A Portable Lamp Standard to Produce and Burn Acetylene Gas or Acetylene and Carbonic Acid Gas Combined.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Portable Lamp Standard to Produce and Burn Acetylene Gas or
Acetylene and Carbonic Acid Gas Combined.
I ROBERT GOODWIN of 24 Exchequer Street Dublin City in the County of Dublin
Ireland Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
For the purpose of burning in an illuminating lamp acetyline or acetyline and
carbonic acid gas I provide in the standard of a portable lamp an appliance designed
to produce the requisite conditions for the safe and economical evolution of acetyline
gas. On either side of a lamp standard fitted with a stopcock and a suitable burner
I fix cylinders with suitable caps and connections for the admission and control of
fluids and gases. The metal cylinder on one side is to hold water and is fitted with a
rack and pinion movement intended to be wound up by a key and when released by
the pressure of a spring to cause the water or liquid to be slowly forced into another
receptacle placed on the other side of the main standard. This is a glass cylinder
with metal caps at end, and this is protected by a wire gauze envelope. A cartridge
of compressed calcium carbide is used for the purpose of generating the gas which is
effected in the following manner. The cartridge is placed in the wire gauze envelope
and then in the cylinder which is supplied with suitable taps to control the admission
of water and its contact with the calcium carbide cartridge the decomposition of which
releases and forms acetylene gas.
By varying the compound of the cartridge a mixture of acetyline and carbonic acid
gas may be given off by adding sulphuric or any other acid to the water, bicarbonate
of soda or the basis of calcium of the cartridge and this is burned by being passed
up through the main standard to the lighting burner where it is lit and controlled and
consumed in the same manner as ordinary illuminating gas.
The novelty of my invention is in the distribution of the parts of lamp materials and
modifications for the purpose of evolving and consuming acetylene gas.
Dated this 14th day of May 1896.
ROBERT GOODWIN.
A Portable Lamp Standard to Produce and Burn Acetylene Gas or
Acetylene and Carbonic Acid Gas Combined.
I, ROBERT GOODWIN, of 24 Exchequer Street, Dublin City, in the County of
Dublin Ireland, Electrician 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 :-
For the purpose of burning in an illuminating lamp acetylene or acetylene and
carbonic acid gas I provide in the standard of a portable lamp an appliance designed
to produce the requisite conditions for the safe and economical evolution of acetylene

page_text: gas.
On either side of a lamp standard fitted with a stop cock and a suitable burner
I fix cylinders with suitable caps and connections for the admission and control of
fluids and gases. The metal cylinder on one side serves to hold water and is fitted
with a rack and pinion movement, intended to be wound up by a key, when released
the water or liquid is caused by the pressure of a spring to be slowly forced into
another receptacle placed on the other side of the main standard. This is a glass
cylinder with metal caps at the ends and protected by an internal wire gauze envelope.
A cartridge of compressed calcium carbide is used for the purpose of generating the
gas, which is effected in the following manner. The cartridge is placed in the wire
gauze envelope and then in the cylinder, which is supplied with suitable taps to control
the admission of water and its contact with the calcium carbide cartridge, by the
decomposition of which acetylene gas is formed and set free.
By varying the compound of the cartridge a mixture of acetylene and carbonic acid
gas may be given off by adding sulphuric or any other acid to the water, bicarbonate
of soda or marble, chalk or other suitable substance that will produce carbonic acid
when treated with acidulated water being added to the cartridge.
The gas produced is passed through the main standard to the lighting burner where
it is lit and controlled and consumed in the same manner as ordinary illuminating gas.
The accompanying drawing shews the elevation of a lamp constructed according to
my invention.
A is a lamp standard, the part F of which constitutes the gas reservoir,
for which purpose it may contain a bag of caoutchouc, oil silk, leather, or other
suitable material.
From this reservoir a tube F¹ passes up through the standard to the burner or
burners G at top.
At the sides of the standard A are carried two cylindrical vessels B and C, of which
B is of metal closed at the ends by caps, and filled with water, on which bears a piston
or plunger H with suitable valve, and having a toothed rack I attached to it gearing
with a pinion carried by the cap of the cylinder.
The spindle of the pinion is connected to a spiral spring in a casing J which is
wound up in the well known manner on turning the pinion by a button so as to raise
up the rack and piston, thus causing the latter when released to exert a corresponding
downward pressure on the water. The lower end of the cylinder B is connected by
a pipe K provided with stop cocks and unions, to the bottom of the vessel C; this
consists of a glass cylinder having a metal collar (at its upper end, by which it can
be screwed in a gas tight manner to the upper cap C³.
The lower end of the vessel C is fitted in the closed cap C2 and both caps C Care
secured to the standard A by straps L detachably secured to lugs on the standard
by pins M.
For detaching the vessel C, the union at X on pipe K is unfastened.
Within the cylinder C is firstly a wire gauze envelope D, and into this is inserted
the cartridge of calcium carbide E. The top cap C is connected by a pipe K', with
stop cock, with the reservoir F.
The cartridge having been introduced into the wire gauze envelope D within the
cylinder C, this is secured to the caps CC. The cocks on the pipe K are then
opened to such an extent as to allow a limited quantity of water to flow gradually from
B into C so that in coming in contact with the calcium carbide cartridge, it will cause
acetylene gas to be given off therefrom, which gas will pass in C and thence through
the pipe K into the reservoir F, whence it is admitted by a cock F2 to the burner.
When the cartridge E is exhausted, the cylinder C is detached and a fresh cartridge
is introduced.
The vessel B can be replenished with water from time to time by unscrewing its
upper cap.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what ]
claim is:-
A lamp for producing and burning acetylene gas or acetylene and carbonic acid, gas

page_text: combined, consisting of the combination with a standard, such as A containing a gas
reservoir such as F; of a vessel such as B to be charged with water, and a vessel such
as C into which is introduced a cartridge of calcium carbide, the vessel B being
connected to the vessel C by means of a pipe with stop cocks for allowing a regulated
limited quantity of water to pass into the latter, which is connected to the reservoir F
by means of a pipe through which the gas generated in C passes into the reservoir
whence it is supplied to the burner or burners, substantially as described with reference
to the drawing.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.