Patent ID: 7265961

Claim:
A lightning protection device comprising: a grounded central rod, wherein the central rod includes a tip mount at one end; a conductive tip coupled to the central rod at the tip mount; a curved conductive shell capacitively spaced from the tip and the central rod, with an annular gap between the conductive shell and the tip that functions as a spark gap; and an electrical connection joining the conductive shell to ground; wherein the conductive tip is one of a set of tips that may be coupled to the tip mount of the central rod, wherein the tips impart different electrical characteristics to the lightning protection device; wherein the set of tips includes tips with different diameters, thereby producing annular gaps of different widths when coupled to the tip mount; wherein the set of tips includes tips with different radii of curvature at free ends opposite ends for coupling to the tip mount; wherein the set of tips includes at least three tips with unique diameter-radii combinations; wherein each of the tips has a unique radius of curvature; wherein each of the tips has a unique diameter; and wherein the tip set includes: a first tip having a first radius of curvature, and producing a first annular gap when coupled to the tip mount; a second tip having a second radius of curvature, and producing a second annular gap when coupled to the tip mount; and a third tip having a third radius of curvature, and producing a third annular gap when coupled to the tip mount; wherein the first radius of curvature is less than the second radius of curvature; wherein the second radius of curvature is less than the third radius of curvature; wherein the first annular gap is greater than the second annular gap; and wherein the second annular gap is greater than the third annular gap.