Portable Apparatus for Producing Gas from Carbide of Calcium.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Portable Apparatus for Producing Gas from Carbide of Calcium.
We, FRANCIS WINDHAM, of 73, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., Engineer, and
ERNEST FRY, of 3, Hormead Road, London, W., Clerk, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
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The invention consists in providing two separate chambers preferably of
tubular or spherical shape one above the other the lower contains carbide of
calcium, the upper one water. The communication between the two is made pre-
ferably by a conical opening controlled by a conically fitting plunger which is
regulated by a fine pitched screw or rack the end of the plunger passes through
the opening when closed and forms a cleaning plug which crushes or removes
the deposit resulting from the process. I take for example the preferred and most
simple mode of construction--a tube say of 10 diameters in length is hermetically
divided by a diaphragm at about one-third of its distance from the upper end.
The lower end of the tube is provided with a gas tight cover. In the upper com-
partment water is filled through a suitably constructed cap or nozzle. In the
lower the carbide is placed. The water is conveyed from the upper to the lower
chamber by the conical nozzle or pippet aperture preferably through a filtering
medium. The opening in the nozzle should be at or near the centre of the
diaphragm in the tube and should project through the same to ensure the water
dropping by gravity (or pressure if otherwise applied) on to the middle of the
mass of carbide in the lower chamber, and so constructed as not to run down the
sides of the tube. The pointed end of the conical plunger assists the action. It
is preferred to have in addition a regulating valve in the water supply pipe which
is automatically closed if too much gas is generated. This valve may be made of
or actuated by straining a thin film of rubber over an orifice, or it may be a film
of metal in either case so arranged that the pressure of the generating gas is on
one side and the atmospheric pressure on the other and capable of controlling the
flow of water to the pippet. It is obvious that a cock or valve or piston plunger
may take the place of the conical pippet, but it involves trouble in cleaning. The
resultant gas caused by dropping small and regulated quantities of water on to
the carbide is led to a suitable burner.
Dated thi th
2
1007
Portable Apparatus for Producing Gas from Carbide of Calcium.
We, FRANCIS WINDILAM, of 73, Queen Victoria Street, in the County o
Middlesex, Engineer, and ERNEST FRY, of 3, Hormead Road, in the County o
[Price 8d.]

page_text: Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to portable apparatus for producing gas from carbide
of calcium, and has for its object to provide apparatus of simple construction and
few parts, in which the amount of water supplied to the carbide can be easily
regulated.
The generator preferably comprises two chambers one above the other, the lower
containing carbide of calcium the upper one water. Communication between the
two chambers may be made by means of a conical opening controlled by a conically
pointed plunger, which is regulated by a screw, or equivalent device. The end of
the conical point passes through the opening and forms a pricker or cleaning plug
which keeps the opening free from any deposit tending to clog it, and also acts
as a drip point for the water.
A regulating valve may also be provided to control the amount of water
admitted to the conical valve. This regulating valve may be made of or actuated
by a thin film of rubber or other material which is strained over an orifice, and
so arranged that the pressure of the generated gas is on one side and the atmo-
spheric pressure on the other.
The resultant gas caused by dropping small and regulated quantities of water:
on the carbide is led to a suitable burner.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one construction of generator according to
this invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view of another construction of generator also according
to this invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view on a larger scale of the cap controlling the
valve shown in Figure 1.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1 and 3;-
A is a tubular vessel, which, in the construction illustrated in this figure is
merely a length of plain tubing. This tube A is provided with a gastight plug
or cover B at its lower end. The upper end of the tube A is covered by a cap
having a neck C¹ closed by a screwed plug C. The cap C does not necessarily
make a gastight joint on the tube A. It may if desired be made gastight, but
preferably it merely slips on, and thus provides means for the gas to escape if
excessive pressure is set up.
A small tube D passes through a hole in the centre of the cap C, and is pro-
vided at its lower end with a shoulder D¹ and a screwed portion D. The bottom
of this tube is pierced by a small conical opening D³. A flanged collar E is 4
screwed on to the threaded portion D³ of the tube D, the flanged part being against
the shoulder D¹. A loose collar El also flanged slips over the screwed portion D'
under the screwed collar E, with its flanged part downwards. An expansible ring
of rubber or like material F fits between the flanges of the collars E and E¹, and
when, by means of a nut G, operated by a long key from the lower end of the tube 4
the loose collar E¹ is forced upwards, the ring F is forced outwards and makes a
gastight division or diaphragm in the tube A. The space Y above this diaphragm
constitutes the water chamber, the carbide being placed in the space Z below it.
Holes D are made in the tube D to allow water to pass from the water chamber
to the inside of the said tube. A rod H fits inside the tube D; it is reduced in 5
diameter as at HH and the lower part is formed into a conical point H³
terminating in a needle point.
The extreme end or needle point of this conical point H³ projects through the
opening D³ in the bottom of the tube D, and this opening is completely closed
when the rod is in its lowest position. The fact that the needle point projects 5
through the opening is of great advantage, as it acts as a pricker to clear away

page_text: any deposit which may form round the hole, and also as a drip point for the
water.
The rod His provided with a small pin H which passes through a vertical
slot D in the tube 1), and also through a spiral slot J in a cap J which fits over
the top of the tube D. This cap is prevented from rising on the tube D by a small
screw J which is screwed through the wall of the cap J and engages in an annular
groove D5 in the tube D. The reduced end H' of the rod H passes through a
hole J in the cap J, and a spiral spring K is placed upon this end of the rod
inside the tube 1) in such a manner that it bears against the under surface of the top
of the cap J, and the shoulder of the rod H. This spring will tend to keep the
rod H in its lowest position. The rod is raised by rotating the cap J, and thus
lifting the pin H on the bottom edge of the spiral slot J. In Figure 1 the rod
is shown in its lowest position and it should be noted that the bottom edge of the
slot J is below the pin H' and consequently the spring K is forcing the valve
point H³ as far as possible through the conical hole D3 which is thus quite closed.
The spiral slot J¹ is made very wide at its lower end, in order that, if when the
valve is closed, any abnormal pressure of gas should arise in the carbide chamber,
the pressure may lift the valve and thus the gas may pass through the water
chamber and harmlessly into the air.
The gas is led away from the bottom of the carbide by means of a pipe L having
perforations L', this pipe L passes through the gastight cover B and is shown as
ending in a nozzle L to which a rubber pipe may be attached. It is obvious that
a burner communicating through a cock with the pipe L may, if desired, be
affixed to any convenient part of the generator thus making it a complete portable
lamp.
The cover or plug B is made gastight in the following manner;
L' is a fixed collar upon the gas outlet pipe L; L5 is an expansible ring of
rubber or other suitable material and Le is a loose collar or cover. The collars
are flanged in a similar way to those belonging to the separating diaphragm.
The lower part of the tube L' is screwed and a nut L³ serves when screwed up
to decrease the distance between the collars L' and Lª and to make the plug
gastight by causing the ring L to expand.
The fact that the plug 1) and the diaphragm separating the water and carbide
chambers, are easily and quickly removed, is very important as the construction is
thereby cheapened and the cleaning of the tubular vessel facilitated.
In the construction of generator illustrated in Figure
the tubular vessel A
is divided into two chambers by a fixed division or diaphragm A', and the lower
chamber is provided with an inner wall A. The space between the inner and
outer walls of the carbide chamber is filled with water which flows through the
holes A³ in the diaphragm, A¹.
The
The tube D passes through the diaphragm A¹, and contains the plunger H, the
conical end H3 of which controls the opening D³ in the end of the tube D.
top end of the plunger is in this construction screwed and passed through the top
of the tube D which is threaded to receive it. The reduced portion H of the
plunger H is guided in the tube D as at D'.
The holes D in the lower part of the tube D are, in this form of lamp preferably
made in a flat which is formed at one side of the tube. A tube M having one end
communicating with the upper part of the carbide chamber is brought through
the diaphragm A¹ and, after being bent over terminates in a small box M¹ the
face M of which is closely adjacent to the holes D. This face M is made of
rubber or other suitable material-a thin film of metal for example.
abnormal gas pressure in the carbide chamber will cause the flexible face M³ to
bulge out, and it will then close the holes D' in the tube D, thus acting as a valve
o regulate the admission of water to the conical valve H³.
Any
The gastight cover is, in this construction, formed by a screwed cap B¹, and the
as passes out through the pipe N which leads from the bottom of the carbide

page_text: chamber, up through the diaphragm A¹, and the water chamber to the top of the
lamp, where if desired, a burner controlled by a cock may be fixed.
In either form of generator, the water may be passed through a filtering
medium before entering the carbide chamber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;
-
1. A portable acetylene gas generator comprising a tube divided into two
chambers by a hermetic removable diaphragm.
2. In a portable acetylene gas generator a removable diaphragm constructed
and operating substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. In a portable acetylene gas generator the combination with a removable
diaphragm which divides the apparatus into two parts or chambers, of a needle
valve such as H³ operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose
described.
5. In a portable acetylene gas generator the combination with the tubular
generating chamber Z of a removable plug or stopper whereby access to the
chamber is afforded for supplying the carbide, and also in conjunction with the
removable diaphragm for cleaning purposes substantially as described.
6. In a portable acetylene gas generator the combination with the gas outlet pipe
of a fixed collar L' expansible ring L loose collar or cover Lo, and nut L³ screw-
ing on to the pipe or on to a sleeve thereon, the whole forming a removable, and
except as to the interior of the pipe, gas tight stopper or end to the generating
chamber, substantially as described or illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings.
7. In a portable acetylene gas generator, a water supply regulating device com-
prising a tube such as M terminating in a rigid box such as M¹ having a flexible
working face such as M³ substantially as and for the purpose described or illus-
trated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
8. The complete portable generator for acetylene gas substantially as described
or illustrated in Figure 1 or in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
1
1
T.1 1000