Method and apparatus for separating ions of respectively different specific electric charges

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING IONS OF RESPECTIVELY DIFFERENT SPECIFIC ELECTRIC CHARGES, COMPRISING AN EVACUABLE VESSEL, AN ION SOURCE AND A COLLECTOR AXIALLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER IN SAID VESSEL AND DEFINING A NORMAL FLIGHT AXIS FOR IONS FROM SAID SOURCE TO SID COLLECTOR, AXIALLY ELONGATED BROAD-SURFACE REFERENCE ELECTRODE MEANS EXTENDING IN PARALLEL AND SPACED RELATION TO SAID AXIS BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND SAID COLLECTOR, AN ELONGATED FIELD ELECTRODE INSULATED FROM SAID MEMBERS AND EXTENDING IN PARALLEL AND SPACED RELATION TO SAID AXIS OPPOSITE SAID SURFACE ELECTRODE MEANS, SAID FIELD ELECTRODE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONVEX SURFACE FACING SAID AXIS AND HAVING A SMALLER TRANSVERSE WIDTH THAN SAID REFERENCE ELECTRODE MEANS, ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODE MEANS AND SAID FIELD ELECTRODE FOR APPLYING TO SAID FIELD ELECTRODE A PERIODICALLY VARYING FIELD VOLTAGE AND A SUPERIMPOSED FIXED VOLTAGE, WHEREBY THE IONS TRAVEL IN THE FIELD SPACE BETWEEN SAID ELECTRODE MEANS NA DSAID FIELD ELECTRODE ON STABLE AND INSTABLE PATHS DEPENDING UPON THEIR CHARGE SO THAT ONLY IONS OF GIVEN CHARGE REACH SAID COLLECTOR.