Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene-gas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene-gas.
I, FRANÇOIS GERARD MARIE ISSELS, of Bulawayo, Rhodesia, British South
Africa, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus for generat-
ing acetylene-gas, which will work safely and economically and with but little
attention, and which will not be liable to get out of order.
My improved generator comprises a chamber made with double walls so as to
provide an annular space for the reception of a sealing liquid into which a
dome or bell is lowered for the purpose of effecting a gas-tight closing of the
space in which the calcium-carbide is placed and in which the gas is generated.
This dome or bell is free to rise through a suitable distance, its upward move-
ment being limited by any suitable means, such as catches attached to the
generating-chamber, and which can be thrown back to permit the removal of
the said dome or bell. It can therefore be more easily removed and replaced
than the usual lids or covers with india-rubber joints and screws. It is, more-
over, more effectual and safer than the said jointed lids or covers, since, if the
gas should be generated so rapidly as to cause undue pressure, the escape of the
gas will not be prevented as it would be by such lids or covers, and therefore
bursting of the generator cannot take place.
The water for generating the gas is supplied from a suitable tank or reser-
voir through a flexible tube connected with a pipe in the top of the said dome
or bell, an automatic valve or cock being provided for regulating or controlling
the supply of water according to the consumption of the gas. This valve or
cock is, for example, operated by a rod or lever worked by the gas-holder in
which the gas is stored, so that water will be admitted to the carbide-receptacle
when the gas-holder is low, and will be shut off when the said holder rises to
a predetermined level.
The carbide-receptacle rests upon a suitable support in the generating-
chamber situated at about one-third of the height of the said chamber above
the bottom thereof; and in the said dome or bell is provided a chamber or dis-
placer which is of smaller diameter than the carbide-receptacle and extends into
the same.
The aforesaid pipe through which the water enters, extends from above the top
of the dome or bell downward through this chamber or displacer and opens
into the carbide-receptacle. It is provided at its upper end with a cock or valve
which can be opened to permit the entrance of air, if necessary, when the dome
or bell is being lifted out, and the escape of air when the said dome or bell is
being replaced after a fresh charge of carbide has been introduced. The said
displacer, by expelling the air during the insertion of the dome or bell into the
generating-chamber, obviates or diminishes the liability to the formation of
highly explosive mixtures of air and gas in the apparatus.
One or more gas-passages extend downward from the said support for the

page_text: carbide-receptacle and dip into water contained in the lower part of the
generating-chamber, an overflow-pipe being provided whereby the water therein
can be maintained at a suitable level. The gas-delivery pipe extends downward
from beneath the said support and through the walls of the generating-chamber
and conducts the gas into the gas-holder.
The gas generated in the apparatus first causes the dome or bell to rise until
its movement is arrested by the aforesaid catches, thus leaving room for the
expansion of the carbide, and then flows through the delivery-pipe into the
gas-holder.
By the improved construction above mentioned, any gas left in the space above
the exhausted carbide can be saved by forcing it, by a slight downward pressure
on the dome or bell, into the gas-holder, before opening the generator for the
insertion of a fresh charge of carbide.
Total The 19th day of Tun 1800
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
OpparatuD
Сенегалды Асетутепе-Кав.
I, FRANCOIS GERARD MARIE ISSELS, of Bulawayo, Rhodesia, British South]
Africa, 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:-
My invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus for generat-
ing acetylene-gas, which will work safely and economically and with but little
attention, and which will not be liable to get out of order."
My improved generator comprises a chamber made with double walls so as to
provide an annular space for the reception of a sealing liquid, into which a
dome or bell is lowered.
This dome or bell is free to rise through a suitable distance, its upward move-
ment being limited by any suitable means, such as catches attached to the
generating-chamber, and which can be thrown back to permit the removal of
the said dome or bell.
The water for generating the gas is supplied from a suitable tank or reser-
voir through a flexible tube connected to a pipe in the top of the said dome
or bell, an automatic valve or cock being provided for regulating or controlling
the supply of water according to the consumption of the gas. This valve or
cock is, for example, operated by a rod or lever worked by the gas-holder in
which the gas is stored, so that water will be admitted to the carbide-receptacle
when the gas-holder is low, and will be shut off when the said holder rises to a
predetermined level.
The carbide-receptacle rests upon a suitable support in the generating
chamber, situated at about one-third of the height of the said chamber above
the bottom thereof; and in the said dome or bell is provided a chamber or dis-
placer which is of smaller diameter than the carbide-receptacle and extends into
the same.
The aforesaid pipe through which the water enters, extends from above the top
of the dome or bell downward through this chamber or displacer and opens
into the carbide-receptacle. It is provided at its upper end with a cock or valve

page_text: which can be opened to permit the entrance of air, if necessary, when the dome
or bell is being lifted out, and the escape of air when the said dome or bell is
being replaced after a fresh charge of carbide has been introduced. The said
displacer by sinking into the carbide-receptacle, till it rests on the carbide, thus
expels the air, which otherwise, had the dome no displacer, would be contained
in the space above the carbide and thereby obviates or diminishes the liability
to the formation, within the apparatus, of highly explosive mixtures of air
and gas, and prevents the deterioration of the gas stored for lighting in the gas-
holder, which deterioration would otherwise take place by mixing the air with
the gas.
One or more tubes or the like forming gas-passages extend downward from
the said support for the carbide-receptacle and dip into water contained in the
lower part of the generating-chamber. Thus when gas has once entered this
lower chamber. it cannot flow back through the same passage, even if the bell or
dome should be lifted off; an overflow-pipe is provided whereby the water can
be maintained at a suitable level. The gas-delivery pipe extends downward
from beneath the carbide support and through the walls of the generating-
chamber and conducts the gas into the gas-holder.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of one form of my improved apparatus
for generating acetylene-gas, the dome or bell being shown in its lowermost
position, and
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the dome or bell in its raised position.
a is the outer cylinder, and the inner cylinder of the generating chamber.
The annular space between these two cylinders is intended to be nearly filled
with water or other suitable sealing liquid passed for example through an aper-
ture a¹ around which is fixed a lip c.
At a suitable height above the bottom of the generating-chamber, preferably
about one-third of the height of the outer cylinder there is fixed in the inner.
cylinder a floor or support d on which is placed the carbide-receptacle e. The
space above the support d communicates with the space beneath it by one or
more pipes f extending downward to a suitable distance below the said support.
y is the dome or bell which is lowered into the water in the annular space
between the cylinders a and b and which protects the carbide from the external
atmosphere, the water forming a seal which will effectually prevent the entrance
of air, but will permit the escape of gas should the pressure in the generator
rise above a predetermined degree. Bursting of the apparatus is thus prevented.
The dome or bell y can be very readily removed and replaced, thus facilitating
the recharging of the apparatus. The cylinder a is made of such a height that
when the dome or bell is raised, the upper end of the dome will be level with the
top of the said cylinder. Suitable catches h pivoted at ; to the cylinder a are so
arranged that, when turned into the position shewn, they will limit the upward
movement of the dome or bell g. These catches can be thrown back to permit
the lifting of the said dome or bell out of the chamber a.
Within the upper part of the dome or bell g is provided a closed chamber or
displacer which fits loosely into the carbide-receptacle e. A pipe extends
upward through this chamber or displacer and is provided with a cock or
valve m at its upper end to permit the escape of air, and with a branch-pipe n
through which the water is introduced into the apparatus to act upon the carbide.
This branch-pipe n is connected with a water-tank or other suitable source of
supply by a flexible tube so as to permit the rising and falling of the dome
or bell g as required and its removal from the chamber a.
A suitable quantity of water is kept in the lower part of the inner cylinder b
sufficient to cover the lower end of the pipe or pipes f. For this purpose, I pro-
vide an overflow-pipe q having a suitable cock or valve r, which pipe extends

page_text: upward within the cylinder to a short distance above the lower end of the said
pipe or pipes f.
The gas-delivery pipes extends downward from a short distance below the
floor or support through the side of the cylinders a and b and conducts the gas
to any suitable receiver or gas-holder.
The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows, viz:-
To charge the apparatus, the catches h are thrown back, the cock or valve m
is opened to admit air, and the dome or bell g is lifted out of the chamber a.
A carbide-receptacle e containing a suitable charge of calcium-carbide is then
placed in the generating-chamber on the support d.
When the apparatus has been thus charged with calcium-carbide, the dome
or bell
g is lowered into its place, the cock or valve m being left open, so that
the air contained in the dome or bell g, will be displaced and driven out through
the said cock or valve m by the closed chamber or displacer k. The valve mis
closed when the displacer rests on the top of the carbide.
The catches h are then turned into the position shown. On water being admitted
through the pipe 1, gas is generated and the dome or bell g rises until it is
stopped by the catches h. This raising of the dome or bell g leaves room for the
expansion of the carbide. The gas generated then passes through the pipe or
pipes and, rising through the water in the space beneath the support d, flows
through the pipes into the gas-holder.
Before re-charging the apparatus, any gas left in the space above the exhausted
carbide can be saved by forcing it, by a slight downward pressure on the dome
or bell, into the gas-holder, before opening the generator for the insertion of
the fresh charge.
In order that the apparatus may be self-regulating I prefer to provide the
pipe nor p with a controlling valve or cock governed by the rising and falling
of the bell of the gas-holder.
It is obvious that the construction of the improved apparatus for generating
acetylene can be somewhat modified without departing from the nature of my
said invention.
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 an apparatus for generating acetylene gas, the combination, with an
internal closed chamber or displacer, of a dome which is free to rise and fall in
a sealing liquid, substantially as herein before described, and for the purposes
specified.
2. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with refer-
ence to the accompanying drawing and operating as, and for the purposes, above
specified.
toder J.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.