Fuel ignition system and method of making the same

In a fuel ignition system for a burner means comprising an igniter having opposite ends, a source of alternating current having two power source leads for being respectively electrically interconnected to said opposite ends of said igniter for heating said igniter to ignition temperature thereof whereby said igniter emits electrons therefrom in relation to the temperature thereof, feeding means for feeding fuel from a source thereof to said burner means, and detecting means for detecting the condition of said igniter and being operatively associated with said feeding means to feed fuel to said burner means only when said detecting means detects that said igniter is at ignition temperature, said detecting means comprising a member for receiving at least some of said emitted electrons, determining means operatively associated with said member for determining from the received electrons an emission rate of said electrons from said igniter, and operating means operatively associated with said determining means for operating said feeding means to feed said fuel only when the determined emission rate is at a certain level, the improvement comprising a lead means having opposite ends one of which is electrically interconnected to said member and the other of which is electrically interconnected to ground, and a pair of resistors respectively electrically interconnecting said two power source leads to said lead means at a point thereof intermediate said ends thereof whereby said member is adapted to develop an electrical voltage that has a present magnitude that is related to the amount of emitted electrons that are being received by said member at that time.