Ignition system

Claim 1

A TRANSISTORIZED IGNITION SYSTEM FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE COMPRISING, AN IGNITION COIL HAVING A PRIMARY WINDING AND A SECONDARY WINDING, A PLURALITY OF SPARK PLUGS, A DISTRIBUTOR OPERATED IN TIMED SYNCHRONISM WITH THE ENGINE FOR SEQUENTIALLY CONNECTING SAID SECONDARY WINDING OF SAID IGNITION COIL WITH SAID SPARK PLUGS, A TRANSISTORIZED CIRCUIT COUPLED TO SAID SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND INCLUDING A FIRST TRANSISTOR CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH SAID SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND SAID PRIMARY WINDING OF SAID IGNITION COIL, A SECOND TRANSISTOR, MEANS COUPLING SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND TRANSISTORS FOR CAUSING CONDUCTION OF SAID FIRST TRANSISTOR WHEN SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR IS IN A NONCONDUCTING STATE AND FOR CAUSING NONCONDUCTION OF SAID FIRST TRANSISTOR WHEN SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR IS IN A CONDUCTING STATE, A BIASING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND SAID TRANSISTORIZED CIRCUIT FOR APPLYING A BIAS TO SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR OF A POLARITY TO CAUSE SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR TO BE NORMALLY CONDUCTING AND SAID FIRST TRANSISTOR TO BE NORMALLY NONCONDUCTING, AN ELECTRICAL GENERATOR OPERATED IN TIMED SYNCHRONISM WITH THE ENGINE AND HAVING AN OUTPUT WINDING PRODUCING AN ALTERNATING OUTPUT VOLTAGE COUPLED TO SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR, THE ALTERNATING OUTPUT VOLTAGE FROM SAID OUTPUT WINDING SWITCHING SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR TO A NONCONDUCTING STATE AND SAID FIRST TRANSISTOR TO A CONDUCTING STATE WHEN THE PORTION OF THE WAVE FORM OF THE OPPOSITE POLARITY TO SAID BIAS REACHES A MAGNITUDE EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN SAID BIAS AND SWITCHING SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR TO A CONDUCTING STATE AND SAID FIRST TRANSISTOR TO A NONCONDUCTING STATE WHEN THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID PORTION OF SAID WAVE FORM FALLS BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID BIAS, A STARTING CIRCUIT FOR SAID ENGINE COUPLED TO SAID SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND TO SAID TRANSISTORIZED CIRCUIT DURING ENGINE STARTING OPERATIONS FOR APPLYING A BIAS TO SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR OF A POLARITY OPPOSITE TO THE POLARITY OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED BIAS WHEREBY SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR WILL BE NORMALLY CONDUCTING AND SAID FIRST TRANSISTOR WILL BE NORMALLY CONDUCTING DURING STARTING OPERATIONS, THE ALTERNATING OUTPUT VOLTAGE FROM SAID OUTPUT WINDING SWITCHING SAID SECOND TRANSISTOR TO A CONDUCTING STATE AND SAID FIRST TRANSISTOR TO A NONCONDUCTING STATE WHEN THE PORTION OF THE WAVE FORM OF OPPOSITE POLARITY TO SAID LAST MENTIONED BIAS REACHED A MAGNITUDE EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN SAID BIAS, WHEREBY THE IGNITION TIMING OF SAID IGNITION SYSTEM WILL BE RETARDED DURING STARTING OPERATIONS WHEN LOW VOLTAGES ARE BEING GENERATED IN SAID OUTPUT WINDING OF SAID GENERATOR AND THE SLOPE OF THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE WAVE FORM DECREASES IN THE REGION OF THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID BIAS VOLTAGE.