Mehrstufen-Funkenstreckenschalter in Kaskadenanordnung

1,163,153. Spark gaps. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. 31 May, 1967 [14 Oct., 1966], No. 25204/67. Heading H1D. A plurality of series-connected vacuum gap stages 20, 30 are mounted in the same envelope evacuated to a pressure of 10-5 mm. Hg or less, with a trigger assembly 11 associated with at least one stage, and an arc transfer tube 40 allowing plasma coupling between adjacent stages. Each of the two stages of the device shown comprises fixed outer and inner electrode assemblies of interdigitated vanes 23, 25 as described in Specification 1,162,423, with a hydrogen-loaded trigger assembly 11 incorporating a gap in a metal/ceramic interface (Fig. 3, not shown). The inner vanes 25 of stage 20 are connected to the inner vanes 35 of stage 30 by the metal tube 40. The outer vanes 23 and 33 of the stages are connected to load terminals 41 and 42 across a centre-tapped voltage divider of two capacitors 44 and 43. The device is triggered by two simultaneously controlled pulse sources 46. The construction provides an easily triggered switching device capable of holding off high voltages. In an alternative circuit arrangement (Fig. 4, not shown) the capacitors 44 and 43 are replaced by two spark gaps and two resistance dividers to which the trigger electrodes are connected, the pulse sources 46 being omitted. Additional stages may be provided by repeating the part of the device between the lines 3-3 and 4-4.