Improved Apparatus for Automatically Generating Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1896-Accepted, 24th Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Automatically Generating Gas.
1 GEORGE WEBB Junr. of 89 Wharton Road, Shepherd's Bush, in the County
of Middlesex late of 27 Goda Street, Princess Road, Kennington, Mechanic and
JOSEPH WILLIAM KELLY of 70 Finsbury Pavement in the City of London E.C.,
Gentleman 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:-
Our invention relates to improved apparatus for automatically generating gas
and is of that kind in which a chemical such as calcium carbide, is used in
combination with water brought into contact therewith to effect the desired
purpose.
According to my invention we provide a chamber having at the top a gas outlet
Into this chamber
fitted with a cock and at the bottom a removable cap or base.
is placed a vessel or holder containing the calcium carbide, a central tube open at
each end being fitted thereto so as to pass through the calcium carbide and extend
upwardly above the same.
To the lower part of the said chamber we connect, by means of a pipe provided
with a valve or cock, an india-rubber or other collapsable bag containing water and
weighted on the top to force the said water into the chamber when the valve or
cock is open. The said valve or cock is operated by means of a lever weighted at
one end and bearing upon a grooved pulley carried by the top of the collapsable
bag.
The accompanying drawing illustrates in sectional elevation our improved
apparatus in which a represents the chamber or gas holder in which is placed the
vessel b containing the calcium carbide, the cap or bottom a¹ of the chamber being
removable for this purpose. a 2 is the gas outlet fitted with the cock a 3 and c is
the central tube fitted to the vessel b.
d is the collapsable bag containing water and connected to the chamber a by the
pipe e provided with the valve or cock foperated by the lever f¹ weighted at f2.
The said lever rests against the grooved pulley g carried by the top of the bag
and the latter is also provided with weights d.
The operation is as follows;-The vessel b being filled with calcium carbide is
placed within the chamber a and the cap a secured tightly in position. The
valve is then opened permitting the water in the bag d being forced, by means of
the weights d' into the chamber a and up the centre tube c from whence it overflows
on to the calcium carbide thus generating the gas.
The pressure of the said gas then forces the water down and back into the bag
again thus extending the bag and thereby acting on the lever f' so as to nearly close
the valve f. The excess of gas thus formed passes into the tube c and upon the
cock a 3 being opened the gas passes away to be used as required.
As the pressure of the gas is reduced the lever f' is lowered by the weight f2
thus again opening the valve f to its fullest extent the said valve being never
entirely closed and permitting the water from the bag to flow into the chamber a
to generate a fresh supply of gas as before described.
This action is repeated as long as there is any calcium carbide left in the
Vessel

page_text: There may be fitted to the end of the gas outlet a reducing valve of any suitable
description so as to keep the gas on the burner side always at an even pressure.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is ;-
1. In apparatus for automatically generating gas the use of a chamber or gas
holder carrying a vessel containing calcium carbide fitted with a central tube, the
said chamber or gas holder being in connection, by means of a valve operated by a
weighted lever, with a collapsable bag containing water and provided with a
weight for the purpose of forcing a portion of the said water into contact with the
calcium carbide so as to generate gas when the pressure of the latter has become
reduced substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
2. In apparatus for automatically generating gas the combination with the
chamber or gas holder a provided with a removable cap or bottom a¹ and an
outlet a 2 and cock a 3 of a vessel b containing calcium carbide and fitted with a
central tube c, and of a collapsable bag d containing water, weights and a
connecting pipe e, valve f and lever fi, weights f2 and grooved pulley 9, all
arranged and operating substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
3. The improved apparatus for automatically generating gas substantially as
described and shown in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 18th day of May 1896.
J. B. FLEURET,
5 Hatton Garden, London, Agent for the Applicants.