Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Gas, such as Acetylene.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Gas, such as Acetylene.
I, DONALD BARNS MORISON, of The Hartlepool Engine Works, Hartlepool
in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
--
It has been proposed to construct a portable lamp with a reservoir in which
acetylene should be generated, the reservoir having placed in it for that purpose a
stick of carbide of lime and a certain quantity of water, or as an alternative, to
admit the water in a regulated quantity sufficient to produce the required amount
of gas without any undue accumulation of pressure, so that, for example, assuming the
gas to be turned off, the accumulation of pressure would cause the water supply to
be shut off, thus arresting the generation of gas until on a reduction of the gas
pressure a fresh supply of water would be admitted.
Now my invention has reference to an arrangement according to which the gas
generating vessel will contain the water and the carbide but when there is a
sufficient pressure of gas it will prevent contact of the water with the carbide and
consequent generation of gas until a reduction of the gas pressure occurs.
An arrangement for this purpose is as follows:-
Within a vessel adapted to hold water there dips a second vessel open at bottom
and closed at top, the construction being such that a space is enclosed between the
two vessels, which space, if the vessels be circular in plan, will be an annular space
and is hereinafter so called and which annular space is, as well as the inner vessel,
open at bottom to the main vessel. Within the inner vessel is suspended by springs
or compensating weights provided with adjusting screws, a perforated plate.or
grating adapted to support a block of suitable carbide, such as carbide of calcium ;
an outlet for gas is provided at the upper part of the inner vessel which may lead
to burners direct or through a controlling governor as desired and constitute a
portable lamp or fixed generator for supplying gas to distant burners. The vessels
are charged with water to a level above that of the perforated plate or grating;
thus the water will be in contact with the carbide and gas will be generated but
when, owing to accumulation of gas, the pressure has increased to the desired limit
it will have depressed the level of the water within the inner vessel to a point
below the bottom of the block of carbide, correspondingly raising the level in the
annular space between the two vessels; thus whilst the desired pressure obtains
within the upper portion of the inner vessel no further generation of gas will take
place, but as the gas pressure diminishes, the level of the water within the inner
vessel will rise, and on the water again coming into contact with the carbide,
generation of gas will recommence and so on automatically. When using carbide
of calcium in such an apparatus, the residuary lime will fall from the block of
carbide through the perforated plate or grating and be precipitated at the bottom
of the vessel, thus displacing its volume of water with the result that the normal
level of water will be increased, but as the carbide is supported by springs or
compensating weights, and as its weight will diminish as lime is deposited, ther
will be automatic compensation because the bottom of the block will be gradually
raised by the springs as the water level is raised by the displacement due to
accumulation of lime.

page_text: In some cases I may provide an overflow or an alarm indicator to serve in either
case as a safety valve, the arrangement being such as to allow of escape of water
from the outer chamber, or of an alarm being given in the event of the pressure
of gas within the apparatus rising above the desired limit. Such an arrangement
would be especially advantageous as a provision against any possible generation of
gas taking place from any cause whilst the apparatus was supposed not to be
working, as the effect of such an arrangement, whilst allowing the accumulator gas
to expand, would be to also remove the water further from the carbide.
Dated this 4th day of February 1895.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Gas, such as Acetylene.
I, DONALD BARNS MORISON, of The Hartlepool Engine Works, Hartlepool,
in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
It has been proposed to construct a portable lamp with a reservoir in which
acetylene should be generated, the reservoir having placed in it for that purpose a
stick of carbide of lime and a certain quantity of water, or as an alternative, to
admit the water in a regulated quantity sufficient to produce the required amount
of gas without any undue accumulation of pressure, so that, for example, assuming
the gas to be turned off, the accumulation of pressure would cause the water supply
to be shut off, thus arresting the generation of gas until, on a reduction of the gas
pressure, a fresh supply of water would be admitted.
Now my invention has reference to an arrangement according to which the gas
generating vessel will contain the water and the carbide, but when there is a
sufficient pressure of gas it will prevent contact of the water with the carbide and
consequent generation of gas until a reduction of the gas pressure occurs.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view shewing in vertical section, one arrangement of
apparatus for this purpose.
Within a vessel A adapted to hold water there dips a second vessel B open at
bottom and closed at top, the construction being such that a space C is enclosed
between the two vessels, which space, if the vessels be circular in plan, will be an
annular space and is hereinafter so called, and which annular space is, as well as
the inner vessel B, open at bottom to. the main vessel A. Within the inner
vessel B there is suspended by springs D (or it might be by compensating weights)
provided with adjusting screws E, a carbide supporter or carrier represented as
being a perforated plate F (or a grating) adapted to support a block Ġ of suitable
carbide, such as carbide of calcium. The carbide supporter or carrier is shewn as
of inverted conical form so that the area of contact between water and carbide
may be gradually increased or diminished. An outlet H for gas is provided at
the upper part of the inner vessel B which may lead to burners direct, or through
a controlling governor as desired, and constitute a portable lamp or fixed generator
for supplying gas to distant burners. The vessels A and B are charged with water
to a level above that of the perforated plate For grating; thus the water will be
in contact with the carbide G and gas will be generated; but when, owing to
accumulation of gas, the pressure has increased to the desired limit, it will have
depressed the level of the water within the inner vessel B to a point below the.

page_text: bottom of the block G of carbide (see for example the dotted line K), propor-
tionally raising the level in the annular space C between the two vessels; thus,
whilst the desired pressure obtains within the upper portion of the inner vessel B,
no further generation of gas will take place, but as the gas pressure diminishes,
the level of the water within the inner vessel B will rise, and on the water again
coming into contact with the carbide, generation of gas will recommence, and so
on, automatically. When using carbide of calcium in such an apparatus the
residuary lime will fall from the block of carbide through the perforated carbide-
supporter or carrier and be precipitated at the bottom of the vessel A, thus-
displacing its volume of water, with the result that the normal level of water will
be increased but as the carbide is supported by springs D (or compensating
weights) and as its weight will diminish as lime is deposited, there will be automatic
compensation, because the bottom of the block G will be gradually raised by the
springs D as the water level is raised by the displacement due to accumulation
of lime.
In some cases I may provide an overflow L or an alarm indicator which may be
in the form of a float, to serve in either case as a safety valve, the arrangement
being such as to allow of escape of water from the outer chamber A, or of an
alarm being given in the event of the pressure of gas within the apparatus rising
above the desired limit. Such an arrangement would be especially advantageous
as a provision against any possible generation of gas taking place from any cause
whilst the apparatus was supposed not to be working, as the effect of such an
arrangement, whilst allowing the accumulator gas to expand, would be to also
remove the water further from the carbide.
The springs D may be each contained within a tube attached to the top of the
inner vessel, the corresponding rod E', which passes centrally through the spring,
being connected to the perforated plate or carbide carrier F and provided at the
top with a cap bearing upon the top of the spring, the arrangement being such that
as the plate or carrier F rises, the compression of each spring will decrease. J is
a removable cover for introduction of carbide.
In the modification represented in Fig. 2 there is an auxiliary water container M so
that should the level of the water in A fall below that which is necessary for the
generation of the gas, a float N will drop to such an extent as to open a valve O to.
which it is connected and so allow water to flow from M into A.
In the modification represented in Fig. 3, the carbide supporter or carrier F
rests on a ledge F1 within the inner vessel B which is adjustably suspended by a
screw threaded stem P and nut P¹. The gas outlet pipe H passes downward
through the lower portion of the vessel A.
The modification represented in Fig. 4 resembles that shewn in Fig. 3 but the
screw threaded stem P¹ has the gas outlet H formed through it.
In all the arrangements a tap or valve may be provided to the outlet at the
bottom of the vessel A for running off the deposit from that vessel; or there may
be two taps or valves, one above the other, so that the draining may take place
without interfering with the working of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what mauner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas by means of water and carbide
of calcium the combination with the generating vessel of a water jacket. so that
the difference in the levels of the water in the inner and outer chambers of the
jacket varies with the pressure of the contained gas and serves to control the
generation of the gas by the regulation of the water contact with the carbide.
2. An apparatus for generating gas such as acetylene by the action of a liquid
such as water upon a solid substance such as carbide of calcium wherein when the
desired pressure of gas obtains within the gas generating vessel the liquid will by
the action upon its surface of the gas pressure be kept out of contact with the

page_text: solid substance and thus generation of gas will be arrested until the gas pressure
within the generating vessel becomes reduced whereupon the liquid will be allowed
to rise into contact with the solid substance and gas will be generated as set
forth.
3. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas by means of water and carbide
of calcium, the combination of a vessel adapted to hold water a second vessel closed
at its top open at its bottom and which is narrower than and projects into the first
mentioned vessel so as to leave a space around the inner vessel between its exterior
and the interior of the outer one and a perforated carbide supporter or carrier
within the inner vessel.
4. In apparatus such as referred to in the preceding claim, a carbide supporter
or carrier suspended by springs or their equivalent so that as the weight of the
block of carbide decreases the supporter or carrier will assume a higher position
within the vessel and so maintain the normal water level by compensating for the
displacement resulting from the lime deposit at the bottom of the outer vessel.
5. My improved gas generating apparatus as described and shown in Fig. 1 or
modified as shown in Fig. 2, or in Fig. 3 or in Fig. 4 of the drawings annexed for
the purpose mentioned.
Dated this 4th day of November 1895.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.