provements in Safety Appliances to be Used in Connection with Electrical Decomposing Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1894-Accepted. 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Safety Appliances to be Used in Connection with
Electrical Decomposing Apparatus.
I JAMES CHARLES RICHARDSON of 23 Claremont Square, London, N., Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In electro-chemical decomposition, where an electrolyte is decomposed for the
production of a gas or gases, which are collected and stored, provision is generally
made to prevent the mixing of the said gas or gases, either together or with air.
Sometimes, however, the means provided may fail to act, or circumstances may
accidentally arise, which will permit the gases liberated by electrolysis to mix or
diffuse, and form, alone, or in the presence of atmospheric air, an explosive mixture
of sufficient volume to prove dangerous, if brought by any cause to the point of
ignition.
The object of the present invention is to prevent, in cases where (either by faulty
condition of apparatus or other accidental circumstances), the gases are becoming
mixed in the manner indicated, a dangerous explosion resulting therefrom.
According to my invention, I provide means whereby an explosive mixture, if it
is formed, is not allowed to accumulate to a sufficient extent to be a source of
danger. These means consist of a suitably placed burner, or exploder, which will
burn or explode the mixture as it is formed, and before an accumulation to any
dangerous extent has taken place.
The burner or exploder, which may conveniently be employed, is a lighted gas
jet, the flame from which, or the heat derived therefrom, is utilized to produce an
exploding temperature in the gas-collecting chamber or pipe. Other means which
may be employed in the gas collector for igniting the mixture may be an electrical
induction coil, producing an exploding spark between suitable terminals, the primary
coil of which may be supplied with current from the electrolytic mains or branches,
or separately supplied; or a resistance of suitable material capable of being raised
to a high temperature when placed in circuit as a shunt with the electrolytic
current, so that while electrolysis goes on, the exploding apparatus is in action,
which may be constantly indicated, as by the ringing or non ringing of an electric
bell, or making or breaking an electric circuit, giving indication of danger at the
proper quarter.
Another alternative is the employment of a small quantity of spongy platinum
which has the property of exploding certain mixed gases.
By thus exploding, or, in other words, causing to quietly chemically combine,
the mixture in small or harmless quantities as it is formed, all chance of a serious
explosion will be avoided, which otherwise would be inevitable, in case of the
apparatus getting out of order, and permitting an explosive mixture to accumulate.
Dated this 19th day of October 1893.
NEWTON & SUN,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: CUMI LEIE DI BUITIATION.
Improvements in Safety Appliances to be Used in Connection with.
Electrical Decomposing Apparatus.
I JAMES CHARLES RICHARDSON of 23 Claremont Square, London, N., Electrical
Engineer, 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 :-
In electro-chemical decomposition, where an electrolyte is decomposed for the
production of a gas or gases, which are collected and stored, provision is generally
made to prevent the mixing of the said gas or gases, either together or with air.
Sometimes, however, the means provided may fail to act, or circumstances may
accidentally arise which will permit the gases liberated by electrolysis to mix or
diffuse, and form alone, or in the presence of atmospheric air, an explosive mixture
of sufficient volume to prove dangerous, if brought by any cause to the point of
ignition.
The object of the present invention is to prevent, in cases where (either by faulty
condition of apparatus or other accidental circumstances) the gases are becoming
mixed in the manner indicated, a dangerous explosion resulting therefrom.
According to my invention, I provide means whereby an explosive mixture, if it
is formed, is not allowed to accumulate to a sufficient extent to be a source of
danger. These means consist of a suitably placed burner or exploder, which will
burn or explode the mixture as it is formed, and before an accumulation to any
dangerous extent, has taken place.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shewn, in cross section, a compartment
of an electrolytic tank provided with a safety appliance according to my invention.
At Fig. 1, the burner or exploder which I have shewn, is a Bunsen gas burner
situated within a pipe B, communicating with the collecting, chamber A of the
tank. The flame from this jet, or the heat derived therefrom, is utilized to produce
an exploding temperature in the gas collecting chamber or pipe. Other means
which may be employed for igniting any explosive mixture being formed, may be
an electrical induction coil, producing an exploding spark between suitable terminals,
such as are shown at Fig. 2, where C is a closed vessel, which may be of glass,
mounted on the tank A, and communicating with the interior thereof.
cc are terminals of the electric circuit, wherein is placed an induction coil, the
primary coil of which may be supplied with current from the electrolytic mains or
branches, or separately supplied.
As a modification of this arrangement, a resistance d, of suitable material (see
Fig. 24), capable of being raised to a high temperature, when placed in circuit, as
a shunt, with the electrolytic current, may be employed, so that while electrolysis
goes on, the exploding apparatus is in action. This may be constantly indicated
by the ringing, or non-ringing, of an electric bell, or making or breaking an electric
circuit, giving indication of danger at the proper quarter.
Another alternative, not illustrated, is the employment of a small quantity of
spongy platinum, or other suitable substance, which has the property of exploding
certain mixed gases.
By thus exploding, or, in other words, causing to quietly chemically combine, the
mixture in small or harmless quantities, as it is formed, all chance of a serious
explosion will be avoided, which otherwise would be inevitable, in case of the
apparatus getting out of order, and permitting an explosive mixture to accumulate.

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:-
The employment, in connection with the gas collecting chamber or chambers of
electrolytic decomposing apparatus, of a safety exploding device consisting of a
flame, or its equivalent, whereby the explosive mixture may be consumed as it is
formed, and prevented from assuming a volume sufficient to be dangerous,
substantially as described.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.