Telemetry circuit for an ac power system

Claim 2

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connecting said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising a pulse transmitter connected between said power lines in path parallel with said load, said transmitter comprising a potential breakdown device connected to one of said lines, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage and said breakdown device conducting current when the potential thereacross rises to said firing voltage and blocking current flow when the voltage thereacross falls to said extinguishing voltage, and a potential storage device connecting said breakdown device with the other of said lines and forming the only circuit path for any current flow to said breakdown device while said breakdown device is conducting, whereby during operation said breakdown device fires and briefly conducts current when the voltage thereacross reaches said firing voltage, such current flow changing the voltage to which said breakdown device is charged and thus reducing the voltage drop across said breakdown device to said extinguishing voltage, said current flow resulting in a pulse which is superimposed on the AC voltage on said power supply lines.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1, and further including a detector connected between said power lines, said detector being responsive to said pulses generated by said transmitter.

Claim 4

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connectiNg said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising a pulse transmitter connected between said power lines in parallel with said load, said transmitter comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device connected in series with said breakdown device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, whereby during operation said breakdown device fires and conducts current when the voltage thereacross reaches said firing voltage, such current flow changing the voltage to which said capacitor is charged and thus reducing the voltage drop across said breakdown device to said extinguishing voltage, said current flow resulting in a pulse which is superposed on the AC voltage on said power supply lines, and further including a switch connected in circuit with said transmitter for rendering said transmitter effective to generate pulses in response to an ambient physical condition.

Claim 5

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connectiNg said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising a pulse transmitter connected between said power lines in parallel with said load, said transmitter comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device connected in series with said breakdown device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, whereby during operation said breakdown device fires and conducts current when the voltage thereacross reaches said firing voltage, such current flow changing the voltage to which said capacitor is charged and thus reducing the voltage drop across said breakdown device to said extinguishing voltage, said current flow resulting in a pulse which is superposed on the AC voltage on said power supply lines, and further including a switch connected in circuit with said transmitter for rendering said transmitter effective to generate pulses in response to an ambient physical condition.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said switch is connected in series with said breakdown device and said storage device.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said switch is connected in parallel with said breakdown device.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said physical condition is the ambient temperature.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said breakdown device comprises a neon lamp.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said transmitter further comprises a diode connected in parallel with said neon lamp.

Claim 11

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connecting said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising a pulse transmitter connected between said power lines in parallel with said load, said transmitter comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device connected in series with said breakdown device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, during operation said breakdown device fires and conducts current when the voltage thereacross reaches said firing voltage, such current flow changing the voltage to which said capacitor is charged and thus reducing the voltage drop across said breakdown device to said extinguishing voltage, said current flow resulting in a pulse which is superposed on the AC voltage on said power supply lines, said breakdown device comprising a silicon-controlled rectifier connected in series with said storage device, and voltage responsive means connected between the gate of said rectifier and a point between said rectifier and said storage device, said means triggering said rectifier to conduction at a predetermined voltage drop thereacross.

Claim 12

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connecting said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising a pulse transmitter connected between said power lines in parallel with said load, said transmitter comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device connected in series with said breakdown device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, during operation said breakdown device fires and conducts current when the voltage thereacross reaches said firing voltage, such current flow changing the voltage to which said capacitor is charged and thus reducing the voltage drop across said breakdown device to said extinguishing voltage, said current flow resulting in a pulse which is superposed on the AC voltage on said power supply lines, said breakdown device comprising a silicon-controlled rectifier connected in series with said storage device, and voltage responsive means connected between the gate of said rectifier and a point between said rectifier and said storage device, said means triggering said rectifier to conduction at a predetermined voltage drop thereacross.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said voltage responsive means comprises a DIAC.

Claim 14

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connecting said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising a pulse transmitter connected between said power lines in parallel with said load, said transmitter comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device connected in series with said breakdown device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, whereby during operation said breakdown device fires and conducts current when the voltage thereacross reaches said firing voltage, such current flow changing the voltage to which said capacitor is charged and thus reducing the voltage drop across said breakdown device to said extinguishing voltage, said current flow resulting in a pulse which is superposed on the AC voltage on said power supply lines, said breakdown device comprising a TRIAC connected in series with said storage device and voltage responsive means connected between the gate of said TRIAC and a point between said rectifier and said storage device, said means triggering said rectifier to conduction at a predetermined voltage drop thereacross.

Claim 15

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connecting said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising a pulse transmitter connected between said power lines in parallel with said load, said transmitter comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device connected in series with said breakdown device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, whereby during operation said breakdown device fires and conducts current when the voltage thereacross reaches said firing voltage, such current flow changing the voltage to which said capacitor is charged and thus reducing the voltage drop across said breakdown device to said extinguishing voltage, said current flow resulting in a pulse which is superposed on the AC voltage on said power supply lines, said breakdown device comprising a TRIAC connected in series with said storage device and voltage responsive means connected between the gate of said TRIAC and a point between said rectifier and said storage device, said means triggering said rectifier to conduction at a predetermined voltage drop thereacross.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said voltage responsive means comprises a neon lamp.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said breakdown device comprises a pair of electrodes which form a spark gap therebetween.

Claim 18

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connecting said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising a pulse transmitter connected between said power lines in parallel with said load, said transmitter comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device connected in series with said breakdown device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, whereby during operation said breakdown device fires and conducts current when the voltage thereacross reaches said firing voltage, such current flow changing the voltage to which said capacitor is charged and thus reducing the voltage drop across said breakdown device to said extinguishing voltage, said current flow resulting in a pulse which is superposed on the AC voltage on said power supply lines, said breakdown device comprising a TRIAC connected in series with said storage device and a DC voltage supply connected to the gate of said TRIAC.

Claim 19

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connecting said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising a pulse transmitter connected between said power lines in parallel with said load, said transmitter comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device connected in series with said breakdown device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, whereby during operation said breakdown device fires and conducts current when the voltage thereacross reaches said firing voltage, such current flow changing the voltage to which said capacitor is charged and thus reducing the voltage drop across said breakdown device to said extinguishing voltage, said current flow resulting in a pulse which is superposed on the AC voltage on said power supply lines, said breakdown device comprising a TRIAC connected in series with said storage device and a DC voltage supply connected to the gate of said TRIAC.

Claim 20

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connecting said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising first and second pulse transmitters connected between said power lines in parallel with each other and with said load, each of said transmitters comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, said breakdown device comprising a silicon-controlled rectifier connected in series with said storage device, and voltage responsive means connected between the gate of said rectifier and a point between said rectifier and said storage device, said voltage responsive means triggering said rectifier to conduction at said firing voltage, said rectifier of said first transmitter being connected to conduct current in one direction and said rectifier of said second transmitter being connected to conduct current in the opposite direction, whereby said first transmitter is operative to conduct current and generate a pulse when the power line voltage has one polarity and said second transmitter is operative to conduct current and generate a pulse when the power line voltage has the opposite polarity.

Claim 21

In an alternating current power supply system including an AC power supply, an AC load, and a pair of power supply lines connecting said load to said supply for energization of said load, the improvement comprising first and second pulse transmitters connected between said power lines in parallel with each other and with said load, each of said transmitters comprising a potential breakdown device and a potential storage device, said breakdown device having a firing voltage and an extinguishing voltage which is lower than said firing voltage, said breakdown device comprising a silicon-controlled rectifier connected in series with said storage device, and voltage responsive means connected between the gate of said rectifier and a point between said rectifier and said storage device, said voltage responsive means triggering said rectifier to conduction at said firing voltage, said rectifier of said first transmitter being connected to conduct current in one direction and said rectifier of said second transmitter being connected to conduct current in the opposite direction, whereby said first transmitter is operative to conduct current and generate a pulse when the power line voltage has one polarity and said second transmitter is operative to conduct current and generate a pulse when the power line voltage has the opposite polarity.

Claim 22

Apparatus as in claim 15, and further including a normally open switch connected in parallel with said transmitters for discharging said potential storage devices of said transmitters.