Electronic counter using semiconductor counting devices

Claim 1

A COUNTING CIRCUIT INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF COUNTING DEVICES INTERCONNECTED TO FORM A SERIES OF COUNTING STEPS, EACH COUNTING DEVICE INCLUDING INPUT AND OUTPUT MEANS, A COUNT PULSE SOURCE COUPLED THROUGH A DIODE TO THE INPUT MEANS TO EACH COUNTING DEVICE, THE OUTPUT MEANS OF EACH COUNTING DEVICE BEING COUPLED TO THE INPUT OF EVERY OTHER COUNTING DEVICE EXCEPT THAT OF THE NEXT ADJACENT DEVICE IN THE COUNTING SERIES, THE OUTPUT MEANS OF EACH COUNTING DEVICE ALSO BEING COUPLED THROUGH A RESISTOR AND SAID DIODE TO ITS OWN INPUT AND THROUGH PARALLEL RESISTIVE AND CAPACITIVE PATHS TO THE INPUT MEANS OF THE NEXT ADJACENT DEVICE IN THE COUNTING SERIES SO THAT WHEN A COUNTING DEVICE PERFORMS A COUNTING OPERATION, IT APPLIES A FIRST CONTROL POTENTIAL TO THE NEXT ADJACENT DEVICE AND WHEN IT COMPLETES A COUNTING OPERATION, IT APPLIES A SECOND CONTROL POTENTIAL TO THE NEXT ADJACENT DEVICE, THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EACH OUTPUT MEANS AND EACH OF THE OTHER COUNTING DEVICES CAUSING THE COUNTING OPERATION TO PROCEED FROM DEVICE TO DEVICE IN THE DESIRED DIRECTION IN THE COUNTING SERIES.