Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generators.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1899-Accepted, 1st July, 1898
Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generators.
We, REGINALD WILLIAMS, Licentiate of The Royal College of Physicians and
Surgeons, Edinburgh, of 7, Station Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, and JOHN
HARWOOD CLARKE, Engineer, of 14, Brompton Square, London, S.W., do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to acetylene gas generators in which the calcium carbide
used is dropped in regulated quantities into water to produce acetylene gas.
Our object is to improve the construction of such generators so as to obtain more
certain results.
Part of our invention relates to the valve arrangements for liberating calcium
carbide, and part to the general arrangements of acetylene generators.
Our invention consists in improvements in valve devices and their connections,
and generally in an improved construction of gas generator containing the new
valve devices.
In constructing our improved valve in accordance with one modification, we
cause a conical valve to close the discharge aperture of a calcium carbide chamber,
the cone being thrust in from without. The apex of the cone carries a barbed spear
arrangement intended to act by loosening the calcium carbide when the valve is
travelled backwards in opening, and also to seize upon particles of calcium carbide
when the valve is thrust inwards for closing. The valve is preferably arranged.
at the end of a pivotted lever, and is controlled by the rise and fall of an acetyleno
gas holder.
In another improved construction of calcium carbide valve we arrange two flap
valves opening outwards from the chamber. These flap valves are pivoted at
opposing edges of the chamber discharge aperture, and they hinge or swivel in
such manner that sharp lips meet each other, and so cut through any calcium
carbide which might otherwise prevent proper closing. The valves are provided
with opposing levers, actuated from a central rod. These levers have stops, which
limit the amount of opening, and beneath the flap valves we provide a sharply
pointed cone which serves to distribute the solid carbide in its fall into the wafer.
In a modification of this construction we cause the flap valves to open swivelling
in a direction at right angles or thereabouts to the axis of the calcium carbide
holder. We open these valves by thrusting between their inner edges a conically
pointed rod. The valves travel pivoting from below, and so they open backwards,
the upper parts being arranged with surfaces forming an arc of a circle, which arc
is struck from the pivotting centre. Projections from the bottom of the carbide
chamber scrape the arc surfaces of the flap valves as they move backwards. The
pointed rod actuating the valves is operated from a gas holder, and it is supplied
with a conical collar for distributing the carbide.
In one acetylene gas generator constructed in accordance with our invention,
we arrange an outer vessel in which a gas holder or bell works. The gas holder
or bell operates in an annular water seal formed between the outer vessel and an
inner cylindrical projection projecting inwards from the bottom of the vessel,

page_text: This inward projecting cylinder contains the water which is to act chemically upon
the calcium carbide and the water of the seal is not used at all for chemical action.
It is kept separate.
The gas holder carries in its upper part a vessel containing the charge of calcium
carbide. This vessel terminates at its lower end in a conical discharge or
hopper, which discharge end is fitted with either of the valves herein before
described. The upper part of the calcium carbide chamber is closed by a cover
secured by wing nuts swivelling from pins, and so arranged that on slacking back
each nut the screw can be swivelled by means of a slot clear of the cover. Au
india rubber or other joint is provided to make the cover air tight. A rubber
joint is also provided between the calcium carbide chamber and a projecting cylin-
drical part projecting from the upper part of the bell or gas holder. The top of
the bell and part of this cylindrical portion, or the whole of it, is supplied with' a
water jacket. This water jacket aids in cooling the acetylene when generated,
and assists in preventing the formation of bye-products or substances other than
acetylene. In the lower part of the inner decomposing chamber we provide a
screw lying, preferably in a conical place, across the apparatus. This screw
operates in a sleeve, and is formed with right and left hand threads. Sliding
nuts fit within the sleeve, and aro traversed in opposite directions on turning the
screw by means of a suitable wheel or handle, outside the apparatus. The nuts
connect by toggle links to a joint at the lower end of a rod, which is guided by
passing through a hole at its upper end in a cross piece. The upper end of this
rod carries a plate attached to it in any suitable manner. By operating the right
and left hand screw which we have hereinbefore described, the position of this
plate may be varied vertically within a given range to any desired extent. The
lever or levers operating the calcium carbide valve or valves carry or carries a
depending link, which link is suitably weighted. The fall of the bell or gas
holder brings the end of the link in contact with the adjustable plate, and thus
opens the calcium carbide valve. The rise of the bell removes the link from con-
tact with the plate, and closes the valve. The apparatus is supplied with a safety
pipe intended to prevent undue pressure. Water is fed into the internal cylin-
drical part by means of a side and bottom pipe, and the lime produced by the
reaction is cleared out from the conical bottom of the central vessel by means of
a suitable tap or cock. The bell balances by means of weights and cords passing
over suitable pulleys. Stuffing glands are provided where necessary, and a pipe is.
arranged which stands above the level of the water in the inner vessel to enable
the acetylene generated to be taken off for consumption.
In some cases the use of an adjustable contact plate has been found to give
trouble from the accumulation of lime upon the plate. To avoid this difficulty
we sometimes provide the link depending from the valve levers with a conically.
shaped weight of auch angle as to readily allow the lime formed by decomposition
to fall off into the water and below this weight we provide a pointed rod passing
through a stuffing gland in the bottom of the vessel, the position of the rod being
determined by a quadrant lever, and notches or pins. This device also provides
for adjustment of the point of opening the calcium carbide valve, and it avoide
the accumulation of lime upon a plate.
In an apparatus of this form we sometimes provide an open chamber upon the
gas holder to contain cooling water.
In some cases we provide the upper end of the acetylene gas pipe with a conical
or other hood to prevent access of water in filling the vessel.
In some cases we dispense with the conical bottom for the outer and inner
vessel, and adopt an inclined bottom.
We find the cooling of the gas within the generator to be of considerable.
importance and we accordingly provide a water jacket upon the bell which may
be varied to increase the surface by corrugation, by insertion of tubes, or by
providing annular divisions.
We also find it important to secure the fall of the calcium carbide, to jar thó

page_text: calcium carbide containing vessel at intervals. To do this we provide within or
without the gas vessel a tumbling weight. This weight is raised to one position
by the fall of the generator, and any further movement in the same direction
causes it to tumble over the centre, to fall some distance, and strike against the
sides of the calcium carbide holder with some sharpness. The jar so given is
found to be useful in preventing any stoppage of the carbide.
.
1000
MARKS & CLERK,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generators.
I, REGINALD WILLIAMS, Licentiate of The Royal College of Physicians and
Surgeons, Edinburgh, of 7, Station Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, and Join
HAHWOOD CLARKE, Engineer, of 14, Brompton Square, London, S.W., 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
statement;
Our invention relates to acetylene gas generators in which the calcium carbide
is dropped in regulated quantities into water to produce acetylene gas, and has
for its object to improve the construction of such generators, so as to obtain more
certain results.
Part of our invention relates to the valve arrangements for liberating calcium
carbide, and part to the general arrangements of acetylene generators.
Our invention consists in improvements in valve devices and their connections,
and generally in an improved construction of gas generator containing the new
valve devices.
In the accompanying drawings;
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus constructed according to one modifi-
cation of our invention.
Figure 2 is a section of the carbide container, showing the valve for liberating
the calcium carbide.
Figures 3 and 4 are sections showing modified forms of valves for liberating
the calcium carbide.
Referring to Figure 1, which illustrates one form of acetylene gas generating
apparatus, constructed in accordance with our invention, the space between an
outer cylindrical vessel A and an inner vessel 1) contains water which forms
the water seal C of the gasholder or bell B. The inner vessel I) contains the
water which is to act chemically upon the calcium carbide. The water of the
seal is thus kept separate from the main mass of water which acts upon the
carbide, and it is possible to clear out the lime and discharge the water in the
vessel without allowing gas to escape from the gasholder B.
The top of the gasholder or bell B is provided with an upwardly projecting
cylindrical part B₁, which supports a vessel E containing the calcium carbide.
The upper end of this carbide container is provided with a cover F secured by
wing nuts carried upon the swivelling pins F. These pins project through
slots in the cover F so that, on slacking back each of the nuts F', they may be
swivelled clear of the cover and the cover may be lifted off to allow the vessel E
to be charged with carbide.

page_text: An india-rubber or other joint is provided to make the cover air-tight. A
rubber joint E is also provided between the part B of the bell and the vessel E
to prevent escape of gas from the bell. The diameter of the vessel E is sufficiently
great to prevent the decrease of weight resulting from the consumption of carbide
during a given period of time from sensibly affecting the presure of gas in the
bell B.
The vessel E terminates at its lower end in a conical discharge or hopper E',
which may be fitted with either of the valves shown in Figures 23 and 4. The
valve shown in Figure 1, and on a larger scale at Figure 2, consists of two flaps H
hinged upon opposing edges of the discharge aperture of the vessel E. These
flaps are provided with sharp edges or lips H' meeting together so as to cut through
any calcium carbide which might otherwise prevent proper closing. The flaps
are provided with opposing levers H which are actuated from a central rod K
by the connecting links I attached to the collar J. The central rod K carries at
its upper end beneath the flap valve, a sharply pointed cone L, which serves to
distribute the carbide in its fall into the water, and at its lower end, a conical
weight M, which keeps the valve closed. The stops H³ formed upon the levers H
limit the amount of opening of the flap valve by engagement with the sides of the
hopper When the gasholder B falls, due to consumption of gas, the weight M
conies into contact with the top of the rod N, and the carbide valve is opened,
allowing carbide to fall into the water in the vessel D. A quantity of acetylene
gas is thus generated, which causes the bell B to rise, taking the weight M out
of contact with the rod N. This weight then brings the flaps H together, and
so shuts off the supply of carbide. The apparatus is thus perfectly automatic in
its action. The rod N guided in a cross-piece N¹ passes through a stuffing-box N³
in the bottom of the apparatus, and is attached at its lower end to the toggle
links 0, which in turn are connected to sleeves or nuts 0¹ screwed to suit the right
and left handed screw threads on the rod P. By turning the handle P¹, the
nuts are traversed in opposite directions, and the position of the end of the
rod N may thus be varied to any desired extent. The modified form of valve
shown in Figure 3 consists of two flaps T, T, hinged at opposing ends of the dis-
charge aperture of the carbide vessel E, so that they open towards the interior of
the vessel. The flaps are opened by the thrusting in of the conical pointed
rod K, which carries a distributing cone L and a weight M, and slides in a
frame U attached to the sides of the hopper E. The upper part of each of the
flaps T, T, is arranged with its surface T curved to the arc of a circle struck
from its pivoting centre. Projections V, V, attached to the bottom of the
Fessel E scrape the arc surfaces and prevent carbide from falling behind the
flaps, which would interfere with their opening. The flaps are weighted at T³, T³,
so that they may close readily when the pointed rod K is withdrawn upon the
rising of the bell B.
In the further modification of our improved valve shown at Figure 4, the
discharge opening of the carbide container E is of a doubly tapering form, and
adapted to be closed by the cone valve W. This coue is attached to one end of
the pivoted lever X, which carries at its other end suspended by a rod Ka
weight such as M Figure 1, which keeps the valve closed so long as there is
sufficient gas in the bell to hold the weight out of contact with the adjustable
stop N. The cone W serves also to distribute the carbide uniformly in its fall
into the water. The spear-like attachment W on the apex of the cone is pro-
vided to loosen the particles of carbide in the container when the cone travels
backwards in opening, and to seize upon the particles of carbide when the cone
is thrust inwards for closing. A uniform How of carbide is thus insured by the
breaking up of the carbide in the container,, which has a tendency to become
caked as a result of its partial decomposition by vapour from the water in the
vessel D.
Instead of the spear attachment W¹ we may fix upon the surface of the cone
projecting spiral vanes which act in a similar manner.

page_text: With the form of valve above described it will be noticed that the rod K, with
its attached weight M, hangs out of the centre so that the adjustable rod N
described with reference to Figure 1 should also be arranged eccentrically to the
axis of the generator.
A water-jacket G is provided at the top of the bell B, which aids in cooling the
acetylene gas when generated, and also in preventing the formation of bye pro-
ducts or substances other than acetylene. We may increase the efficiency of the
jacket by providing it with annular divisions, or by the insertion of tubes in
which the gas collects, or by corrugation of the top of the bell and the upwardly
projecting part B¹. The bell is balanced in the usual manner by the weights B
attached to cords passing over the pulleys B³. The pipe Q whose upper end stands
above the water level in the vessel D enables the acetylene gas generated to be
taken off for consumption. This pipe may be bent at its upper end, or it may be
provided with a conical hood Q₁ as shown in Fig. 1 to prevent access of water
in filling the vessel. The water is fed into the vessel by means of the pipe R,
which is fitted at the bottom with a cock R¹, by means of which the lime and
water are discharged. The upper cock R is provided so that the water in the
vessel D may be kept at a proper level.
The safety pipe S is provided to prevent the attainment of undue pressure
within the bell.
The bottom of the apparatus is inclined to facilitate the discharge of the lime.
We may however, arrange the apparatus with a conical bottom, and attach the
discharge cock R at the apex of the cone. The screw P with its nuts and toggle
links for adjusting the position of the rod N may then work inside of a sleeve
fixed across the conical water space so formed.
We may provide within or without the gas-holder or bell a tumbling weight
which is raised to one position by the fall of the generator, and any further
movement in the same direction causes it to fall some distance, and strike against
the sides of the bell. The jar so given is found to be useful in preventing stoppage
of the flow of carbide.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas in which calcium carbide falls
into water, a valve for the feed aperture of the carbide container consisting of
two pivoted flaps adapted to open and close said aperture on the motion of the gas-
holder, substantially as herein before described.
2. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas in which calcium carbide falls
into water, a valve for the feed aperture of the carbide container consisting of two
pivoted flaps adapted to be opened by the insertion of a rod upon the falling of the
gas-holder, and closed by withdrawal of said rod upon the rising of the gas-holder,
substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas in which calcium carbide falls
into water, a valve for the feed aperture of the carbide container consisting of a
cone provided with means for loosening or stirring up the calcium carbide in
opening and closing the aperture, substantially as described with reference to
Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In acetylene generating apparatus in which calcium carbide falls into
water, a rod such as N whose position may be varied by means of a screw and
toggle links, so as to form an adjustable stop which on each lowering of the gas-
holder encounters a weighted rod or lever actuating the carbide feed substantially
as herein before described.
5. In acetylene generating apparatus providing the upper part of the gas-
holder or bell with a water-jacket substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.

page_text: 6. The improvements in acetylene generating apparatus substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated.
"
1000