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

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1898
Complete Sancifiontin
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
We, DANIEL CHRISTIE BEGGS, Solicitor, and WILLIAM FIELDING, Presbyterian
Minister, both of Ballyclare, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention consists of a means of introducing automatically or otherwise,
calcium carbide in lumps or in powder, into the generator, and is applicable to
either the "wet" or "dry" process of manufacture of acetylene gas.
By means of a gas-tight piston or plunger working in a tube (or calcium
carbide holder) affixed to the upper end of the gas-holder or generator, the con-
tents of said tube are driven forward (by pressure applied automatically or other-
wise to the plunger) into a passage leading to the water-container, and which
passage may be open or may contain a revolving cup or bucket automatically
discharging its contents into the water-container. The plunger head should be
of sufficient size to cover the mouth of the said passage or cup, so as to prevent
an escape of gas into the tube or calcium carbide container.
the tube is being re-charged) can be closed by a stop-cock or revolving cup or
The passage, (whilst
the like.
The plunger or revolving cup or both may be actuated automatically by the
rise or fall of the gas-holder, either by means of a lever or levers or by the
pull of a chain over pulleys, or by a shaft working upon an inclined plane, or by
rack and pinion, or by a combination of two or more of such means, or the
like.
The tube (or calcium carbide container) may be of any length or capacity or
a number of such tubes may be fitted round the passage leading to the water-
container, and a hopper may also be employed in connection with such tube, or
tubes.
Dated this bith day of th
1
1000
хоскулоце таs.
We, DANIEL CHRISTIE BEGGS, Solicitor, and WILLIAM FIELDING, Presbyterian
Minister, both of Ballyclare, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, 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 relates to improvements in the form of generator for acetylene
[Price 8d]

page_text: gas, and has for its objects a means of introducing, automatically or otherwise,
calcium carbide in lumps or in powder, into the generating chamber, without
the escape of gas, and in the automatic form of generator proportionate to the
consumption of gas. The invention is applicable to either the "wet or" dry
process of manufacture of acetylene gas.
4
"
"
These objects are effected by means of a gas-tight piston or plunger working
in a tube (or calcium carbide container) affixed to the upper end of the gas-
holder or generating chamber, the contents of said tube being driven forward
(by pressure applied automatically or otherwise to the plunger) into a passage
leading to the generating chamber, into which the carbide drops. The plunger
head is of sufficient size to cover the mouth of the said passage, so that when
driven up to the end of the tube (or carbide-container) it prevents any escape of
gas into the tube. The passage, while the tube is being-recharged, is closed by
a stop-cock, or the like.
In the automatic form of generator, the calcium carbide is automatically intro-
duced into the generating chamber in quantities proportionate to the consump-
tion of gas, and the supply of carbide stops' when the consumption of gas ceases.
The plunger in the automatic form of generator is actuated by the rise or fall
of the gas-holder, either by means of a lever or levers, or by the pull of a weight
to a chain over pulleys, (and the counter-balancing weight of the gas-holder
may be utilised for this purpose), or by a shaft working upon an inclined plane,
or by a rack and pinion on screw shaft, or by a combination of two or more
of such means, or the like.
**
In the non-automatic form of generator, the calcium carbide is introduced into
the generating chamber by means of the plunger being driven forward by hand
or other power so as to drive the calcium carbide out of the carbide container
into the generating chamber, in such quantities as may be required, or according
to the capacity of the gas-holder, and the automatic form of generator can be
used as non-automatic at will.
"
In the wet" form of generator, the generating chamber contains water into
which the calcium carbide when driven forward falls.
In the "dry"form of generator the calcium carbide is driven forward and falls
into the generating chamber and the water is then introduced by any of the
well known means, such as a water-tap actuated by hand or automatically by the
rise or fall of the gas-holder, or the like.
In any of these forms of generators, the tube (or calcium carbide container)
can be re-charged without the escape of gas, by driving the plunger up to the
end of the tube, and turning the stop-cock in the passage before re-charging.
In lieu of the gas-tight plunger head above described, the piston may be made
gas-tight by means of a stuffing-box attached to the lower end of the carbide con-
tainer, but in this form there may be a trifling loss of gas during re-charging.
The tube (or calcium carbide container) may be of any length or capacity,
or a number of such tubes may be fitted round the passage leading to the
generating chamber.
wet"
generator will show
The following description of an automatic form of "
how the above mentioned results are obtained:-
In the drawing, A is the generating chamber, with perforated false bottom B
capable of being canted by means of the rod X. C is the gas-holder inverted
into A, and rising or falling as the gas is generated or consumed. I) is the tube
(or calcium carbide container) fastened to the upper end of the gas-holder, and
connected with its interior by the pipe or passage E, in which is a stop-cock F.
G is the gas-tight piston or plunger working in the tube D, and actuated by the
shaft H against the inclined rod J which can move freely inwards but not out-
wards by reason of the notched rod K moving in tube L to which is attached
the catch M engaging in the notches of K. N is the gas-tight lid of the tube D),
removable for recharging. O is a number of counter-balancing weights by
which the pressure of the gas may be regulated, and which may be utilised to

page_text: assist in driving the plunger G forward by fixing a pulley at P and continuing
the chain S under same to the end of the plunger shaft H.
In the above described form of generator, equally as in the non-automatic
form, the piston or plunger D may be actuated by hand or other power applied
to the shaft H.
The piston may also be actuated by means of the pull of a weight on a chain
working over pulleys, one set of pulleys being fastened to the cylinder D, and
the other set of pulleys to the outer end of the shaft H, and such arrangement
can be used in conjunction with the inclined plane above described, or separately.
The piston may also be actuated by means of rack and pinion with screw shaft,
by fitting a pair of bevel wheels at the lower end of the cylinder 1), one of the
wheels being mounted loose on the cylinder cap, and containing a female thread
in which a male thread on the shaft works, the other bevel wheel being actuated
by a vertical stationary rack working in a pinion fitted to the back of the latter
bevel wheel.
In the apparatus shown in the drawing, as the carbide falls from the cylinder D)
into the water A, the gas-holder C is raised by the pressure of the gas evolved,
and the inclined plane J, with the rack K, is drawn forward by the shaft H.
As the gas is consumed, the gas-holder C falls, the catch M is engaged in the
teeth of the rack K, and the piston is driven forward by the pressure of the now
stationary rod J against the end of the shaft H, and more carbide is discharged
from the cylinder D, and the process is automatically repeated till the carbide
is exhausted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
(1). The use of a piston or plunger, with a gas-tight head, or a gas-tight
shaft, working in a tube or cylinder, for the purpose of introducing the calcium
carbide, in lumps or in powder, into the generating chamber.
(2). The use of a plunger head made gas-tight and of such size as to cover the
mouth of the passage leading from the carbide container to the generating
chamber so as to prevent any escape of gas when charging or re-charging the
carbide container.
(3). The automatic working of such piston or plunger by the rise or fall
of the gas-holder in conjunction with an inclined plane, or pulleys and weight,
or rack and pinion with screw, or the like, or by a combination of two or more
of such means, whereby the supply of calcium carbide to the generating chamber
is proportionate to the consumption of gas.
(4). The use of such piston and cylinder with a non-automatic form of generator,
whereby the calcium carbide can be introduced into the generating chamber
by hand or other power, in quantities as required, or according to the capacity of
the gas-holder.
Dated this 17th dar of Avon 1800
DANIEL CHRISTIE BEGGS.
WILLIAM FIELDING.