Ignition system for electrical discharge lamps

Claim 1

A STARTING AND OPERATING SYSTEM FOR A DISCHARGE LAMP POWERED FROM AN ELECTRIC SOURCE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: TRANSFORMER MEANS HAVING A PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY WINDING INCLUDING MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID PRIMARY WINDING TO SAID ELECTRIC SOURCE; A STARTING CIRCUIT INCLUDING SAID DISCHARGE LAMP COUPLED ACROSS SAID SECONDARY WINDING COMPRISING, A PAIR OF NORMALLY KCLOSED RELAY SWITCH CONTACTS, VACUUM SWITCH ENERGIZATION MEANS CONNECTED IN SERIES TO SAID NORNALLY CLOSED RELAY SWITCH CONTACTS, GAP MEANS CONNECTED IN SERIES BETWEEN SAID VACUUM SWITCH ENERGIZATION MEANS AND SAID DISCHARGE LAMP, A VACUUM SWITCH ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BY SAID VACUUM SWITCH ENERGIZATION MEANS AND BEING COUPLED ACROSS SAID GAP MEANS AND SAID DISCHARGE LAMP, BECOMING NONCONDUCTIVE IN RESPONSE TO THE OPERATION OF SAID ENERGIZATION MEANS TO PROVIDE AN OPEN CIRCUIT THEREACROSS, THEREBY CAUSING AN ARC DISCHARGE TO OCCUR ACROSS SAID GAP MEANS TO START SAID DISCHARGE LAMP; AN OPERATING CIRCUIT FOR SAID DISCHARGE LAMP AFTER STARTING COMPRISING, A RELAY COIL FOR ACTUATING SAID PAIR OF NORMALLY CLOSED RELAY SWITCH CONTACTS IN SAID STARTING CIRCUIT, CIRCUIT MEANS COUPLING SAID RELAY COIL TO SAID SECONDARY WINDING, BALLAST MEANS COUPLED IN SERIES BETWEEN SAID RELAY COIL AND SAID DISCHARGE LAMP, SAID RELAY COIL BEING OPERABLE TO OPEN SAID NORMALLY CLOSED RELAY SWITCH CONTACTS TO RENDER SAID STARTING CIRCUIT INOPERATIVE WHEN SAID DISCHARGE LAMP HAS BEEN STARTED.