Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
I, ROBERT SODERQUIST, Engineer, of Helsingborg, Sweden, 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 invention relates to apparatus for the production of acetylene gas so
arranged as to be self regulating as I shall describe referring to the accompanying
drawings. Fig. 1 is a vertical section and Fig. 2 partly a horizontal section on
the line of Fig. 1 and partly a plan of half of the apparatus. Figs. 3 and 4
show to an enlarged seale a vertical section and plan of a detail.
The apparatus comprises a gasholder, having at its fixed parts two concentric
cylinders A, B united at the bottom the upper part of the innermost cylinder B
having a cover C. The movable part D of the gasholder has a cylindrical wall
which descends in the space between the cylinders A, B, which is charged to a
From the centre
suitable height with water, glycerine or other suitable liquid.
of the roof of D is suspended a vessel E preferably cylindrical, having perforated
walls and bottom and holding carbide of calcium." Outside this vessel E there is
a cylindrical vessel F, the walls of which are perforated at some distance above
the bottom as at G., Outside this vessel F there is a cylindrical receptacle H
with double walls. Into the annular space between these walls extend a
cylinder I open at both ends its upper part being fixed gas-tight to the cover C.
A water tank K of capacity considerably greater than that of the receptacle H,
is placed at the side of the apparatus, and from its bottom a duct provided with
regulating cocks L and M. passes into the receptacle H and opens close to its
bottom, the part of the duct between the cocks L and M being a hose. It is to
be understood that the gas holder is provided with a suitable outlet for the gas..
The annular space of H and that between the cylinders A and B are kept
charged to a suitable height with liquid. The receptacle H and the vessel F can
be lowered and moved aside so that the vessel E holding the carbide can be
removed; the device for suspending the vessel E to the roof of the gas holder
being such that the vessel can be readily fastened or unfastened. A suitable
device of this kind is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It consists of a ring a to which
the vessel E is rigidly fixed it may be for instance by three rods P as indicated
in Fig. 1. This ring a has three hooks b which can be passed up through holes c
made in a piece d which is fixed to the roof of the gas holder.
At the side of
each of the holes e is cut a slot e and at the end of each slot there is a recess f.
By partly turning the vessel E after passing the hooks b through the holes c
until the hooks come into the recesses f, the vessel is firmly held.
The production of acetylene gas by this apparatus is effected in the following
manner.
The receptacle H and the vessel F being removed, the vessel E is taken out
and charged with calcium carbide. It is then again suspended to the roof of
the gas-holder, and the receptacle H and vessel F are replaced. From the tank K
water is gradually let into the receptacle H through the duct and cocks L and M.

page_text: When the water rises to the perforated part G of the vessel F it flows into the
vessel F and thence into E and comes in contact with the carbide. Acetylene
gas is then evolved, and it ascends the cylinder I into the upper part of the gas-
holder, which rises, thereby lifting the carbide vessel E and raising the carbide
from the water causing the evolution of the gas to cease. As the gas issues by
the outlet O the gas-holder descends along with the vessel E bringing the carbide
again in contact with the water so that a fresh quantity of gas is evolved. This
action continues until the carbide has been changed into lime, whereupon another
vessel E charged with carbide can be introduced as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
-:
A self regulating apparatus for the production of acetylene_gas constructed and
operating substantially as described.
Dated this 5th day of Contamila. 1000