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

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Production
of Acetylene.
I, FREDERICK HUGH SMITH, of 44, Blackett Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
are
According to this invention the calcium carbide is introduced into the gas
generator in a number of comparatively small closed packages, which
automatically opened, so as to admit water, one by one as the carbide in the
previously opened packages becomes exhausted and the pressure of the gas in the
reservoir is consequently diminished.
A convenient arrangement is to employ a tray divided by partitions into compart-
ments. This tray is filled with carbide and covered with tin foil or other water
tight material which is easy to perforate. A cover lined with elastic material is
then fixed on the tray the elastic material pressing the foil on to the partitions
thereby completely isolating the contents of the compartments from each other.
The cover has a hole in it above each compartment exposing a portion of the foil.
Such portions are automatically brought in succession beneath a knife or perforator
worked by the pressure of the gas.
In applying this invention to the lamp described in my prior Specification
No. 18218 of 1897 I prefer to employ an annular tray such as is above described
the partitions being radial.
This tray is put in the water chamber of the lamp in which there is also a
float fixed to a vertical spindle free to rise and fall and also turn in bearings.
Rotating with the spindle but not rising and falling with it is a plate to which
a lever is pivotted. One end of this lever is pivotted to the spindle and the other
end carries a knife or perforator. When the pressure of the gas falls the float
rises so depressing the knife and perforating one of the compartments into which
water enters thereby increasing the pressure, depressing the float and raising the
knife. The float carries a pin which works between two circular racks or series of
teeth set facing each other. These teeth are so formed that the float when near its
bighest position rises and falls vertically but when it is near its lowest position the
pin in descending moves on the inclines of the teeth of the lower rack and in
ascending on the inclines of the teeth of the upper rack. The float therefore for
each complete oscillation is rotated through a distance equal to that between two
teeth of the racks and the knife is brought over the next compartment to that it
has last perforated.
Each compartment may be divided into two by a circular partition. In this case
two knives set at different levels are employed, the lower knife first perforating all
its compartments whilst the float makes a complete revolution and then the float
rising higher brings the other knife into operation.
Dated this with dox of Donember 1897

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for the Production
of Acetylene.
I, FREDERICK HUGH SMITH, of 44, Blackett Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne, 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 :-
According to this invention the calcium carbide is introduced into the gas
generator in a number of comparatively small closed packages, which are
automatically opened, so as to admit water, one by one, as the carbide in the
previously opened packages becomes exhausted and the pressure of the gas in the
reservoir is consequently diminished.
A convenient arrangement is to employ, as shown in the drawings, a tray a
divided by partitions a¹ into compartments. This tray is filled with carbide and
covered with tin foil b or other water tight material which is easy to perforate. A
cover c lined with elastic material c¹ is then fixed on the tray the elastic material
pressing the foil on to the partitions thereby completely isolating the contents of
the compartments from each other. The cover has a hole in it above each
compartment exposing a portion of the foil. Such portions are automatically
brought in succession beneath a knife or perforator worked by the pressure of the
gas.
In applying this invention to the lamp gonerator described in my prior
Specification 15754 of 1897 I prefer to employ an annular tray such as is above
described the partitions being radial.
This arrangement is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings which shows the
lower portion of the lamp.
This tray is put in the water chamber d of the lamp in which there is also a
float e fixed to a vertical spindle el free to rise and fall and also turn in bearings e².
Rotating with the spindle but not rising and falling with it is a plate f to which
a lever fis pivotted at f. One end of this lever is pivotted to the spindle and the
other end carries a knife or perforator g. When the pressure of the gas falls
the float e rises by reason of the rise of the water into the upper chamber as
described in the former Specification so depressing the knife g and perforating one
of the compartments into which water enters thereby increasing the pressure,
depressing the float e and raising the knife. The float carries a pin e³ which works
between two circular racks or series of teeth h, shown in elevation at Figure 2, set
facing each other. These teeth are so formed that the float when near its highest
position rises and falls vertically but when it is near its lowest position the pin in
descending moves on the inclines of the teeth of the lower rack and in ascending on
the inclines of the teeth of the upper rack. The float therefore for each complete
oscillation is rotated through a distance equal to that between two teeth of the
racks and the knife is brought over the next compartment to that it has last
perforated.
Each compartment may be divided into two by a circular partition. In this case
two knives set at different levels are employed the lower knife first perforating all
its compartments whilst the float makes a complete revolution and then the float
rising higher brings the other knife into operation.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 show a modification in which the bell of a gasometer acts as
tho float.
In this case the water tank d is open at the top and the base plate supporting
the lamp drops into it. is a box fixed to the base plate and opening into a pipe /¹
fixed to it which forms a guide for the floating bell and conveys gas to the

page_text: urner m.
nnare standards fixed to the base plate ; and serving to steady the
ipek. o is a pipe opening into the box and extending above the water level in
e bell . This pipe leads the gas from the inside of the bell down into the box k
om whence it ascends by the pipe k¹ to the burner.
Any condensation is drawn off at a plug hole 2. The knife g is fixed inside the
ell and the racks h to the outside. p is a pin carried by one of the standards n and
ngaging with the racks h.
ipe . o is a pipe opening into the box
and extending above the water level in
he bell . This pipe leads the gas from the inside of the bell down into the box k
from whence it ascends by the pipe k¹ to the burner.
Any condensation is drawn off at a plug hole 2. The knife g is fixed inside the
bell and the racks h to the outside. p is a pin carried by one of the standards n and
engaging with the racks h.
The action of this apparatus is similar to that shown at Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method of producing acetylene consisting in immersing a number of
watertight packages of carbide in water and opening the packages so as to admit
water one by one as the carbide in the previously opened packages becomes
exhausted.
2. The combination substantially as described of a tank, a number of water-
tight packages of carbide in the tank and means for successively piercing the
packages.
3. The method of producing acetylene consisting in immersing a number of
watertight packages of carbide in a tank a float in the tank and means actuated
by the rise and fall of the float for successively piercing the packages.
4. The annular tray divided into compartments by radial partitions and covered
with tin foil or the like.
5. The combination of a tank, an annular tray in the tank, radial partitions
dividing the tray into compartments a covering of tin foil or the like to the
compartments, a float in the tank, a knife actuated by the rise and fall of the float
and means for rotating the knife as it rises or falls.
6. Apparatus for the production of acetylene substantially as described and
illustrated in the drawings.
1000