High speed switching circuit

Claim 1

A MONOSTABLE MULTIVIBRATOR CIRCUIT COMPRISING: (A) FIRST AND SECOND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES EACH HAVING BASE, EMITTER, AND COLLECTOR ELECTRODES, SAID COLLECTOR ELECTRODE OF SAID FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A FIRST SOURCE OF POTENTIAL AND SAID COLLECTOR ELECTRODE OF SAID SECOND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SECOND SOURCE OF POTENTIAL; (B) CAPACITOR MEANS HAVING FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS, SAID FIRST TERMINAL CONNECTED TO SAID COLLECTOR ELECTRODE OF SAID FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, SAID SECOND TERMINAL CONNECTED TO SAID BASE ELECTRODE OF SAID SECOND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AS WELL AS TO SAID SECOND SOURCE OF POTENTIAL, A FIRST CHARGING PATH BEING FORMED FROM SAID FIRST SOURCE OF POTENTIAL TO SAID SECOND SOURCE OF POTENTIAL VIA SAID CAPACITOR MEANS; (C) CONNECTING MEANS JOINING SAID EMITTER ELECTRODE OF SAID FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE TO SAID EMITTER ELECTRODE OF SAID SECOND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, CURRENT BEING CONDUCTED IN THE QUIESCENT STATE FROM SAID FIRST SOURCE OF POTENTIAL TO SAID SECOND SOURCE OF POTENTIAL BY WAY OF SAID COLLECTOR AND EMITTER ELECTRODES OF SAID FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, SAID EMITTER AND COLLECTOR ELECTRODES OF SAID SECOND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND SAID CONNECTING MEANS: (D) INPUT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BASE ELECTRODE OF SAID FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN INPUT SIGNAL, SUCH INPUT SIGNAL RENDERING SAID FIRST AND SECOND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NON-CONDUCTIVE AND CAUSING SAID CAPACITOR MEANS TO BECOME CHARGED THROUGH SAID FIRST CHARGING PATH; (E) UNILATERAL CONDUCTING MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SECOND TERMINAL OF SAID CAPACITOR MEANS AND TO SAID CONNECTING MEANS THUS PROVIDING A COUPLING PATH FROM SAID COLLECTOR TO SAID EMITTER OF SAID FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND FURTHER PROVIDING A SECOND CHARGING PATH FOR SAID CAPACITOR MEANS TO CONTROL THE TURNOFF OF SAID FIRST SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME INDEPENDTLY OF THE TURN-OFF OF SAID SECOND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AFTER SAID INPUT SIGNAL HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY SAID INPUT MEANS.