Machine for Producing Acetylene-gas for Private and Public Lighting.
Year: 1898

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Machine for Producing Acetylene-gas for Private and Public
Lighting.
We, RAPHAËL QUATANNENS-MOENS, Inventor, of Dixmude, Belgium, and EMILE
CARREER-DILGER, Merchant, of 57 Rue des Bouchers, Bruges, Belgium, 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 present invention concerns an apparatus for producing acetylene gas for
private and public lighting, the production of which is regulated automatically,
according to the consumption, by means of organs which distribute the carburet
automatically, the refilling of the apparatus with water and carburet being feasible
at any moment without any escape of gas taking place, the said gas leaving the
apparatus in a completely purified state before reaching the burners.
The annexed drawing gives an example of the practical construction of this
apparatus. In the different figures of this drawing, the same organs are represented
by the same letters.
Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of the apparatus complete, according to a plane
passing through the axis of the gas-generator and that of the gasometer, and
showing an elevated view of the carburet distributing-drum and the organs which
transmit the motion to it.
Fig. 2 represents on a scale four times larger, a partly vertical section of the
distributor, in a plane perpendicular to its axis.
Fig. 3 represents a partly elevated view of the same organ, showing the working
of the ratchet-wheel.
The apparatus is essentially composed of a gas-generator enclosed in a purifying
recipient; of an automatic carburet distributor surmounting the gas-generator; of
a gasometer and of a chemical gas-purifier.
The purifying recipient enclosing the gas-generator, is composed of a tank G
resting firmly upon feet to which it is fixed. Concentric with the sides of this tank
and in the inside, a cylinder N, forming the gas-generator, is rivetted in a water-
tight way to the bottom of the tank; this cylinder and the outside tank have their
upper part covered with a lid which is tightly fixed to them.
About the third of the height of the gas-generator on the inside, a sieve or
metallic gauze O is fixed. The tank G is provided with a water-level indicator T;
the gas-generator N is also provided with a level-indicating tube K; the upper
branch of this latter is lengthened and supports a water-feeding apparatus for the
gas-generator, allowing this latter to be fed during the functioning without any
lose of gas; this apparatus is composed of a recipient L, fixed to a cock R¹¹ fitted
on the branch H; the recipient L is surmounted by a tube which is also provided
with a cock R¹ to which the funnel M for feeding the water, is fixed; the feeding
apparatus, thus arranged, resembles a lubricator of a steam cylinder.
The tank G is provided with a mud cock 1; the gas-generator has also a mud
cock and is moreover provided with a cleaning hole R shut in normal working
condition.

page_text: made, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, at the upper part of the feeder; the cover Dis
pressed against this band by levers P1 attached to rollers FI, each of these
turns between two branches of a bracket K¹ fixed to the longitudinal side of the
case, these brackets and the corresponding systems of levers varying in number
according to the size of this case; on the roller of each lever a small pulley G₁ can
turn; in lowering all these levers at the same time by the aid of two rods T¹ each
passing into holes of the levers, situated on the same side, the extremities of the
said levers press upon the cover D, whilst the pulleys G press upon the edge of
the said cover.
The brackets K¹ enter a socket with a square interior opening M¹ and their lower
cylindrical extremity is threaded and enters a fixed ring N₁; these bracket K¹
can be raised or lowered by means of a nut O¹ to regulate the pressure of the
levers P¹ on the cover D ad libitum.
The feeding-box is provided inside with a semi-cylindrical cover d (Fig. 2) which
can be displaced around the drum; this cover serves to shut the bottom of the
feeder during the filling of the compartments of the distributing-drum, to avoid all
untimely fall of carburet into the hopper and consequently into the gas-generator.
The upper part of this cover is provided with an edge f and its lower part is
provided with a roller e which is fixed to it for the purpose which will be described
hereafter; the cover d is placed during the filling, in the position indicated by the
dotted lines in Fig. 2. A small bolt g serves to keep the cover d in the upper
position during the working.
The gasometer is constructed as the ordinary ones; it is composed of a water
tank into which the bell plunges; this bell is guided in its vertical movement by
rollers turning in small supports fixed to its top, and rolling along uprights k fixed
to the tank.
One of the cross-pieces P11 which unite the uprights k is lengthened and serves
as a bracket for the bearing C¹ upon which the balance P oscillates.
:
The tube S leading the gas from the gas-generator empties under the bell; a
tube V is also placed under the bell; it serves to lead the gas to the purifier and
from there to the burners. The tubes S and V are provided with two purging
cocks H¹, H. A cock x is placed on the top of the bell it serves to expel the air at
the first filling of the gasometer. A small tube is branched to the tube V, the said
small tube plunges nearly to the bottom of an hermetically closed recipient L' borne
by a bracket fixed to the exterior side of the tank of the gasometer; to the cover
of this recipient a small tube is adapted, which communicates the said recipient
with the tube V and between the two just-mentioned tubings is a cock K¹¹ on the
tube V. This recipient forms the bubbling-vessel which announces the escapes, it
is provided with a level indicating tube.
The upper part of the tube V enters the lower part of a case V' which is
hermetically closed and forms the chemical purifier; at its bottom is a layer of
sulphate of iron, upon this a wadding pad, and upon this again a cup is placed
containing chloride of calcium.
The consumption tube W starts from the purifier and is provided with a cock V¹.
Let us suppose the distributing drum to be filled, the cover of the feeder in its
place, the gas generator, the annular tank G and the tank of the gasometer almost
filled with water; if we give a certain rotary movement to the ratchet-wheel X the
first compartment remains shut until the edge i (Fig. 2) of its cover comes to the
point, where the cylindrical part of the case of the feeder ends; this cover then
tips off under the weight of the carburet contained in this compartment: this
carburet falls on the valve C which opens and it falls into the water of the gas-
generator there is an immediate production of gas; the valve C having closed

page_text: distributing organs worked by the gasometer bell, means for allowing the refilling
of the apparatus during the functioning without danger or loss of gas and chemical
purifving apparatus for the gas, substantially as described and shown.
2) In an acetylene gas apparatus the combination of a gas-generator, a tank
surrounding said generator and serving as a gas purifier; a water supply device
allowing the refilling of the generator at any moment without loss of gas; a sieve
upon which the carburet is placed during the reactions and through which the lime
which forms the residuum, passes to fall to the bottom of the gas generator;
clearance cocks adapted to the tank and gas generator and a cleaning-hole made in
the bottom of this latter substantially as described and shown.
3) In an acetylene-gas apparatus the combination of a distributing drum divided,
as described and shown, into twenty compartments arranged according to four
screws to form the drum; hinged covers closing these compartments each of which
contains a load of carburet, a box or feeder whose longitudinal sides are curved to
fit the distributing drum; a ratchet wheel wedged upon the axle of the distributing
drum and communicating the rotary motion to this drum, the said motion
determinating the successive out-falls of the contents of the compartments by the
successive tipping-off of the covers, and means for actuating said ratchet wheel
substantially as described and shown.
4) In an acetylene-gas apparatus the combination of a valve fitted to the base-
tube of the feeder; a rod and counterpoise to operate the instantaneous shutting of
the valve after each fall of carburet from the distributor into the gas generator, and
a rubber washer adapted to the valve and securing its tightness.
5) In an acetylene-gas apparatus the combination of a tube fitted on the cover of
the gas generator leading the gas produced in the latter to the bottom of the
purifying tank and provided with a horizontal curved part turning around the outside
of the gas-generator in the middle of the water of the purifying tank, said horizontal
curved part being provided with numerous openings through which the gas passes
to ascend to the level of the water, and an exterior vertical curving of said tube, of
a suitable height, to counter-balance the pressure exercised upon the gas in the
gasometer by the weight of the bell, and to avoid, in any case, the reflux of this
gas through the orifice of the feeder when the cover of the latter is removed for
refilling, substantially as described and shown.
6) In an acetylene-gas apparatus the combination of a semi-cylindrical obturator
placed in the box of the feeder to prevent the fall of carburet into the gas-generator
during the refilling of the distributing drum; a roller fixed to the lower edge of this
obturator to facilitate the shutting of the lids of the empty compartments which
successively come above it, substantially as described and shown.
7) In an acetylene-gas apparatus the combination of a chain attached to the top
of the gasometer bell; a balance oscillating on a bracket supported by the frame of
the gasometer; a connecting rod pivotally connected with another rod provided
with a pawl for working the ratchet wheel and carburet drum; and a bracket with
a screw for regulating the descent of the pawl-rod, substantially as described and
shown.
8) In an acetylene-gas apparatus the combination with a carburet feeder, of a lid
covering the feeder; a rubber-washer to secure the tightness; roller rods
descending together upon the above mentioned lid to shut the feeder immediately
and hermetically, substantially as described and shown.
9) In an acetylene-gas apparatus the combination of a consumption tube coming
from the gasometer; of a tube branched to this tube and penetrating to the bottom
of a closed recipient forming a warning bubbler for the escapes in the tubes and
serving also to ascertain if any cock has been left open when the apparatus is shut
and the working ceases, substantially as described and shown.
10) In an acetylene-gas apparatus the combination of a purifying recipient
containing a bed of sulphate of iron placed at the bottom and which removes the
sulphuretted hydrogen from the gas which passes through it, a wadding stopper
which clears the gas of the solid impurities it might bring with it; and a bed of