UEBERSPANNUNGSABLEITER MIT ANORDNUNG DER ABLEITERELEMENTE AN EINEM SAEULEN AUFWEISENDEN GERUEST

Disclosed are overvoltage arresters comprising a columnar arrangement of arrester elements, insulating elements and conducting elements. The elements are arranged to provide a current flow in at least one plane extending transversely to the columns. The conducting frame elements connect other elements thereto which elements extend both axially and transversely of the columns. For an arrester including n conducting frame members per plane, n-1 arrester elements are arranged per plane of the columnar structure. The current connection between adjacent plane is made by an arrester element or by a conducting member preferably such that opposite current flows are obtained in adjacent planes. Overvoltage arresters according to the invention are particularly suited for using voltage-dependent resistors of the zinc oxide type alone or in conjunction with spark gaps. The columnar structure may be disposed in a customary insulating gas such as nitrogen or in a gas with particularly high insulating strength such as SF6.