Time delay circuits

Claim 1

IN A TIME DELAY CIRCUIT HAVING INCORPORATED THEREIN "ON-OFF" SWITCH MEANS OPERABLE TO CONNECT A SOURCE OF ENERGIZING VOLTAGE TO AND DISCONNECTED THE SAME FROM THE CIRCUIT, AND A TIME DELAY-DETERMINING R-C TYPE CHARGING CIRCUIT ARRANGED TO BE ENERGIZED BY CLOSING OF SAID SWITCH MEANS AND TO PROVIDE, UPON DISCHARGE, A CURRENT FLOW UTILIZABLE FOR ENERGIZING A LOAD; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID CHARGING CIRCUIT AND OPERABLE UPON CLOSING OF SAID SWITCH MEANS TO ENABLE AN INITIAL RELATIVELY RAPID CHARGING OF THE CAPACITOR OF SAID CHARGING CIRCUIT TO A FIRST VALUE AND AN IMMEDIATELY SUBSEQUENT RELATIVELY SLOW CHARGING OF SAID CAPACITOR FROM SAID FIRST VALUE TO A SECOND AND HIGHER VALUE, MEANS CONSTITUTING A PART OF A DISCHARGE CURRENT CIRCUIT FOR SAID CAPACITOR AND RESPONSIVE TO THE RISE OF THE CHARGE ON SAID CAPACITOR TO SAID SECOND VALUE FOR INITIATING THE DISCHARGE OF SAID CAPACITOR SO A THIRD VALUE LESS THAN SAID FIRST VALUE BUT STILL GREATER THAN ZERO AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE DECREASE OF THE CHARGE ON SAID CAPACITOR TO SAID THIRD VALUE FOR MAINTAINING THE CURRENT FLOW IN SAID DISCHARGE CIRCUIT FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD DURING WHICH SAID SWITCH MEANS IS CLOSED.