Improved Process for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 10th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
I, KARL GOSSWEILER, of Heilbronn, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
as to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement.-
The present application relates to an improved process for the production of
acetylene gas
In the processes hitherto in use, acetylene gas has been produced either by
allowing water to fall upon carbide, or by dropping the carbide into the water or
dipping the same therein In both of these methods there occurs the serious
inconvenience, especially in the case of the application to portable lamps, that
the carbide takes up too much room, whereby on the one hand the lamps have to
receive an unusual form and on the other hand the necessary constructions are
the cause of various other technical difficulties, which tend to prevent a regular
and prolonged uniform production of acetylene In the process hereinafter set
forth, all these difficulties are overcome at once by the arrangement that the carbide
or the like is first brought into the liquid state and is then supplied with the
material requisite for the production of the gas By this means the result is
attained that on the one hand the carbide can be contained in a considerably
smaller space as compared with solid carbide, and on the other hand that the
arrangements requisite for the proper production of the acetylene can be of a
more reliable kind. The process consists as stated essentially in reducing the
carbide to the fluid atate, before it is treated with the requisite quantity of water
or the like for the production of the gas The conversion of the carbide or the like
into the fluid state is effected by grinding it or reducing it to powder and then
muxing it with a fluid which does not decompose it, that is to say, the liquid may
be capable of dissolving the carbide but not of generating acetylene
purpose it is advisable to make use of a fluid which possesses the same specific
weight as the carbide, so that the powdered carbide will not settle in the fluid but
will remain equally distributed throughout the same It 18 in this method
obviously not necessary that the carbide be reduced to its very finest particles but
it will suffice that it be so far pulverised that it can flow out intermingled with
the solvent or suspending medium, the pulverising of the carbide on the like
can be produced by mechanical or chemical means and a suitable suspending
medium would be a mineral oil for instance of specific gravity approximately
the same as that of the carbide This process may be applied to all systems foi
generating acetylene, and the carbide liquid can either be caused to fall drop by
drop upon the gas generating fluid, or the gas generating fluid can be allowed
to drip upon the carbide liquid, further, the liquified carbide may pass into the
gas generator through a tubular connection of any kind, or may be delivered
thereto by means of a pump Equal parts by weight of carbide & suspending
liquid may be employed, but the percentage may be varied according to
requirements
For this

page_text: 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 The process for the production of acetylene gas consisting essentially in
reducing the carbide or the like employed for the purpose to the liquid state, or
in mixing the said carbide in the pulverised condition with a fluid which does not
decompose the same so that the two will flow together, and the carbide can then
be brought into contact with the reagent or liquid requisite for the generation
of the gas.