[ARC5] NASM Collections Search Tool

[Jim Haynes]

An interesting item in the collection is "Vacuum Radio Tube, R. H.
Goddard Type"

There was a point at which RCA was asserting its patent for a vacuum
tube oscillator to monopolize radio transmitter manufacturing.  This
impacted Collins.  Somehow Art Collins discovered that R. H. Goddard,
before he got into rocket work, had devised an oscillator working on
an entirely different principle, and patented it.

Goddard's oscillator used a Y-shaped tube and magnetic deflection
to switch the electron beam between two anodes on the arms of the Y.
The gain was sufficient to produce oscillation.  Collins improved the
tube to the form shown in the picture and then was able to avoid the
RCA patent.  Another patent dispute at the same time involved the
Heintz & Kaufmann "gammatron".  This was a special form of vacuum
diode, with an extra electrode that could modulate the flow of plate
current but did not involve a grid.  This is discussed in a recent
issue of the Antique Wireless Assn. Journal.

Not long after RCA gave up its attempt to monopolize transmitter
manufacture and Collins went back to a grid tube oscillator.  Heintz
& Kauffmann continued to use "gammatron" as a trade mark, but ceased
manufacture of the peculiar tubes based on that principle.

Jim W6JVE

jhhaynes at earthlink dot net