Patent ID: 7051692

Claim:
An apparatus for facilitating the starting of an internal combustion engine, comprising: a first fuel reservoir; a first conduit connected in fluid communication with said fuel reservoir; an air feed conduit connected in fluid communication with said first conduit; a second conduit connected in fluid communication with an intake manifold of said internal combustion engine; a valve connected in flow control relation between said first conduit and said second conduit, said valve being movable between a first position and a second position, said first position permitting fluid flow from said first conduit to said second conduit, said second position inhibiting fluid flow from said first conduit to said second conduit, said air feed conduit being disposed in fluid communication between said fuel reservoir and said valve, said second conduit being disposed in fluid communication between said valve and said intake manifold; a valve actuator configured to move said valve in response to the temperature of said valve actuator, said valve actuator moving said valve into said second position when said temperature of said valve actuator is greater than a first preselected magnitude, said valve actuator moving said valve into said first position when a temperature of said valve actuator is less than a second preselected magnitude; a valve actuator heater; and a thermally responsive switch for causing said valve actuator heater to be energized in response to said internal combustion engine being at a temperature which is higher than a first preselected temperature threshold.