An Improved Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
1
I, PAUL VAN HAMONT, of Donck, Limburg, Belgium, Manufacturer, 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:-
-The object of this invention is an apparatus for the purpose of producing
acetylene gas, automatically and regularly, as may be required for consumption.
This apparatus, which is very simple, is so constructed as to make overpro-
duction and overheating impossible and to allow all the carbide to be utilized,
the large lumps as well as the dust. The only manipulation the apparatus
requires, consists in spending about ten or fifteen minutes every ten days in
winter and scarcely every month in summer in recharging with carbide the
exhausted apparatuses of each generating arrangement.
The annexed drawing, which is given as an example, represents a view, partly
in elevation and partly in vertical section, of the apparatus.
The apparatus consists of a gas bell a dipping into a water-tank b, in which
it is guided by means of a central tube t, through which passes a guide rod v,
fixed to the bottom of the tank 6. Two receivers 2 and p2, are placed beside
the tank, each of them containing two superposed baskets f and f, in which
trays, each of which contains a pre-determined charge of carbide of calcium,
are placed the one above the other, at a certain distance apart.
The receivers and are closed by covers 1 and 2, provided with hydraulic
joints. Two branches, with screw-joints and and cocks e, connect the
receivers with a tube b¹. The tube b¹ is jointed to the tube u, which has a
cock r, and which, on the one hand, communicates with the gas supply-pipe,
and, on the other hand, with a tube, which passes into the tank and extends
up under the bell a. A cleaning-bottle s is fitted at the lower end of the
tube u.
Higher up than the above named devices, is a water-reservoir d; this reservoir
has a tube m, which is connected to a cock r, to the key of which a string y is
fastened and passes over a pulley z, being provided with a counter-weight p,
by means of which the cock is kept closed. A rope also fastened, on the one
hand, to the afore-mentioned key, is, on the other hand, secured to the top of
the bell of the gasometer. Attached to the cock r is a tube n to which an
india-rubber jointing tube is fastened whose free end may be placed on the
end of either of the tubes e and e which latter have cleaning or waste cocks ³¹
and, and an india-rubber tube connecting their branches h¹ and h³ together.
The receivers p, and p2, constitute the gas producers and the hydraulic joints
of their covers ensure absolute tightness without resorting to the use of india-
rubber or packing.
-The reservoir d' contains the feed water for the producers; the cock serves
to automatically regulate the flow of the water into the receivers, through the
tube: n, the joint and the tubes e¹ and e; the water acts on the carbide of
the trays in succession beginning at the bottom tray and going to the top.

page_text: The apparatus works as follows:-
Let it be supposed that the bell a of the gasometer is partly filled with gas,
and that four trays of carbide in the producer are exhausted and submerged
in the water. The gas being gradually consumed by the burners the bell or
cover sinks. When it has about reached the end of its travel,,, the rope l, which
was loose before, tightens and opens the regulation-cock against the action
of the counter-weight p. The water now runs from the reservoir d, through
pipes mand, into the tube e and enters the producer p² from below, as a
consequence, the level of the water rises in this producer with the result that the
fifth fray is soon submerged. The gas generated escapes through the cock c
and pipes b and r', and fills the bell which again; rises. The rope slackens
and the regulation cock closes until the bell again becoming empty causes a
repetition of the same action as before described.
When the last tray of the producer p² is reached, the feed-water, instead' of
running through into p², runs through, the overflow-tube h, h, and enters p';
the latter is thus, automatically filled with water. allowing time, to detach p²
with leisure, by taking, the tube from the tube, and placing it on el,, and
by unscrewing the joint d, in order to put fresh charges of carbide in the
producer 23, after which it is put in place again ready for restarting whenever p
is exhausted! ".
201
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 consider novel and desire to claim is:
1. An apparatus for generating acetylene gas automatically and regularly as
required characterized by two gas producers consisting of receivers each of which
possesses two superposed baskets containing trays, on each of which a definite
charge of carbide is placed, these trays being successively immersed, beginning
at the bottom one and going to the top, by the feed-water which is introduced
at the lower end of said receivers; the feed being regulated by a regulating cock
on the tube which conveys the water from the feed reservoir to said receivers
and whose key is attached by means of a cord to the top of the bell or cover of
the gasometer in such manner that when the bell sinks the cord is tightened
and caused to open the regulating cock which latter is normally held closed by
means of a cord passing over a pulley and attached to a counter-weight;; the
feed water being conducted into only one of the two producers at a time,, an
over-flow tube conducting the water into the second producer when all the trays
in the first one are exhausted and immersed and feeding it in the same manner
as the first one, this arrangement admitting of the withdrawal of the first pro-
ducer for recharging, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas, such as claimed in Claim 1,
the arrangement of two gas producers p and p close to the tank b of the gaso-
meter into which a bell or cover a dips and is guided by a tube secured to the
bell or cover and rod secured to the bottom of the tank; of two superposed
baskets and f, in each of the two producers, containing trays (,) each
charged with a certain amount of carbide and arranged the one above the other
at a certain distance apart; of a cover provided with an hydraulic joint for
closing each producer and having a branch with a screw-joint for letting off
the generated gas; of two vertical tubes one extending up from the bottom of
cach producer so arranged that either the one or the other can be set in
communication with a feed pipe the water from which can enter the producers
and ascend up through the carbide, trays, in succession, substantially, as herein;
before described with reference to the drawings annexed.
3. In an acetylene gas apparatus, such as claimed in Claim 1, the arrangement
of a water-reservoir d placed above the producers and provided with a feed tube m
which leads to a regulating cock.r, from whence a feed tube, n leads to the
producers; the said regulating cock, being kept shut by means of a string y

page_text: which is attached to its key and passes over a pulley z to a counterweight p;
and of a rope 1, on the one hand, attached to the key of said cock, and, on the
other hand, to the top of the bell of the gasometer, said rope being tightened
so as to open the cock in order to feed the producers with water whenever the
boll sinks, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the drawings
annexed!
4. In an acetylene gas apparatus, such as claimed in Claim 1, the arrangement
of a coupling tube, made of india-rubber, secured to the tube n, and which can
be jointed to either the tube el or of the producers; of an overflow-tube, which
unites the two branches h¹ and he of the tubes e¹ and e; and conducts the water
into the unused producer when the other is exhausted and all its trays immersed,
in order to continue the generation of gas, whilst the exhausted producer is
being re-charged, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown
drawings annexed.
Dated this 7th day of July, 1200.
on the
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
100; Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent..