Abstract: This disclosure depicts a television cathode ray picture tube having a plural-beam electron gun for projecting in superimposition on the picture imaging screen of the tube at least two electron beam spots. The gun includes at least one aperture electrode having an aperture for passage therethrough of each of said beams. The beams are subject to a first-order aberration attributable to the aperture electrode resulting in the astigmatizing, and consequent distortion of, the beam spots. This astigmatizing is due to the coalescing of electric field vectors contiguous to each aperture with the vectors of at least one adjacent aperture. The improvement comprises shielding means interposed between the apertures comprising wall means. The wall means are effective to mutually shield the apertures and isolate the electric field vectors to ameliorate the first order aberration.

Abstract: This invention relates to improvements in the art of aluminizing the phosphor screens of image display devices such as television cathode ray picture tubes. A solution for rewetting a phosphor-bearing image display faceplate prior to aluminizing comprises a highly alkaline aqueous dispersion of a siliceous coating agent and a surfactant. The solution according to the invention includes an acidic pH-lowering substance in an amount sufficient to adjust pH to a neutral range.

Abstract: A color television receiver system has a cathode ray picture tube including an imaging faceplate having deposits of multi-color phosphor targets thereon. The tube includes a three-beam electron gun and a color selection aperture mask having apertures in registration with the targets. A beam-current-control signal is derived from the scansion circuit means of the receiver system; the amplitude of the signal varies monotonically as a function of the distance of the beams from the center of the faceplate. Means are provided for receiving the beam-current-control signal for modulating the receiver system luminance signal with the beam-current-control signal, which has such characteristics that the modulation causes a predetermined gradational reduction in beam current as a function of the distance of the beam from the center of the faceplate. The benefits include enhanced color purity and improved resolution, and energy savings.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts for use in a television picture tube having a bulb with a neck at the rear end thereof, a novel electron gun located in closely confined relationship in the neck. The gun has at least one cathode having an electron emissive coating, an apertured, substantially diamond-shaped shield cup with truncated corners and a plurality of electrodes interspaced between the cathode and the shield cup. The tube is characterized by the shield cup having one or more inward formations at one or more spaced locations around its periphery. The inward formations of the shield cup function to define one or more openings between the shield cup and the inner wall of the neck which act as cathode-erosion-suppressing by-pass vents during tube evacuation, and/or provide augmented deflection space for contact springs attached to selected opposite ones of said corners.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts a CRT (color cathode ray tube) of the shadow mask type, and an improved shadow mask therefor. The CRT has a screen and an electron gun assembly for generating a plurality of electron beams. The improved shadow mask has a dished perforate central portion for selectively transmitting electrons to the screen. The mask has a predetermined surface on a peripheral portion of the mask which is so oriented that when the mask is in place in an operating tube there results an undesirable specular electron reflection of overscanned electrons off the exposed surface and a visible electron flooding of the screen near its perimeter. The shadow mask is characterized by having on the said surface an array of close-spaced grooves oriented to scatter a major fraction of reflected overscanned electrons away from the screen and to thereby markedly suppress the said visible electron flooding of said screen.

Abstract: A television cathode ray picture tube having a glass envelope including a funnel and a faceplate generates X-radiation internally and incidental to its operation. The funnel has a wall in which is sealingly embedded open-side-out a cup-like high-voltage receptacle having an inwardly turning annular lip for detachably engaging a mating high voltage electrical connector. An improved means for enhancing the X-radiation-inhibiting characteristics of the receptacle is depicted. The improved means comprises a cover of radiation-resistant material retained against the annular lip effective to close the opening of said receptacle whereby the shielding characteristics of the receptacle are enhanced by the cover.

Abstract: A process for depositing a microporous electron-emissive cathode coating material by spray means is depicted. The process comprises preheating the cathode assembly and spray means by enclosing the assembly and spray means in a cathode assembly spray chamber having a laminar flow of gas therein and stabilizing their temperature at a predetermined elevated value. The cathode assembly is sprayed with a first coat of the material to a predetermined initial thickness. The material is fast dried by holding the cathode assembly in an enclosure having a laminar flow of gas at an elevated temperature. A second coat of the material is then sprayed on to a predetermined final overall thickness. Due to the preheating and fast drying according to the invention, the coating material so deposited is uniformly dense and the coating surface is smooth and microporous to provide enhanced emissivity and life and enhanced resistance to poisoning by contaminants.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts an electron gun especially for use in a color cathode ray tube of the small-neck, shadow-mask type. The gun design is also applicable to other television cathode ray tube displays that require a gun that provides small, symmetrical spots of uniform cross-section, such as guns used in monochrome television and beam index tubes. The gun is comprised essentially of a four-element tetrode section and a main focus lens section. The tetrode section generates at least one electron beam and a cross-over that is imaged on the screen of the tube focused by the main focus lens. The tetrode section is characterized by having a strong prefocus; that is, a prefocus in which the electron trajectories are substantially refracted, or bent, before exiting the tetrode section.

Abstract: This application depicts a rectangular-type color cathode ray tube having a rearwardly flanged faceplate for suspending an approximately rectangular shadow mask assembly on the faceplate flange at a predetermined spacing from a screen-bearing surface of the faceplate. The mask assembly comprises a rigid frame to which is attached a shadow mask member; also, there are a plurality of mask suspension devices spaced around the assembly. At least one of the devices comprises a metal stud embedded in and extending inwardly from the faceplate flange, and mask-mounted means for retentively engaging said stud. The mask-mounted means comprises a sheet metal bracket integrally formed from the mask assembly so as to extend radially outwardly from the assembly; it also comprises a discrete metal leaf spring affixed at one end to the distal end of the bracket means and having provision on its distal end for retentively engaging the stud.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts an image display panel partitioned into two distinct sections comprising a high voltage front section and a low voltage rear section. An electron source means located in the low-voltage rear section is disposed along a row-wise edge of the panel for generating a supply of electrons. A plurality of low-energy electron beams drawn from the electron source means are formed, shaped and modulated. Each beam is directed into a beam guide-isolator responsive to relatively low applied beam control voltages. The beams are further directed by the plurality of beam guide-isolators perpendicular to said edge and parallel to the image display panel faceplate, and are repetitively, and preferably substantially periodically, focused and refocused to constrain the electrons from leaving the beam guide-isolators.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts getter support means for use in television cathode ray tubes. A getter support means is structured so as to be retained in the tube by the outward, self-retaining pressure of an expansible member on the inner surface of the neck adjacent to the junction of the neck and the funnel of the tube envelope. Support for the getter assembly is provided by attachment to the expansible member.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts a novel apparatus for use in a shadow mask type color television picture tube having a funnel and a faceplate attached to the mouth of the funnel. The faceplate has an electron excitable phosphor screen having triads of red, green and blue phosphor elements deposited thereon and an apertured shadow mask in spaced adjacency to the phosphor screen. The funnel has a neck containing an electron gun assembly for forming three electron beams. The apertures in the shadow mask form beam landing areas on the phosphor elements when the electrons pass through the apertures. This invention is a system for increasing color purity tolerance and leaving tolerance in at least a portion of a predetermined sector of the phosphor screen and shadow mask assembly to increase tolerance to radial registration errors between the electron beam landing areas and the phosphor elements due to shadow mask doming during operation of the tube.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts an image display panel partitioned into two distinct sections comprising a high voltage front section and a low voltage rear section. An electron source means located in the low-voltage rear section is disposed along a row-wise edge of the panel for generating a supply of electrons. A plurality of low-energy electron beams drawn from the electron source means are formed, shaped and modulated. Each beam is directed into a beam guide-isolator responsive to relatively low applied beam control voltages. The beams are further directed by the plurality of beam guide-isolators perpendicular to said edge and parallel to the image display panel faceplate, and are repetitively, and preferably substantially periodically, focused and refocused to constrain the electrons from leaving the beam guide-isolators.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts a novel electron gun having at least one cathode having an electron emissive coating, a forward element and a plurality of electrodes interspaced between the cathode and the forward element. The electrodes and forward element each have at least one aperture wherein the apertures in the electrodes and forward element are coaxial and define at least one beam passageway for passing through the gun a stream of electrons emitted by the cathode during operation. The beam passageway unavoidably forms a conduit for high velocity gas when the gun is located in a narrow neck of a television picture tube and the tube is evacuated of gas through a tubulator located at the rear end of the neck. The improvements in the electron gun comprise a gas influencing element for reducing and perturbing the high velocity gas flow in the conduit at least in the region of the cathode as the tube is evacuated to suppress erosion of the cathode coating by preventing a violent flow of gas over the cathode.

Abstract: This disclosure sets forth means and method for scanning a high voltage cathodoluminescent television, alpha-numeric or other image display panel having a row and column array of individually controllable plasma-sac-type gas-discharge display elements. The panel envelope contains an ionizable gas at very low pressure, and includes a transparent faceplate on the inner surface of which are disposed cathodoluminescent target elements associated with the display elements. A plasma-sac-generating means includes cathode means and anode means for forming a gas discharge plasma or plasmas, and means for constricting the plasma or plasmas to simultaneously form one or more electron-beam-generating plasma sacs. Control means are provided for controlling the plasma-sac-generating means such that at a given time a plurality of electron beams are generated, each associated with a predetermined display element and target element.

Abstract: This disclosure sets forth a process for electrophoretically depositing patterns of image-related compounds on the inner surface of the faceplate of shadow-mask-type television cathode ray picture tubes. The process comprises the depositing of a pattern of groups of periodically repeating electrically conductive stripes of predetermined graduated length from relatively long to relatively short. Both ends of stripes of similar length, starting with the relatively long stripes, are electrically excited with a charge of a first polarity by means of conductive contact strips during immersion in an electrolytic bath including an image-related compound having particles charged with a potential opposite in polarity to said first polarity for electrophoretic deposition of the particles on the stripes.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts and describes unitized electron guns for color television cathode ray tubes, and is particularly addressed to an improved structural design for elongated electrodes of such guns in which undesired internal interaction between adjacent electron beam-forming fields is prevented. This sheet metal electrode design also has the advantage of lending itself to economical manufacture.

Abstract: This disclosure depicts a color television picture tube having an evacuated envelope, an electron gun, a color selection electrode defining a pattern of electron beam passing apertures and a multi-color image screen. The image screen has a corresponding pattern of triads of red-light-emissive, blue-light-emissive and green-light-emissive phosphor elements. The elements are spaced each from one another by a light absorbing material. The tube is characterized by having within at least selected triads in said pattern of triads a first phosphor element and associated electron beam landing area with either a positive or negative tolerance condition. The remaining two phosphor elements and associated beam landing areas have an opposite tolerance condition to that obtained for the first phosphor element.