Improvements in Apparatus for Generating, Storing, and Cooling Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, fol
090
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 5th Jun³, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating, Storing, and Cooling
Acetylene Gas.
We, FREDERICK SANSOM THORN, of 169, Camberwell New Road, Ironmonger,
and CHARLES HODDLE, of 164, Camberwell New Road, Photographer, both in
the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for generating, storing and
cooling acetylene gas and has for its object to provide simple and efficient
apparatus whereby the supply of the gas is automatically regulated in accordance
with the consumption.
According to our invention we provide a gas-holder or gasoneter, and in
connection with the same one or more calcium carbide containers. These carbide
containers are in the form of trays which slide and can be hermetically closed in
cylindrical or other holders and which are divided transversely into a number of
adjacent compartments by partitions which reach from the bottom of the container
nearly to the top of the same, so that when water bas filled the first compartment it.
flows over into the second, and in order that the water shall be evenly distributed
and fill the said second and following compartments we provide gauze or
perforated funnels or tubes into which the water flows from one compartment to
the next.
Each compartment is made of such a size that it holds a quantity of calcium
carbide to generate not more than sufficient gas to fill the gas-holder, and the
carbide container is preferably located in the bottom of the apparatus so that it is
surrounded and cooled by the water in the same.
The sliding cylinder of the gas-holder is connected, by a chain or other suitable
means, to a ball-cock or other suitable valve fitted to a pipe inside and near the
top of the gas-holder and in communication with the carbide container and a second
pipe with stop-cock attached passing through from the outside of the said container
into the bottom of the gas-holder.
A gas pipe which acts as a condenser passes down from the inside of the top of
the gas-holder through the water into a cooling chamber, preferably secured to the
bottom of the apparatus, which cooling chamber is provided with an outlet pipe
fer the gas and an outlet cock for draining off the condensed water.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The sliding cylinder of the gas-holder, when at the bottom of its course, opens the
ball-cock and allows water to flow through the second tube from the bottom of the
holder into the first compartment of the carbide container. Acetylene is immediately
generated and flows through the ball-cock into the gas-holder which is thereby
lifted. When lifted to a certain height, the ball-cock closes and the gas will then
force its way from the container through the second pipe into the bottom of
the gas-holder and bubble up through the water. The inflow of water is thus
stopped until the gas-holder again falls and opens the ball-cock when the gas will
pass through the ball-cock and allow more water to flow into the container
and so on.
When it is desired to use the gas stored up in the holder, a cock on the outlet

page_text: pipe is turned and the gas flows down the condensing pipe into the cooling chamber
at the bottom, where its moisture is deposited and so through the outlet.
When more than one container is used, it will be obvious that one can be removed
from the apparatus and replenished whilst the other or others is or are generating
gas and, if the stop-cock in the second or bottom pipe is turned off, neither water
nor gas will escape during the operation.
Dated this 18th day of July 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating, Storing, and Cooling
Acetylene Gas.
We, FREDERICK SANSOM THORN, of 169, Camberwell New Road, Ironmonger,
and CHARLES HODDLE, of 164, Camberwell New Road, Photographer, both in
the County of London, 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:-.
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for generating, storing and
cooling acetylene gas of the kind wherein a gas holder or gasometer is used, and
has for its object to provide simple and efficient apparatus whereby the supply of
the gas is automatically regulated in accordance with the consumption.
According to our invention we provide in connection with the gas-holder or
gasometer, one or more calcium carbide containers. These carbide containers are
in the form of trays which slide and can be hermetically closed in cylindrical or
other holders and which are divided transversely into a number of adjacent
compartments by partitions in such a manner that when water has filled the
first compartment it flows over into the second, and in order that the water shall
be evenly distributed and fill the said second and following compartments we
provide gauze or perforated funnels or tubes into which the water flows from one
compartment to the next.
The sliding cylinder of the gas-holder is connected, by a chain or other suitable
means, to a ball-cock or other suitable valve fitted to a pipe inside and near the top
of the gas-holder and in communication with the carbide container and a second pipe
with stop-cock attached passes through from the outside of the said container into
the bottom of the gas-holder.
A gas pipe, which acts as a condenser, passes down from the inside of the top of
the gas-holder through the water in the same into a cooling chamber, preferably
secured to the bottom of the apparatus, which cooling chamber is provided
with an outlet pipe for the gas and an outlet cock for draining off the condensed
water.
In the accompanying drawings,-
Figure 1 is an elevation of apparatus constructed according to our invention:
Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1:
Figure 4 is a plan of the calcium carbide container:
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the same; and
Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.
a is the gas-holder or gasometer and 6 the sliding cylinder of the same; e, care
the calcium carbide containers (in the drawing two of these containers are shewn
although it will be obvious that any suitable number can be used) in the form of

page_text: trays of a cylindrical shape and d, d are the partitions which divide the said
containers into a series of adjacent compartments e, e. The trays c, c' do not form
complete cylinders, as shewn clearly in Figures 4, 5 and 6 and the upper end of
each circular partition d is provided with a V (or other suitably shaped) notch or
opening d' the lower end of which is just below the upper edges of the tray c so
that when the water, which flows into the first compartment e, has risen to the level
of the lower end of the notch d' in the partition separating this compartment from
the next it can flow through the said notch into the next compartment as hereinafter
more particularly described. dare the gauze or perforated funnels or tubes which,
in the drawing, are shewn of semi-cylindrical shape and which are arranged in front
of the notched portion of each partition and extend to the bottom of the container,
as shewn clearly in Figures 4, 5 and 6. These gauze funnels or tubes have for
their object to cause the water which flows from one compartment to another to
flow over the whole area of the calcium carbide in the said compartment, instead of
Blowing over the surface alone, and thereby to distribute it evenly. To further
assist the even distribution of the water a passage or channel d³ is formed on either
or on each side of each compartment e by a longitudinal perforated plated. The
water passes along these channels from one compartment to another through the
holes ds when it has risen to the level of the said holes.
Each compartment e is made of such a size that it holds a quantity of calcium
carbide sufficient to generate not more than enough gas to fill the ga--holder, and
the carbide containers c, c¹ are; as shewn, located in the bottom of the apparatus so
that they are surrounded and cooled by the water in the same.
By
ff are the cylindrical holders in which the calcium carbide containers slide, the
said holders being in the form of tubes passing through the gas-holder a.
arranging the holders f, to pass through the gas-holder a as shewn the carbide
containers are surrounded by water and cooled sufficiently to prevent any danger
from undue heating. To ensure that the calcium carbide containers c, c shall be
hermetically enclosed in the holders we provide air-tight covers of ordinary
construction, designed to be screwed tightly against the said holders as shown
clearly in the drawing.
9, 9 are the pipes passing up from the carbide containers through the gas-holder
to nearly the top of the same and gl are the ball cocks fitted to the upper ends of
the said pipes. 9, 9, are the chains by which the balls or floats g of the ball-
cocks g' are connected with the sliding cylinder of the gas-holder. The chain g' is
shorter than the chain g so that when the sliding cylinder & descends the ball-
cock g to which it is attached is opened first as hereinafter described. The
pipes 9, 9 are bent at their upper ends after the manner of a syphon and so that
the bend is situated above the level of the water in the gas-holder, a non-return
valve g of ordinary construction being fitted in the upright pipes 9, 9. By this
construction the gas in the gas-bolder cannot flow down the pipes g, into
the containers when they are opened for recharging. 9, 9 are struts for supporting
the pipes g. 9.
his the pipe by means of which the bottom of the gas-holder is put in
communication with the first compartment e of each of the calcium carbide
containers c, e. This tube A, which at its inner end is funnel shaped and covered
with fine gauze passes through the gas-holder and then divides into two
branches at different levels to supply the two containers c, e respectively.
The two branches A, and are provided with cocks or valves h, respectively,
designed to cut off the flow of water when the containers e and e' respectively are
opened for recharging.
i is the gas-pipe which passes from the top of the gas-holder, above the level of
the water, down through the water and j is the cooling chamber into which the said
pipe opens and which is preferably as shewn secured to the bottom of the
apparatus. The pipe i as it passes down through the water, serves as a condenser
for the gas when it flows through it into the cooling chamber in which the
moisture condensed from the gas settle. is an outlet pipe from the condenser,

page_text: the said pipe being provided with a cock for regulating the supply of the gas for
consumption and is the cock for draining off the condensed water.
k is a funnel or lip for filling the gas-holder with water and for indicating the
level of the water in the same and is an orifice in the side of the gas-holder a
through which the water flows into the gas-holder from the funnel.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows :-
are
Calcium carbide having been placed in the containers c, e, an1 the sliding
cylinder 6 of the gas-holder being in its lowest position, the cocks ³ an
opened so that there is free communication between the interior of the gas-holder
and the first compartment e of the carbide containers c, d through the pipe A and
branches A', 1. As before described the sliding cylinder b opens the cocks go
when at the bottom of its course so that water now Hows through the tube from
the bottom of the gas-holder into the said first compartment e of the carbile
container in the holder, the air in the same being forced out through the pipe g
and cock g'. No water flows as yet into the container c as the branch is at a
higher level than the branch . Acetylene gas is immediately generated in the
container and flows through the pipe g and ball-cock into the gas-holler a
whereby the sliding cylinder of the same is lifted.
When the sliding cylinder has been lifted to a certain height, the chain g
connected to the ball gallows the said ball to rise sufficiently to close the cock
and thus prevent the gas generated escaping through the pipe g. As the outlet
through the pipe g is closed the gas forces its way through the pipe & and bubbles
up through the water into the gas-holder. The inflow of water through this tube A
is therefore stopped by the flow of the gas through the same until the sliding
cylinder again falls (as the gas is consumed) and opens the ball-cock so as to
allow the gas to again pass through the pipe g and enable more water to flow
into the container.
With this arrangement it will be obvious that the water when it has used up all
the calcium carbide contained in the first compartment e of the carbide container,
will flow through the V-shaped notch d' and the holes d in the partition d dividing
the said compartment from the next and will thus commence to act upon the
carbide contained in this next compartment and so on until the whole of the
carbide in the container has been used. When this is the case with the container c
the sliding cylinder & gradually descends until the ball cock in connection with the
container c' is opened so as to allow the water to flow to the said container c¹
through the branch 2. The container c can thus be removed from its holder and
replenished after turning off the cock, whilst the container e is generating gas.
The gas stored up in the gas-holder passes down through the pipe i where any
moisture contained therein is condensed, and thence into the cooling chamber j
where the condensed moisture is deposited and from which the gas is drawn off
through the pipe for consumption as required.
In practice we find it advantageous to mark on the sliding cylinder 6 two lines
(shewn at A and B in Figure 1) in such a position that when the line A is
coincident with the upper edge of the gas-holder a the sliding cylinder has
descended sufficiently to open the ball cock in connection with the container,
whilst when the line B is coincident with the said upper edge of the gas-holder
the other ball cock has been opened. By this means the attendant can ascertain
when the first container has been exhausted.
It will be obvious that the ball cock g' can be fitted to the tube h and the tube y
made to open into the upper part of the gas-holder without departing from the
principle of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for generating, storing and cooling acetylene gas wherein a
gas-holder or gasometer is used, the employment of one or more hermetically

page_text: closed holders each located in the gas-holder and preferably surrounded by the
water contained therein and designed to contain a calcium carbide container
divided into a series of compartments of predetermined size by partitions, and
each of the said holders having two outlets into the interior of the gas-holder one
of which is controlled by a cock or valve, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas wherein a gas-holder and one or
more calcium carbide containers each having two outlets into the gas-holder are
employed, controlling the generation of the gas by means of a valve operated by
the movement of the sliding cylinder of the gas-holder which valve is fitted to the
outlet of the generated gas into the gas-holder so that the up and down movement
of the sliding cylinder controls the flow of gas into the gas-holder from one outlet,
and the flow of water into the containers through the other outlet, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. The combination with apparatus of the kind described in Claim 1, of a cooling
chamber arranged at the bottom of the gas-holder and of a pipe passing from the
top of the gas-holder into the cooling chamber through the water contained in the
gas-holder, substantially as described.
4. In apparatus of the kind described in Claim 1 forming the partitions, which
divide the calcium carbide containers into compartments, with openings or notches
at their upper ends and with gauze or perforated metal funnels or tubes and
providing the compartments with channels or passages formed by perforated plates
placed longitudinally between the partitions on either side or on both sides of the
containers, substantially as described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved apparatus
for generating, storing and cooling acetylene gas hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.