Spark discharge monitoring device

Claim 2

IN A SPARK DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR INSERTION IN A COMBUSTION CHAMBER THE COMBINATION OF A HIGH POTENTIAL ELECTRODE, A LOW POTENTIAL ELECTRODE SPACED FROM SAID HIGH POTENTIAL ELECTRODE TO PROVIDE A SPARKING CURRENT PATH, ELECTRICAL MEANS INCLUDING A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL FOR GENERATING AN IONIZED REGION BETWEEN SAID HIGH POTENITAL AND SAID LOW POTENTIAL ELECTRODES, SAID IONIZED REGION HAVING A SPARKING CURRENT AND A NON-SPARKING CURRENT FLOWING THEREIN, A MONITOR ELECTRODE MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DETECTING THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID SPARKING CURRENT SPACED FROM SAID HIGH POTENTIAL ELECTRODE IN SAID IONIZED REGION TO PROVIDE A CURRENT PATH PROPORTIONAL TO SAID MAGNITUDE FOR SAID NON-SPARKING CURRENT, AND MEANS FOR INDICATING CURRENT IN SAID CURRENT PATH.

Claim 3

IN A SPARK DISCHARGE DEVICE HAVING AN ELONGATED METAL SHELL, AN ELONGATED INSULATOR EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE SHELL, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CONDUCTOR IN THE INSULATOR, AND A SPARK GAP BETWEEN THE CONDUCTOR AS A FIRST ELECTRODE AND THE SHELL AS A SECOND ELECTRODE AT THE SECOND, FORWARD END OF THE DEVICE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MONITOR MEANS FOR DETECTING SPARK DISCHARGES BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES AT SAID GAP, SAID MONITOR MEANS COMPRISING A MONITORING PROBE ELECTRODE OVERLYING AND SPACED FROM THE SPARK DISCHARGE GAP, ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MEANS MOUNTING THE PROBE ELECTRODE ON THE DEVICE, A TERMINAL MEANS ON THE SHELL AND INSULATED THEREFROM ADJACENT THE REAR END THEREOF, A CONTACT IN SAID TERMINAL MEANS, AND AN ELECTRICAL LEAD ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED FROM THE SHELL EXTENDING FROM THE PROBE ELECTRODE IN A REARWARD DIRECTION WITHIN THE SHEEL TO THE CONTACT OF SAID TERMINAL MEANS.

Claim 4

IN A SPARK DISCHARGE DEVICE HAVING AN ELONGATED METAL SHELL, AN ELONGATED INSULATOR EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE SHELL, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CONDUCTOR IN THE INSULATOR, AND A SPARK GAP BETWEEN THE CONDUCTOR AS A FIRST ELECTRODE AND THE SHELL AS A SECOND ELECTRODE AT THE SECOND, FORWARD END OF THE DEVICE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MONITOR MEANS FOR DETECTING SPARK DISCHARGES BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES AT SAID GAP, SAID MONITOR MEANS COMPRISING A MONITORING PROBE ELECTRODE OVERLYING AND SPACED FROM THE SPARK DISCHARGE GAP, ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MEANS MOUNTING THE PROBE ELECTRODE ON THE DEVICE, A TERMINAL MEANS ON THE SHELL AND INSULATED THEREFROM ADJACENT THE REAR END THEREOF, A CONTACT IN SAID TERMINAL MEANS, AND AN ELECTRICAL LEAD ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED FROM THE SHELL EXTENDING FROM THE PROBE ELECTRODE IN A REARWARD DIRECTION WITHIN THE SHEEL TO THE CONTACT OF SAID TERMINAL MEANS.

Claim 5

IGNITION APPARATUS, COMPRISING A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC ENERGY, AN IGNITER HAVING TWO ELECTRODES DEFINING A SPARK GAP AND A THIRD ELECTRODE ADJACENT THE GAP, MEANS INCLUDING TWO CONDUCTORS CONNECTING THE RESPECTIVE TERMINALS OF THE SOURCE TO THE TWO GAP-DEFINING ELECTRODES, A THIRD CONDUCTOR CONNECTED TO THE THIRD ELECTRODE, LOW IMPEDANCE MEANS CONNECTING THE THIRD CONDUCTOR TO THE SOURCE, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE FLOW OF CURRENT IN THE LOW IMPEDANCE MEANS.

Claim 6

IGNITION APPARATUS, COMPRISING A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC ENERGY, AN IGNITER HAVING TWO ELECTRODES DEFINING A SPARK GAP AND A THIRD ELECTRODE ADJACENT THE GAP, MEANS INCLUDING TWO CONDUCTORS CONNECTING THE RESPECTIVE TERMINALS OF THE SOURCE TO THE TWO GAP-DEFINING ELECTRODES, A THIRD CONDUCTOR CONNECTED TO THE THIRD ELECTRODE, LOW IMPEDANCE MEANS CONNECTING THE THIRD CONDUCTOR TO THE SOURCE, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE FLOW OF CURRENT IN THE LOW IMPEDANCE MEANS.