Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generators.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 22nd Oct., 1898
Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generators.
We, CLARENCE ROSS GILLETT and EGBERT WARREN GILLETT, both of No. 9,
River Street, Chicago, Cook County, State of Illinois, United States of America,
Manufacturers, 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:-
11
According to the invention, the gas evolved at the carbide retort may go directly
into the main pipe line or distribution circuit without passing through an inter-
mediate gasometer or like storage reservoir. By this provision, space and outlay
are economized, repairs and disorders are lessened while the product is higher in
quality than if subjected to gasometer exposure.
In automatic apparatus of the water supply sort, when consumption ceases at
the burners, the aim is to stop the inflow of water at the carbide retort and thus
to arrest the further generation of gas. But the action is not exact. There is
apt to be a residual evolution of gas, due to the presence of surplus water in the
retort. The confined pressure accumulates and would become excessive unless
relieved by safety vent or by providing a gasometer. Relief by safety vent means
waste. Objections to the gasometer have already been stated.
The invention designs to hold the water inflow at the retort in closer and more
sensitive control.
Residual evolution is minimized-the subsidiary volume of gas being retained
by the retort without undue tension and without reflecting its excess pressure upon
the main supply of water at the feed tank. The exact nature of the improvements
will appear in detail from the description following and be pointed out by claim
at the conclusion.
Figure 1 is a view of one form of the apparatus in longitudinal section, with
some of the parts in elevation. Fig. 2, a view of the retort in front elevation.
Fig. 3, cross-section view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
The retort A for the carbide is conveniently cast in box-like form 30 with an
open or exposed front after the fashion of a burglar-proof safe. A door 31 to close
against the jamb of the retort front is carried by upper and lower curved arms 34
hinged thereto as at 33 near its central vertical line; said arms are also hinged
at opposite ends in lugs as at 35 projecting from the side of the retort at the front
corners. By such expedient, the door can close flat against a gasket 32 at the
jamb and be secured gas-tight by suitable eye-bolts 37 or like fastener extended
at intervals between companion lugs 36, 38 on the edge of the door and the body
of the retort.
The eye of the bolt 37 is received between dual lugs 38 and pivots on cross-
bolt 39 extended through lugs 38 and the intermediate eye. When the door is
open, all parts of the retort interior are freely accessible.
At about mid-height, the retort carries the horizontal internal ledges 41 to
sustain the carbide tray 40 having wire-cloth or like open bottom. A deep pan 49
rests upon the floor of the retort, to serve as a receptacle for spent lime, and possible

page_text: surplus water. When the door is open, the pan can be easily emptied and replaced
and the tray be refilled with its charge.
A short shaft 44, extended through stuffing-box 45 and its cap 46 carries inter-
nally, a cam-disc: 43 and is furnished at its outer end with crank-arm 47. By
turning the crank-arm, the disc 43 impinges against the face of tray-plate 42 to
shake the tray up and down and thus to dislodge the spent lime powder. A clip 48
suspended beneath tray 40 receives a lump of carbide sufficient to put the apparatus
under desired pressure at the outset. On turning crank-arm 47, the piece of car-
bide is dislodged from clip 48, by the the shaking of tray 40, and drops into a
minor film of water at the pan 49 beneath. Thereupon, acetylene gas is developed
and forces its way from the retort into the water tank and the distributor circuit,
as presently described.
Water tank 63 is conveniently mounted above the retort by pipe 62, threaded
to a reducer coupling 70 which screws, in turn, into an opening at the tank bottom.
The casing of a one-way check-valve 71 is joined to the protruding end of pipe 62
and may conveniently be coupled to a turn-cock 72 united below to the outer
terminal of a percolator 56.
Said percolator is threaded to and projects within the carbide retort and prefer-
ably contains a wad 57 of wick or like obstructive septum serving as a water
distributor. Cowl 58 screws on to the lower end of percolator 56 and carries a
pendent curtain 59, slit as shown and made from some suitable capillary fabric.
Disc 60 perforated at the mouth of the percolator clamps the curtain 59 to cowl 58.
The disc and cowl are properly riveted together and the rivets soldered over to
prevent the water from seeping past them.
By vent 64 water flows from tank 63 into pipe 62 and thence past valve 71 and
cock 72 into percolator 56, saturating the wad 57 and eventually the curtain 59.
But there will be no drip of water on to the carbide tray unless the pressure at the
tank is higher than the pressure at the retort.
To provide for this, exit pipe 50, which leads the gas from the retort to the
distribution circuit, unites overhead by branch 73 with the top of tank 63. A
reduction-valve 74 of any approved pattern, such as shown, and a check-valve 75
opening toward the tank, are interposed in branch 73. By adjusting its plunger.
valve 74 can be set to close e.g., at 5 lbs. pressure, thus preventing any further
admission of gas to tank 63 beyond the standard volume but insuring a normal
tension of 5 lbs. over the surface of the water therein. The reduction valve opens
automatically to admit an additional supply of gas to the tank whenever the
pressure there drops below the assigned normal. Check-valve 75 is employed in
way of precaution to better prevent any back leak of gas from the tank.
Being thus confined within the tank, it is obvious that the gas exerts its tension
to feed the water into the retort whenever the pressure at the retort falls lower by
reason of the exit of gas into the main line for consumption.
Check-valve 71 is nicely balanced to allow for the flow of water from tank 63 but
closes snugly against its seat if the gas at the retort exerts an opposite pressure e.g.,
5 lbs., or more, upon the valve. By such provision, the water tank 63 is relieved from
excessive strain while the tension of the gas confined therein never mounts to impel
an undue feed of water. The precaution is important, especially if conditions be
extreme, as for instance when a sudden draft comes upon the retort for a maximum
volume of gas to supply a multitude of burners simultaneously lit.
Exit nine 50 for the main supply of gas, has a trap 54 with pet-cock 55 to
draw off the condensible products at desired intervals, and there is a globe-valve 51
to close the distribution circuit when, for example, the retort is to be opened for
replenishing. The distribution pipe 50 carries a reducing valve 76, similar in
structure to valve 74 and adjusted to close at a nominal pressure, e.g., one-half
pound, more or less. The presence of the reducing valve 76 enables the main line
of pine to deliver gas at the various burners under practically uniform tension.
The pressure at the consumption side is generally much lower than at the retort
side of the reducing valve, but as the gas passes off at the burners, the lessening

page_text: tension finally allows valve 76 to open and to admit a further volume of gas from
the retort to the distribution circuit.
Thus, at times, the gas may be stored at the retort under pressure, e.g., of
20 lbs., especially if the apparatus has remained inactive or has been subjected to
sudden draft upon its store and consequent rapid inflow of water. Whatever the
cause, reducing valve 76 controls the escape and despite the comparatively heavy
pressure at the retort, none-the-less governs the tension on the distribution circuit
and holds the gas at low pressure merely sufficient to provide proper feed at the
burners.
Generally, it is not desirable to maintain a pressure in the main-line circuit
much exceeding 1-1 lb. But, if the joints are tight and the burners easily
adiustable, the pressure can be higher. In such event, the branch-pipe 73 may
lead directly from the line-pipe to the tank, the reducing-valve 74 being dispensed
with as superfluous, and the single reducing-valve 76 made to act in dual capacity,
controlling the pressure on the line and in the water-tank, as well. The presence
of check-valve 75 in the branch-pipe would still serve to prevent undue escape of
the confined volume from the water-tank, should some sudden exhaust draft come
upon the main line.
Should check-valve 71, interposed in pipe 62 between tank 63 and percolator 56,
fail to act for any cause, the result will merely be to establish an equal pressure
of gas at the tank and in the carbide retort beneath. Under such condition,
wad, 57 will restrain the flow of water and no additional volume will discharge
into the retort unless and until the pressure there falls below the pressure in the
tank. This reduction in pressure ensues when the consumption circuit is open,
which means that the generation of gas will thereupon proceed automatically.
according to the demand and despite the disorder of valve 71. A safety vent at
the water tank may be employed to relieve any excess pressure such as might
accumulate there were valve 71 inactive. Save for the exceptional condition noted,.
the safety vent would stay unopened.
Tube 65, closed gas-tight by can 66, is inserted in tank 63 and admits the water
supply; the cock 72 is first shut off to prevent exit of gas from the retort. Tube 65
overflows and denotes when tank is sufficiently full.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The combination, with the carbide retort and with the water supply tank,
of the intermediate feed tube having check-valve therein and the gas exit pipe
leading from the retort, communicating with the supply tank and furnished with
a pressure reducer to keep the gas tension at the tank less than in the retort, sub-
stantially as described.
2. The combination, with the carbide retort and with the water-supply tank, of
the intermediate conduit having one-way check-valve therein, the distribution pine
leading from the retort and furnished with a reduction valve, and the pressure tube
interposed between the retort and the tank, discharging into said tank and having
a reduction valve and separate check-valve therein, substantially as described.
Dis 10th dox of August 1898
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.