Abstract: The invention provides a cathode system for an Electron Ionization (EI) source comprising a filament and current supply posts, the current supply posts dividing the filament into segments and each current supply post supplying or returning the current for at least two segments of the filament. Each filament segment is connected, for instance by spot welding, to the supply posts delivering the heating current. The filament segments may be arranged in a row, or substantially parallel to each other. Filament segments arranged in a row may form a closed loop, for instance, a ring. Other embodiments encompass the filament shape of a helical coil.

Abstract: Described embodiments include an incandescent lighting system and a method. A described system includes a gas filled and sealed glass envelope. The system includes at least two filaments enclosed within the glass envelope. Each filament of the at least two filaments is configured to generate light in response to a flow of electric current. The system includes a controller circuit configured to manage the at least two filaments in response to a filament management schedule. The filament management schedule includes managing the respective flow of electric current through each filament of the at least two filaments. In an embodiment, the schedule includes managing the respective flow of electric current through each filament of the at least two filaments so that not all of the at least two filaments generate light at any one time.

Abstract: Described embodiments include an incandescent lighting system and a method. A described system includes a gas filled and sealed glass envelope. The system includes a gas filled glass envelope. The system includes at least two filaments enclosed within the glass envelope. Each filament of the at least two filaments is configured to generate visible light in response to a flow of electric current. The system includes a sensor configured to detect an aspect of a filament of the at least two filaments and to generate a sensor signal indicative of the aspect. The system includes a controller circuit configured to manage the at least two filaments in response to a filament management schedule. The filament management schedule includes adjusting a flow of electric current through a filament of the at least two filaments in response to the sensor signal.

Abstract: A uniform voltage is applied to loads even to other than a multiple of three loads made of heating lamps connected in parallel to each other, without causing any burden on a primary side. The number of loads is divided into a multiple of three and a multiple of two. A three-phase AC voltage is applied to three primary windings, which are connected as a Y-connection or a ?-connection. Secondary windings, which are each magnetically coupled to a primary winding of a plurality of three-phase transformers and have the same number of turns, are connected with the multiple of three loads.

Abstract: There is provided an electric current utilising facility conventionally connectable to an electric current supply outlet for causing the diversion of current along a desired circuit in response to manipulation of the facility. One embodiment of an electric current utilising facility is in the form of a re-usable light bulb (10). The bulb (10) comprises a circuit carrying device in the form of a globe (12) fitted with a number of independent filament circuits (14), and a circuit selecting mechanism providing a swivellable member firmly securable to a matchingly formed current supply outlet as provided by a sleeve (16) which snugly but freely swivellably in the direction of arrow (17) sits onto the stem (18) of the globe (12) while being retained against slipping owing to the stem (18) providing a ridge (20) on its socket engaging side. The sleeve (16) is fitted with pins (22) enabling the bayonet coupling engagement of the bulb (10) to a conventional light bulb socket outlet.

Abstract: An incandescent lamp has an attachment for connection to a two-wire electrical power line and a bulb containing a radiating element. At least two filaments are housed in the bulb and constitute the radiating element, and circuitry has an input connected to the electrical power line and an output connected to filaments. When a selection signal indicating the desired brightness is passed to circuitry, preferably along the electrical power line, and acts in such a way that circuitry selectively provides a feed to filaments on the basis of the selection signal, a change in brightness is obtained without deterioration of the color characteristics because the filaments operate under their rated operating conditions. The change in brightness will not be continuous, but discrete, but is more than acceptable for domestic requirements even with a small number of filaments.

Abstract: A bridge switch consists of a fusible link between two balanced electrical loads connected in parallel. This fusible link stops a movable member from completing a secondary circuit. When that fusible link is destroyed the movable member is allowed to close the electrical contact(s) that will cause power to go to a secondary circuit. When one side of the parallel circuit to which the bridge switch is connected fails causing current to flow through the fusible link at a rate high enough to destroy that link allowing the movable member to activate the secondary circuit and/ or removing power from the primary circuit. More than one bridge switch may be employed in the total circuit where the second bridge switch is connected across two elements of the secondary circuit with the movable member restoring power to the primary parallel circuit without removing it from the secondary parallel circuit. This would then create a third parallel circuit.

Abstract: A light bulb having a program disc interposed between a base and bulb components, the program disc having sockets on either side adapted to receive base and bulb pins. The program disc can be installed in various rotated positions to electrically connect one or more filaments in various ways to provide differing functions, such as successive filament energization, energizing combinations of filament or to supply varying power levels to a single filament.

Abstract: An improved dimmable dual filament fluorescent lamp including a first filament and a second filament with automatic current switching between the first element and the second element when the first element opens due to a failure and further having a separating cold cathode getter plate disposed between the first filament and the second filament.

Abstract: An automatic replacement circuit is provided for the replacement of burnt-out filaments as well as a method for implementing the replacement of incandescent filaments. The replacement circuit includes a pulse generator which operates independently of the activated filament to feed continuous feed pulses to a counter circuit while a separate resetting pulse circuit delivers resetting pulses to the counter unit in dependence on the current flowing through the filament. The resetting pulses cancel the feed pulses. In the absence of resetting pulses, the feed pulses accumulate and upon reaching a predetermined amount, trigger a trigger selector circuit for activating the next filament.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp unit comprising a self-contained assembly intended for use in replacement for a conventional incandescent filament lamp comprises two U-shaped fluorescent tubes (54, 55), each provided with filaments (56, 57) at respective ends of the arc discharge path. Lead-in wires (60, 68, 69, 76) are arranged to connect the separate arc discharge paths of the two fluorescent tubes in series, and remaining lead-in wires (61, 70, 67, 73) of the fluorescent tubes are connected to components of a starter circuit housed within the mounting (20, 22) of the lamp unit. The starter circuit preferably comprises a separate glow bottle switch (62, 71) for each fluorescent tube, and a single capacitor (65).

Abstract: A lamp and lamp circuit apparatus are provided in which the lamp has a plurality of filaments operable one filament at a time and driven by a plurality of filament drivers. A filament failure detector circuit is operatively connected to one or more filament drivers for detecting the failure of the filament being driven. A circuit actuates a second filament in the multiple filament bulb when the filament failure detector detects failure of one filament, so that a lantern, and especially flashing lanterns, can have an extended lamp life.

Abstract: A tubular incandescent lamp for use in a fusing type lamp in a photocopy machine in which the lamp filament means is capable of operation at two different lengths on a selective basis as a function of the different lengths of paper that are to be reproduced by the copier. In one embodiment the filament means comprises a single linear filament with the contacts being taken at opposite ends of the filament for full length reproduction and along a predetermined length of the filament or shorter length of reproduction. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, two different length filaments are employed, each one selectively and mutually exclusively operated.

Abstract: A multiple filament incandescent lightbulb automatically places an unused alternate filament in a closed electric circuit upon rupture of an active filament. The alternate filament is placed in a closed circuit by release of an elastically deformed switching member originally held in place by the active filament.

Abstract: A lighting system provided with a plurality of filaments, the wattage ratings of which differ in a predetermined relationship. The filaments are selectively energized so that the light intensity of the lamp may be varied in steps, without a change in color temperature which otherwise results when the intensity is varied in response to a varying voltage applied to a single filament.