Electronically controlled spectroscopic high voltage spark source

Claim 1

A HIGH VOLTAGE SPECTROSCOPIC SPARK AND ARC SOURCE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A DEVICE HAVING AN INPUT FOR CONNECTING TO A SOURCE OF LOW FREQUENCY A.C. POTENTIAL AND PRODUCING RELATIVELY SHARP OUTPUT VOLTAGE PULSES RESPONSIVE TO EACH HALF CYCLE OF INPUT POTENTIAL AND HAVING A DURATION WHICH IS SHORT IN COMPARISON WITH THE DURATION OF THE HALF CYCLE OF SAID POTENTIAL SOURCE; RECTIFIYING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID DEVICE AND ADAPTED TO PRODUCE RECTIFIED PULSES CORRESPONDING TO SAID OUTPUT PULSES; A CHARGING CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO THE OUTPUT OF SAID RECTIFYING MEANS AND INCLUDING A HIGH VOLTAGE ENERGY STORING MEANS; A DISCHARGE CIRCUIT INCLUDING A DISCHARGE CONDENSER ACROSS SAID CHARGING CIRCUIT; SAID DISCHARGE CIRCUIT FURTHER INCLUDING A CONTROLLABLE ELECTRON TUBE WHICH IS NORMALLY CURRENT BLOCKING AND WHICH IS TRIGGERABLE INTO CONDUCTIVITY AND WHICH THEN REMAINS CONDUCTIVE WHEN THE CURRENT THERETHROUGH IS ABOVE A SPECIFIED VALUE; MEANS FOR TRIGGERING SAID CONTROLLABLE ELECTRON TUBE OPERABLE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE CHARGING PULSE ON SAID ENERGY STORAGE MEANS TO TRIGGER SAID CONTROLLABLE ELECTRON TUBE FOR CURRENT FLOW THERETHROUGH; AND A FURTHER CIRCUIT ACROSS SAID DISCHARGE CONDENSER, SAID FURTHER CIRCUIT INCLUDING A CONTROLLING SPARK GAP, AN ANALYTICAL SPARK GAP, AND CIRCUIT MEANS WHEREBY THE DISCHARGE OF SAID DISCHARGE CONDENSER IS EFFECTIVE FIRST TO BREAK DOWN SAID CONTROLLING SPARK GAP AND THEM TO BREAK DOWN SAID ANALYTICAL SPARK GAP, SAID CIRCUIT MEANS ISOLATING SAID ANALYTICAL SPARK GAP FROM SAID CHARGING CIRCUIT.