Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
-
I, FREDERICK HUGH SMITH, of 44, Blackett Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Engineer,
do hereby declare 'the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention calcium carbide or like material is sealed in water
tight packages in which there are small holes. When one of these packages is
placed in water, the water gradually and slowly enters and causes the gas to be
steadily produced and given off.
In order to distribute the water evenly amongst the carbide internal wicks
are provided leading from the holes.
The packages are made of sufficiently strong and durable material to retain in
them the lime resulting from the decomposition of the carbide.
Dated this 9th day of March 1898.
improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
I, FREDERICK HUGH SMITH, of 44, Blackett Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
According to this invention calcium carbide or like material is sealed in water
tight packages in which there are small holes. When one of these packages is
placed in water or one of the holes put in communication with it the water gradu-
ally and slowly enters and causes the gas to be steadily produced and given off.
In order to distribute the water evenly amongst the carbide internal wicks
are provided leading from the holes.
The packages are made of sufficiently strong and durable material to retain in
them the lime resulting from the decomposition of the carbide.
The drawing is a section of a package made in accordance with this invention.
a is the box of tin plate or like material having holes a¹a in its top and bottom
the former being for the exit of the gas and the latter for the entrance of the
water. is a pad of blotting paper serving as a wick. c. is calcium carbide, and
da filling of cotton waste, tow or the like. It will be observed that the bottom
of the box a is corrugated in such a manner that the blotting paper blies flat on
the middle part but has spaces under it near its circumference. If this were not
done small particles of carbide getting beneath the paper might in swelling. when
Price d

page_text: wetted lift the middle of the paper off the bottom so allowing gas to escape through
the hole a³ whereas in the construction shown any such particles are retained in
the corrugations where they have room to swell without lifting the paper.
By the use of these packages clogging of the generating apparatus is pre-
vented and the trouble of frequently cleaning it to remove the lime is avoided for
when the carbide in the package is exhausted the latter is removed whole with the
lime in it and is replaced by a fresh one.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
'
1. A watertight package for carbide provided with holes for the exit of the gas
and the entrance of the water and made of sufficiently strong material to retain
the lime or the like resulting from the decomposition of the carbide substantially
as described.
2. The use of wicks in packages such as are referred to in the preceding claim for
the purpose of distributing the water.
3. Packages substantially as described and illustrated in the drawing.