Continuous-wave ignition system

Claim 1

In combination with a high-frequency continuous-wave ignition system for an internal combustion engine, said system including a square wave oscillator employing a unitary magnetic circuit and including a control winding for starting and stopping said highfrequency continuous-wave energy, said system also including means for applying a low-Impedance path to said control winding concurrently with a DC current therethrough between each spark duration interval, and said system including means for timing said spark duration intervals relative to said engine, improved means for controlling current flow through said winding in accordance with a predetermined amount of engine shaft angle rotation, comprising in combination electromagnetic means including a coil, means controlled by said engine shaft angle for inducing a signal pulse in said coil having a duration according to said predetermined amount of rotation, a NAND gate for controlling said current flow through said winding and having two input circuits and an output circuit, first circuit means including clipping means for applying said signal pulse to one of said input circuits, said clipping means limiting the amplitude of said signal pulse, second circuit means for applying a constant signal to the other of said two input circuits, transistor means for controlling current flow in said control winding, and third circuit means for connecting said NAND gate output circuit to said transistor means, all whereby said low impedance path and said DC current flow are concurrently applied between each spark duration interval.