Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1897-Accepted, 6th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene.
I, EMILIANO JIMENO, of 340 Diputacion, Barcelona, in the Kingdom of Spain,
Engineer, 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 an improved automatic apparatus for the production
of acetylene under constant pressure and in constant volume. This apparatus
occupies a small place and provides in a simple manner for the production of
acetylene as aforesaid.
It is composed of a small upper vessel A (Fig. 1) of sufficient size to contain the
water intended to act on the carbide of calcium; of an under vessel B of a volume
about double that of the first one; of a tube a connecting the two vessels and
provided with a cock for the passage of the water; this tube is wholly or partly
capillary so that the water leaves drop by drop; of another tube b placed in the
interior of vessel A to put the under part of this vessel into communication with
the atmosphere to regulate the pressure of the water in the escape hole and finally
of the tube c which leads the gas to the burner from vessel B.
On the upper part of the carbide vessel B is mounted the rest of the apparatus.
The cover C of vessel B and the cap or plug d of the water vessel A are removable
for charging and discharging the vessels and may be hermetically closed by any
means.
The apparatus is as follows:-The vessels A and B are charged respectively
with water and carbide in convenient quantities and closed hermetically; on
opening the tap of the tube a the water will fall drop by drop on the carbide ;,
the reaction will be produced and the disengaged gas will leave through the tube c
In order to pass to the burner; the resistance opposed to the passage of the gas
by the burner causes the pressure of the gas to become increased and at the
moment when this augmentation balances the constant pressure of the water at
its escape opening the water will cease to fall. It will again begin to flow at the
moment when the pressure of gas becomes less than that of the water.
The first drops fall directly on the carbide but the others fall on the lime which
is formed and that causes the water to operate by degrees, on the carbide and by
evaporising to operate on the whole mass. It results therefrom that the pressure
of the gas does not sensibly change and remains equal to that of the water at the
escape orifice.
In apparatus of small dimensions the vessel B must have walls, which are bad
heat conductors or which are at least surrounded with non-conductive materials.
In order to facilitate the action of the vapor on the carbide, it is convenient to
give to it a great surface by using it in the state of small pieces or in powder and
by placing it in several receivers of wire gauze or in any other manner.
It will be understood that the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 can be modified' in its
form and arrangement without departing from the spirit of this invention. These
variations relate simply to details or constitute apparatus intended for better
working in special cases.

page_text: Various dispositions for perfecting the working are shown on the annexed draw-
ings in which the same letters or signs represent the same or analagous parts.
The dimensions may be of any size.
In order that the water tube a may allow the water to fall whereas at 'the
moment when the pressure of the gas is superior 'to that of the water in the escape
orifice, the gas may not pass into the water receiver, one can adopt the following
arrangements.
1. To prolong the tube at its under part by bending it upwards according to
the form at a' shown in Fig. 3.
2. To prolong it vertically in the interior of another tube of a little greater
diameter, closed at its extremities and which has a convenient height and the
water escape holes a" arranged as indicated in Figs. 4 or 5.
3. To close the opening with a valve e of any system (Figs. 2, 6, 7 and 8).
4. To place a cock in the interior of the tube a according to the form shown in
Figs. 1, 3 & 6.
The tube a can have several entrances or escapes of any form and giving always
a constant pressure.
The air tube cam have the following modifications.
1. It can be shortened until it arrives at the escape hole if the height of the
water is very small or if the gas must pass through a pressure regulator in order
to pass to the burners.
2. It can be suppressed by suppressing any communication of the water with
the atmosphere when the gas must pass through the pressure regulator and the
water communicates by its level with the gas with regulated pressure.
3. It can be provided wih a tap (Fig. 4) which replaces that of the tube a.
4. It can be arranged in the plug of the water receiver according to the
arrangement of Figs. 3, 4, 5, 8.
GAS GENERATORS WITH GREATER PRESSURE.
When in consequence of the arrangement of the tubes a and b, the production
of the gas is made under a greater pressure than that necessary for the con-
sumption, the gas must pass through a pressure regulator before passing to the
burner.
The regulator f which I use consists of a small bellows or flexible sheet of
caoutchouc or other material, the interior of which communicates with the air,
and which is provided with a weight in its movable base for regulating the
necessary pressure, or of a spring, to which one can give adjustable tension by
means of a regulating screw. These bellows compressed by the pressure of the
gas operate by any means the plug, which opens or closes the escape hole of the
gas. The difference between the surface of the bellows and that of the hole and
the sensitiveness of the first secure the good working of the regulator. It is
shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8. Any of these gas generators may have for extra security
a safety valve of any kind as at h Fig. 6.
In these apparatus, when one extinguishes the light by closing the tap which
separates the gas producer from the regulator, or that which is before the burner,
the falling of the water is stopped by the augmentation of the pressure and the
gas is produced only by reason of the humidity which surrounds the carbide;
this production is very limited and can be kept under pressure in the same
receiver. Therefore the receivers of Figs. 6, 7, 8 have a greater capacity than
that usually given Weak pressure is thus given and security is obtained by means
of a safety valve with convenient surface area and weight.
In Fig. 8 which represents a pressure gas producer for a large number of burners,
the gas receiver is divided into two parts B and B put into communication by a
tube with tap. The object of this disposition is:-
a. To give more room to the gas under pressure in order that this pressure may
be weak.
b. To be able to charge the gas producer B without losing the gas compressed
in B¹ by alosing the corresponding tap.

page_text: GAS PRODUCERS COMBINED WITH GAS HOLDERS.
Fig. 5 shows a gas producer of this system intended to be combined with a gas
holder of any system. If gas holder is arranged for the admission of the gas
under a greater pressure (1 cm. for instance) than that of the production of the
gas, the latter does not pass to the gas holder whilst the burners are alight but
when the light is extinguished the pressure will increase and the gas will again
enter the gas holder, the water will no longer fall and only the gas produced by
the humidity will be kept in.
The gas producer combined with a ras holder with bellows such as I have
described in my specification of an application of the same date offers various
combinations which are very useful for the domestic illumination where there is
little space for the plant or for movable lamps, which can be lighted or extinguished
at pleasure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is: :-
1. A gas producer constituted substantially by two vessels, one above for the
water the other below for the carbide of calcium, in communication by means of a
tube wholly or partly capillary (or made as such) through which the water leaves
drop by drop, the pressure of the gas being regulated by means of the pressure of
the water on the gas and regulation obtained by the constant pressure (variabio
at pleasure) given to the water on the escape orifice, this pressure being equiva-
lent to that of the formation of the gas and obtained by either of the following
means:
a. By placing the air tube more or less high, fixed or movable at pleasure
arranged with the variations indicated in this description and shown im
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8.
b. By the constant pressure (variable at pleasure) operated on the water by
the gas which passes to the burner under a regulated pressure
Figs. 6 & 7.
2. The combination with the gas producer, arranged as in above claim, and im
the tube, through which the water falls, the automatic closure.
a. By hydraulic pressure in the syphon of Fig. 3 or that of Figs. 4, 5.
b. By means of a sensitive valve of any system (Figs. 2, 6, 7, 8).
c. By a combination of these two systems a and b.
3. In the gas holder arranged according to Claim 1 and in the gas conduct c
the pressure regulator f (Figs. 6, 7, 8) formed by small bellows which by means
of a fixed weight or a tension spring variable at pleasure opposes a certain
resistance to compression and operate on a plug or tap which governs the escape
of the gas produced and lets it only leave in sufficient quantity, in order that the
pressure in the burners may be that required.
4. The construction embodying this invention and shown in the various forms
of gas producers illustrated in the annexed drawing.
TO 1o. of Tu... 100%
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agents to Applicant.