Abstract: A traveling-wave tube protection circuit prevents faults in its associated power source from damaging it. The power source supplied DC voltages to the collector, slow-wave circuit, anode and cathode of the traveling-wave tube. A power source control circuit is provided between the anode electrode and the anode power source circuit and is used for applying a control voltage to the anode electrode. The control voltage stops the operation of the traveling-wave tube during the transient times which occur responsive to the initiation and the termination of the power source circuit operations. On shutdown, the power source control circuit also stops the supply of the control voltage to the anode electrode after the transient response is terminated. The power source control circuit has a high-frequency oscillator driven in response to either the initiation or the termination of the operation of the power supply means.

Abstract: A spin tuned magnetron has a spinner the axially facing end of which lies in an inclined plane and an anode vane ring having an annular flange the end face of which lies in an inclined plane so that the amount of overlap of the flange and spinner varies as the spinner rotates. (In the FIG. 4A the spinner and the ring are shown spaced far apart; in practice they are spaced so that the planes coincide when parallel).

Abstract: A high intensity discharge lamp comprises a two-electrode arc tube and an external starting probe supported from a base and preferably sealed within an outer envelope to which the base is attached. The base contains an electronic pulsing circuit comprising a capacitor connected in a charging circuit across the base terminals, a pulse transformer having its primary connected in series with a voltage sensitive switch across the capacitor, and a step-up secondary connected to the probe. After starting, the voltage across the capacitor drops below the breakdown level of the switch and pulsing stops.

Abstract: The sense circuit includes two "skewed" inverters. The inverters are skewed in that their switching point is set closer to one (e.g. V.sub.HIGH) of the inverter operating potentials than to the other potential (e.g. V.sub.LOW). Therefore, the skewed inverters respond earlier to signals making a transition from a first level to a second level than to signals, of like slope, making a transition from the second to the first level. Each inverter is connected at its input to a different one of first and second bit lines and the output of each inverter is connected to the input of the other via a gating transistor whose conductivity is controlled by the output of the other inverter. Skewing the inverters enables sequential operation of the inverters of the circuit.

Abstract: A gun for a linear-beam electron tube has a control grid for modulating the beam current which consists of an array of conductive web elements whose spacing from each other is much larger than their spacing from the concave emissive surface of the cathode. It was found that when this condition is met the grid can be operated at cathode potential while beam current is being drawn without distorting the electric accelerating field enough to ruin the focusing of the beam. Thus, when the grid is used to pulse the beam current on and off, it can have zero bias in the "on" condition, whereby the pulse modulator can be greatly simplified.

Abstract: A discharge lamp comprises a high pressure arc tube for high pressure and a low pressure arc tube for low pressure which is electrically connected in parallel to said high pressure arc tube in an outer tube.A lighting equipment comprises a high pressure arc tube for high pressure discharge and a low pressure arc tube for low pressure which is electrically connected in parallel to said high pressure arc tube; and a high frequency lighting starter having 1 KHz to 100 KHz for starting the discharge of said high pressure arc tube.

Abstract: A circuit for starting and ballasting a compact high-intensity arc discharge lamp. A filament connected in series with the arc lamp provides illumination during arc start-up and functions as a ballast during normal arc operation. An oscillatory starting circuit includes a transformer and a frequency-controlling ringing circuit, and applies starting voltage to the arc lamp until an operating arc is established. The circuit includes capacitor means for isolating the starting transformer from the operating path of the arc lamp, and further includes a voltage-doubling starting circuit and also a "keep-alive" feature which prevents the arc from extinguishing during power fluctuations.

Abstract: An electrode for a discharge lamp such as high pressure metal vapor lamps and fluorescent lamps is improved by using an electron emission material comprising lanthanum oxide and yttrium oxide. The electron emission material can be a combination of lanthanum oxide and yttrium oxide with barium.strontium.calcium tungstate or an alkaline earth metal oxide including at least barium oxide.When the electrode is used in a high pressure metal vapor discharge lamp, luminous flux maintenance percent in an initial lightening period is highly improved without forming a black deposition at an end of an arc tube.When the electrode is used in a fluorescent lamp, a formation of a black deposition is prevented and a starting voltage is lowered.

Abstract: Described is a circuit to invert DC to AC for the operation of electroluminescent lamps. A primary winding of a transformer is in series with a power source and the input or output of the switching device. The output of the switching device is connected back to the power source. The secondary winding of the transformer is in series with an electroluminescent lamp and the controller side of the switching device. The secondary winding doubles as both the output to the electroluminescent lamp and the feedback winding to the controller side of the switching device. The electroluminescent lamp doubles both as the load and limiting impedance to the controller side of the switching device. Also described is a unique device for dimming the electroluminescent lamp.

Abstract: An improvement on conventional internal combustion ignition systems, which improvement comprises a capacitor connected parallel to the secondary winding of the ignition transformer, and a bypass circuit through which energy stored in the primary circuit is conveyed around the high impedance secondary winding of the circuit transformer to the spark plug after the high voltage at the secondary winding has fired an auxiliary gap to complete the by-pass circuit. The energy originally stored in the primary circuit is discharged at the plug to produce a plasma jet ignition plume.

Abstract: An integrally connected fluorescent lamp and ballast unit having an elongated ballast of wire wound around and along an elongated magnetizable core and extending alongside an elongated lamp bulb. The elongated lamp and ballast can be straight, or can be curved. The ballast provides a combined resistive and inductive ballasting impedance for the lamp.

Abstract: A circular fluorescent lamp unit having a compact central hub containing a ballast reactor and provided with a screw base. A replaceable circular lamp assembly is positioned around and attached to the hub.

Abstract: A circuit for use with sensors for providing background subtraction of signals below a predetermined frequency is described incorporating a first transistor for providing a zero to low frequency path and a second transistor or charge coupled device for providing a desired signal path wherein the g.sub.m of the first transistor is large compared to the g.sub.m of the second transistor or CCD device and the first transistor transconductance decreases at frequencies above the time constant determined by the gate capacitance of the first transistor and a resistor in series with the gate.The invention overcomes the problem of large signals in relation to a desired signal during sensing of radiant energy such as infrared. In particular, large background signals tend to saturate signal storage shift registers during time delay integration or just time integration.

Abstract: A high pressure sodium vapor discharge lamp,characterized in thatits discharge tube contains xenon gas at a high pressure of e.g. over 150 torr, at least one of discharge electrodes has a projection conductor which is disposed extending therefrom towards an inside surface of a side wall of a tube envelope of the discharge tube in a manner that outer end of the projection conductor is disposed in proximity to a side wall of said tube envelope with a predetermined gap in-between anda starting aid conductor is disposed lengthwise on the outside surface of the side wall, and connected to the other electrode.

Abstract: A coupled cavity traveling wave tube (10, 10') is provided having a velocity taper, i.e., gradual velocity reduction, which affords beam-wave resynchronization and thereby enhances efficiency. The required wave velocity reduction is achieved by reducing the resonant frequencies of the individual resonant cavities as a function of the distance from the electron gun (16, 16'), through changes in internal cavity dimensions. The required changes in cavity dimensions can be accomplished for example, by gradually increasing the cavity radius (R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4) or decreasing the gap length (l.sub.1, l.sub.2), from cavity to cavity. With this approach the velocity reduction is carried out without an increase in circuit resistive losses and the upper and lower cut off frequencies are reduced in approximately the same manner.

Abstract: One end of an electrode wire is doubled back at least once forming a teardrop shaped loop around a connector with the terminal end of the wire placed adjacent the wire inwardly of the connector. A rounded conductive mass encapsules said terminal end and the wire. This mass suppresses the field generated at the terminal end of the wire, provides mass dampening inwardly of the connector and distributes the load over both sides of said teardrop shaped loop. A converging restraining means may be disposed over and in contact with both sides of said loop intermediate said mass and said connector thereby providing additional dampening and an ultimate limit on loop movement. The connector has a circular groove within which the base portion of the loop is tightly accommodated by crimping the connector thereover. Preferably, the connector should be constructed from a metal having a substantially lower modulus of elasticity than the wire to preserve the cross-sectional stress area of the wire in so crimping.

Abstract: An arc discharge device such as a fluorescent lamp comprising an outer envelope having an inner phosphor coating. An arc spreading assembly is disposed in said envelope. There is provided a recombination structure in the form of fine glass or quartz fibers disposed in the envelope.

Abstract: An improved current switch emitter follower (CSEF) latch has reduced "noise" in the output signal from equal and opposite operation of the output transistors. The improvement resides in dotting the collector resistors of the input transistors in each current switch with a common shift resistor. The dotted collector resistors control the output transistors whereby one turns on and the other turns off with little change in output signal level as clock signals change to the input transistor.

Abstract: In electric incandescent lamps the efficiency can be increased by surrounding the filament with a light-pervious, infra-red radiation-reflecting filter. It has hitherto always been assumed that the geometry of the filter and that of the filament should be well matched to each other. This, however, results in a complex filament construction.According to the invention, near the center of a spherical filter, a flat filament consisting of several parts is accommodated, being situated within a square the sides of which are from 0.25 to 0.04 times the diameter of the filter. Such a filament has a relatively simple construction and provides a highly efficient lamp despite the fact that its geometry is very different from that of the filter.

Abstract: A magnetron electron discharge device preferably for use in microwave heating or cooking apparatus has a cylindrical resonant anode structure surrounding a concentric electron emitting filament which is supported directly between re-entrant end closures housing magnet members which are external to the vacuum envelope but are so located as to achieve high magnet circuit efficiency, rugged construction and low spurious noise output.