Lieben Tube
Lieben Tube
A box consists of Power Supply and Amplifier for wired telephone, and a High-Frequency Adapter (black round piece) plugged on the top
1. Summary
Lieben Tube had been the only Mercury Vapor triode radio tube ever existed in the whole world and was often used by German ground forces in the WWI for their wired telephone communication line.
Lieben tubes were manufactured around 100 years ago and it is estimated that only about a dozen of this product is remaining in the world today, hence making them extremely rare and valuable.
2 Consequence of a specimen acquisition by UEC Communication Museum The author of popular book for tube collectors entitled “The Classic Valves” and also an academic staff of UEC, Mr. Hisashi Ohtsuka has been searching for
a specimen of Lieben tube for many years since it was an epoch-making product in the history of vacuum tube industry, and also there was none existed in Japan all these years. It was manufactured in the same era as the earliest working model vacuum tube called Audion Tube in the United States.
Fortunately one day he received a good news from his friend in Sweden by the name of Bengt Svensson telling him an availability of specimen at museum called Tekniska Museet in Stockholm. Following long and intensive negotiation he was successful of gaining a lease contract for two years between the Tekniska Museet and UEC. The Lieben tube was finally received in September , 2012 by UEC, and incidentally, this contract was later extended to year 2017. It was manufactured by AEG, a German company and has been kept in an extremely fine condition. It was received with power supply, amplifier, high frequency adaptor, a fuse box and cables as accessories.
3. History
In 1907 the first active device i.e. working vacuum tube called Audion was developed in the U. S. which was the original form of triode radio tube. Also in approximately same period of time in Europe Robert von Lieben of Austria has started a project of developing a similar device. In the year 1912 he was successful of producing mass production Mercury Vapor triode vacuum tube called Lieben tube with help of Eugen Reisz and Siegmund Strauss. Thus this tube is also known as LRS Relay honoring three inventors involved.
In those infantile period of vacuum tube developers believed lower vacuum level in glass envelope promotes higher sensitivity and Audion tube was no exception. The Lieben tube also followed by using Mercury Vapor but in similar approach reducing anode supply voltage.
Thus Lieben tube was initially used extensively for wired telephone communication even for the battle zone, but their operating performance was proven to be very unstable because by use of Mercury Vapor, they were gradually replaced by more reliable high-vacuum type of tubes shortly (even during WWI), and ended a short manufacturing life.
4. Construction
Lieben tube is a huge glass tube compared to modern vacuum tubes and its dimension is approximately 300mm long and 100mm in diameter. It is
constructed by joining two completely different shaped glass bulbs. There is a thin aluminum disc with many small holes which serves as grid in fused part of the tube. The anode is made of spirally wound 2mm diameter aluminum wire located at near the top part of upper bulb. The cathode is made out of long and thin platinum ribbon with oxide coating located at the middle part of lower bulb. The ribbon is folded several times forming a round electron emitting plane.
Near the bottom of the lower bulb there is a thin and short glass tube which contains amalgam pellet supplies Mercury Vapor into the bulb.
Since the appearance of the entire bulb is so beautiful such as a fine art object, it is also called a noble lady sometimes or said to look like a ordinary coffee maker.
5. Specifications
Name: Lieben Tube (Triode radio tube containing Mercury Vapor) Manufacturer: AEG (Germany)
Filament: 30V, 2A (Platinum ribbon, oxide coated with BaO and CaO) Anode: 200V DC, 10~11mA
Mercury Vapor Pressure: Approx. 0.01 mmHg Amplification Factor: Approx. 33
Operating Temperature: 15~30 0C
Operating Time (Life): 1,000~3,000 Hours
External Dimension: Approx. 300 mm long, 100 mm dia.
Note: The High-Frequency Adapter shown in the photo is the original, and has already been returned to the Tekniska Museet in 2013 since it was the only specimen existing in Sweden. The one on the display at the museum at the present time is a perfectly produced replica by Mr. Bjorn Forsberg of United States., and no one can tell it is a replica.
.
リーベン管（Lieben Tube）について リーベン管 管球部 有線および無線用の電話増幅装置 １． 概要 ドイツで最初に量産された世界で唯一の水銀蒸気入り３極真空管である。 第一次世界大戦において、ドイツ帝国陸軍の有線電話中継装置に実用さ れた。 現在残っているのは、世界中に１０本余と言われている。約１００年前 のきわめて貴重な真空管である。 ２． 入手経緯 真空管コレクターで「クラシック・ヴァルブ」の著者で、大塚 久氏（本 学・学術調査員）は、最初期の真空管であるオーデイオン管（USA）と同 時代のヨーロッパのきわめて貴重な真空管「リーベン管」が日本にはな いため、長年探し求めていたところ好都合にも友人（スウェーデン人） が、スウェーデン科学技術博物館（Tekniska Museet）にあると知らせて きた。それから半年余相手と折衝し、ようやく２年間の貸与が認められ た。この結果、先方に出向き現品を確認の上、９月初めに本学に到着し たものである。この貸与品はドイツ「AEG」製で、きわめて状態のいいも のである。併せて、電話中継器や無線部などの付属品も貸与された。 ３． 歴史 １９０７年、現在の３極管の原型となった構造の「オーデイオン管」がで
きた。一方、１９０６年から研究を進めてきたオーストリアのロバート
フォン リーベン（Robert von Lieben）、ライス（Eugen Reisz）および
ストラウス（Siegmund Strauss）が水銀蒸気入り３極管「リーベン管」 を開発し、１９１２年に量産を開始した。このため３名の頭文字をとっ て「LRS リレー」ともいわれる。 当時、オーデイオン管なども真空度が悪く、この残留ガスが必要と考えら れていた。リーベン管は積極的に水銀ガスを封入し利用したものである。 リーベン管は、有線電話中継器や無線通信にも使われた。 しかし、このあまりにも特殊な水銀ガス入りの不安定なリーベン管は、 実用性に乏しかったため、その後主流となる高真空の真空管にとって代 わられ製品寿命は短いものであった。 ４． 構造 全長：約 300mm、最大直径：約 100mm の大型ガラス製、２つの異形ガラス・ バルブが中央付近で接合した形をしている。この接合部分にレンコンを 輪切りにしたような形状のアルミニューム・グリッドがおかれ、陽極は 上方にあって、約 2mm 径のアルミニュウム線の細いスパイラル状、また 陰極は白金リボンに酸化物を塗布し折り曲げて熱電子放射面が円筒状に なるよう構成されている。バルブ下部側面には盲腸のような細管が付い ており、この中にアマルガム・ペレットが入っておりここから水銀蒸気 を放出する。 外観が、あまりにガラス工芸品のように綺麗な形状のため「貴婦人」と も言われ、また高級「コーヒー・メーカー」にも見える。（写真参照） ５． 規格 品名：リーベン管（水銀蒸気入り３極管） 製造会社：AEG（ドイツ国） フィラメント：電圧；30V、電流；2A （白金リボン・酸化物 BaO,CaO 塗布） 陽極直流電圧：200Vdc、陽極直流電流：10～11mAdc 管内水銀蒸気圧：約 0.01mmHg 増幅率：約 33 動作温度：15～30℃ 動作時間(寿命)：1,000～3,000 時間 外形寸法：全長；約 300mm、最大直径；約 100mm
