An Improved Acetylene Generator.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1898--Accepted, 31st May, 1899
WESEN, OF Lebronn, in the German Empire, Manufacturers.]
An Improved Acetylene Generator.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lan-
caster and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil
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 present invention consists of an improved acetylene generator, comprising
the details of construction therein after set forth and particularly pointed out in
the claims.
And in order to render the present specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference denote
similar parts throughout the several views:
Fig.
is a sectional elevation and
Fig. 2 a plan of one form embodying the invention.
Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation of a modified form.
Fig. 4 a section on line Z-Z of Figure 3.
Fig. 5 a vertical section.
Fig. 6a horizontal section on line Y-Y of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 a detail view of the means for releasing a carbide cartridge.
Fig. 8 a similar view showing the cartridge arrested.
Fig. 9 is a plan of Fig. 7 and
Fig. 10 a plan view of Fig. 8.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2:-The generator a is connected by a pipe f to
the gasometer comprising the receptacle c and bell . Within the generator is
a bell underneath which rails are arranged, which start from the exterior
of the generator and lead with a somewhat sharp incline down into the water in
the generator. On these rails, the carbide cartridges run, said cartridges being
indicated by and having trunnion on which they run on the rails g. The
detent device for the said cartridges consists of a pivoted lever having two
stops thereon, and a counterpoise ³ which tends to keep the said lever in a
position to place its stop in front of the trunnion of the first cartridge r. The
gasometer bell d is provided with a contact bar t, which when the said bell sinks
below a certain level comes into contact with the end of the lever u, depressing
the same against the action of its counterpoise and withdrawing the stop from
the trunnion of the first cartridge r and allowing the same to roll down the rails
into the water in the generator to develope acetylene gas. At the same time
through the movement of the lever, the second stop thereon is moved upwardly
into the path of the trunnion of the second cartridge and prevents more than
017

page_text: one cartridge from passing into the water at one and the same time. The cart-
ridges consist of casing filled with calcium carbide and provided with perforations
or suitable orifices to enable the water to penetrate to the carbide.
In the modification shown at Figures 3 to 10, the generator a is circular in form,
and the gasometer basin e is concentrically arranged therein, so that the generator
is annular in form. This generator is provided with a helically arranged path q¹
having one part arranged as a sharp incline down which the balls of calcium car-
bide pass into. the water of the generator. The detent device for the carbide
cartridges is the same as previously described the lever u being provided at one
end with a cup u into which as the bell descends, a weight suspended from a
chain suitably guides, drops when the bell falls, and thus turns the lever u
on its pivot to liberate the foremost carbide cartridge and detain the one next
behind. Thus the first cartridge runs into the water of the generator, developes
gas and the bell rises, raising the ball and allowing the lever to return to its
initial position under the influence of its counterpoise 3. A pipe f connects
the space of the generator above the water with the interior of the gasometer
bell and a pipe g by means of which the gas may be taken off for use.
In Figure 5 and 6 the track goes in a corresponding casing from w to w round
about the cylinder c and the annular space between c and a.
C
The track is bounded
at its ends by the two perpendicular walls w w¹. Between these two walls an open
way is provided, which is accordingly formed by the walls ww and the
cvlinders and a. In the wall wat oa damper or the like (similar to that in
Figure 1) is arranged; with the help of the damper the balls arrive in the way w².
As soon as the balls reach the wall the door o is opened thus allowing them
to pass into the space w² from whence they can be removed from here upwards by
means of a hook or the like.
In order to enable the empty cartridges to be extracted from the bottom of the
generator, a door is provided at a, between the wall wand wat each end of the
race, which door may be opened at certain intervals and the cartridge cases
extracted by means of a hook or other suitable iron.
In the device represented at Figures 1 and 2, the bell or housing p is provided
with a door o adapted to be raised by means of a chain o¹, which when raised
allows the spent cartridge r to pass along the end of the rails whence it may be
taken out of the water tank by any suitable means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
In an acetylene generator, the combination of a water tank and generating bell,
said tank having an inclined path leading into the water, a series of carbide
cartridges to roll down said path, a pivoted lever having suitable stops thereon to
engage alternately the first and second cartridges, and means in connection with
the gasometer bell to depress said lever and release said cartridges when the said
bell falls and means for returning said lever to its initial position when released
by the bell substantially as described.
2. The combination of a water tank, having therein a gasometer basin, a gasc-
meter hell within said basin and an inclined path fixed between said basin and
water tank, and leading into the water of the tank, a pivoted lever mounted to
the upper end of said tank and having stops as specified and a counterpoise, a
series of carbide cartridges to pass along said path, and means in connection with
the gasometer bell to operate said lever to release one cartridge when the bell
sinks in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.
3. The combination of a circular generator and a gasometer basin concentrically
mounted therein, a pipe to connect the upper part of said generator to said generator
basin, a gasometer bell, an inclined path leading into the water of the said generator
and a series of carbide cartridges thereon, a pivoted lever having stops as specified

page_text: to engage the first and second cartridges, a counterpoise to said lever and means
on the gasometer bell to depress said lever and release one cartridge when the bell
sinks substantially as described.
4. The combination of a generator having an inclined path leading to the
bottom thereof a series of carbide cartridges on said path, a gasometer in proximity
to said generator and having bell, means for releasing one of said cartridges at
a time when the bell falls, and a door and means for opening the same to allow
the empty cartridges to pass out, for removal in the manner and for the purpose
substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
Dated the Thirty-first day of May 1898
W. P. THOMPSON & Co..
322, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.