Patent GB-729237-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to cathode ray tube apparatus
IPC: H04N9/24
Filed: 1952-09-12
Abstract: 729,237. Cathode-ray tubes. PHILCO CORPORATION. Sept. 12, 1952 [Oct. 11, 1951], No. 22967/52. Class 39 (1). [Also in Group XL(b)] In a colour television receiver in which the screen comprises colour phosphor strips and indexing strips non-excitation of the indexing strips during transmission of a black area or of an image or image area which does not include the particular primary colour corresponding to the colour phosphor upon which the index strips are arranged, when the beam is normally extinguished for a period or periods, is avoided by utilizing an auxiliary unmodulated electron beam during this period or periods, the main and auxiliary beams being independently controllable in intensity and being deflected by common deflecting means so that they scan the screen in synchronism. The control signal derived from the indexing strips is consequently not interrupted, and the colour quality of the image maintained uniform. The beams may scan the screen portions at the same or at phase displaced instants. The intensity of the auxiliary beam is only of the order of a few per cent, e.g. I per cent, of the maximum intensity of the main video-modulated beam. The screen comprises a glass plate which may or may not be the tube end wall and carries tricolour groups of phosphor strips 30, 32, 34. Over the phosphor strips is a thin light reflecting electron permeable layer 36 of aluminium, magnesium or beryllium of low secondary emissivity, which carries indexing strips 38 of gold, platinum, tungsten, caesium oxide or magnesium oxide of different secondary emission ratio. The secondary emission collector is a ring-shaped coating of graphite or silver on the tube wall, and functions as the output electrode. The two beam generating device comprises indirectly heated main cathode 46, Fig. 3, control electrode 50 and auxiliary cold cathode 54 shaped as a knife with the sharp edge facing auxiliary anode 56. Auxiliary cathode 54 is arranged with its emissive sharp edge at about the crossover point of the main beam so that the two beams can be focused in the same plane. An auxiliary field electrode 58 at the potential of cathode 54 makes the field distribution uniform. In an alternative form, the cathode 54 may be a rod having a sharp point, at one side of the main beam. Other shapes of cathode may have a cold emissive coating of caesium in the form of a thin strip or dot. Alteration in the focusing plane produced by anode 56 is compensated by varying the potential of a further anode, Fig. 1 (not shown). Alternatively two conventional beam generating systems may be arranged one above the other, or in the arrangement illustrated cathode 54 may be replaced by a thermionic cathode above or below the main beam axis, in which case electrode 56 may or may not be omitted. The colour input system is generally of known type, separate red, blue and green signals being sampled and the'samples applied in time sequence to the control electrode. The correct phasing is ensured by feeding back to the sampling system via amplifying and phase shifting devices, the indexing signals derived from the screen. The intensity of the auxiliary beam is small to avoid desaturation of the colours produced by the main beam and this is faciltated by the use of a knife-like auxiliary cathode since the narrow ribbon beam formed produces only a small amount of light from the screen. In an alternative embodiment the indexing strips may be of a fluorescent material such as zinc oxide which emits non- visible light. A photo-cell is disposed in a side wall portion of the tube facing the screen to collect this light and to generate the indexing signals.