US2048129A - Electron tube - Google Patents

Description

21, M H LQUGHRIDGE ELECTRON TUBE Filed May 51, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

F. l 1 3g /rj) a 49 7 BY W A TTORNEY.

ELECTRON TUBE Filed May 51, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to electron tubes and has for an object to provide electron tubes for controlling a plurality of independent circuits; to control a plurality of independent circuits selectively and to introduce characteristics into said circuits.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electron tube controlling a plurality of independent circuits each of which operates at a dif- 19 ierent voltage, or has different current capacities. Another object of the invention is to provide an electron tube with a plurality of independent anodes and cathodes with supporting means therefor.

15 Other objects of the invention will appear from the following specification and the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, selected to show a form of the invention and, in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an electron go tube or circuit closing device constructed according to this invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the base of the electron tube; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mounting with the electron tube removed; Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4 of the electron u, tube in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5 of the electron tube in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a circult diagram showing one application of the invention.

The mounting is provided with a row of bindgo ing posts or terminals and having a conical depression in the center and a plurality of spaced contact members arranged in this depression which are electrically connected with the binding posts. This mounting is also provided with a as socket located in the axial center of the depression which may be of the screw socket variety used for electrical outlets and which has its terminals connected with a pair of the binding posts.

The electron tube or circuit controlling device 40 is provided with a conical base to match the conical depression of the mounting and is provided with spaced contact members to register with the contact members of the mounting. This base terminates in a cylindrical projection which has a locking engagement with the mounting as the tube is partially rotated. This rotation brings the contacting members into engagement and tha'eby establishes the circuit from the binding posts to the circuit controlling members within the tube. The base of the tube is cylindrical in form and is hollow to receive the projecting socket of the mounting and to receive the heating element of the tube when an exterior heating ele- Ji mentisused.

In the tube an exterior heating element is used comprising a coil energized with alternating cure rent which, by induction, heats the cathode of the tube; however, the invention is of general application and this mounting of the heating element is not confined to tubes of this particular type and may be used with other devices or a similar character.

One of the main purposes of this invention is to be able to control a plurality of independent cir- 10 cults by the energy in another circuit similar, for instance, to a multicontact relay in which the energy in the relay coil controls an armature which in turn controls several contact fingers, each controlling independent circuits. For this purpose a plurality of cathodes with corresponding anodes are provided in the tube and suitably separated from each other, while all of the cathodes are heated by a common heating element.

Each of the' sets of anodes and cathodes may be of difierent areas and may be differently spaced with the object of varying the resistance of the circuit controlled by the device and making the device selective in its control of various apparatus. This enables a single tube to secure results that heretofore have required several tubes and brings these results under a single control through the heating element. The present application is limited to the construction or the electron tube.

The mounting In the drawings, ii is the mounting which is preferably circular in shape and is supported on a flange 2. The binding posts iii are provided around the top outer edge and a conical depression is formed in the center in steps or ledges as shown and upon which the channel contact members 22, 2,3, 24, and 25, are provided at one side and corresponding contact members 22, 23, 24 and 25 are provided at the opposite side of these ledges. These contact members are connected with the binding posts i3 as indicated at 25a and 25b, Fig. 1. The conical depression terminates in the cylindrical projection M which may be connected with the walls ll of the mounting by the webs 15. In the center 0! this projection the socket I6 is provided having a screw shell l1 and a central contact is connected with a pair of the binding posts by means not shown in the drawings. Apertures are provided in the mounting at IQ for ventilating the space a and providing an air circulation through the outlet b in the center of the device. The heating coil or induction coil 2i mounted on the stem 2|! is screwed into the 55 socket l8 and is thus independently supported by the mounting.

The electron tube The circuit controlling device is provided with a conical shaped base 28 which matches the conical depression in the mounting being provided with ledges 21, 28, 28, and 88, upon which the contact members 8|, 82, 88, and 88, are mounted at 38. When in this position the base is supported by the annular ledge 88a and the tube is vertically positioned in the mounting as the lugs 88 engage the inclined face of the mounting at 38. Each tube device may be constructed with certain internal characteristics which make it desirable that all replacement tubes shall have corresponding characteristics and, for this purpose a ledge 81 may be provided in the mounting to register with the groove 81 in the lug 88 thereby preventing improper tubes from being used in replacements. It will be noted that the channel contact members on the mounting extend for approximately 90 of the circle and the contact members on the base 28 are somewhat less than 90 so that these contact members are brought into engagement with a knife-switch contact as the tube is inserted in the mounting and locked therein by a rotation of 90. A knurled collar is provided at 88 for rotating the base.

The electron tube comprises the evacuated bulb so having an open central core 4| preferably opening by the tube 42 to the atmosphere at the upper end for ventilating purposes. 'I'hiscore is sectioned as shown by the flanges 42, 44, 45, 88 and 41 and between each of these flanges independent sets of electrodes are mounted. 7 These comprise the cathode 48 and the anode 48 in the top section, the cathode i0 and the anode 5| in the second section; the cathode 52, the anode 58. in the third section, and the cathode 55 and the anode 58 in the bottom section. It will be noted that all the cathodes are aligned adjacent to the heating coil 2|. These cathodes are preferably made of iron and are heated by eddy currents induced in this iron from the current in the coil -2 I.

The cathodes are thus uniformly heated by the coil 2| and are preferably spaced from the core of the tube to avoid overheating this core.

It will be noted that the electrodes in theupper section are longer than those .in the following section and correspondingly the length of the electrodes is reduced from the top to the bottom sec tions; also it will be observed that the electrodes in the upper section are spaced nearer to each other than in the following section and the spacing of the electrodes is correspondingly increased from the top to the bottom sections. This is a matter of choice in the design of the tube in which electrons and therefore a larger current while the the larger areas provide for a greater emission of increased spacing between the electrodes increases the resistance and requiresv a higher voltage on the operating circuits. As the capacity of a tube of this kind is determined by the, area of the cathode, by the distance between the cathode and the anode and by the material used in the manufacture of the electrodes, it is apparent that circuits can be selectively controlled by each sec- -tion of the tube. For instance. thesmaller electrodes are not suitable for conducting a large current and a current of .low voltage cannot be 5 established between the widely spaced electrodes. These electrodes are connected to the contact members in the conical base as illustrated in Fig. l, by conductor 88, connecting cathode 55 with 24; conductor 58, connecting anode 56 with the contact member 84' and conductor connecting the grid 51 in the lower section with a contact in the base not shown but registering with contact 8| in the mounting when the tube is in place and similarly, the grid 88 connects with contact plate 82 when the tube is in place, contacts 8| and 62 being connected with the terminals l8. The grid is preferably made from a vertically arranged coil as indicated in Fig. 5.

The circuit diagram 12, pole changing switch 68 and battery 68. It .will be noted that wire 12 connected to one side of the battery connects to the anode l8 and to the cathode 50 so that when the pole changing switch so is in one position a circuit will be establl lished to energize the translating device 81 and no circuit will be establshed to thedevice 18 until the pole changing switch is reversed when i1 is deenergized and I8 is energized. The device I4 may be more sensitive than the device 81 and therefore responsive to the lower current value between the electrodes 50 and 8|. i

The transformer 15 energizes the mains l8 and II, the translating device 18 connects to II and by wire 18 connects to the cathode S2 and from the anode 52 completes the circuit to wire I8. Th Dolyphase relay 80 has a winding 8| connected to the main l1 and is connected by wire 82 with the cathode and through anode 55 connects to the opposite main 18. Another phase of 50 this relay 83 connects between the mains l8 and II as shown. It will be observed from the arrangement shown that all the circuits controlled by the tube are controlled by the heating coil 2| be interrupted while the controlling circuits of 81 and M are selectively controlled by switch 88 when the switch 88 is closed; it will also be noted that the circuit of II is controlled by the grid 81, conductor 84 and switch so that this circuit maybe interrupted by opening switch 85 when the coil 2| is energized without aflecting the op eration of the other circuits controlled by the tube.

It will be noted that the combination of the mounting with the electron tube provides a de-' vice for controlling circuits which is comparatively lowin cost. light in weight and which enables the mounting to be installed separately from the circuit controlling device. The space currentdevice has no moving parts, will operate in any position, and is not influenced by vibration. The interruption ofthe circuit depends upon the coolingofthecathodmwhiehmaymake-thedevice26 aoaaiaa slow acting or the circuit may be controll by the grid which is quick acting.

Having thus described my invention, 1 m...

1. An electron tube comprising an evacuated vessel, a pair of cathodes and anodes in said vessel, a stepped conical base on said vessel diametrically opposed contactmembers on each step of said base and means electrically connecting each of said anodes and cathodes with one of said contact members.

2. An electron tube comprising an evacuated vessel having a central non-evacuated hollow stem, a plurality of pairs of annular anodes and cathodes spaced about said stem and a heating element located in said hollow stem..

3. An electron tube comprising an evacuated vessel having a tubular non-evacuated hollow stem with ledges on the tube projecting into said vessel. cathodes located on said stem between said les and a heating element located in said nonevacuated stem. v

4. An electron tube comprising an evacuated vessel having a hollow, non-evacuated stem of insulation, a plurality of pairs of annular anodes and cathodes spaced about said stem and formed in different diameters, ledges projecting from said stem between said pairs corresponding to said diameters and a heating element located in said hollow stem.

5. An electron tube comprising a cylindrical evacuated vessel formed in continuation with a non-evacuated hollow central stem, means on said stem ior supporting a plurality o! annular cathodes in said vessel and means in said hollow stem for heating said cathodes.

MATTHEW H. IDUGBRIDGE.

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