short circuit accross the spark gap

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Daniel Ullfig" <DUllfig-at-sbcglobal-dot-net> 

Hey everyone,

In his first patent on the generation of high frequencies, Tesla used a
rotary "circuit controller", kind of like a DC motor collector. In fact, the
controller was turned by a DC motor. Anyways, if you study the patent
carefully, you see the controller actually disconnects the charging circuit
from the capacitor, before connecting it to the primary. But in spark gap
systems, the spark gap actually becomes a short circuit accross the supply
line when it fires.

Has anyone given some thought on disconnecting the supply line from the
capacitor somehow before the spark gap fires? how much energy is wasted by
this short?

Dan Ullfig
Harbor City, CA