Multiple stage cascaded triggered vacuum gap devices

Claim 1

A MULTI-STAGE HIGH VOLTAGE TRIGGERED VACUUM GAP DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) AN HERMETICALLY SEALED ENVELOPE EVACUATED TO A PRESSURE OF 10-5 MM. OF MERCURY OF LESS AND INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE PORTION CONSTRUCTED OF A HIGH VOLTAGE INSULATOR TO SEPARATE DIFFERENT SECTIONS THEREOF FROM ONE ANOTHER ELECTRICALLY (B) A PLURALITY OF STAGES OF VACUUM GAPS ARRANGED IN SERIES ALONG A COMMON LONGITUDINAL AXIS WITHIN SAID ENVELOPE, EACH OF SAID STAGES CONTAINING A PAIR OF PRIMARY ARC-ELECTRODE ASSEMBLIES DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A PRIMARY BREAKDOWN GAP (C) MEANS INTERCONNECTING ONE OF THE PRIMARY ELECTRODE ASSEMBLIES OF EACH STAGE TO A PRIMARY ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY OF AN ADJACENT STAGE TO PLATE THE PRIMARY GAPS OF ADJACENT STAGES ELECTRICALLY IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATIONSHIP; (D) ARC TRANSFER MEANS FOR FACILITATING THE PASSAGE OF AN ELECTRON-ION PLASMA GENERATED BY ARCING IN ONE OF SAID STAGES INTO THE PRIMARY GAP IN AN ADJACENT STAGE TO CAUSE ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN THEREOF, (E) A PAIR OF TRIGGER ELECTRODE ASSEMBLIES CLOSELY DISPOSED TO THE PRIMARY BREAKDOWN GAP OF ONE OF SAID STAGES AT EITHER END OF SAID SERIES ARRAY TO CAUSE INITIAL BREAKDOWN THEREOF, (F) MEANS FOR CONNECTING A LOAD TO VOLTAGE IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID DEVICE, AND (G) MEANS FOR APPLYING A TRIGGERING SIGNAL TO SAID TRIGGER ASSEMBLIES TO CAUSE OPERATION OF SAID DEVICE.