provements in Apparatus for Automatically Producing and Storing Acetylene.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Producing and
Storing Acetylene.
We, EMILE CHESNAY, of 21 Boulevard Carnot, Dijon, France, Photographer,
LOUIS PILLION, of 1 Place Saint Jean, Dijon, France, Manufacturer, and CHARLES
BERTOLUS, of 8 l'lace Paul Bert, St. Etienne, France, Electrician, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to an apparatus for the generation and storage of
Acetylene gas wherein the carbide employed is supplied in an automatic manner
in the gas-generating vessel.
The apparatus comprises a receptacle or vessel of cylindrical or other form which
communicates with a gas holder by means of a flexible pipe. A syphon is
arranged in the aforesaid gas generating vessel to prevent the flexible pipe being
crushed by the lime produced as a result of the chemical reaction.
A forked support is also provided in the gas-generating vessel. On one of the
side walls of said vessel there is provided a cylindrical tube of rather large
diameter and which is inclined through the whole or part of its length; said tube
communicates with a hopper that is fitted with baffles and is filled with carbide of
calcium. The cylindrical tube is provided internally with an Archimedian
screw or similar device which has a rotary motion about its own axis; this rotary
motion being arrested and re-established by means of a hydraulic weight acting as
a balance or counter-weight to a gas-holder (to which gas-holder this application
is not intended to extend it having been embodied in a prior application for
patent) as hereinafter described. A further tube or pipe affords communication
between the gas-holder and the upper part of the gas-generator.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
Assuming that the hopper is charged with carbide, and that the gas holder is
empty, and also that the Archimedian screw is rotating; then, the carbide
following the course of the baffles in the hopper, falls down in small quantities.
from the hopper on to the Archimedian screw. Each convolution of the Archi-
median screw when revolving, carries along with it, a quantity of carbide which
advances gradually and is discharged into the gas-generator where the acetylene
is evolved, said acetylene then passing into the gas-holder:

page_text: Assuming the production of the gas. to be greater than the consumption, the
gas will accumulate in the gas-holder which will in due time be filled. The
counter-weight already referred to, descends through the same distance as that
through which the bell of the gas holder rises during the process of filling the
gasholder. The counter-weight is also so arranged that it may at any desired
point of its downward travel actuate a catch in such a manner as to arrest the
rotation of the Archimedian screw; and therefore also to prevent the passage of
more carbide into e gas-generator, as well as the production of acetylene gas,
in such manner that there will no longer be any risk of having an excess of gas
in the gas-holder. As the consumption continues, the bell of the gasholder will
descend, and the counterweight be consequently raised, and will in due course
raise the catch which has been preventing the Archimedian screw from rotating,
and a fresh supply of carbide will thus be allowed to pass into the generator. As
the counterweight regulates the amount of gas contained in the gasholder, and
also allows of the carbide passing into the generator said supply of carbide will be
stopped according to the position the said counterweight occupies within the limits
of its vertical movement. From the foregoing it will be understood that the gas
is produced automatically as required, and its production stoppea when it would
be useless and might become dangerous; or the production may be resumed in the
manner described in another application for Letters Patent filed by us the inter-
ruption or re-establishment of the contact of the water with the carbide being
effected by the principle of communicating vessel's, these two actions working
together to the same. end. The Archimedian screw is operated by a spring in
tension, or by means of a weight as in clocks; or by a motor, or by any suitable
device, according to the capacity of the apparatus.
An escapement or catch allows, as hereinbefore stated, the stopping or restart-
ing of the motion of the Archimedian screw; said escapement or catch being
actuated by the movements of the counterweight of the gas-holder.
As will be obvious the details of construction can be varied according to
requirements.
In order to form a. hydraulic seal for the purpose of preventing the moisture of
the generator, from penetrating into the hopper the carbide in which must always
De very dry to prevent the pieces cohering we place on, the surface of the water in
the generator a layer of petroleum or other mineral or vegetable liquid insoluble
in water and of a less density than, that liquid.
1000
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Producing and
Storing Acetylene.
We,. EMILE CHESNAY, of 21 Boulevard Carnot, Dijon, France, Photographer,
LOUIS PILLION, of 1 Place Saint Jean, Dijon, France, Merchant, and CHARLES
BERTOLUS, of 8 Place Paul Bert, St. Etienne, France, Electrician, 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:-
This invention has reference to an apparatus for the generation and storage of
Acetylene gas wherein the carbide employed: is supplied in an automatic manner
in the gas-generating vesse.. The accompanying drawing illustrates in elevation

page_text: partly in section gas generating and storing apparatus according to the present
invention. The apparatus comprises a gas generating receptacle or vessel D of
cylindrical or other form which communicates with a gas holder K by means of
a flexible pipe L. The vessel D is also connected, at the lower part by a flexible
pipe I with a closed hollow vessel C surrounding the lower portion of the gas
holder and acting as a balance or counterweight to the bell of the gas holder K
(to which arrangement this application is not intended to extend, it having been
embodied in a prior application for patent). A syphon F is arranged in the
vessel D to prevent the flexible pipe 1 being crushed by the lime produced as a
result of the chemical reaction.
A foot E which carries a support Q formed as shown, of a bundle composed of
circular rows of rods gradually diverging from each other at the top, the points
or upper ends of the same being substantially in the same horizontal plane so as
to support the carbide is also provided in the gas generating vessel. On one of the
side walls of said vessel 1) there is a cylindrical tube T of rather large diameter
and which is inclined through the whole or part of its lengtli; it communicates
with a hopper M, that is fitted with baffles M and is filled with carbide of calcium.
The tube T is provided internally with an Archimedian screw or similar device V
whose shaft is rotated by any suitable motor. In the drawing this motor is shown
as a small dynamo o supplied with current from any suitable source not shown.
In the circuit supplving the current to the motor o, is placed a contact device
composed of two stationary rods o¹ with which co-operates an insulating friction
contact piece p carried by the balance-weight C. The circuit is normally broken
at o' and the motor is at rest.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
Assuming that the hopper is charged with carbide, and that the gas holder has
become empty; then, the bell of the gas holder will have descended and the
weight C caused to rise so as to bring the piece p into contact with the two
rods o' o aud close the circuit. The Archimedean screw will thus be rotated, and
the carbide, following the course of the baffles in the hopper, falls down in small
quantities from the hopper on to the Archimedean screw each convolution of
which in revolving, carries along with it a quantity of carbide which advances
gradually and is discharged into the gas generator D where the acetylene is
evolved, said acetylene then passing into the gas-holder.
If the production of the gas be greater than the consumption, the gas will
accumulate in the gas holder which will in due time be filled and the counter-
weight C will descend an equal distance to that through which the bell of the gas.
holder rises during the process of fitting the gasholder.
When the bell of the gas
holder has risen sufficiently, the weight C will have descended and the movable
contact piece p moved away from the contact rods o¹ o'; the circuit will thereupon
be broken and the motor will stop and arrest the rotation of the Archimedean
Screw; thus preventing the passage of auv more carbide into the gas generator,
and consequently stopping the production of gas so that there will no longer be
any risk of having an excess of gas in the gas holder. As the consumption con-
tinues, the bell of the gas-holder will descend, and the counterweight C be conse-
quently raised, and will in due course again start the motor for rotating the
Archimedean screw, and a fresh supply of carbide will thus be allowed to pass
into the generator.
As the counterweight regulates the amount of gas contained
in the gas holder, and also allows of the carbide passing into the generator said
supply of carbide will be stopped according to the position the said counterweight
occupies within the limts of its vertical movement. From the foregoing it will
be understood that the gas is produced automatically as required, and its produc-
tion stopped when it would be useless and might become dangerous. It is obvious
that, instead of an electric motor o being employed, the Archimedean screw could
be operated by a spring in tension, or by means of a weight as in clocks, or by a
mechanical motor, or by any other suitable device, according to the capacity of

page_text: the apparatus, the action being controlled by the movements of the counter-
weight C of the gas holder.
As will be obvious the details of construction may be variously modified
according to requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. Gas generating and storing apparatus comprising a generating vessel, a gas
holder, a counterweight and a hopper provided with an Archmidean screw or
equivalent feeding device to which movement is imparted to feed the carbide from
the hopper to the generating vessel, the arrangement being such that the upward
and downward movements of the bell of the gas holder will through the counter-
weight respectively stop the rotation of the Archimedean screw and permit such
rotation to be resumed thus stopping and recommencing the generation of gas
according to requirement, substantially as described.
2. Gas generating and storing apparatus substantially as described in reference
to the annexed drawings.
1008
For the Applicante,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.