High current discharge tubes

Claim 2

A MERCURY ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTROLLING TUBE SYSTEM COMPRISING PARTIALLY INSULATING WALLS PROVIDING A CATHODE POOL AND AN ANODE POOL AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE CATHODE POOL, SHIELD MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF MERCURY VAPOR AND LIQUID BETWEEN THE CATHODE POOL AND THE ANODE POOL, A SCREEN LOCATED CLOSE TO AND SPACED FROM THE ANODE POOL AND IN THE PATH OF IONS FROM THE CATHODE POOL, AND ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL MEANS HAVING A POSITIVE TERMINAL COUPLED TO SAID SCREEN AND A NEGATIVE TERMINAL COUPLED TO SAID ANODE POOL FOR MAINTAINING SAID SCREEN POSITIVE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ANODE POOL.

Claim 3

A DISCHARGE TUBE SYSTEM INCLUDING AN ENCLOSURE PROVIDING WALLS FOR ANODE AND CATHODE MERCURY POOLS MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE STREAM OF MERCURY VAPOR AND ELECTRODES FROM THE CATHODE POOL DURING CURRENT FLOW THROUGH THE SYSTEM, SAID ENCLOSURE INCLUDING WALLS FOR CONDENSING THE VAPOR AND DIRECTING TEH CONDENSATE TO THE ANODE POOL, A GRID SCREEN AND MEANS TO SUPPORT THE SAME IN SPACED RELATION AND CLOSE TO THE SURFACE OF THE ANODE POOL AND IN THE PATH OF SAID STREAM, INSULATED CONNECTIONS FROM SAID POOLS AND SCREEN, ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL MEANS HAVING A POSITIVE TERMINAL COUPLED TO SAID SCREEN AND A NEGATIVE TERMINAL COUPLED TO SAID ANODE POOL FOR MAINTAINING SAID SCREEN POSITIVE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ANODE POOL, AN IGNITER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CATHODE POOL, A SOURCE OF STARTING PULSES CONNECTED TO SAID IGNITER, A QUENCHING TUBE HAVING AN ANODE, A CATHODE AND AN IGNITER, A SOURCE OF QUENCHING PULSES CONNECTED TO THE IGNITER OF THE QUENCHING TUBE, A CAPACITOR, A RESISTOR CONNECTED TO THE CAPACITOR FOR LIMITING THE CURRENT FLOW TO SAID QUENCHING TUBE, A LOAD, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING DIRECT CURRENT, AND CIRCUIT MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID SUPPLYING MEANS TO SAID LOAD IN SERIES WITH THE ANODE AND CATHODE POOLS WITH THE SAID STREAM THEREBETWEEN, AND ALSO CONNECTING SAID CAPACITOR THROUGH SAID RESISTOR WITH THE NEEDLE AND CATHOD OF QUENCHING TUBE WHEREBY TO LIMIT THE ENERGY FLOW THROUGH THE QUENCHING TUBE AFTER IGNITION THEREOF.

Claim 4

A DISCHARGE TUBE SYSTEM INCLUDING AN ENCLOSURE PROVIDING WALLS FOR ANODE AND CATHODE MERCURY POOLS MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE STREAM OF MERCURY VAPOR AND ELECTRODES FROM THE CATHODE POOL DURING CURRENT FLOW THROUGH THE SYSTEM, SAID ENCLOSURE INCLUDING WALLS FOR CONDENSING THE VAPOR AND DIRECTING TEH CONDENSATE TO THE ANODE POOL, A GRID SCREEN AND MEANS TO SUPPORT THE SAME IN SPACED RELATION AND CLOSE TO THE SURFACE OF THE ANODE POOL AND IN THE PATH OF SAID STREAM, INSULATED CONNECTIONS FROM SAID POOLS AND SCREEN, ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL MEANS HAVING A POSITIVE TERMINAL COUPLED TO SAID SCREEN AND A NEGATIVE TERMINAL COUPLED TO SAID ANODE POOL FOR MAINTAINING SAID SCREEN POSITIVE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ANODE POOL, AN IGNITER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CATHODE POOL, A SOURCE OF STARTING PULSES CONNECTED TO SAID IGNITER, A QUENCHING TUBE HAVING AN ANODE, A CATHODE AND AN IGNITER, A SOURCE OF QUENCHING PULSES CONNECTED TO THE IGNITER OF THE QUENCHING TUBE, A CAPACITOR, A RESISTOR CONNECTED TO THE CAPACITOR FOR LIMITING THE CURRENT FLOW TO SAID QUENCHING TUBE, A LOAD, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING DIRECT CURRENT, AND CIRCUIT MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID SUPPLYING MEANS TO SAID LOAD IN SERIES WITH THE ANODE AND CATHODE POOLS WITH THE SAID STREAM THEREBETWEEN, AND ALSO CONNECTING SAID CAPACITOR THROUGH SAID RESISTOR WITH THE NEEDLE AND CATHOD OF QUENCHING TUBE WHEREBY TO LIMIT THE ENERGY FLOW THROUGH THE QUENCHING TUBE AFTER IGNITION THEREOF.