Improvements in Acetylene Generating Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Acetylene Generating Apparatus.
JOSEPH SOMERS GOODWIN, 4A, Bethune Road, Stamford Hill, London, N.,
Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
-
An apparatus for generating acetylene gas, for use in table bicycle or carriage
lamps, by the action of water on calcium carbide.
It is a vessel divided into two nearly equal compartments by a horizontal
partition. The upper compartment contains the supply of water, and the lower
compartment the carbide.
A½ in. tube is fastened to the inside of the lower compartment, one end of
this tube reaches to nearly the bottom of this compartment. The other end just
passes through the partition, and opens into the water compartment.
A short length (about 3/4 in. long) of ½ in. tube is fastened to the inside of
carbide compartment.
Its lower end is ½ in. higher than the bottom of the other ½ in. tube.
Its upper end is slightly bent, and passes through the side of the vessel, and is
fitted with a tap. Both these tubes run in a vertical direction.
A circular hole about ½ in. in diameter is made in the partition which separates
the two compartments, a tube is fitted into this hole. It extends from the
partition to nearly the top of the water compartment. This tube is capped at
the top.
Near the circumference & through the cap a ½ in. hole is made and through
this hole passes a piece of 18 in. tube. This tube is about two thirds the length
of water compartment. Its upper end passes through a cap, which covers the top
of the apparatus and is fitted with a tap.
The cap which forms the top has a ½ in. hole made in it, this is fitted with a
loose cover and is to admit the supply of water.
The carbide is contained primarily in a holder which nearly fits the lower
compartment, but is about 11 inch shorter. This holder when filled with carbide
is quite closed, with the exception of a small hole in the bottom and a ½ in. hole
in the top. This hole is fitted with a piece of ½ in. tube, its length is
slightly shorter than the ½ in. tube which is in the water compartment. When
the holder is placed in its proper position the small tube passes into the ½ in. tube.
One of the objects of this is to act as a condenser. The lower end of the holder
has a loop of wire extending about 1%, inch, its object is to keep the holder in
position, and also to remove the same. The holder has removable caps at either
end so that it may be loaded & cleared. The sides are made to fall apart when the
caps are removed so that it may with ease be cleared of the hydrate of lime, left br
the decomposition of the carbide.
All the water
The lower end of the apparatus is closed by a removable cap.
that reaches the carbide having to pass through the bottom of the holder it must
therefore pass through the hydrate of lime formed; so by that the chemical action

page_text: is quiet & continuous instead of violent & intermittent. If too much gas is being
formed the water is forced back to the water compartment. The tap near the
bottom is to allow the water to be run off to below the level of the carbide, and yet
leave sufficient to make a slight back pressure, so that when the light is not
wanted, the gas formed by the residue of water in the hydrate of lime may be 5
burned out.
Improvements in Acetylene Generating Apparatus.
I, JOSEPH SOMERS GOODWIN, of 4A, Bethune Road, Stamford Hill, in the County
of London, Commercial Traveller, 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:-
My invention relates to a new or improved acetylene generating apparatus or
lamp which is so arranged and constructed as to allow the contact between the
water and the carbide of calcium to take place almost by capillarity that is to
say through a very small opening formed centrally at the bottom of the receptacle
containing the carbide of calcium, such water having to pass first through the
lowermost layer of carbide which has been already acted upon and forms in reality
the residuum or lime before it can reach the live carbide. Owing to this arrange-
ment the evolution of acetylene gas is properly regulated, and violent evolutions of
gas are prevented, as the contact between the water and the carbide is gradual and
resembles a sort of moistening process.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of one form
of apparatus more particularly adaptable for use as a lamp for velocipedes and other
similar vehicles.
Fig. 2 is a cross section on line aa of Fig. 1.
My new or improved acetylene generating apparatus consists of a tubular
casing c of metal or other suitable material and of suitable length divided into two
parts by a transverse partition d centrally connected with a vertical tube leading
outside the casing c by means of a reduced end. The upper part t serves as a tank
for the water which is poured into the same through an opening formed at the
top, and closed by a lid pivoted to such top. In the lower part is stored the
receptacle for the carbide of calcium which consists of a cylindrical body or
casing preferably composed of two detachable parts, surmounted by a removable
cap g and terminating below with a truncated cone perforated centrally at v.
The cap is centrally perforated and connected to a thin gas outlet pipe a
extending within the tube b and the upper end of which is closed. h is a handle
attached to the receptacle r so as to allow the same to be withdrawn by hand from
the casing this handle bears on the washer when the lamp operates and holds r
in position. The pipe a is provided at with a bevelled opening through which
the gas escapes downward along the tube in order to subsequently ascend and
finally escape through the pipe a¹ the object being to cool the gas by contact with
the pipe b.
o is a water discharge pipe provided with a tap s. i is a cap screwed or other-
wise fixed upon the lower end of the casing c and w is a washer of india rubber or
other suitable material.
The gas outlet a¹ of the tube
a burner of suitable construction.
may if desired be provided with a tap, and with

page_text: To set the lamp in operation the receptacle is first removed from the casing c,
the cap g is taken off and fresh carbide of calcium is placed upon a portion of the
already entirely or partly decomposed or residuum from the carbide previously
used, when the receptacle r is put back in its place. Water being then poured
through the opening at the top of the casing e, disclosed by turning its lid / to
one side, into the tank t the lid is closed again. The water descends through the
pipe p drops upon the bottom of the casing c and ascends within the same until it
reaches the lower end of the receptacle r and enters the same slowly through the
perforation vso as to first permeate through the lower layer of residuum before it
can reach the live carbide, when the evolution of acetylene gas commences and
proceeds, the said gas escaping through a¹ and being either burnt at a' or conveyed
to any suitable burner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In acetylene generating apparatus, the combination in an outer casing pro-
vided at the top with a water inlet opening and a gas outlet, of a water tank having
a central tubular opening, of a carbide of calcium receptacle or generator of
cylindrical conical shape arranged below the same, terminated at the top with a
central and vertical gas outlet pipe closed at the top and perforated laterally and
having no connection with the said tank, of a pipe leading from the water tank
to the lower end of the outer casing and allowing the water from such tank to
drop upon the bottom of such casing and to ascend therein subsequently in order
to enter through the central perforation formed in the conical end of the generator
and to act on the carbide of calcium contained therein and of a water discharge
pipe provided with a tap, the whole substantially as herein described and shown.
2. The improved acetylene generating apparatus arranged constructed and
operating substantially as herein described and shown.
Dated this 20th day of Annil 1808