Products of combustion detector

Claim 1

A detector for determining when products of combustion from an organic substance in the air exceed a predetermined limit comprising: a. first and second electrodes electrically insulated from one another and defining a gap therebetween, said electrodes being exposed to the environment to be sensed; b. first electrical circuit means connected to said electrodes for applying a varying electrical potential of fixed period across said electrodes of a peak magnitude less than that required to initiate an arc across said gap under normal ambient conditions and of sufficient peak magnitude to initiate an arc when said products of combustion are present above a predetermined limit in said gap, said period being of sufficient interval to allow said products of combustion to rise by convection out of said gap, said first circuit means including means to prevent the arc from becoming selfsustaining; and c. second electrical circuit means said second circuit means cooperatively responding to a plurality of electric discharges across said gap within a predetermined period of time and providing an output signal only upon such plurality of discharges occurring within said period of time.

Claim 10

A system for detecting the presence of hydrocarbons and products of combustion in an atmosphere comprising: a. a housing defining a chamber with openings at remote ends thereof; b. first and second electrodes mounted to said housing and electrically insulated from one another and defining a gap therebetween; c. first electrical circuit means connected to said electrodes for applying a varying electrical potential across said electrodes of a peak magnitude less than that required to initiate an arc across said gap under normal ambient conditions and of sufficient peak magnitude to initiate an arc when products of combustion are present above a predetermined limit in said gap, said period being of sufficient interval to allow said products of combustion to rise by convection out of said gap, said means including arc suppressing means to prevent the arc from becoming self-sustaining; d. second electrical circuit means, said second circuit means cooperatively responding to a plurality of electric discharges across said gap within a predetermined period of time and providing an output signal only upon such plurality of discharges occuring within said period of time; e. means for causing a flow of air through said chamber; and, f. means for combusting hydrocarbon gases entrained in said air positioned upstream of said electrodes.

Claim 11

A system for detecting the presence of hydrocarbons and products of combustion in an atmosphere comprising: a. a housing defining a chamber with openings at remote ends thereof; b. first and second electrodes mounted to said housing and electrically insulated from one another and defining a gap therebetween; c. first electrical circuit means connected to said electrodes for applying a varying electrical potential across said electrodes of a peak magnitude less than that required to initiate an arc across said gap under normal ambient conditions and of sufficient peak magnitude to initiate an arc when products of combustion are present above a predetermined limit in said gap, said period being of sufficient interval to allow said products of combustion to rise by convection out of said gap, said means including arc suppressing means to prevent the arc from becoming self-sustaining; d. second electrical circuit means, said second circuit means cooperatively responding to a plurality of electric discharges across said gap within a predetermined period of time and providing an output signal only upon such plurality of discharges occuring within said period of time; e. means for causing a flow of air through said chamber; and, f. means for combusting hydrocarbon gases entrained in said air positioned upstream of said electrodes.