Spark ignition system for gas burners

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC-IGNITION GAS BURNER SYSTEM, COMPRISING: A GAS BURNER; A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF GAS FOR SAID BURNER; A NORMALLY-CLOSED GAS VALVE HAVING A CONTROL ELEMENT RESPONSIVE TO ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE TO ACTUATE SAID VALVE, FOR SUPPLYING GAS TO SAID BURNER WHEN SAID CONTROL ELEMENT IS ACTUATED; RECHARGEABLE BATTER; A CONTROL SWITCH, A FIRST THERMAL SWITCH, AND TIMING MEANS IN COMMON SERIES CIRCUIT WITH SAID BATTERY AND SAID CONTROL ELEMENT FOR PASSING A CURRENT THROUGH SAID SERIES CIRCUIT TO OPEN SAID GAS VALVE UPON INITIAL CLOSING OF SAID CONTROL SWITCH, AND TO EFFECTIVELY OPEN SAID SERIES CIRCUIT IN RESPONSE TO OPERATION OF SAID TIMING MEANS AFTER A FIRST PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVA IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SAID CLOSING OF SAID CONTROL SWITCH, IN THE ABSENCE OF FLAME AT SAID BURNER, THEREBY TO RE-CLOSE SAID GAS VALVE; IGNITER MEANS FOR SAID BURNER, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID CLOSING OF SAID CONTROL SWITCH TO ACTUATE SAID IGNITER WHILE SAID VALVE IS OPEN; A FIRST THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR RESPONSIVE TO HEATING BY FLAME FROM SAID BURNER TO DEVELOP, IN A SECOND INTERVAL SHORTER THAN SAID FIRST INTERVAL, A VOLTAGE AND A CURRENT CAPACITY SUFFICIENT TO HOLD OPEN SAID GAS VALVE WHEN SAID GENERATOR IS CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL ELEMENT; SAID FIRST THERMAL SWITCH BEING ACTUATABLE IN RESPONSE TO HEATING BY FLAME FROM SAID BURNER TO OPEN SAID SERIES CIRCUIT AND TO CONNECT SAID FIRST THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR OPERATIVELY TO SAID CONTROL ELEMENT THE THE END OF SAID SECOND TIME INTERVAL BUT BEFORE THE END OF SAID FIRST TIME INTERVAL; A SECOND THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR DISPOSED TO BE HEATED BY FLAME FROM SAID BURNER, AND SECOND NORMALLYOPEN SWITCH MEANS RESPONSIVE TO TURNING ON OF SAID VALVE TO CONNECT SAID SECOND THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR ACROSS SAID BATTERY IN THE POLARITY TO CHARGE SAID BATTERY; AND MEANS FOR RETURNING SAID TIMING MEANS TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION FOLLOWING ACTUATING OF SAID THERMAL SWITCH.