The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 18, 1978
Filed:
Mar. 09, 1976
Owen Farish, Bearsden, Glasgow, SC;
Richard L Hundstad, Wilkinsburg, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A trigger circuit which operates independently of the main discharge circuit can be used to initiate glow discharge useful for gas laser excitation. By utilizing independent trigger means, such as auxiliary dielectric electrodes, the main discharge can be controlled by modulating only a small part of the total energy input to the laser cavity. The main discharge gap of the laser is prestressed to a voltage below the spark breakdown voltage threshold of the electrode assembly under static conditions but above the glow discharge voltage of the electrode assembly. When the trigger means is pulsed to supply free electrons to the discharge gap the glow discharge is initiated between the electrodes independent of the need for modulating the main power to the gap.