Multi-element electro-optic crystal shutter

Claim 1

AN ELECTRO-OPTIC DEVICE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PLATE-LIKE ELECTRO-OPTIC CRYSTALS DISPOSED ALONG AN OPTICAL AXIS AND HAVING THEIR MAJOR SURFACES IN PARALLEL ALIGNMENT IN PLATES PERPENDICULAR TO SAID OPTICAL AXIS, A LIGHT POLARIZING MEMBER ON EACH OUTER MAJOR FACE OF SAID CRYSTALS, A TRANSPARENT ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FILM ON EACH MAJOR FACE OF SAID CRYSTALS AND MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST LEAD CONNECTED TO ALTERNATE CONDUCTIVE FILMS AND A SECOND LEAD CONNECTED TO THE REMAINING FILMS TO PRODUCE BETWEEN THE CONDUCTIVE FILMS OF THE CRYSTALS A RETARDATION OF POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE A RETARDATION OF THE LIGHT PASSING THROUGH THE SAID CRYSTALS WHEREBY THE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE APPLIED BETWEEN ANY TWO ADJACENT CONDUCTIVE FILMS IS LESS THAN THE TOTAL POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE NECESSARY TO EFFECT THE SAID RETARDATION, A NEGATIVE LENS LAMINATED TO THE ENTRANT SIDE OF THE DEVICE AND A POSITIVE LENS OF SUBSTANTIALLY COMPENSATING POWER LAMINATED TO THE EXIT SIDE OF THE DEVICE WHEREBY A CONE OF LIGHT ENTERING THE DEVICE WILL PASS THERETHROUGH PARALLEL TO THE OPTICAL AXIS OF THE DEVICE AND BE BROUGHT TO THE FOCAL POINT OF THE POSITIVE LENS SURFACE ON THE EXIT SIDE OF THE DEVICE.