Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Burning Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Burning Acetylene
Gas.
We, CHARLES TESTELIN and CHARLES ROSEAUX, of 39 bi, Rue de Chateaudun,
Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to acetylene gas generators and lamps in which
the carbide is fed from a container through a valve operated by the bell which is
acted upon by the gas generated and the said invention has for its object to pro-
vide improvements whereby any excess in the production of gas is prevented and
the apparatus is rendered perfectly safe.
con-
According to this invention we combine one above the other two carbide con-
tainers and valves for allowing the carbide to fall, first from one container into the
other the valves being opened and allowed to close by the aforesaid bell. Inside
the upper container is fixed centrally a tube through which passes another tube
which carries below a spherical valve and above this an oval valve (as in lamps
of the kind to which this invention relates) and is fixed at its upper end to a closing
spring. Beneath the upper container is the second container, which is
siderably smaller than that above, its opening being controlled by a ball or like
valve carried by a rod passing through the interior of the tube which carries the
valves of the first container. On the upper end of the said rod is a button against
which bears the closing spring. Carbide from the upper container falls through
its valves and the second container into the water below where it is decomposed,
the gas produced causing the bell to rise and the valves to close until the descent
of the bell opens the valves again.
Therefore should too large an amount of carbide descend and cause an excess
in the production of gas the bell at once by rising under the pressure allows the
valves to close and prevents the carbide falling in excess, thus ensuring perfect
safety. The valve of the lower container being first opened allows the carbide
which is received in the lower container to fall in small quantities until all is used.
This double distribution of the carbide entirely prevents any excess in the pro-
duction of the gas, as should a grain of carbide get between the valve and the outlet
from the upper container and prevent the perfect closing of the valve as only
powdered carbide can fall and as it will fall into the lower container it will be
quite impossible for it to prevent the valve of the lower container being properly
closed. In the upper part of the apparatus is a tap on the pipe which supplies
the gas to the purifier. Should the bell rise too high this tap is acted upon to cut
off the outlet for gas.
The apparatus may be used either as a generator and burner of the gas or as
a gas generator only in which latter case a cock for drawing off the gas is arranged
at or near the base, the gas generated passing down a pipe (which rises to above
the water level in the apparatus) and through a purifier provided with a purging
cock.

page_text: We do not limit ourselves to the operation of the valves as described as they may
be operated by means of levers or other mechanical equivalents of the means
.described.
D
1
T... 1000
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Burning Acetylene
Gas.
We, CHARLES TESTELIN, Doctor of Medicine, and CHARLES ROSEAUX, Manu-
facturer, of 39bi, Rue de Chateaudein, Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
The present invention relates to acetylene gas generators and lamps in which
the carbide is fed from a container through a valve operated by the bell which is
acted upon by the gas generated and the said invention has for its object to pro-
vide improvements whereby any excess in the production of gas is prevented and
the apparatus is rendered perfectly safe.
We will describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawing
which shews a lamp generating and burning acetylene gas according to this inven-
tion.
The body of the lamp is formed of two concentric cylinders 1, 2 fixed at 3 on
a base 4, the space between the two cylinders forming a water joint for the bell 8
of a generator, which is kept in position by a set screw 25.
The base 4 is hollow and forms a holder for water a portion 5 being shut off
and serving to condense the steam entering by the pipe 23.
The powdered carbide of calcium is carried in a container 7 conical at its lower
end and hung from the cylinder 2 as shewn in the drawings. Inside this container
a tube 9 is fixed centrally through which passes another tube 10 fixed at its upper
end to a spring 11 mounted on the said container, the said tube carries below a
spherical valve 12 and above this an oval valve 13.
Beneath this principal container 7 is the second container 14 which is con-
siderably smaller than that above its opening being controlled by a ball or like
valve 15 carried by a rod 16 passing through the interior of the aforesaid tube 10.
On the upper end of the said rod 16 is a head 17 against the underside of which
bears the spring 18. The vapours produced by the reaction condense on the out-
side of the casing 7 and the water therefrom is caught by the gutter 19 whence
it falls into the water holder beneath by the outlet 20. The water is thus pre-
vented from entering the containers by capilliary attraction and moistening the
carbide.
In apparatus for lighting on a large scale with 12, 24 or 50 burners for example
the bell is not raised when the receiver is to be refilled with carbide, the filling
being effected by raising the plate 26 which is made fast on the bell by bolts 27,
a lead joint 28 being provided for preventing the escape of gas. The opening 29
serves as an overflow or waste pipe, and 30 and 31 are discharge cocks. The
container 7 is filled by means of the pipe 33 passing in through the outer pipe 34
and attached to the plate 26. This pipe carries a cock 35 and is provided with
a funnel or hopper 36 which can be hermetically closed by a lid 36*.
filling, the cock 35 is closed the lid 36* is opened and the carbide placed in the
When

page_text: hopper, the lid is then closed and the cock opened. 6 is a vessel for containing
suitable purifying material connected to the generator by the pipe 24 and through
which the gas passes on its way to the burners.
The working of the apparatus is as follows: The pipes 9 and 10 are cleaned and
put in position and water is placed in the holder 4 in the base of the apparatus and
in the space comprised between the two cylinders 1 and 2. The powdered carbide
of calcium is introduced into the container 7 through a hole in the cover thereof
which is then closed by a screw plug. The container is then suspended from the
top of the inner cylinder 2 and is enclosed by the bell 8 the cock 32 being opened to
allow of the escape of air from the interior of the apparatus.
As soon as the cocks 21 and 22 and that of the burner or burners in use are
opened the apparatus commences to work; the bell 8 drops until it comes against
the head 17, the spring supporting which is depressed under the weight of the
said bell the spherical valve 15 is lowered and the orifice in the container 14
opened.
If there be carbide already in the lower container it falls into the water in
the holder 4 beneath causing gas to be generated the pressure of which then raises
the bell 8, but if the lower container 14 has no carbide therein the bell 8 continues
to drop until it acts on the rod 10 and spring 11 and so lowers the ball valve 12
allowing the carbide to fall into the lower container 14; the oval valve 13 falling
with the rod 10 serves to regulate the feed of carbide from the upper container 7;
the carbide then falls into the water and the acetylene gas is generated causing the
bell 8 to rise, and the two springs 11 and 18- to be released and so again close
the orifices at the base of the containers.
If from any fault in the working of the apparatus the carbide should continue
to fall from the container 7 the spherical valve 15 would still continue to act and
so prevent the descent of the carbide into the holder 4.
The apparatus may be arranged so that should undue pressure be applied to the
bell 8 the valve 12 would drop so as to occupy the place of the valve 15 and the
fall of carbide from the containers would be arrested. The carbide cannot
accumulate in the container 14 above the conical portion thereof and the capacity
of the said container is such that even if the whole amount of carbide therein fell
into the water the bell would be able to hold all the gas thus generated.
By using an upper and lower container for regulating the supply of carbide the
chances of an excess production of acetylene gas are reduced to a minimum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
In apparatus for generating acetylene gas in which the carbide falls into water,
a self-regulating feed device comprising an upper container 7 and a lower and
smaller container 14, having valves 12 and 15 working independently, which are
retained on their seats by springs 11 and 18 and opened by the descent of the
bell 8 the valve 12 only opening when the lower container is empty, a valve 13
regulating the feed of carbide from the upper container into the lower container,
substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of February 1899
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.