RESPONSE COUNTER FOR ARRESTOR

A device for counting the overvoltage surges discharged by a gapless overvoltage arrester contains a sensing head and a counting mechanism which follows the sensing head. In the sensing head, the discharge current carried by the overvoltage arrester in a ground return line during the occurrence of an overvoltage surge is detected. The counting mechanism records an overvoltage surge as soon as the discharge current exceeds a threshold value. During this process, an effective connection between the sensing head and a counter is established for a brief time by means of a switch. This device is intended to be characterized, with a high counting accuracy, by a dead time which is independent of the components used. This is achieved by the measure that the switch is followed by a threshold detector which responds above the threshold value of the discharge current. This threshold detector acts both on the counter and on a control member, such as a monostable multivibrator, which switches the switch off after the threshold detector has responded and holds it in the switched-off position during a predetermined period which is essentially determined by the duration of the overvoltage surge.