Ignition and control system for gas-fueled heating devices

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A HEATING DEVICE HAVING A BURNER FED THROUGH A FUEL LINE GOVERNED BY A FUEL VALVE HAVING MEANS BIASING IT CLOSED AND ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED OPENING MEANS, A DIRECT IGNITION SYSTEM COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY ENERGIZED IGNITION DEVICE, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID IGNITION DEVICE IN DIRECTLY IGNITING PROXIMITY TO SAID BURNER, AN ELECTRICAL OPERATING CIRCUIT, MEANS FOR PREVENTING SPILLAGE OF UNBURNED FUEL INCLUDING OPERATING SWITCH MEANS CONNECTABLE FOR FUEL FEEDING SAID IGNITING, A SAFETY RELAY INCLUDING A CUT-OFF SWITCH, SAID OPERATING CIRCUIT BEING CONNECTED TO ENERGIZE SAID VALVE-OPENING MEANS ONLY WHEN SAID CUT-OFF SWITCH IS CLOSEDC, MEANS BIASING SAID CUTOFF SWITCH OPEN TO PREVENT OIPENING OF SAID FUEL VALVE, AND A SWITCH-ACTUATING SOLENOID OPERABLE UPON ENERGIZATION TO CLOSE SAID CUT-OFF SWITCH TO PERMIT OPENING OF SAID FUEL VALVE, SAID OPERATING CIRCUIT CONNECTING SAID IGNITION DEVICE AND SAID SWITCH-ACTUATING SOLENOID IN SERIES WHEREBY TO PREVENT ENERGIZATION OF SAID SWITCH-ACTUATING SOLENOID FOR OPENING SAID FUEL VALVE UNLESS SAID IGNITION DEVICE IS ENERGIZED CONCURRENTLY THEREWITH, SAID OPERATING CIRCUIT BEING CONNECTED TO ENERGIZE SAID SWITCH-ACTUATING SOLENOID FR OPENING SAID FUEL VALVE ONLY WHEN SAID OPERATING SWITCH MEANS IS CONNECTED FOR FUEL FEEDING, MEANS FOR PREVENTING SAID OPERATING SWITCH MEANS FOR BEING CONNECTED FOR FUEL FEEDING UNLESS THE FUEL WILL ENCOUNTER A FUEL-IGNITION TEMEPRATURE INCLUDING THERMALLY RESPONSIVE MEANS, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID THERMALLY RESPONSIVE MEANS IN TEMPERATURE-SENSING PROXIMITY TO BOTH SAID BURNER AND SAID IGNITION DEVICE, AND SWITCHING ARM MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO PREVENT SAID OPERATING SWITCH MEANS FROM BEING CONNECTED FOR FUEL FEEDING AND TO CONNECT SAID OPERATING SWITCH MEANS FOR IGNITING IN RESPONSE TO CONTRACTION OF SAID THERMALLY RESPONSIVE MEANS UPON THE SENSING THEREBY OF THE ABSENCE OF FUEL-IGNITION TEMPERATURE, SAID OPERAING CIRCUIT BEING CONNECTED TO ENERGIZE SAID IGNITION DEVICE TO HEAT THE SAME TO A FUEL-IGNITION TEMPERATURE TO LIGHT SAID BURNER ONLY WHEN SAID OPERATING SWITCH MEANS IS CONNECTED TO IGNITING, SAID OPERATING SWITCH MEANS BEING BIASED TO BE CONNECTED FOR FUEL FEEDING AND TO BE PREVENTED FROM BEING CONNECTED FOR IGNITING IN RSPONSE TO EXPANSION OF SAID THEREMALLY RESPONSIVE MEANS UPON THE O EXPANSION OF SAID THEREFUEL-IGNITION TEMPERATURE, A HOLDING RELAY INCLUDING A HOLDING SOLENOID OPERABLE DURING ENERGIZATION TO KEEP SAID CUT-OFF SWITCH CLOSED TO PERMIT A CONTINUED FLOW OF FUEL WHEN SAID OPERATING SWITCH MEANS IS NOT CONNECTED FOR IGNITING, AND A HOLDING SWITCH, SAID OPERATING CIRCUIT BEING CONNECTED TO ENRGIZE SAID HOLDNG SOLENOID WHEN SAID HOLDING SWITCH IS CLOSED, MEANS GANGING SAID CUTOFF SWITCH AND SAID HOLDING SWITCH FOR CONCURRENT CLOSING AND OPENING WHEREBY INITIAL CLOSING OF SAID CUT-OFF SWITCH IS EFFECTIVE TO PERMIT A CONTINUED FLOW OF FUEL AS LONG AS SAID OPERATING CIRCUIT REMAINS CONTINUOUSLY ENENERGIZED AND WHEREBY DE-ENERGIZATION OF SAID OPERATING CIRCUIT DE-ENERGIZES SAID HOLDING SOLENOID AND THEREBY TERMINATES THE FLOW OF FUEL UNTIL RE-IGNITION OCCURS, A PAIR OF POWER SUPPLY TERMINALS FOR SAID OPERATING CIRCUIT, A FAIL SAFE SWITCH IN SERIES WITH SAID TERMINALS AND SIAD OPERATING CIRCUIT AND BIASED OPEN WHEREBY TO INTERRUPT THE POWER SUPPLY OF SAID OPERATING CIRCUIT TO CLOSE SAID FUEL VALVE, AND MEANS ARRANGED TO CLOSE SAID FAIL SAFE SWITCH WHEN SAID THERMALLY RESPONSIVE MEANS IS CAPABLE OF EXERTING AN OPERATING FORCE ON SAID SWITCHING ARM.