Ramp program control system

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A VARIABLE CONDITION ACCORDING TO AN ADJUSTABLE RAMP PROGRAM, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A CAPACITOR, A FIRST ADJUSTABLE VOLTAGE SOURCE CONNECTED ACROSS SAID CAPACITOR, A SECOND ADJUSTABLE VOLTAGE SOURCE, A TRANSISTOR HAVING ITS OUTPUT CIRCUIT CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH SAID CAPACITOR AND SAID SECOND VOLTAGE SOURCE, AN ADJUSTABLE CONTROL CURRENT SOURCE CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH THE INPUT CIRCUIT OF SAID TRANSISTOR, MEANS FOR DISCONNECTING SAID FIRST VOLTAGE SOURCE FROM SAID CAPACITOR SO THAT OUTPUT CURRENT THROUGH SAID TRANSISTOR CAUSES THE VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID CAPACITOR TO RISE LINEARLY AT A RATE DETERMINED BY THE SETTING OF SAID CURRENT SOURCE FROM AN INITIAL VALUE EQUAL TO THE VOLTAGE OF SAID FIRST SOURCE TO A FINAL VALUE SUBSTANTIAL EAUAL TO THE VOLTAGE OF THE SECOND SOURCE, A HIGH INPUT IMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER CONNECTED TO RECEIVE AS ITS INPUT SIGNAL THE VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID CAPACITOR AND TO PRODUCE A CORRESPONDING OUTPUT VOLTAGE, MEANS FOR PRODUCING A VOLTAGE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ACTUAL VALUE OF THE VARIABLE CONDITION, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID OUTPUT VOLTAGE AND SAID REPRESENTATIVE VOLTAGE FOR CONTROLLING THE VARIABLE CONDITION IN A MANNER TO KEEP THE VARIABLE CONDITION SUBSTANTIALLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE.