Solid state thyratron replacement

Claim 1

A SOLID STATE SWITCHING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF BEING UTILIZED IN A CIRCUIT AS A DIRECT SUBSTITUTE FOR A THYRATRON, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) AN ENVELOPE STRUCTURE PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD TERMINAL PINS ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED BY CONVENTIONAL THYRATRON RECEIVING SOCKET TERMINALS AND CORRESPONDING DIRECTLY TO THE ANODE, CAHTODE, AND CONTROL GRID TERMINAL PINS RESPECTIVELY OF THE THYRATRON, (B) A SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER MOUNTED WITHIN SAID ENVELOPE AND HAVING RELATIVELY HIGH POWER HANDLING CAPABILTIY AND RELATIVELY LOW INPUT IMPEDANCE WITH RESPECT TO THE THYRATRON, (I) SAID CONTROLLED RECTIFIER HAVING ANODE, CATHODE, AND GATE ELECTRODES, (C) A SEMICONDUCTOR VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED BREAKDOWN DEVICE MOUNTED WITHIN SAID EVELOPE AND HAVING RELATIVELY LOW PER POWER HANDLING CAPABILITY AND RELATIVELY HIGH INPUT IMPEDANCE WITH RESPECT TO SAID CONTROLLED RECTIFIER, (I) SAID BREAKDOWN DEVICE HAVING FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD ELECTRODES, (II) SAID FIRST ELECTRODES SERVING TO INITIATE A BREAKDOWN OF SAID BREAKDOWN DEVICE,