Improvements in Means Employed in the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 15th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 7th May, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means Employed in the Manufacture of Acetylene
Gas.
I, ODDUR VIGFÚS SIGURDSSON, of 80, Shaftesbury Road, Ravenscourt Park, Ham-
mersmith, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The invention has for its object improvements in means employed in the manufac-
ture of acetylene gas with a view to the delivery of the calcium carbide to the gas
generating chamber in proportion as the gas is consumed.
For this purpose I place calcium carbide, in powder or in other convenient form,
in a hopper or supply chamber, at the bottom of which I arrange a feeding chamber
having an opening communicating with the supply chamber and another communica-
ting with the gas generating chamber, and I provide such feeding chamber with a
valve of such construction as to be capable of communication with either the calcium
carbide supply chamber or with the gas generating chamber separately but cannot
open communication to both of said chambers at the same time.
I also arrange connections with said valve in such manner that the bell or cover.
of the gasometer shall, on rising a given height, first shut off communication
between the feeding chamber and the gas generating chamber, and then open
communication between the feeding chamber and the hopper or supply chamber and,
when the bell or cover of the gasometer falls by the consumption of the gas, it
shall first shut off communication between the feeding chamber and the supply.
chamber and then open communication between the feeding chamber and the gas
generating chamber.
I also prefer to make the gas generating chamber separate from the gasometer
to facilitate removal of the lime refuse therefrom; the gas generating chamber,
feeding chamber and supply chamber, may conveniently be carried by the crown
of the gasometer bell or cover, but I do not confine myself to this arrangement.
Dated thin 15th day of Tulu, 1907
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
0 Improvements in Means Employed in the Manufacture of Acetylene
Gas.
I, ODDUR VIGFÚS SIGURDSSON, of 80, Shaftesbury Road, Ravenscourt Park, .
Hammersmith, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
⚫ of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
5 described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention has for its obiect improvements in means emploved in the

page_text: manufacture of acetylene gas, with a view to the delivery of the calcium carbide to
the gas generating chamber in proportion as the gas is consumed.
For this purpose I place calcium carbide, in powder or in other convenient form, in
a hopper or supply chamber, at the bottom of which I arrange a feeding chamber
having an opening communicating with the supply chamber and another
communicating with the gas generating chamber, and I provide such feeding
chamber with a valve of such construction as to be capable of communication with
either the calcium carbide supply chamber or with the gas generating chamber
separately, but cannot open communication to both of said chambers at the same
time.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully to
describe the same.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus and
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same with the bell or cover of the gasometer
removed.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the bell or cover of the gasometer and parts carried
thereby.
Fig. 4 is a plan and Fig. 5 is a cross section of the valve, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal
section of the valve and feeding chamber showing communication between the hopper
or supply chamber and the interior of the valve.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are similar views to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 but showing the
communication cut off between the hopper or supply chamber and the interior of the
valve.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the valve with the forked operating arm in a horizontal
position.
a is the gas generating chamber surrounded by a casing b. The space between
these two casings a and b contains water to make a water seal for the bell or cover c
of the gasometer, which carries on its top a hopper or supply chamber d, a valve e
and a feeding chamber f. The outer casing b has two or more vertical rods b¹, which act
as guides for the bell c, the said rods 6¹ being connected together at their upper ends
by a ring b², which acts as a stay. The outer casing 6 is also provided with
feet b³.
The gas generating chamber a has an inlet pipe a¹ of U form by which it is
supplied with water, and an outlet pipe a² for the gas, which latter passes up above
the top of the pipe a'. By this arrangement the gas generating chamber a can only
be partly filled with water and water cannot enter the outlet pipe a².
generating chamber a is provided with a conical botton at and a suitable cock as by
means of which the lime refuse can be readily withdrawn.
The gas
To the upper part of the bell c are attached grooved rollers c¹ carried in suitable
bearings and which run in contact with the guide rods b¹.
The hopper d is filled with calcium carbide through an opening in its upper
part provided with a suitable cock.
The valve e consists of an inner tube e' having two perforations e², an outer tube e
and a casing e¹. To the outer end of the inner tube e¹ is connected a rod e' passing
through a stuffing box e. The rod e5 is provided with a forked arm e' at its outer
end, so that as the bell c rises and falls the rod e5 and inner tube el are rotated first
in the one direction and then in the other owing to the forked arın e engaging with
the pin carried by one of the guide rods 1. Other suitable means, such as a
pinion on the end of the rod e and a fixed rack, may be employed to operate the
valve.
The feeding chamber fis somewhat in the form of a hopper, and is provided at its
lower side with a movable bottom pivoted at f2 and having a projecting arm
or lever f, to the outer end of which is attached a rod or chain ft carrying a
weight at its lower end, which normally tends to keep the bottom closed.
When the bell c falls sufficiently this weight comes into contact with the bar or
grating 3 and opens the bottom of the feeding chamber,

page_text: The action of the apparatus is as follows. The gas generating chamber a is partly
filled with water through the pipe a', and the hopper d is filled with calcium carbide
through the opening d³, which is then closed by means of the cock. To start the
apparatus working the rod e' is rotated by hand to cause a small supply of the calcium
carbide to pass into the gas generating chamber a. Gas is then generated in the
chamber a and raises the bell c. As the bell c falls, (owing to the consumption of
the gas) carrying with it the hopper d, valve e and feeding chamber f, the forked
arm e engages with the fixed pin b and closes communication between the hopper d
and the interior of the inner valve tube e¹, and at the same time it opens com-
munication between the interior of the valve and the feed chamber f as shown
in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. The bottom of the feed chamber is closed by means of the
weight, but as the bell c falls still lower the weight rests on the bar or
grating as and the bottom f¹ of the feeding chamber then opens, as shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 9, allowing the calcium carbide to fall into the water. Gas is then
generated in the chamber a and raises the bell c. As soon as the bell c has risen
sufficiently, the weight again closes the bottom of the feeding chamber. The bell
continuing to rise, causes the forked arm e7 to be operated by the fixed pin b*,
the arm is partly rotated and the parts assume the position shown in Figs. 4,
5 and 6, when a fresh supply of calcium carbide falls into the interior of the
valve e.
As the gas is used the bell c falls and the operations continue to take
place in the order above described until the supply of calcium carbide is exhausted.
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. In apparatus employed in the manufacture of acetylene gas, the combination of
a gas generating chamber containing water, with a bell or cover, capable of rising and
falling, provided with a hopper to contain the calcium carbide, and a feeding valve
operated by the rising and falling of the bell or cover of the gasometer, substantially
as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2. In apparatus employed in the manufacture of acetylene gas, the combination of
a gas generating chamber, an outer casing, a bell or cover carrying a hopper provided
with a valve and a feeding chamber, substantially as herein shown and described and
for the purpose stated.
3. In apparatus employed in the manufacture of acetylene gas, the combination of
a gas generating chamber having a conical bottom and an outer casing, a bell or
cover carrying a hopper provided with a valve operated by the rising and falling of
the bell or cover of the gasometer, and a feeding chamber having a movable bottom
operated by a rod or weight, substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purpose stated.
4. In apparatus for the manufacture of acetylene gas, the combination of a gas
generating chamber a, having a conical bottom a provided with a cock a³, outer
casing b, guides 61, ring 62, bell or cover c, hopper d, valve e having a rod es and
means for operating the same, and a feeding chamber f having a movable bottom f¹
operated by a rod or weight coming into contact with a bar or grating a³, substan-
tially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
Patch viis roth way
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.