Improvements in Lamps Adapted for Producing and Burning Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec.. .1896-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[[Communicated from abroad by VICTOR HANOTIER and GEORGES HOSTELET, both of
315 and 318 Rue de Virelles, Chimay, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanical
Engineers.]
Improvements in Lamps Adapted for Producing and Burning
Acetylene Gas.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is a lamp adapted for producing and burning acetylene
gas, obtained through the reaction of water on carbide of calcium. This new lamp is
perfectly secure against explosion, not only on account of the possibility of exactly
regulating the quantity of water, which comes into contact with the carbide, but
because all gas, which may be overproduced by some cause or other, is instantly and
automatically burnt at the top of. a safety pipe, long before it can issue into the air of
the apartment, or he otherwise obnoxious. Moreover, the appearance of a flame at
the top of said safety pipe, shews that the 'water feed is not properly regulated, and
ought to be controlled and corrected. The highest lighting capacity of the lamp is
therefore easily secured.
In fact, notwithstanding careful regulation of the lamp and accurate setting of the
feed valve, overproduction is always possible. The richness of the carbide to be
found in trade, is very variable; the water, though regularly fed on the carbide,
may accumulate in. the calcareous residues, and issuing forth all at once, may
come in contact with a produce, which is not yet exhausted. Consequently it is
impossible to obtain a constant production of gas, by merely regulating the feed
of water.
I will now describe the essential parts of the lamp, and how they work together, in
order to obtain the desired result.
The lamp comprises a water-receptacle separated from the remainder of the apparatus
and communicating with the carbide-receptacle only through the shorter branch of
a siphon. The longer branch of this siphon is at the same time much wider than the
short branch and its upper end is curved inwards. At the lower extremity of the
lower branch, and at a certain distance above the bottom of the siphon, there is a
little opening, and in its upper part, where it goes through the water-receptacle,
this longer branch is surrounded by a mantle, an annular space being left
between the branch and this mantle, which goes through the top of the water-
receptacle. where it widens out into a recess, on the top of which is screwed the
burner. This burner has three orifices or consists of three burners, each of them
provided with a particular cock. The two principal burners are symmetrically
disposed, to make their flames meet at an angle, and form one large flame. The
third burner is provided with a Manchester burner of large size, the opening of which
is situated below those of the other burners, and which will be hereafter more fully
described.
A tube reaches down into the longer branch of the siphon, its lower extremity
being immersed in the small quantity of water, which reaches up to the hole. The
upper end of this tube communicates with a hollow sphere, lodged inside of the
recess, and this same sphere communicates with the third burner, which may be called
the safety burner.
A valve, the spindle of which is wormed at the top, and screwed into the top of the
water-receptacle, fits into the upper opening of the shorter siphon branch, where

page_text: this branch opens into the water-receptacle. This receptacle is provided with a wire
network reaching downward, and surrounding the carbide-receptacle. This wire-work
protects the hand against the heat of the carbide-receptacle, and when the water-
receptacle is screwed off from its seat on the top of the carbide-receptacle, the
wire-work serves as a stand, to keep the water-receptacle upright on the table. Two
conically shaped wire gauzes are fitted on to the bottom of the water-receptacle:
the baskets thus formed may be used as receptacles for lime and limonite, in
order to dry and purify the gas, before it is used, and to intercept tar and other
impurities.
The water is put into the receptacle through a hole at the top, this hole is protected
by a cap, having a small hole drilled into it; a little disc of leather or india-rubber is
fixed inside, in order to keep the dust out, although it will let the air in.
The device works as follows:
The water-receptacle being unscrewed, and put vertically on the table, where it is
supported by the wire-work, the carbide is introduced into the receptacle. The water
receptacle being again screwed into its seat, and the valve being screwed down into
the opening, so as to close it completely, water is poured into the receptacle the shape
of which is such, that the pressure of the water is always superior to the highest
gas-pressure required for the burners, to which is added the pressure necessary to
make the safety-burner work. Of course the water must never be completely
exhausted in the receptacle.
The spindle of the valve is provided with two index-hands, one to shew how far the
valve has to be unscrewed to rapidly get the necessary pressure for lighting the lamp,
and the other one to admit the regular quantity of water for the burning of the lamp,
after it has been lit. The valve being regulated, the water in the siphon will not rise
above the lower edge of the hole, and will fall on the carbide drop by drop, as long as
the gas pressure is normal. The three cocks are now turned on, and the two principal
burners are lighted, the gas coming to them through the annular space. The third
burner will not burn, the sphere with which it communicates, having no other com-
munication with the carbide receptacle than through the tube, and the lower end of
this tube being immersed in the water of the siphon. The gas pressure acting on the
surface of this water through the hole, the liquid will rise in the safety tube, until
the height of the column is balanced by the pressure of the gas. If, for any reason
the pressure of the gas should increase, the water contained in the siphon would rise
into the safety tube, and the feed through the hole would momentarily cease, until
equilibrium was restored. If the pressure of the gas should increase to such an extent
that the lower end of the safety tube were to emerge from the water, the gas would
enter the tube, and after gurgling through the water therein contained, would very
rapidly be burnt through the third burner, which, as has been said above, has a large
orifice. By such means equilibrium would be rapidly restored; moreover the
appearance of the flame on the top of the safety burner would show that the feed
valve ought to be regulated more accurately. As the gas, which has been over-
produced, is burning away, the water which has come into the sphere, will go down
again, and the safety tube will again work as a regulator for the pressure of the gas.
If on the other hand the pressure of the gas were to decrease, the water out of the
safety tube would come down increasing the quantity contained in the siphon, and
the flow of water through the hole would equally be increased. It will easily be
understood, that the length of that part of the tube, which dips into the water of the
siphon, must be proportioned to the pressure at which the lamp is expected to burn.
If the lamp were to be upset (a very rare case considering the wide basis of the same)
only very little or no water at all could be spilt into the carbide receptacle on account
of the upper edge of the siphon branch, which as has been said before, is curved
towards the inside.
If no danger or nuisance could come from the overproduced gas escaping into the
air, the burner, the construction of which is rather expensive, may be simplified, by
doing away with the extra burner and the corresponding cock, the overproduced gas
escaping into the open air.

page_text: As an example of such modification I sometimes adapt the device as a bicycle
lamp. In this case there is only a single burner, and the overproduced gas, if there
is any, escapes into the air through the safety tube, which is open at the top. For
carriage lamps the upper part of old lamps may be used to put the water-receptacle
into, and the candle tubes may be used as carbide receptacles."
Whenever the burning of the lamps is to last only for a certain fixed time, as for
instance in street-lighting, the cocks may be altogether dispensed with, only the
strictly necessary quantity of carbide being put into the carbide receptacle."
Dated this 3rd day of November 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Lamps Adapted for Producing and Burning
Acetylene Gas.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 a lamp adapted for producing and burning.
acetylene gas, obtained through the reaction of water on carbide of calcium.
This new lamp is perfectly secure against explosion, not only on account of the
possibility of exactly regulating the quantity of water, which comes into contact
with the carbide, but because all gas, which may be overproduced by some cause
or other, is instantly and automatically burnt at the top of a safety pipe, long
before it can issue into the air of the apartment or be otherwise obnoxious.
Moreover, the appearance of a flame at the top of said safety pipe, shews that the
water feed is not properly regulated, and ought to be controlled and corrected.
The highest lighting capacity of the lamp is therefore easily secured.
In fact, notwithstanding careful regulation of the lamp and accurate setting of the
feed valve, overproduction is always possible. The richness of the carbide to be found
in trade, is very variable, the water, though regularly fed on the carbide, may
accumulate in the calcareous residues, and issuing forth all at once, may come in
contact with a produce, which is not yet exhausted. Consequently it is impossible to
obtain a constant production of gas, by merely regulating the feed of water.
I will now describe the essential parts of the lamp, and how they work together, in
order to obtain the desired result.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portable lamp embodying my improvements;
Figure 1 is a partial vertical section through the safety burner;
Figure 2 shews a modification intended for bicycle and other lamps, burning in
the open air; and
Figure 3 shews another modification, specially devised for carriage lamps.
a water-receptacle separated from the remainder of the apparatus, and
communicating with the carbide-receptacle B only through the shorter branch of
a siphon CC. The longer branch C¹ of this siphon is at the same time much
wider than the short branch C and its upper end is curved inwards at h as will
be seen by referring to Figure 1. At the lower extremity of the branch (", and
at a certain distance above the bottom of the siphon, there is a little opening (c),
and in its upper part, where it passes through the water-receptacle A, this branch C
is surrounded by a mantle D, an annular space E being left between the branch (and
this mantle, which goes through the top of the water-receptacle A, where it widens

page_text: out into a recess F; on the fop of which is screwed the burner. This burner has
three orifices or consists of three burners G, G, G, each of them provided with
a particular cock (g, gl, g). The two principal burners G and 'G' are symmetrically
disposed, to make their flames meet at an angle, and form one large flame. The
third burner is a Manchester burner of large size, the opening of which is
situated below those of the other burners, and which will be hereafter more fully
described.
A tube H reaches down into the branch C¹ of the siphon, its lower extremity
being immersed in the small quantity of water, which reaches up to the hole (c).
The upper end of this tube H communicates with a hollow sphere I, lodged inside
of the recess F, and this same sphere communicates with the third burner G"
which may be called the safety burner.
A valve K, the spindle of which is wormed at the top, and screwed into the top of
the water-receptacle, fits into the upper opening (a) of the siphon branch C, where
this branch opens into the water receptacle. This receptacle is provided with a wire
network L reaching downward, and surrounding the carbide-receptacle B. This
wire-work protects the hand against the heat of the carbide-receptacle, and when the
water-receptacle is screwed off from its seat on the top of the carbide-receptacle, the
wire-work serves as a stand, to keep the water-receptacle upright on the table.
Two conically shaped wire gauzes M are fitted on to the bottom of the water-
receptacle; the baskets thus formed may be used as receptacles for lime and limonite,,
in order to dry and purify the gas, before it is used, and to intercept tar and other
impurities.
The water is put into the receptacle A through a hole at the top, this hole is
protected by a cap N, having a small hole drilled into it; a little disc of leather or
india-rubber is fixed inside, in order to keep the dust out, although it will let the
air in.
The device works as follows:
· The water-receptacle being unscrewed, and put vertically on the table, where it is
supported by the wire-work L, the carbide is introduced into the receptacle. B. The
water receptacle A being again screwed into its seat, and the valve K being screwed
down into the opening (a), so as to close it completely, water is poured into the
receptacle A, the shape of which is such, that the pressure of the water is always
superior to the highest gas-pressure required, for the burners, to which is added the
pressure necessary to make the safety-burner work. Of course the water must never
be completely exhausted in the receptacle A.
The spindle of the valve K is provided with two index-hands, one to shew how far
the valve has to be unscrewed to rapidly get the necessary pressure for lighting the
lamp, and the other one to admit the regular quantity of water for the burning of the
lamp, after it has been lit. The valve K being regulated, the water in the siphon CC
will not rise above the lower edge of the hole (c), and will fall on the carbide drop by
drop, as long as the gas pressure is normal. The three cocks g, g', g" are now turned
on, and the two burners G and G' are lighted, the gas coming to them through the
annular space E. The third burner G will not burn, the sphere I, with which it
communicates, having no other communication with the carbide receptacle. B than
through the tube H, and the lower end of this tube being immersed in the water of
the siphon CC. The gas pressure acting on the surface of this water through the
hole (c), the liquid will rise in the safety tube, until the height of the column is
balanced by the pressure of the gas. If, for any reason, the pressure of the gas
should increase, the water contained in the siphon would rise into the safety tube, and
the feed through the hole (c) would momentarily cease, until equilibrium was restored.
If the pressure of the gas should increase to such an extent that the lower end of the
safety tube were to emerge from the water, the gas would enter the tube, and after
gurgling through the water therein contained; would very rapidly be burnt through
the third burner G", which, as has been said above, has a large orifice. By such means
equilibrium would be rapidly restored; moreover the appearance of the flame on the
top of the safety burner would show that the feed valve K ought to be regulated more

page_text: accurately. As the gas, which has been overproduced, is burning away, the water
which has come into the sphere I, will go down again, and the safety tube H will
again work as a regulator for the pressure of the gas.
If on the other hand the pressure of the gas were to decrease, the water in the
safety tube would come down increasing the quantity contained in the siphon, and
the flow of water through the hole (c) would equally he increased. It will easily be
understood, that the length of that part of the tube H, which dips into the water of
the siphon, must be proportioned to the pressure at which the lamp is expected
to burn.
If the lamp were to be upset (a very rare case considering the wide basis of the
same) only very little or no water at all could be spilt into the carbide receptacle on
account of the upper edge of the siphon branch C₁, which as has been said before, is
curved towards the inside at (h).
If no danger or nuisance could come from the overproduced gas escaping into the
air, the burner, the construction of which is rather expensive, may be simplified, by
doing away with the extra burner G" and the corresponding cock, the overproduced
gas escaping into the open air.
An example of such modification is illustrated on Figure 2, where the lamp is used
as a bicycle lamp. There is only a single burner G in this instance, and the
overproduced gas, if there is any, escapes into the air through the safety tube H,
which is open at the top. For carriage lamps the upper part of old lamps may
be used to put the water-receptacle into, and the candle tubes may be used as carbide
receptacles.
Whenever the burning of the lamps is to last only for a certain fixed time, as for
instance in street-lighting, the cocks g, gl, all may be altogether dispensed with, only
the strictly necessary quantity of carbide being put into the carbide receptacle.
Another modification of the lamp is illustrated in Figure 3, where the lamp is used
as a carriage lamp. The part of the lamp below the lower reflector, being the only
ones differing from other carriage lamps, this part alone is illustrated on the drawing.
The lower reflector is shewn at k k.
A water receptacle A contains the water poured into it through an opening (m),
closed up by a threaded lid (h), a hole in this lid allowing the outer air to get into
the receptacle. The valve (a) the shape of which is such, that it can be removed
from the apparatus, allows the water to be fed with great nicety, this water falling
through the opening (c) on the carbide contained in the lower receptacle B. The
safety tube (d), in the present case, has a conical shape, in order to prevent, to a
certain extent, the water from being projected out of the tubing by the frequent
trepidations of the carriage.
The gas follows the course (e) (f) (g), and burns at (g) through the double burner.
The section of the opening of these burners is as narrow as possible, in order to have
a complete combustion. The carbide is contained in a long tube B screwed on to the
bottom of the water receptacle A.
If necessary the siphon may be wrapped up in a cotton wick, in order that the
water may drop down regularly and continuously on the carbide.
The lamp is fixed to the lantern by hinges soldered on to the lower reflector and to
the water receptacle. Two rods (i) hold the parts together, and they are easily taken
to pieces.
If thought necessary a cock with three burners may be used, as in the lamp shewn
on Figure 1. Wire gauzes may be put round the siphon in order to retain the tar
and other impurities, which develop themselves during the reaction. The snape of
the carbide receptacle B may be altered from a tube to a ball in order to hold a larger
quantity of carbide.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A lamp serving to produce and consume acetylene gas derived from the reaction

page_text: of water upon calcium carbide, the characteristic feature being a water reservoir A
arrayed above a carbide receptacle B and communicating with this latter only
through the medium of an unequally branched syphon CC; the water entering
drop by drop into the shortest branch which is controlled by an adjustable valve
.according to the amount of gas to be generated, and falling on the carbide through
an opening c arranged slightly above the bottom of the longest branch; a safety
tube H serving at the same time as a pressure regulator and the lower extremity of
which tube is immersed in the water contained in the lower part of the syphon, and
terminating with its upper extremity, either in a supplementary burner, in which the
gas arising from surplus production is rapidly burnt, or terminating in the open air
in case where lamps are used which burn under such conditions as to allow of the free
escape of gas, substantially as described and represented in the drawings.
2. In the safety- and pressure-regulating tube H, of a lamp such as described in
the first claim, a hollow spherical body I inserted in the tube H before its arrival at
the safety burner, for the purpose of instantly closing up any water that may be
formed up by the gas arising from surplus production (Figures 1 and 3 of the
drawings).
3. In a portable lamp of the kind described in the first claim, and especially adapted
for use in vehicles, a safety and pressure regulating tube having a conical shape with
its base directed toward the bottom, for the purpose of more or less preventing the
water from being driven out of the syphon by the vibrations of the vehicle.
Dated this 29th day of December 1896
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.