an intervening dielectric cylinder 60 which is peripherally sealed at each end to one of the respective cathode terminals.
  • Cathode terminal members 41 and 61 are advantageously formed of the same material as grid terminal 20 and provide the external connections to the cathode filaments.
  • the gastight envelope is completed by cathode terminal 61 extending radially inward and flaring back toward the anode within the tapering cavity formed by annular, cathode terminal 41 and is hermetically attached, at the other end, to a second circular support disc 62, preferably of copper.
  • An exhaust tubulation 63 is located in the center of support disc 62 is sealed off after processing and evacuation.
  • a metallic disc 22 which has a centrally located slot 23, as shown in FIG. 3.
  • Disc 22 is attached to tubular support 21 by suitable means such as screws 24.
  • the opposite ends of grid rods 25 are attached to an oblong plate 26 (FIG. 2) by welding or brazing them into respective holes located adjacent the long sides of a slot 27, thus maintaining the grid rods 25 in the desired spaced relationship.
  • the grid comprises two planar sections, indicated generally as 28 and 29, which are parallel to each other.
  • Each planar section, for example, 28 is made up of a linear array of parallel rods 25 which are located on the same side of slots 23 and 27.
  • the central portion of slots 27 is enlarged to form a circular aperture 30 that permits plate 26 to slidingly engage a dielectric bushing 31 affixed to a center mast 32.
  • Center mast 32 is attached to the center of a circular support deck 39, as by journaling or brazing, and is located on the longitudinal centerline of the tube.
  • a capnut 33 (FIG. 1) journaled onto the threaded end of center mast 32, forces the shoulder of dielectric bushing 31 against a metallic crossarm 34.
  • Crossarm 34 is provided with a center bore for slidingly engaging the shank portion of dielectric bushing 31 in one end and the shank portion of a dielectric bushing 36 in the other end.
  • crossarm 34 is insulatingly mounted on center mast 32.
  • the pressure exerted by capnut 33 on crossarm 34 forces the periphery of bore 35 against the flange of bushing 36 and presses it against a cap washer 37.
  • Cap washer 37 bears against one end of a metallic sleeve 38 which surrounds center mast 32, and forces the other end of sleeve 38 against a support deck 39.
  • the central portion of slot 23 in metal disc 22 is enlarged to allow center mast 32, with surrounding metal sleeve 38, to extend through the center thereof in spaced relationship.
  • the side of support deck 39 opposite the center mast structure is mounted, by conventional means, such as brazing, on the ends of four spaced posts 62a, preferably copper, which are perpendicularly disposed in support deck 39.
  • Posts 62a are symmetrically located and extend insulatingly through aligned holes in support disc 42 and are attached, at the other end, to support disc 62.
  • a metallic post 43 preferably copper, is perpendicularly disposed to support disc 42 and attached to the center thereof by conventional means, such as brazing.
  • post 43 forms part of a conductive path which includes metal support disc 42 and terminates at cathode terminal 41.
  • Filament support rods 48-50 and 6870 are identical in configuration to the typical support rod shown in FIG. 5. Each support rod is provided with a ,cavity end 80, a reduced diameter portion 81 at the opposite end, which thereby forms shoulder 82 at the junction with the normal diameter of the rod, and spaced, peripheral grooves 83 and 84 between the ends.
  • a helical spring 85 is placed over the reduced diameter end 81 of rods 48-50 and 68-70.
  • Each helical spring 85 is supported by a cap washer 86 which encircles the reduced diameter 81 and bears against shoulder 82 of .rods 48-50 and 68-70. Copper straps 44- 46 engage the reduced diameter portion 8-1 of respective support rods 48-50.
  • Copper straps 64-66 are similarly affixed to the reduced diameter portions 81 of support rods 68- -70 respectively.
  • a cap 87 is pressed onto the reduced diameter portion 81 of each rod 4850 and 68-70 and crimped or welded in place.
  • the cavity end 80 of each rod 48- 50 is inserted into the bore of respective dielectric bushings 51 which are embedded in support deck 39 and pushed longitudinally through a support box 52 until engaged and supported in a manner to be described.
  • the cavity end 80 of each rod 687 0 is inserted into a respective spaced hole 71 in support deck 39 and pushed longitudinally through a support box 72 until engaged and supported in a manner to be described.
  • the other ends of copper straps 44-46 are secured to the adjacent end of center post 43 (FIG. 1) by suitable means, such as screw 47.
  • the free ends of the other copper straps 64 66 are attached to support deck 39 (FIG. 4) by conventional means, such as screws 67.
  • Support boxes 52 and 72 are identical in construction and configuration. Each box is four-sided having either closed or open ends in the planes parallel to the plane of the drawing.
  • L- shaped mounting brackets 91 and 92 are attached to vertical sidewalls 93 and 94 respectively by suitable means, such as welded or brazing.
  • Opposing sidewalls 93 and 94 are identical in construction, each being formed from blanks of sheet metal by bending opposite edges of each blank to form supporting flanges 95 and 96 respectively.
  • Identical metal plates 97 and 98 are attached to the supporting flanges 95 and 96 at opposite ends of the opposing vertical sidewalls 93 and 94 to complete the four-sided box. As shown in FIG.
  • metal plates 97 and 98 each comprise a square of sheet metal having H shaped slots 99 stamped therein to form opposing cantilever arms 100 and 101, and intervening crossmembers 102 and 103 attached to the resulting sheet metal frame 104.
  • An arcuate recess 105 in the free end of each cantilever arm forms part of a circular aperture 106 therebetween.
  • Support box 52 is insulatingly mounted on support deck 39 by means of dielectric bushings 56 and dielectric washers 55. Screws 53 journaled intosupport deck 39 press against respective metal washer 54 thereby forcing respective dielectric washers 55 against the flange portion of respective L-shaped brackets 91 and 92.
  • Washers 55 and the flange portions of brackets 91 and 92 encircle a shank portion of bushing 56.
  • the flange portions of the brackets 91 and 92 bear against shoulders on respective bushings 56, which, in turn, are seated upon support deck 39.
  • Support box 72 is conductively mounted on support deck 39 by means of metallic spacers 75. Screws 73 journaled into support deck 39 press respective metal washers 74 against the flange portion of respective L-shaped brackets 91 and 92 which, in turn, are forced against one end of respective metal spacers 75. The other end of spacers '75 bear against support deck 39.
  • peripheral grooves 83 and 84 of the respective support rods are engaged by opposing cantilever arms 100 and 101 of respective metal plates 97 and 98 in support box 72.
  • grooves 83 of respective rods 68-70 and the interlocking cantilever arms 100 and 101 are disposed in the plane of plate 98; and grooves 84 of respective support rods 68-70 and the interlocking cantilever arms 100 and 101 are disposed in the plane of plate 98, as shown in FIG. 9.
  • filament wires 57, 58 and 59 are inserted into respective holes in one side of crossarm 34 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and are attached thereto by convenient means, such as welding or brazing.
  • One end of another set of filament wires 76, 77, and 78 are similarily secured into respective holes in the other side of crossarm 34.
  • the filament wires extend longitudinally in two groups, wires 57-59 on one side of center mast 32 and wires 76-78 on the other side. Filament wires 57-59 and 76- -78 are cut to the desired length.
  • each cantilever arm Since one end of each cantilever arm is fixedly attached to frame 104 of the respective plates97 and 98, the opposing free ends of cantilever arms 100 and 101 travel in an arc, moving slightly away from the bases of grooves 83 and 84.
  • the resilient cantilever arms 100 and 101 tend to return to the plane of the attached metal plate 97-and 98, respectively, and thus cooperate with the helical springs in maintaining tension in the longitudinal direction on the engaged support rods 48-50, 68-70 and the attached filament wires 57-59 and 76-78.
  • filament support rods 48-50 and 68-70 are restrained from moving in a lateral direction by the interlocking ends of the opposing cantilever arms 100 and 101.
  • rods 48-50 and 68-70 may move in the longitudinal direction by flexing the resilient cantilever arms 100 and 101, as described above.
  • a filament current heats the filament wires 57-59 and 76-78 to an incandescent state, thus producing a flow of electrons to the anode 10.
  • filament wires 57-59 and 76- -78 are subject to thermal elongation in the longitudinal direction which is compensated for by helical springs 85 expanding in the longitudinal direction.
  • the resulting longitudinal motion of filament support rods 48-50 and 68-70 carries peripheral grooves 83 and 84 with interlocking cantilever arms 100 and 101 back into the plane of respective metal plates 97 and 98, as shown in FIG. 9.
  • the foregoing description discloses an invention that restricts lateral motion of filament support rods while allowing longitudinal motion thereof to permit auxiliary coil springs to remove slack from the attached filament wires and thereby compensate for thermal elongation of the wires and thereby compensate for thermal elongation of the wires during operation of the tube.
  • This invention features a novel suspension and supporting device for filamentary cathodes that minimizes the effects due to shock, vibration and friction. Because of the builtin accuracy of this supporting device, little operator skill is required to assemble a precisely spaced and aligned electrode structure. Production of the illustrative tube is thereby simplified and facilitated.
  • This supporting device may also be adapted for use on other electrodes. For example, this device may be used to support and align the grid rods.
  • each metal plate 97 and 98 is shown with three pairs of cantilever arms, it is obvious that a greater or lesser number of opposing cantilever arms may be provided with slight modification of the metal plate. It is also possible to provide a stronger metal frame 104 without the cooperating cross member 102 and 103 for added rigidity. Thus, only the opposing cantilever arms 100 and 101 would extend into the opening surrounded by the stronger metal frame. Furthermore, the support rods may be provided with additional peripheral grooves so that additional metal plates like 97 and 98 may be used to restrain the lateral movement of the support rods.
  • peripheral grooves may take some other configuration, for example radial slots, and the indentations in the free ends of the cantilever arms may take some other contour than the arcuate one shown herein, for example the indentation may be V-shaped.
  • the members that restrain lateral movement of the support rods while allowing longitudinal movement thereof need not be in the form of resilient cantilever arms to remain within the spirit and scope of this invention, as disclosed herein.
  • a cathode structure for an electron discharge tube comprising:
  • coil springs located adjacent the other ends of the support rods and connected thereto;
  • pairs of aligned, resilient cantilever arms having ends attached to a frame member and opposing ends nesting in the indentations of respective support rods thereby restraining lateral movement but allowing longitudinal movement of the support rods.

Landscapes

  • Electron Sources, Ion Sources (AREA)
US665091A 1967-09-01 1967-09-01 Filament support structure having vibration suppressing means Expired - Lifetime US3567988A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US66509167A 1967-09-01 1967-09-01

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3567988A true US3567988A (en) 1971-03-02

Family

ID=24668670

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US665091A Expired - Lifetime US3567988A (en) 1967-09-01 1967-09-01 Filament support structure having vibration suppressing means

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3567988A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS4721082Y1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1226582A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3870920A (en) * 1972-09-13 1975-03-11 Philips Corp Electric incandescent lamp
US3917968A (en) * 1974-02-22 1975-11-04 Texas Instruments Inc Area flood gun
US3986066A (en) * 1974-05-11 1976-10-12 Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs-G.M.B.H. Electron beam generating system with cathode
US4546286A (en) * 1982-07-27 1985-10-08 Bbc Brown, Boveri & Company, Limited Electron tube, in particular a transmitter tube
US4812716A (en) * 1985-04-03 1989-03-14 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Electron beam scanning display apparatus with cathode vibration suppression
EP0411424A1 (en) * 1989-08-03 1991-02-06 General Electric Company Apparatus for synthetic diamond deposition including spring tensioned filaments
US20230147125A1 (en) * 2020-04-13 2023-05-11 Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. Electron beam generator, electron beam emission device and x-ray emission device

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3870920A (en) * 1972-09-13 1975-03-11 Philips Corp Electric incandescent lamp
US3917968A (en) * 1974-02-22 1975-11-04 Texas Instruments Inc Area flood gun
US3986066A (en) * 1974-05-11 1976-10-12 Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs-G.M.B.H. Electron beam generating system with cathode
US4546286A (en) * 1982-07-27 1985-10-08 Bbc Brown, Boveri & Company, Limited Electron tube, in particular a transmitter tube
US4812716A (en) * 1985-04-03 1989-03-14 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Electron beam scanning display apparatus with cathode vibration suppression
EP0411424A1 (en) * 1989-08-03 1991-02-06 General Electric Company Apparatus for synthetic diamond deposition including spring tensioned filaments
US20230147125A1 (en) * 2020-04-13 2023-05-11 Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. Electron beam generator, electron beam emission device and x-ray emission device
US12230413B2 (en) * 2020-04-13 2025-02-18 Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. Electron beam generator, electron beam emission device and X-ray emission device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1226582A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-03-31
JPS4721082Y1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1972-07-13

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US2385435A (en) Electron discharge device
US3567988A (en) Filament support structure having vibration suppressing means
US2195914A (en) Cathode ray tube
US3943393A (en) Stress free filament structure
US2542639A (en) Electrode structure for electric discharge devices
US2288380A (en) High frequency radio tube
US3979634A (en) Travelling-wave tube with an improved electron gun
US2067967A (en) Vacuum tube conductor
US3270232A (en) Gaseous discharge device with shield for directly heated cathode
US2489873A (en) Electric discharge device
US2468129A (en) Cathode support
US2880352A (en) Grid and filament damper bar assembly
US1956396A (en) Trigger tube
US2859371A (en) Electron discharge device structure
US2233795A (en) Electron discharge device
US2467390A (en) Filament support for electric space discharge tubes
US2441315A (en) Electron gun mounting
US2707757A (en) Electron discharge device
US2105507A (en) Electron discharge device
US3551724A (en) Cathode structure having thermal expansion compensating means
US3312854A (en) Cathode having a u-shaped support member
US1799850A (en) Electron-discharge device
US3814976A (en) Thermionic emission device having thermal expansion compensating means
US2521682A (en) Cathode assembly
US3327157A (en) Cathode unit for electric discharge tubes