Power control circuit utilizing a phase shift network for controlling the conduction time of thyratron type devices

Claim 1

A SWITCHING CIRCUIT FOR CONTROLLING THE POWER APPLIED TO A LOAD FROM A SOURCE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT SUPPLY VOLTAGE THAT COMPRISES A FIRST DIODE DEVICE CAPABLE OF BEING SWITCHED FROM A NORMALLY HIGH IMPEDANCE STATE TO A LOW IMPEDANCE STATE, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID FIRST DEVICE IN SERIES WITH A LOAD AND SAID SOURCE OF ALTERNATING CURRENT SUPPLY VOLTAGE, A PHASE SHIFT NETWORK HAVING AN OUTPUT, MEANS CONNECTING SAID PHASE SHIFT NETWORK IN PARALLELL WITH SAID FIRST DEVICE TO PRODUCE AN ALTERNATING CURRENT VOLTAGE AT SAID OUTPUT, SAID PHASE SHIFT NETWORK INCLUDING A VARIABLE COMPONENT FOR VARYING THE PHASE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LINE VOLTAGE AND THE VOLTAGE PRODUCED AT SAID OUTPUT, A SECOND DIODE DEVICE CAPABLE OF BEING SWITCHED FROM A NORMALLY HIGH IMPEDANCE STATE TO A LOW IMPEDANCE STATE, A TRANSFORMER HAVING A PRIMARY WINDING AND A SECONDARY WINDING, A CAPACITOR, MEANS CONNECTING SAID SECOND DEVICE, SAID CAPACITOR AND SAID PRIMARY WINDING IN A SERIES LOOP, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID OUTPUT ACROSS ONE OF SAID SECOND DEVICE AND SAID CAPACITOR SAID FIRST DEVICE BEING CHARACTERIZED BY A FORWARD BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM INSTANTANEOUS AMPLITUDE OF THE APPLIED LINE VOLTAGE AND SAID SECOND DEVICE BEING CHARACTERIZED BY A FORWARD BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM INSTANTANEOUS AMPLITUDE OF THE VOLTAGE PRODUCED AT SAID OUTPUT.