Interrupter for the ignition system of internal combustion engines

Claim 1

An interrupter for ignition systems of internal combustion engines including a. a fixed, normally open reed-type switch having a pair of relatively movable contacts enclosed in a gas-tight envelope for controlling the primary circuit of an ignition coil; b. a rotatable magnet system for operating said reed-type switch, said magnet system having a plurality of spaced alternating zones of opposite magnetic polarity; c. a shaft supporting said magnet system arranged at right angles to the axis of said reed-type switch; d. a pair of magnetizable reed-energizing elements each having one end immediately adjacent to one of said pair of contacts of said reed-type switch and another end remote from said pair of contacts of said reed-type switch and immediately adjacent to the trajectory of said zones of opposite magnetic polarity of said rotatable magnet system; wherein the improvement comprises in that e. the rotatable magnet system is substantially in the shape of a toroid consisting of magnetic particles and an insulating binder therefor and radially magnetized so as to form a plurality of sectors each having opposite polarities on opposite ends thereof, contiguous of said plurality of sectors being separated from each other by intervening non-magnetic sectors, said reed-type switch opening and closing during said plurality of sectors of opposite magnetic polarity of said magnet system passes the ends of said reedenergizing elements; f. said reed-type switch is housed for itself inside a separate socket of insulating material totally enclosing said reed-type switch except the ends of said reed-energizing element, said socket having a pair of slots forming passageways narrowly surrounding and positioning said reed-energizing elements, said reed-energizing elements and said passageways being bent so that the ends of said reed-energizing elements are situated above said reed-type switch in a cylindrical surface juxtaposed to the lateral surface of said rotatable magnet system; and g. said socket further supporting a pair of terminals for connecting said reed-type switch into an electric circuit.