Improved Gas Lamps, and Preparation of Material for Use therein.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Gas Lamps, and Preparation of Material for Use therein.
I, ERNEST GEORGE GEARING, of Penshurst, Clarence Drive, Harrogate,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It is a well known chemical fact that if the carbides of certain metals, such as
the carbide of calcium or of barium, be brought in contact with water, the carbide
is decomposed, the metal uniting with the oxygen of the water to form an oxide,
which is converted into a hydrate by an excess of water, whilst the carbon of the
carbide unites with the hydrogen of the water to form the hydrocarbon gas known
as acetylene. Now my.invention has for its object the practical application of this
known method of producing acetylene and of the gas so produced in lighting, and
has reference for this purpose to a construction of gas lamps wherein the gas is
generated. stored under pressure, and fed to the burner or burners of the lamp at a
reduced pressure suitable for maintaining the desired flame as also to the preparation
of the carbide to be used for generating the gas in the lamp. My lamp comprises
a generating vessel such as hereafter referred to, a reducing valve, a tap or cock
and a suitable burner or burners.
The generating vessel is a strong vessel of suitable metal such as steel or iron of
cylindrical form in cross section, with hemispherical ends and which in the case of a
portable or single lamp may conveniently (though not necessarily) be about four
inches in diameter and 16 inches in height; it is constructed with an opening at
top, through which can be introduced water as also cartridges sticks or pieces of
prepared carbide such as hereinafter described and which opening is fitted with a
serew plug containing a small chamber that is filled with asbestos and has a small
hole formed through its top. Through the bottom of the generating vessel also
there is formed a hole which is furnished with an appropriate closing device such
as a screw plug by removing which the interior of the generating vessel can be
cleared of the material remaining as a product of the decomposition which occurs
in the process of generating the gas. Above the small chamber before mentioned
is the reducing valve which is screwed into the chamber and with which the small
hole already referred to communicates; and above the reducing valve, there is
arranged the burner (which may have the usual fittings) a tap or cock being
interposed. For generating gas in this lamp 1 prepare carbide as follows:-
I take calcic carbide, prepared by the direct action of lime on carbon in the
electric furnace or by any other process, and make it into cartridges sticks or pieces
of convenient size, which I coat on the surface with a glaze or film of soluble
substance such as gelatine, glue or soluble varnish to protect them from the action
of the moisture in the atmosphere. I consider it preferable to cast the molten
carbide direct from the hearth of the furnace into sticks or blocks of convenient
size, as I find it then less liable to be affected by air than if crushed and rammed
into cartridge form. I find approximately that a pound of calcic carbide will form
a stick about an inch and a quarter in diameter and twelve inches long, and when
decomposed by water will yield five cubic feet of acetylene which in a cylinder
16" by 4" will develop an initial pressure of 800 lbs. per square inch.
As the water in the generating vessel dissolves the protective coating from the
surface of the carbide, the generating process commences and the acetylene
liberated is compressed in the generating vessel under the pressure created by its

page_text: evolution, and with such a lamp as is above referred to, which I have found to
maintain its flame for many hours, I have obtained a light of some 45 candles when
only consuming about 1 cubic foot of gas per hour.
The generating vessel of the lamp may be supported in a decorative stand of any
desired shape, and may be fitted with a dial gauge which will indicate the quantity
and pressure of gas remaining in the vessel. Furthermore generating vessels of
larger size than I have indicated may be employed, and be provided with any
desired number of burners-and the gas generated as I have described may pass
from the generating vessel to a supplementary vessel forming a storage reservoir
which may in turn communicate with the reducing valve and burner or burners.
Thus it will be understood that my invention may be employed with advantage for
lighting various parts of a house or other establishment in various parts of which
burners may be fixed that are placed in communication through suitable cocks and
reducing valves with the reservoir of the gas generated from carbide prepared as
hereinabove described.
Furthermore as will also be readily understood my invention may with advantage
be employed for the lighting of railway and tramway carriages.
Dated this 16th day of November 1894.
I, ERNEST GEORGE GEARING, of Penshurst, Clarence Drive, Harrogate,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
It is a well known chemical fact that if the carbides of certain metals, such as
the carbide of calcium or of barium, be brought in contact with water, the carbide
is decomposed, the metal uniting with the oxygen of the water to form an oxide,
which is converted into a hydrate by an excess of water, whilst the carbon of the
carbide unites with the hydrogen of the water to form the hydrocarbon gas known
as acetylene. Now my invention has for its object the practical application of this
known method of producing acetylene and of the gas so produced in lighting, and
has reference for this purpose to a construction of gas lamps wherein the gas is
generated, stored under pressure, and fed to the burner or burners of the lamp at a
reduced pressure suitable for maintaining the desired flame as also to the preparation
of the carbide to be used for generating the gas in the lamp.
My lamp comprises a generating vessel such as hereinafter referred to, a reducing
valve, a tap or cock and a suitable burner or burners.
Referring to the illustrative drawing hereto appended which shows in vertical
section a couvenient arrangement of a portable lamp according to my invention,
a is the generating vessel consisting of a strong vessel of suitable metal such as
steel or iron, of cylindrical form in cross section, with hemispherical ends, aud
which may conveniently (though not necessarily) be about four inches in diameter
and sixteen inches in height; it is constructed with an opening b at top, through
which can be introduced water, as also cartridges, sticks or pieces of prepared
.carbide c such as hereinafter described, and which opening is fitted with a screw
plug d containing a small chamber e that is filled with asbestos e¹ and has a small
bole formed through its top. is a supplementary opening that is normally
closed by a plug and through which the vessel a can, when necessary, be supplied

page_text: with water without removing the screw plug d.
Through the bottom of the
generating vessel also there is formed a hole g which is furnished with an
appropriate closing device such as a screw plug h by removing which the interior
of the generating vessel can be cleared of the material remaining as a product of
Above the
the decomposition which occurs in the process of generating the gas.
small chamber e is the reducing valve i which is screwed into the chamber e and
with which the small hole f communicates, and above the reducing valve, there is.
arranged (at 7) the burner (which is not shown but may have the usual fittings) a
tap or cock being interposed. For generating gas in this lamp 1 prepare carbide.
as follows:-
I take calcic carbide, prepared by the direct action of lime on carbon in the
electric furnace, or by any other process, and make it into cartridges, sticks or
pieces of convenient size, which I coat on the surface with a glaze or film of
soluble substance such as gelatine, glue, or soluble varnish, to protect them from
the action of the moisture in the atmosphere. I consider it preferable to cast the
molten carbide direct from the hearth of the furnace into sticks or blocks of
convenient size, as I find it then less liable to be affected by air than if crushed
and rammed into cartridge form. I find approximately that a pound of calcic
carbide will form a stick about an inch and a quarter in diameter and twelve inches.
long, and when decomposed by water will yield five cubic feet of acetylene, which,
in a cylinder sixteen inches long by four inches in diameter will develop an initial
pressure of about eight hundred pounds on the square inch.
As the water in the generating vessel dissolves the protective coating from
the surface of the carbide, the generating process commences and the acetylene
liberated is compressed in the generating vessel under the pressure created by
its evolution, and with such a lamp as is above referred to, which I have found
to maintain its flame for many hours, I have obtained a light of some forty-five
candles when only consuming about one cubic foot of gas per hour.
The generating vessel of the lamp may be supported in a decorative stand of
any desired shape, and may be fitted with a dial gauge which will indicate the
quantity and pressure of gas remaining in the vessel. Furthermore, generating
vessels of larger size than I have indicated may be employed, and be provided
with any desired number of burners-and the gas generated as I have described,
may pass from the generating vessel to a supplementary vessel forming a storage
reservoir which may in turn communicate with the reducing valve and burner or
burners. Thus it will be understood that my invention may be employed with
advantage for lighting various parts of a house or other establishment in various
parts of which burners may be fixed that are placed in communication through
suitable cocks and reducing valves with the reservoir of the gas generated from
carbide prepared as hereinabove described.
invention
may
Furthermore, as will also be readily understood, my
advantage be employed for the lighting of railway and tramway carriages.
with
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
clain is :-
1. My improved portable gas generating lamp as described and shewn wherein
the gas is generated from calcic carbide as set forth.
2. A lamp comprising a gas generating vessel such as hereinabove referred to,
a reducing valve (or valves), a tap or cock (or taps or cocks), and a suitable burner
or burners the whole adapted and arranged for generating and burning acetylene
substantially as described.
3. For use to generate acetylene as set forth, calcic carbide made into sticks or
pieces of convenient size, coated on the surface with a glaze or film of soluble
substance as hereinabove described to protect them from the action of the moisture
in the atmosphere.

page_text: 4. The use in my improved lamps as and for the purpose specified of calcic
carbide prepared in the manner described.
Dated this 16th day of August 1895.
ERNEST GEORGE GEARING.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.