GB317398A - Electron discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

317,398. Raytheon, Inc., (Assignees of Beers, R. F.). Aug. 15, 1928, [Convention date]. Vacuum tubes; lowpressure metallic-vapour apparatus.-In a rectifier having a filling of one or more rare gases with or without the vapour of an alkaline or alkaline-earth metal, and a cold cathode, all but one of the electrodes are arranged symmetrically around the other electrode, so as to form a regular figure, the electrodes being supported on a press timing having tubular projections through which the leading-in wires of the electrodes pass. As shown, four anodes 9 of tungsten or molybdenum are arranged symmetrically around a central cathode 7 of carbon, graphite, iron, nickel or molybdenum, and extend through lava insulators 11 mounted on tubular glass extensions 10 of the foot 5. A perforated nickel plate 14 is secured to the cathode and to a dome-shaped metallic member 17 enclosing the anodes. Annular spaces 13 of the order of the mean free path of the gas particles are arranged in the insulators around the anodes, so as to provide short path insulation between the cathode and anodes and to protect the edges of the insulators from bombardment. With this arrangement of electrodes used on a polyphase circuit, ionization in the region of a discharge starts the discharge in an adjacent region. The leads 8 to the anodes are substantially straight, and are sealed in the foot symmetrically about the cathode lead 6 which passes through a depending portion 4 of the foot.