Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
I, BERNHARD VON SCHEIDT, of No. 38, Pestalozzi-strasse, Charlottenburg, in the
Empire of Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention consists of acetylene gas apparatus wherein the gas-producer
proper before the gas supply is exhausted-is adapted in all cases to start afresh,
automatically, by the descending motion of the dome.
In the gasometer chamber the dome is adapted to float in the well known
manner being guided along a rod or rail by means of the axial vertical tube.
Below the lid or top of the dome there are situated the orifices of the pipes, th
former of which leads the gas to the place where it is to be consumed and
carries a pressure-gauge and a stop-cock, while the latter or inlet pipe conducts
the gas as it is produced under the dome. This dome is extended upwards,
beyond its lid or top proper, and is fitted at the extended part with a horizontal
rail, in close contact therewith, and reaching over as far as the gas-producer,
being provided at this end with a movable nose or tappet which is adapted, when
depressed, to turn down on its hinge; whereas, when it is relieved from the
pressure which has compressed a spring-it is by such spring restored to its
original position. When pressed upon in the upward direction however the
said tappet takes up its position in contact with the rail and there remains
stationary.
From the gas producer a pipe connection leads to the washing chamber arranged
outside the gas-holder, into the upper part of which opens the opposite end of
the above mentioned pipe; such washing chamber being provided, moreover.
with a charging funnel, a charging orifice, an outlet (if desired), a safety-valve
and a discharging nozzle or jet-tube.
The gas-producing chamber of square section is fitted with a waste-cock below
-at a point near the bath placed under it-and with a filling or charging cock or
opening at the top. The upper part of this chamber is made semi-circular,
while the metal plate within such chamber is extended to form & complete circle,
so that a drum-jacket is obtained, which is open both at the top-towards the
filling opening and below, for, say, one-tenth of its periphery. Within this
jacket is arranged the cylindrical drum or barrel which comprises ten carburet
chambers closed with hinged lids adapted to be turned outwards, and is rigidly
secured upon the horizontal shaft extending through the casing. Inasmuch as
the lids lie in contact with the drum-jacket, the chambers at all times remain
closed, save the one chamber placed opposite the jacket orifice. But even this
chamber may be kept closed when it is desired to admit a fresh charge of carburet
into the barrel or drum, a hinged lid or door in that case closing the lower
orifice of the drum-jacket under the action of a bell-crank lever. Externally, a
cross-frame formed of ten arms or spokes, Nos. 1 to 10, is mounted upon the

page_text: shaft the outer ends of which spokes are arranged-as the dome rises and falls-
successively to move into the path of the tappet of the rail.
Each of the spokes or arms carries a projecting fork and is marked with its
proper number. To the spoke 8 there is fastened a cord weighted with eight
counter-poises, each of which corresponds to the weight of the charge of carburet
filled into one of the compartments of the barrel, and which thus serve to balance
such barrel, so that it may not shift out of its proper position of its own accord,
in consequence of its becoming heavier on one side than on the other.
The operation of the novel arrangement is as follows:-
The gas holder washing chamber and gas-producer are each filled with a suffi-
ciency of water and all the taps are turned off. The bell-crank lever is so operated
that the door of the barrel-jacket and also consequently the lowermost door of the
barrel are closed.
The inlet orifice is now opened, and, through it, the carburet compartments of
the barrel are filled each in succession, after opening the lids whereupon the
position of the cross-frame should be such, that the arm or spoke 1 may point
downwards.
After this the orifice is closed and the bell-crank lever reversed, when the first
portion of carburet will fall into the water in the gas-producer; the acetylene,
which is produced in consequence, escaping through the pipe dipping into the
water and, through the washing chamber, under the dome, which is thereby raised.
The rail with its movable tappet participates in this movement even while all
available gas-jets are lighted, the said tappet being turned down under the pres
sure of a spoke-end, as the corresponding spoke passes.
In proportion as gas is consumed the dome gradually descends and with it the
rail which by this time touches the spokes with its tappet from above and con-
sequently depresses such spokes for a predetermined distance, until the next car-
buret-receptacle is moved into position and emptied and fresh gas is produced,
when the operation described will be automatically repeated as many times over
as there are receptacles or compartments in the barrel.
But now the said barrel after part of its compartments have been emptied,
would in consequence of the resulting inequality, in its weight be apt to become
unreliable in its operation. In order therefore, to ensure constant equipoise, a
counter-balancing weight, as the barrel turns, is raised from the ground, when-
ever a chamber is emptied, by the cord passing round the fork. The numbers
upon the arms of the cross-frame enable the amount of carburet consumed, or
in other words the level of the carburet still remaining behind, to be at all times
read off. The casing of the gas-holder dome, which is extended upwardly, enables
the pressure required to supply gas for burning to be adjusted to any desired
degree by pouring in water, oil or the like through the top. The capacity of
the dome corresponds to the acetylene produced from a charge of carburet con-
tained in any one of the compartments of the drum or barrel.
Dated this 25th day of February 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
I, BERNHARD VON SCHEIDT, of 53, Knobelsdorff Strasse, Charlottenburg, near
Berlin, in the German Empire, Engineer, late of No. 38, Pestalozzi Strasse

page_text: Charlottenburg, 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 subject of the present invention is an improved apparatus for generating
acetylene gas and the invention refers more particularly to the means for supplying
calcium carbide to the water chamber on the one hand, and to the arrangement of
a safety valve on the other hand.
The purpose of the invention is to effect the supply of calcium carbide to the
generator automatically and in accordance with the consumption of acetylene
gas produced and to render the action of the apparatus perfectly safe and reliable.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is
a vertical section through the whole apparatus, & Fig. 2 is an elevation of a
detail.
The generator A is provided with an opening a for supplying water to the
water chamber enabling the latter to be filled to a certain level. The carbide
chamber B constructed in the shape of a drum is fitted to rotate in suitable bear-
ings above the generator A. The carbide chamber or drum B is divided by
separating walls, extending radially from the axle to the periphery of the drum,
into a number of compartments C. These compartments are each provided with
a pivoted lid D at the periphery of the drum. A mantle or casing E closely
surrounds the drum B and is provided in the bottom part with an opening e in
accordance with the size of the openings of the compartments C. Arms H are
radially arranged on the axle F of the drum in such a manner that each is coin-
cident in position with one of the radial partition walls of the carbide drum, B.
A pawl and ratchet arrangement or similar means are provided to prevent the
drum B from rotating except in the desired direction. The gas produced in the
generator A is conducted through a pipe J to the gasometer K, which latter is
fitted in the usual manner with a bell L and all other necessary accessories. A
purifying chamber M fitted with a safety valve the construction of which will be
referred to more particularly later on, is arranged between the generator A and
the gasometer K. Across the top of the gasometer bell L is fitted a lever N
having a centre of motion in a horizontal plane about the point n. This lever N
is carried by the bell L and one end extends to the arms H of the carbide drum B.
A roller is arranged at this extremity of the lever N at right angles to the
latter and a metal hoop P of the shape of a right angled triangle is secured to
said lever N and arranged vertically above the roller o as shown in side elevation
in Fig. 2. The points of the triangular hoop P are rounded off as illustrated in
Fig. 2. The other extremity of the lever N (on the left hand side of the drawing
Fig. 1) which projects beyond the gasometer bell L bears against a wire Q
suspended from the top of the gasometer frame R and provided with a weight S
at the bottom.
The action of the apparatus is as follows;
Assuming the carbide drum B to be in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 the
lid D of the lowest compartment of the drum has opened by gravity, so that the
calcium carbide contained in this compartment has dropped into the generator A.
The acetylene gas consequently developed is conducted through the pipe J and
the purifying vessel M into the gasometer K, and on filling the latter the gas
raises the gasometer bell L. The lever N, being fastened to the bell, necessarily
partakes in the movement and rises until the extremity fitted with the roller and
triangular hoop bears against the projecting part, marked 2 in the accompanying
drawing, of the arm H of the carbide drum B. In further rising the incline of
the metal hoop P, more particularly shown in Fig. 2, will pass laterally under
the projection 2 and in doing so will turn the lever N slightly on its pivot n against
the tension of the weighted wire Q and allowing the lever N to pass the arm.
soon as the lever N has cleared the arm 2 the weight S will act on the wire Q
As

page_text: in such a manner that the lever N returns to its original position, whereupon no
further obstacle will prevent it from rising. The bell L and with it the lever N,
falling by reason of the consumption of the gas, the roller O will bear on the
projecting end 2 of the arm H of the carbide drum B and press same downwards,
thereby causing the said drum B to revolve until the arm H occupies the posi-
tion of the preceding arm marked 1 in the drawing, whereupon the lid D of the
corresponding carbide compartments will open by gravity and the calcium carbide
contained in this compartiment discharged into the generator A. The lid of the
previously emptied compartment has been automatically closed during the move-
ment of the drum by contact with the closely surrounding mantle or casing E.
The action of the various parts of the apparatus is repeated indefinitely, the drum
being partially rotated every time the gasometer bell L is lowered.
It should be mentioned that a vertical rod T is mounted on the mantle or
casing E of the drum to which said rod is connected a lid U for closing the open-
ing in the bottom part of the mantle or casing E so that no calcium carbide may
be supplied to the generator. The lower end of the rod T may for this purpose
be pivoted to a projecting arm of the lid U, as illustrated, so that on depressing
the rod the lid U will move upward and close the opening. This will interrupt the
action of the apparatus and enable the various compartments of the drum B to
be refilled with calcium carbide, for which purpose a suitable opening V is
arranged on the top part of the mantle or casing E.
As the end of the pipe J is immersed in the water or other suitable purifying
agent contained in the chamber M, the acetylene gas will be prevented from
returning from the gasometer bell to the generator.
A wire net or sieve W fixed across the entrance from the generator A to the
pipe J will destroy large gas bubbles so that only small gas bubbles can pass
into the said pipe J.
The purifying chamber is also fitted so as to act as a safety valve, for which
purpose it is divided by a separating wall into two compartments M and m².
Perforations in the bottom part M¹ of the separating wall will cause an uniform
level in the two compartments and an opening m is provided in the upper part,
above the level of the purifying liquid to which said opening a short tube X is
fitted dipping below the liquid level in the other compartment as shown. When
the pressure of the acetylene gas developed exceeds the normal it will act on the
level of the liquid in the tube X, pressing same down until it has travelled the
whole length of this tube whereupon it will escape at Y into the compartment m²
and from there through the open tubes m³ and z into the atmosphere. The pres-
sure of the gas again assuming normal conditions the liquid will again rise in
the tube X.
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 apparatus for generating acetylene gas in which the calcium carbide is
supplied to the generator in predetermined quantities from the various uniform
compartments of a drum, the arrangement of a lever on top of the gasometer bell
having one end extending so as to act upon radial arms on the axle of the drum
and fast to the latter substantially as and for the purpose described.
of
2. In apparatus for generating acetylene of the class described, the arrangement
mantle or casing closely surrounding the carbide drum and provided with
an opening in the bottom part corresponding to the openings of the compartments
so that on rotating the drum the lids of the compartments will successively open,
described.
substantially as and for the purpose
3. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas of the class described, the arrange-
ment of a purifying chamber fitted so as to act as a safety valve, between the
generator and the gasometer, consisting in separating the said vessel into two
compartments, and fitting a pipe into the partition wall above the level of the

page_text: liquid, an exhaust pipe serving for the escape of the gas into the atmosphere,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. An apparatus for generating acetylene gas arranged and adapted to operate
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of November 1898.
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.