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Did you know that Sperry was
assigned a trademark on the term "klystron?"The
klystron vacuum tube type was actually invented
in 1937 by American electrical engineers Russell and Sigurd Varian (I'm old enough
to have had Varian Associates catalogs). According to this
full-page advertisement in a 1944 issue of Radio News magazine, not only
did Sperry develop the klystron vacuum tube, but they also coined a term to describe
any study or application of it: "klystronics." Here is a very interesting excerpt
from the Wikipedia page, "The work of physicist W.W. Hansen was instrumental
in the development of the klystron and was cited by the Varian brothers in their
1939 paper. His resonator analysis, which dealt with the problem of accelerating
electrons toward a target, could be used just as well to decelerate electrons (i.e.,
transfer their kinetic energy to RF energy in a resonator). During the second World
War, Hansen lectured at the MIT Radiation labs two days a week, commuting to Boston
from Sperry Gyroscope Company on Long Island. His resonator was called a "rhumbatron"
by the Varian brothers. Hansen died of
beryllium disease in 1949 as a result of
exposure to beryllium oxide (BeO)."
Klystron - Sperry Gyroscope Company
 Klystron:
A pencil of energy beamed like light
If you'll imagine an invisible search-light beam, you'll have a good picture
of how Klystron-generated radio waves can be directed into a narrow "pencil" of
energy.
This direction is accomplished by suitable reflectors. The beam of ultra-high-frequency
waves travels in a straight line, and it can pierce fog, smoke, and clouds which
would stop a light beam.
Sperry-developed Klystron tubes are used in many equipments now serving our Armed
Forces. Later, Klystronics will open the door to the development of many ingenious
peacetime devices.
Klystrons are now being produced in quantities, and certain types are available.
The name "KLYSTRON" is a registered trade-mark of the Sperry Gyroscope Company,
Inc. Like many other Sperry devices, Klystrons are also being made during the emergency
by other companies.
Sperry Gyroscope Company
Great Neck, N. Y. • Division of the Sperry Corporation
Gyroscopics • Electronics • Automatic Computation • Servo Mechanisms
Posted October 2, 2019
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