Abstract: An electrode assembly suitable for employment with low-pressure discharge lamps, and especially discharge lamps made from borosilicate glass. The electrode assembly comprises a hollow, stepped electrode holder having a tubular upper portion and a cylindrical lower portion comprising a tapered edge, and an electrode shell fastened to the tubular upper portion of the electrode holder. The electrode assembly may also further comprises a glass ring fused to the tapered edge of cylindrical lower portion of the electrode holder. The electrode assembly is suitable for use with low-pressure discharge lamps comprising glass tubes and low-pressure discharge lamps comprising envelopes having a gas-discharge channel. In a low-pressure discharge lamp, the electrode assembly of the present invention may be used as the discharge source, the evacuation and backfill site, and the seal site.

Abstract: A luminous display device which includes a fused assembly of three flat members, behind the first of which a chamber partly defined by an opening in the second of said members is formed, a quantity of beads and an ionizable gas being disposed in said chamber, a source of high frequency voltage being connected to an electrode through an opening in the third of said members to form myriad discharge paths throughout said chamber.

Abstract: A continuous vapor phase processing machine of the type wherein work is selectively heated by a processing vapor in a processing vapor zone to a selected temperature for vapor phase processing. The machine has a tank containing a processing vapor, and a throat is in communication with the tank. The throat communicates with the air, and cooling coils extend along at least a portion of the throat. Openings are defined in the throat across the throat at a location substantially spaced from the outer end of the throat and a manifold communicates with these openings. Means are connected to the manifold for drawing air from the throat through the openings defined in the throat and for removing processing vapor therefrom, the flow of air being drawn into the throat through the throat exit aperture and being pulled through the opening comprising a barrier to the flow of processing vapor to the throat exit aperture.