Improvements to the “scale of two” thyratron counter

Extract

An improved circuit is described for a two thyratron counting unit such as is used in the “scale of two” thyratron counter. The advantages which result are that the minimum time of resolution is reduced and a source of occasional failure (“jamming”) of the counter is removed. Any type of impulse may be counted and, with selected thyratrons, impulses separated by only 0.00015 sec. may be reliably counted as separate. This makes possible a counting speed of 8000 random impulses per minute with a probable loss of only 2%.

The modification introduced into the circuit used in the original “scale of two” counter is that small condensers (0·0015 μF max) are cross connected between the grids and anodes of the pair of thyratrons, and the extinguishing condenser connected between the anodes is made small (0·02 μF max). The anode resistances are 10,000 ohms and grid leaks 100,000 ohms for the values of capacity mentioned. A valve amplifying stage is introduced, to pass the impulses from the modified circuit of the first pair to the second pair of thyratrons. For greater convenience the mechanical counting meter operated by the third pair is modified to count in multiples of eight so that no multiplication of its reading is necessary.