Incandescent ceramic electrical igniter

Claim 1

AN IGNITION DEVICE COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELECTRODES, MEANS MOUNTING THE ELECTRODES IN SPACED INSULATED RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER, SAID ELECTRODES HAVING SPACED SPARKING ENDS AND BEING ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO A HIGH TENSION ELECTRICAL SOURCE TO PRODUCE AN ARC BETWEEN SAID ENDS ACROSS SAID SPACE, AND AN IGNITION BODY INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES ADJACENT SAID ENDS IN POSITION TO BE HEATED BY SUCH AN ARC, SAID BODY BEING CHARACTERIZED BY LOW HEAT CONDUCTIVITY AND HAVING A POROSITY SUCH THAT IT ABSORBS ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 15% OF ITS WEIGHT OF NO. 2 FUEL OIL WHEN IMMERSED THEREIN FOR ONE HOUR AT 70*F., AND SAID BODY COMPRISING A CERAMIC MATERIAL WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY AN ELECTRICAL INSULATOR AT ALL TEMPERATURES BELOW THE VISIBLE HEAT SPECTRUM AND WHICH HAS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF INVERTING TO THE STATUS OF AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR OVER A RELATIVELY SHORT TEMPERATURE RANGE WHOLLY WITHIN THE VISIBLE HEAT SPECTRUM.