Capacitor discharge type ignition system for internal combustion engines

Claim 1

A capacitor discharge type ignition system for combustion engines, comprising: means including a capacitor for storing and discharging ignition energy alternately in first and second directions, an ignition coil having a primary winding with first and second serial portions and having an output winding with a greater number of turns than said primary winding and being magnetically coupled to both of said portions, means including unidirectional switching means coupling said first primary winding portion across said capacitor, means for turning said switching means alternatively on and off to cause first direction current from said capacitor to pass, when said switching means is on, through said first portion only of said primary winding to cause a rapid rise in the voltage across said output winding, and means, including a unidirectional device poled oppositely to said unidirectional switching means and coupling said second portion of the primary winding to said condenser so that all of said primary winding is electrically connected across said capacitor when said unidirectional switching means is turned off as aforesaid to cause second direction capacitor current to flow through said primary winding, for decreasing the step-up ratio of the primary winding to said output winding and causing a larger current to then flow through the output winding for a prolonged period of time than when the first direction current flows through said primary winding.