Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th July, 1900-4 ccepted, 11th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
I, HENRY JOHN ROGERS, of Lavington, Watford, in the County of Hertford,
Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to simplify the apparatus used for the manu-
facture of acetylene gas and consists of a gas-holder of the ordinary form with or
without guides according to its size. In the crown of the bell of the said gas-
holder I place a pocket with a sealed cover proportionate to the capacity of the
holder and in this pocket I place a series of trays for containing calcium carbide
and at any convenient height in the said pocket I place a cock or valve actuated
from the outside of the said bell for the admission of water to the said trays of
calcium carbide; the said cock or valve having its handle or key moving on a
graduated dial so that the supply of water can be regulated to any required
extent.
In the body of the gasholder I place a coil of pipe in connection with the gas
main leading to the building to be lighted, and at the upper part of the said
pocket I place a cock or valve graduated as aforesaid and regulated from above
the bell of the gasholder this serves to shut off the supply of gas from the said
pocket.
I use also a purifier charged with oxide of iron or lime or both.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The trays are lifted out of the pocket and filled with calcium carbide and
replaced, the cover of the pocket being afterwards scaled to prevent escape of the
gas both cocks or valves are then opened the former to admit water to the
calcium carbide, the latter to permit the exit of the gas into the coil and thence
to the gas main. Immediately the first cock is opened water comes in contact
with the calcium carbide in the lowest tray. Gas is evolved and the bell rises:
when this gas is consumed and the bell again sinks into the water No. 2 tray
comes into operation and so on until all the calcium carbide in the trays is
coverted into gas.
At any time thereafter by closing both the cocks or valves the trays can be
recharged even if the holder be full of
gas.
By means of a ratchet and pawl or similar device actuated by the rising and
falling of the said bell it can be ascertained when the calcium carbide in the
topmost tray is consumed and when the operation of recharging is necessary.
Dated this 29th day of September 1899.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
I, HENRY JOHN ROGERS,. of Lavington, Watford, in the County of Hertford,
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:
The object of this invention is to simplify the apparatus used for the manu-
facture of acetylene gas and consists of a gasholder a of the ordinary form with
or without guides according to its size. In the crown of the bell of the said
gasholder a I place a pocket b with a sealed cover e proportionate to the capacity
of the holder and in this pocket I place a series of trays dd for containing calcium
carbide and at any convenient height in the said pocket I place a cock or valve e
actuated from the outside of the said bell for the admission of water to the
said trays of calcium carbide the said cock or valve e having its handle or key f
moving on a graduated dial so that the supply of water can be regulated to any
required extent. In the body of the gasholder I place a coil of pipe g in con-
nection with the gas main h leading to the building to be lighted and at the
upper part of the said pocket I place a cock or valve i graduated as aforesaid
and regulated from above the bell of the gasholder this serves to shut off the supply
of gas from the said pocket.
I use also a purifier charged with oxide of iron or lime or both.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The trays d, d, are lifted out of the pocket b and filled with calcium carbide
and replaced, the cover c of the pocket being afterwards sealed to prevent escape
of the gas; both cocks or valves e, i, are then opened the former to admit water
to the calcium carbide the latter to permit the exit of the gas from the pocket b
into the coil and thence to the gas-main h. Immediately the first cock is opened
water comes in contact with the calcium carbide in the lower tray, gas is evolved
and the bell rises, when this gas is consumed and the bell again sinks into the
water No. 2 tray comes into operation and so on until all the calcium carbide in
the trays is converted into gas.
At any time thereafter by closing both the cocks or valves the trays can be
recharged even if the holder be full of gas.
By means of a ratchet and pawl k, or similar device actuated by the rising or
falling of the said bell it can be ascertained when the calcium carbide in the
topmost tray is consumed and when the operation of recharging is necessary.
Having now fully described the nature of the said invention and the means
whereby it is carried into effect I declare that what I claim is: --
1st. The series of trays d d fitted into the pocket b of the hell of an ordinary
gasholder a so that as the calcium carbide in the various trays comes in contact
with the water gas is evolved automatically.
2nd. The ratchet and pawl k to indicate automatically the state of the charge
in the various pockets.