A figure illuminating discharge tube having one common anode and a plurality of cathodes necessitated to illuminate one digit of the decimal number upon application of voltage to the anode and cathodes, which comprises means for effecting a glow discharge between the anode and any one of the cathodes with fairly quick efficiency as compared with the conventional tube of a similar character. To this end, an auxiliary cathode directly connected with a power source is provided for maintaining a golw discharge between such auxiliary cathode and the anode to emit ions within the tube.
A gas discharge display device for displaying one of a plurality of alpha-numeric characters, including a substrate having a glass layer upon its upper surface; a plurality of flat metal segment elements embedded in the glass layer and arranged laterally in the general shape of the necessary segments of all the alpha-numeric characters to be displayed by the device; a plurality of metal leads, one for each segment, each electrically connected to its respective segment and extending outside the periphery of the substrate; a second metal layer electrically insulated from the segments lying in a plane parallel to that of the segments and having apertures therein arranged laterally in correspondence with the segments, the second metal layer being mechanically supported by the substrate; a metal lead electrically connected to the second metal layer also extending outside the periphery of the substrate; and a cover, at least partially translucent, so that the segments, when energized, are visible therethrough, the cover enclosing and sealing the segments and the second metal layer, thereby providing a sealed enclosure with the necessary electrical leads from the cathode segments and the anode extending outside the sealed enclosure so that, when the cathode segments are selectively electrically activated, a display of the selected alpha-numeric character is provided through the cover.
