Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Production of
Acetylene Gas.
I, CESAR GUSTAV LUIS, of 24 Champion Grove, Denmark Hill, in the County
of Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for use in the production of acetylene gas by
the action of water on calcium carbide. By the use of my improved apparatus the
gas is generated automatically and only in such a quantity as is required for
immediate consumption. Moreover a large quantity of the calcium carbide and
water can be stored in the apparatus so that a large volume of gas can be generated
without replenishing the apparatus.
My improved apparatus comprises a metal or other vessel or cylinder divided by
a horizontal partition into two chambers, the upper one of which is arranged to
contain the water, and the lower one of which contains the calcium carbide. The
lower chamber is provided with one or more filling or charging apertures, and with
an opening for drawing off the waste or residue from the calcium carbide, all these
openings being provided with suitable air-tight caps or stoppers. A gas pipe leads
from the top of the carbide chamber to a point above the surface of the water in
the water chamber.
The upper chamber is provided with a safety valve and a water filling tube
which latter extends downwardly to a point below the surface of the water in the
water chamber. The said tube is provided with an air tight cap or stopper at its
outer end. The top of the water chamber is preferably somewhat conical and is
provided with a gas burner and gas cock. Below the gas cock are arranged sieves
of wire gauze to act as traps to prevent the gas lighting back should the pressure
within the apparatus fall. A reducing cock or valve is also provided in the
burner tube.
The automatic regulation of the amount of gas generated is effected by a ball
float valve comprising a hollow metal ball provided with a conical projection which
forms the valve proper. The valve seat is formed by a conical tube passing
through the horizontal partition. The larger end of the said tube opens into the
water chamber and the other end of the said tube which end opens into the carbide
chamber, is provided with only a small opening of such a size as will permit so
much water to pass through into the carbide chamber as is necessary to produce
gentle and uniform generation of gas. The ball valve is provided with a small
downwardly extending tube open at the end and so arranged that when the ball
valve is in its lowest position the lower end of said tube is nearly but not quite in
contact with the horizontal partition separating the upper chamber from the lower
chamber. Any suitable form of stop may be provided to prevent the ball valve
from rising too far from its seat. When the apparatus is prepared for use the
upper chamber is partially filled with water and the lower chamber is provided
with a sufficient quantity of calcium carbide in a suitable form.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:
The ball float valve being filled with air rises to its highest position and opens
the valve thue allaming mall antite of water to nees from the unner chamber

page_text: into the lower chamber where it comes into contact with the calcium carbide
contained in the latter chamber, and generates acetylene gas which can be lighted
and burned at the burner directly all air has been expelled from the upper and
lower chambers of the apparatus. This generation of gas, due to water being
gradually fed through the valve, will continue as long as the supply of gas does
not exceed the amount of gas consumed at the burner. Should this not be the case
or if the gas cock is turned off the increased pressure of gas within the apparatus
automatically closes the valve in the central partition and stops the transference of
water to the lower compartment or chamber whereupon the generation of gas
ceases. The closing of the valve is effected as follows:-As the pressure of gas
in the apparatus increases a small quantity of water, due to such increased
pressure, rises in the small downwardly extending tube attached to the ball valve.
The additional weight of this water decreases the buoyancy of the ball and causes
the ball valve to descend and thus to close the valve opening thereby shutting
off the supply of water to the calcium carbide and thus causing the generation of
gas to cease. When the pressure of gas in the apparatus is reduced by opening
the gas cock in the burner the air in the ball will expand again and expel from the
tube attached to the ball the water that had risen therein, thus restoring the
buoyancy of the ball whereupon the ball float valve will rise thus again opening
the valve and allowing the passage therethrough of the water which acting on the
calcium carbide in the lower chamber causes the generation of acetylene gas to be
recommenced.
To facilitate the cleaning of the carbide chamber I sometimes make it separate
from the water chamber and when in use I screw it or bolt it in an air tight manner
to the latter chamber. I sometimes make the bottom of the carbide chamber
removable for the same purpose.
OL 1
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in the Production of
Acetylene Gas.
I, CESAR GUSTAV LUIS, of 24 Champion Grove, Denmark Hill, in the
County of Surrey, Merchant, 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 apparatus for use in the production of acetylene gas by
the action of water on calcium or other suitable carbide. My improved apparatus
is constructed to work automatically that is to say it generates gas only as required
for immediate consumption and the said apparatus is capable of holding a con-
siderable quantity of calcium carbide and water so that frequent charging thereof
is not required.
The improved apparatus comprises a metal or other vessel divided by a horizontal
partition into two chambers, the upper one of which is arranged to contain the
water, and the lower one of which contains the calcium carbide. A valve is
provided in the partition to control the flow of the water from the upper to the
lower chamber, and the said valve is operated by the pressure of the gas in the
apparatus and is opened more or less in accordance with the variations: of
the pressure.

page_text: I may construct the apparatus as a table lamp or as a generator for supplying
several burners in different parts of a house or building.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a generating app iratus constructel as a
portable lamp in accordance with my invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are similar sections of modified forms of my improved
apparatus.
Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts. in the several figures.
;
A is the generating vessel made sufficiently strong to withstand the internal
pressure of the gas. B is a partition divi ling the generator into two compartments
or chambers, the upper one A' of which contains the water and the lower oa: A
of which contains the calcium carbide. The chamber A is provided with filling
or charging apertures a a, and with an outlet a' for drawing off the waste or
residue from the calcium carbide; all of these openings are providel with suitable
air tight caps or stoppers for closing them. C is a pipe leading from the carbide
chamber to a point above the surface of the water in the water chamber and
forming a communication by which the gas passes from the lower to the upper
chamber.
The upper chamber is provided with a safety valve D and with a charging
tube E, the latter extends downwardly to a point below the surface of the water,
and is furnished with an airtight cap or stopper at its outer end.
F is the gas
outlet pipe which leads to the burner or burne. 8. Below the cock or tap Fin
said pipe are arranged a series of wire gauzes G which act to prevent the gas
lighting back should the pressure within the apparatus become unduly reduced.
A reducing valve H is provided in the outlet pipe F to reduce the pressure of gais
to the required amount.
In the apparatus shewn in Figure 1, the automatic regulation of the generation
of gas is effected by a floating valve comprising a hollow metal ball J and a conical
projection J1 which forms the valve proper. The valve seat is formed by a conical
tube J2 passing through the partition B. The smaller end of the said tube has an
opening of such a size as will permit as much water to pass through into the carbi.le
chamber as is necessary to produce a gentle and uniform generation of gas. The
ball is furnished with a small downwardly extending tube J3 open at both ends
and so arranged that when the ball is in its lowest position the lower end of said
tube is nearly but not quite in contact with the partition B. J, Jare curved
bands fixed to the partition and adapted to prevent the ball from rising too high in
the water.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:
The ball being filled with air rises to its highest position and thus opens the
tube J2 and allows the water to pass gradually through the said tube J² from the
éhamber A¹ into the chamber A2 where it comes into contact with the calcium
carbide contained in the latter chamber, and generates acetylene gas which can be
lighted and burned at the burner directly all air has been expelled from the
apparatus. The generation of gas will continue as long as the supply of gas does
not exceed the aniount consumed at the burner. Should this not be the case or
should the tap be shut the increased pressure of gas within the apparatus will
operate to automatically close the valve J¹ and stop the transference of water to
the lower compartment or chamber whereupon the generation of gas will cease.
The closing of the valve is effected as follows:-As the pressure of gas in the
apparatus increases the air in the ball becomes compressed to a smaller volu ne and
a quantity of water rises in the tube J³, this water decreases the buoyancy of the
ball and causes the ball and with it the valve J¹ to de-cend and close the tube J2
thereby shutting off the su, ply of water to the calcium carbide and causing the
generation of gas to cease. When the tap is again opened and the pressure of
gas in the apparatus thereby reduced the air in the ball will expand again and
expel the water that had arisen through the tube J³, thus restoring the buoyancy

page_text: of the ball whereupon the latter will rise and again open the valve and allow
water to enter the carbide chamber thus causing a further generation of gas.
To facilitate the cleaning of the carbide chamber I sometimes make it separate
from the water chamber and when in use I screw it or bolt it in an air tight manner
to the latter chamber. I sometimes make the bottom of the carbide chamber
removable for the same purpose.
In the modifications illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 I employ in lieu of the ball J
a diaphragm K for actuating the valve in accordance with the variations of
pressure. The diaphragm is exposed on one side to the pressure of the gas in the
generator chamber and on the other side to the external atmospheric pressure. It
is connected to the valve by a rod L. M is a perforated cover or shield for
protecting the diaphragm from contact with outside bodies while allowing the
atmosphere to freely act on the diaphragm. In Figure 3 the valve and diaphragm
are contained in a perforated tube M' which is screwed at the lower end into the
partition B and at the upper end into the top of the chamber A¹. L¹ is a wing
nut by which the valve may be closed when desired. In this construction the
tube extends through the top of the water chamber and serves as the charging
tube for the carbide chamber. It is closed at the upper end by a cap. The gas
-escapes into the water chamber through an opening c in the side of the tube C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For use in the generation of acetylene gas from water and a suitable carbide
an apparatus comprising upper and lower chambers separated by a partition in
which is a valve for regulating the flow of water from the upper to the lower
chamber said valve being controlled by the pressure of gas in the apparatus,
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
2. Apparatus constructed substantially as described with reference to one or
other of the accompanying drawings for the purposes specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant. \