Abstract: A low pressure metal vapor discharge lamp has a double-tube type discharge vessel consisting of a fully closed outer glass bulb and an inner glass tube substantially coaxially disposed in the outer glass bulb, the inner glass tube being closed at its fixed end and opened at its free end. The space within the discharge vessel is filled with a small amount of a metal and a rare gas of a low pressure. A single cathode is disposed within the space inside the inner glass tube, while a plurality of anodes are disposed in the annular space between the inner glass tube and the outer glass bulb. According to the invention, a number of discharge channels corresponding to that of the anodes are formed between the single cathode and respective anodes, via the opening end brim of the inner glass tube. In operation, anode oscillations take place alternately in respective anodes to cause a self-excitation switching operation, so that a plurality of plasmas are formed.

Abstract: A low pressure metal vapor discharge lamp has a discharge envelope of a double tube structure filled with an inert gas and a small quantity of metal. The discharge envelope comprises a sealed outer glass bulb, and an inner glass tube disposed within the outer glass bulb substantially concentrically therewith and having one open end and the other closed end. The lamp further has a single cathode inside the inner glass tube, a plurality of anodes disposed exteriorly of the inner glass tube and interiorly of the outer glass bulb, and a permanent magnet disposed near the open end of the inner glass tube for applying a magnetic field of a fixed intensity near the open end.

Abstract: Like a conventional time division multiplex communication device, a device according to this invention comprises first terminals, a switching matrix, transducers or C/E buffers, control circuits, and second terminals. The first and second terminals are for low-speed and high-speed signal sequences. The control circuits are connected to the second terminals. In contrast to the conventional one, the transducers are connected to the respective first terminals, with the switching matrix interposed between the transducers and the control circuits and rendered capable of dealing with the high-speed signal sequences, among others, rather than the low-speed ones as in the conventional device. The devices are particularly useful in earth stations of TDMA satellite communication to which multi-transponder operation is applied, although useful also in carrying out conversion between low-frequency analog signal or PAM signal sequences and PAM signal sequences of a higher rate.

Abstract: A swirl chamber type combustion chamber for an internal-combustion engine is divided into a main combustion chamber and a swirl chamber connected through a passageway with the main combustion chamber. The main combustion chamber includes a clearance part defined between a cylinder head and a piston of the engine, a concavity or piston chamber provided in the upper surface of the piston, and an air reservoir.The air reservoir is preferably provided in portions of the piston upper surface where the concavity of the main combustion chamber is not present. It is preferable, but not essential, that the air reservoir have a suitable number of holes with a diameter-deepness ratio of 1 to 4 arranged symmetrically with respect to the concavity so that a line connecting the centers of the piston and each hole makes an angle of substantially 30.degree. to 120.degree. with a longitudinal center line of the concavity.