Transistor ignition system

Claim 2

A transistor ignition system, comprising: means for controlling the timing of pulses delivered to an ignition coil; and a transistor amplifier circuit coupled between said controlling means and said ignition coil and having positive feedback means coupled thereto for causing said amplifier circuit to produce an oscillatory voltage when the rate at which pulses are delivered to said ignition coil is relatively low and producing only single voltage pulses when said rate is relatively high, said positive feedback being provided by breakdown of the field of said coil, whereby a shower of sparks is produced at the spark plugs of the engine under starting and low speed conditions.

Claim 3

A transistorized ignition system as recited in claim 1 wherein said timing control means is comprised of a disc rotatable between a light source and a photoelectric device, the photoelectric device being connected to the ignition coil through said transistorized amplifier circuit, and wherein said transistorized amplifier circuit is comprised of means adapted to produce an oscillatory voltage under starting and low speed conditions whereby a shower of sparks is produced at each sparking plug on ignition.

Claim 4

A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for producing an oscillatory voltage consists of a Darlington pair connected to said photoelectric device, and said transistorized amplifier circuit further comprises an output transistor to which said Darlington pair is connected and which in turn is coupled to said ignition coil, said positive feedback being provided to the base of said Darlington pair.

Claim 5

A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said photoelectric device is a photo transistor, and means coupled to said photo transistor for feeding said photo transistor with a stabilized voltage and comprising a dropping resistor copuled in series with said photo transistor and a Zener diode coupled in parallel across said photo transistor from between the dropping resistor and the photo transistor, whereby any spurious voltage spikes entering the system are suppressed.

Claim 6

A system as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a single casing having said light source and said photoelectric device mounted therein in fixed space relationship, said casing having space therethrough between the photoelectric device and the light source through which said disc is rotatable, said casing having a size and shape such that it can be mounted in a conventional distributor.

Claim 7

A system as claimed in claim 2 in which said photoelectric device is coupled to said amplifier circuit for causing a spark to be produced when said light from said source is blocked from reaching said photoelectric device.

Claim 8

A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said disc has incorporated therewith means for advancing or retarding the delivery of the light to the photoelectric device in accordance with the speed of the engine and means for varying the dwell angle of the system in accordance with the speed of the engine.

Claim 9

A transistorized ignition system comprising a light source and a photoelectric device, a slotted disc rotatable between said light source and said photoelectric device for periodically allowing light to reach the photoelectric device between periods during which the light is blocked from reaching the photoelectric device, the rate of rotation being proportional to the speed of the engine for which Ignition is being supplied, an ignition coil, and a transistorized amplifier circuit coupled between said photoelectric device and said ignition coil, and comprising a high gain amplifier having an input coupled to said photoelectric device for receiving pulses from said photoelectric device in proportion to the speed of said disc, an output transistor to which the output of said high gain amplifier is coupled and having the output coupled to said ignition coil, and positive feedback circuit means coupled to said high gain amplifier for causing said amplifier to produce an oscillatory voltage when the rate at which light is periodically reaching said photoelectric device is relatively low and for producing only single voltage pulses when said rate is relatively high, whereby a shower of sparks is produced at the spark plugs of the engine under starting and low speed conditions.

Claim 10

A transistorized ignition system comprising a light source and a photoelectric device, a slotted disc rotatable between said light source and said photoelectric device for periodically allowing light to reach the photoelectric device between periods during which the light is blocked from reaching the photoelectric device, the rate of rotation being proportional to the speed of the engine for which Ignition is being supplied, an ignition coil, and a transistorized amplifier circuit coupled between said photoelectric device and said ignition coil, and comprising a high gain amplifier having an input coupled to said photoelectric device for receiving pulses from said photoelectric device in proportion to the speed of said disc, an output transistor to which the output of said high gain amplifier is coupled and having the output coupled to said ignition coil, and positive feedback circuit means coupled to said high gain amplifier for causing said amplifier to produce an oscillatory voltage when the rate at which light is periodically reaching said photoelectric device is relatively low and for producing only single voltage pulses when said rate is relatively high, whereby a shower of sparks is produced at the spark plugs of the engine under starting and low speed conditions.