Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1897-Accepted, 17th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
I FRITZ TRENDEL, of No 12 Holzmarktstrasse, Berlin Germany, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
In order to produce acetylene gas from calcium carbide, and to avoid excessive
heat and the consequent decomposition of the acetylene gas, it is advantageous to
arrange a number of calcium carbide receptacles in the generator in such manner
that when the water is fed to the generator from underneath or at the bottom of the
saine, the receptacles will either sink successively in the rising water, or will be
operated to precipitate their contents into the water so that the generation of the
gas will take place under water.
In generating acetylene gas in the above mentioned manner the escape of the
gas may be prevented by closing the generator by means of a water tight cover.
And in order to render the present specification more easily intelligible
reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference
denote similar parts throughout the several views:
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical representation of one form of carrying out my
invention,
Fig. 2 a similar representation of a modified form,
Figure 3 a similar representation of a further modification,
Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical representation of a device for preventing excessive
pressure in the gasometer, the bell being in about its middle position and
Fig. 5 is a similar representation but showing the bell in its highest position.
In the drawings, A is the generator and B a receptacle contained therein said
receptacle being closed by means of the cover C, which is sealed by means of water,
E is the outlet pipe for the gas generated and 11 12 13 are the carbide receptacles
cr boxes. In Figure 1 the carbide receptacles are floating boxes, which rise with
the rising water until each one successively engages a trip device whereby it is
either turned over, or sinks, emptying its contents into the water. Boxes having
double walls are advantageously employed, the carbide being placed in the interior
compartment and the intermediate space being adapted to be filled with water
and to cause the receptacle to sink, when so filled.
According to the diagram shown at Figure 2 the carbide boxes are provided with
hinged bottoms, and a hinged float device is adapted to keep said bottoms closed.
As soon as the water rises the float will be operated outwards disengaging the catch
and allowing the bottom of the receptacle to fall, thus emptying the contents of
the same into the water. At Figure 3 the carbide receptacles are balanced on
suitable ledges so that the water on rising tips the same successively off their
ledges and empties their contents into the water collecting in the receptacle B.
In Figures 4 and 5 a device for preventing excessive pressure in the gasometer
is shown. B' is the water reservoir and A the gasometer bell having a down-
wardly extending central tube D* open at both ends and having mounted at its
lower end a short piece of tube E¹, the annular space between the tubes being

page_text: closed at the bottom so that a fluid may be placed in the annular space thus formed
between the two tubes. F is a central tube supported on a stand and extending
down into the tube D'. The tube D does not extend down to the edge of the bell.
The operation of the device takes place in the following manner:
When the bell has reached its uppermost limit and if gas is still entering the
sume, the end of the pipe F¹ will dip into the annular space between the pipes D¹
and E and form a closure, but the superfluous_gas will be able to escape through
the lower end of the tube E¹ into the tube F₁ and may be conducted off in
any desired manner.
By means of this device the bell is well guided, the guide being the more
effective the higher the bell rises, so that the latter cannot possibly tip. The
arrangement of the device is very simple and cannot well become deranged.
In the case of Figure 2 the receptacles may either be arranged at varying heights
as shown or the same may be arranged at a certain height and the length of the
various levers and floats varied.
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: Device for generating acetylene gas characterised by the arrangement of
several calcium carbide receptacles in such manner that the water rising in the
generator shall cause the contents of the receptacles to be successively precipitated
into or covered with water substantially as described.
2: A safety device in connection with gasometers characterised by the arrange-
ment of two pipes of different diameters and lengths, within a gasometer bell, in
such manner that as the bell rises, the lower end of an outlet pipe will be inserted
in the annular space between the said two pipes forming a closure and allowing
the superfluous gas to escape through the outlet pipe when the bell has attained a
certain height.
Dated 8th June 1907
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8 Quality Court, London, W.C., Agents