Automotive distributor and ignition system

Claim 1

AN AUTOMOTIVE IGNITION SYSTEM FOR USE WITH A PLURALITY OF SPARK GENERATING MEANS COMPRISING A ROTATABLE DISTRIBUTOR SHAFT, FIRST PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS MOVABLE IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR SHAFT, A GLASS ENCLOSED MAGNETIC SWITCH HAVING A MOVABLE MAGNETIC ARMATURE AND A PAIR OF SPACED CONTACTS, SAID MAGNETIC SWITCH BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE FIRST PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS SO THAT THE FIELD OF THE FIRST PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS MOVES THE ARMATURE BETWEEN THE PAIRS OF SPACED CONTACTS, SECOND PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS APPLYING A BIAS TO THE MAGNETIC SWITCH TO CONDITION THE MAGNETIC SWITCH FOR BISTABLE OPERATION IN WHICH THE ARMATURE IS RELEASABLY RETAINED IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONTACTS, INDUCTIVE MEANS COUPLED TO THE SPARK GENERATING MEANS FOR ENERGIZING THE SPARK GENERATING MEANS, A POTENTIAL SOURCE, AND CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING THE ARMATURE AND THE TWO CONTACTS CONNECTING THE INDUCTIVE MEANS TO THE POTENTIAL SOURCE FOR CONTROLLING THE ENERGIZATION OF THE INDUCTIVE MEANS BY THE POTENTIAL SOURCE, THE INDUCTIVE MEANS BEING ENERGIZED BY THE CIRCUIT MEANS THROUGH THE ARMATURE AND THE CONTACT ENGAGED BY THE ARMATURE AND THE ENERGIZATION OF THE INDUCTIVE MEANS BEING INTERRUPTED IN THE PERIOD IN WHICH THE ARMATURE MOVES BETWEEN THE CONTACTS.