An Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
I, HENRY EUGENE ALEXANDRE, of 122 Calle del Bruch Barcelona, in the Kingdom
of Spain, Manufacturer, 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:-
The apparatus forming the subject of this invention substantially comprises:
1. A calcium carbide receptacle divided vertically into several compartments which
only communicate with one another at their upper parts, so that water entering and
completely filling one of these compartments, will pass to the second compartment and
so on until the whole of the carbide is exhausted.
2. Another essential feature is that the water required for the reaction of the
calcium carbide is drawn from the reservoir of the gas-holder by means of a cock
or tap actuated by a rack bar fixed to the bell shaped cover of the gas holder and
3. A third feature is a curved gas pipe leading from the generator to the gas
holder, so arranged that, while disengaged in water the said gas may be washed or
purified before being stored in the bell of the gas holder.
This invention is represented in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a perspective side view of the apparatus.
Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 1-2 Figure 3, and
Figure 3 is a sectional plan, the section being taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 2.
L is the reservoir of the gas holder, provided with its feed water hopper D, its
discharge cock A and another cock E for communicating with the pipe for supplying
the gas to be used for illuminating or other purposes; L' is the bell of the gas
holder, which is guided by rods or bars B, suitably secured in position by the aid
of cramps and screws C; K is the gas generator with its screw threaded plug or
stopper J for the discharge, its screw H and key I for opening and closing the
lid and its receptacle U provided with compartments for the reception of the calcium
carbide; Qis the U shaped tube which conveys the water into the generator K,
and serves to prevent explosions, since it allows the gas to escape should the pressure
in the generator become excessive; G is a conduit, provided with a cock, through
which the gas, generated in K, passes to the bell L₁ of the gas holder; F is a cock
provided with a wheel which gears with the rack bar M and is acted upon to allow
the discharge of water whenever gas is to be produced; P is a cock which serves
to regulate the amount of water fed to the generator, according to the supply of
gas required; O is a bell for signalling or indicating when the carbide is exhausted;
N is a spring device for sounding the bell O; T is a chamber at the bottom of the
gas holder L, where the water of condensation carried along by the gas, and the
impurities are collected; S is the pipe, through which the gas descends from
the bell L of the gas holder to the chamber T; and ✗ is a screw plug by means
of which the contents of the chamber T may be discharged.
As has just been explained, the gas holder consists of a reservoir L and a bell L'
suitably guided in its ascending and descending movements by the guides BB.
The said bell of the holder carries at its upper part a rack-bar M which extends
down vertically at the outside of the reservoir L and which by engaging with the
toothed wheel of the cock F, allows the necessary quantity of water to flow from
the said reservoir, for effecting the decomposition of the calcium carbide. This.

page_text: cock F is acted upon in such a manner that it closes automatically as soon as the
bell of the holder is lifted by the freshly generated acetylene gas.
The water flowing through the cock F directly enters the funnel or hopper of the
pipe which conveys the said water to the carbide receptacle, where it first drops
into a small receptacle not shown in the drawing.
The carbide receptacle U is divided into five vertical compartments which com-
municate with one another at their upper parts. The number of these compartments
may, however be increased or reduced according to the dimensions of the gas holder.
The water discharged from the cock F passes through the U shaped pipe Q and
enters at the top of the first compartment; then after having filled the same, it
passes to the second compartment through a suitable opening provided at the upper
part and when this compartment is filled the water still entering the generator will
pass to the third compartment and so on. -
When all the compartments are filled, that is to say: when the whole of the carbide
in the receptacle U is decomposed, the generator K can be emptied and re-filled
after removing the lid or cover. The bell or signal O operated by the spring device N
gives notice when the whole of the carbide enclosed in the generator has been consumed
and when the receptacle U is to be replaced by another charged with fresh carbide.
The gas disengaged during the reaction, is discharged through the pipe G which
conveys it to the interior of the bell L' of the gas holder; the said pipe is curved at
its upper part so that the gas, as it escapes, is forced through a portion of water and
is thus rid of the impurities it contains.
The gas is discharged from the bell of the holder by means of the pipe S communi-
cating with the cock D, to which cock the supply pipe is connected which serves to
convey the gas away to be consumed.
The advantages of this improved apparatus are the following:
1. As the carbide receptacle U is divided into several compartments, each of which
only contains such a quantity as is exactly required for the production of gas which
can be admitted to the bell of the gas-holder and as the water passes successively
into the compartments, it is obvious that the said water will always attack the fresh
carbide without the formation of a layer of lime at the top, as is the case under
ordinary circumstances with carbide which has been moistened.
2. The operation of feeding the carburetter with the amount of water necessary for
generation of gas in proportion as the same is consumed, is effected automatically
owing to the use of a cock provided with a toothed wheel which engages a rack bar
connected to the bell of the gas holder.
3. As the gas pipe connecting the generator with the bell of the holder is curved at
its upper part, the gas is washed and purified as it passes through the water.
4. When fresh carbide is required, a signal is given automatically by a spring
actuated bell or other signal device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for producing acetylene gas, having the following characteristic
features:
(a) The vertical partitioning of the carbide receptacle into several compartments
communicating with each other only at their upper part and arranged in such a
manner that the water serving for the reaction with the carbide first enters one
of these compartments, passes to the second compartment when the first is filled
and so on, in order to ensure that the water will attack the several portions of
carbide independently of one another.
(b) The application to the reservoir L of the gas-holder, of a cock having a
toothed wheel opened and closed automatically by a rack bar connected to the
bell of the gas-holder, and which cock allows of the passage of the amount of
water required for reaction with the carbide, or prevents the flow of water as
the case may be.

page_text: (c) For conveying the gas to the bell of the gas-holder, a pipe curved so that
its extremity is immersed in the water of the reservoir, so and the gas, as it is
discharged from the said pipe is compelled to traverse a portion of the said
water and is thereby washed and freed from any impurities it may contain.
(d) The use of a bell or signal device which gives notice when fresh carbide is
required.
2. The apparatus for the production of acetylene gas constructed substantially as
herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 1037
HASELTINE, LAKE & CO.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.