Improvements in and Apparatus for or connected with the Manu- facture or Production of Calcium Carbide or Magnesium Carbide.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left. 25th Apr. 1900-Accepted. 23rd June, 1900
Improvements in and Apparatus for or connected with the Manu-
facture or Production of Calcium Carbide or Magnesium Carbide.
I, CHARLTON JAMES WOLLASTON, of 23, Ormiston Road, Shepherd's Bush, in the
County of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
My invention has for its object to provide means whereby calcium carbide, or
magnesium carbide, can be manufactured in a convenient and economical manner.
According to my invention I produce, and store separately, gases of various kinds
such as water gas, hydrogen gas, and hydrocarbon gas from liquid hydrocarbon,
for example, suitable for use for the purpose of heating a furnace containing the
necessary materials for making calcium carbide or magnesium carbide the com-
munications between the several gas holders and the furnace being provided with
valves so that each gas can be admitted or cut off or the amount supplied con-
trolled, as desired. The materials for making the calcium carbide, or magnesium
carbide are, in properly proportioned quantities placed in the furnace which is
preferably made with a bottom part which can be moved into position and out of
position by mounting it on a carriage running upon rails for example and it is
preferably provided with means whereby a vertical movement can be given to it.
The gases may be supplied to the furnace through nozzles or tuyeres opening
through the sides and in apparatus further described through the bottom and
directed so as to cause the flames of the ignited gases, to play upon, or into, the
charge, or upon the closed box or crucible. By the vertical movement of the
furnace bottom the flames can be caused to act on the various parts of the charge
as required. The making of the furnace bottom so that it can be moved out from
the furnace enables the charge to be very conveniently removed and it economizes
heat and time, as another charged bottom can be at once put in place in the furnace
and a fresh charge be subjected to treatment whilst the carbide previously formed
is being removed. Moreover the attendants are not subjected to the great heat to
which they would be subjected in removing the carbide from the furnace itself.
I do not limit myself to precise details but I may, for example, effect the
manufacture of calcium carbide, or magnesium carbide, in the following manner.
I will presume that calcium carbide is to be manufactured, and I will describe
my invention with reference thereto, from which the general proceeding in
making magnesium carbide will also be understood, the materials acted upon being
selected accordingly.
In a series of retorts I generate hydrogen gas, carbonic acid, carbonic oxide,
ordinary water gas, marsh gas, and clefiant gas, and also a hydrocarbon gas from
crude petroleum or the like, the hydrocarbon being preferably sprayed onto
clinkers, or the like, in the upper part of a vertical retort, the spraying being
effected by gas, steam, or air. The hydrogen and the carbonic oxide gases and
water gas and the compound hydrocarbon gas, should be stored in separate holders
cach provided with inlet and outlet pipes, valves, and regulators, so that each gas
can be supplied therefrom separately, or two or more, together, as desired; for

page_text: example, the carbonic oxide gases or water gas for heating up the furnace and
charge, the hydrogen gas for bringing up the heat and the compound hydro-
carbon gas for giving the final heat in the production of the calcium carbide.
The materials placed in the furnace are mainly calcium in the form of ordinary
lime intimately incorporated with finely pulverized carbon in the form, for
example, of anthracite, or coke.
The proportions may be about three parts of lime to two parts of carbon (by
measure). The materials are preferably formed into bricks, or balls, and a suffi-
cient quantity of water may be added to bring the materials to proper consistency
for moulding. With some descriptions of lime I may add a small proportion of
finely powdered anhydrous lime-sulphate and, in order to make the material of an
open, or porous, character I may add a material such as infusorial earth, or
kieselguhr, as this facilitates the action of the heating medium in the formation
of the calcium carbide. I may mix pulverized dolomite with the charge with
the object of increasing the illuminating power of the gases evolved from the
resulting carbide by the magnesium of the dolomite and of rendering the charge
more open, or porous, by the shrinkage of the particles of dolomite by the giving
off of carbonic acid under a high temperature. The gases may (with or without
atmospheric air) be urged into the furnace by fans, or blowers, and the furnace
may be provided with any suitable flues and dampers. The nozzles, or tuyeres,
by which the gases pass into the furnace are preferably in the form of
gas blow-
pipes, the one tube being supplied with the gas required and the other with air,
or one of the other gases.
I may mix the materials which are to be charged into the furnace in a closed
mill, or mixer, and supply to this hydrocarbon gas, which becomes incorporated
with the materials and facilitates the formation of the carbide.
In place of, or addition to, injecting the gases onto, or into, the charge from the
sides of the furnace I may inject them into the charge by pipes and openings for
instance led up from the furnace bottom. The charge may be placed in crucibles,
or boxes, preferably closed, and the gases may be admitted into each crucible, or
box, for instance by pipes, or passages, led up through the furnace bottom and
the bottom of the crucible, or box. To allow of the furnace bottom being moved
as before mentioned the pipes may be arranged so that they can be disconnected,
or they may be connected by a flexible arrangement which will allow of the
requisite movement, or the furnace bottom may be fixed and closable openings
be provided to allow of the insertion and removal of the charge, or of the crucibles,
or boxes, containing the charge.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in and Apparatus for or connected with the Manu-
facture or Production of Calcium Carbide or Magnesium Carbide.
I, CHARLTON JAMES WOLLASTON, of 23, Ormiston Road, Shepherd's Bush, in the
County of London, Civil Engineer, 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: --
.
My invention has for its object to provide means whereby calcium carbide, or
magnesium carbide, can be manufactured in a convenient and economical manner.
According to my invention I produce and store separately gases of various

page_text: kinds, such as water gas, hydrogen gas, and hydrocarbon gas made from liquid
hydrocarbon for example, suitable for use for the purpose of heating a furnace
containing the necessary materials for making calcium carbide, or magnesium
carbide, the communications between the several gas holders and the furnace being
provided with valves so that each gas can be admitted, or cut off, or the amount
supplied controlled, as desired. In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings I
illustrate in plan an arrangement for this purpose. The gas holder 1 may contain
hydrogen, the gas holder 2 oxygen, the gas holder 3 water-gas and the gas
holder 4 hydrocarbon gas. The gases from the holders 1, 2 and 3 can be passed
as desired through the valves a, b, c and pipes d and forced by a fan or blower e
through the outer tubes of nozzles or tuyeres constituting blow pipes entering
the furnace, and the gas from the holder 4 can be passed by the fan or blower
as desired through the inner tubes of the blow pipes by opening the valves f.
h is a reservoir of liquid hydrocarbon which can be forced into the furnace when
desired. By shutting the valve ƒ and opening the valve i air can be admitted
at and forced into the furnace and by partly opening the valves f and i both
hydrocarbon gas and air can be admitted. Figure 2 is a transverse section and
Figure 3 a longitudinal section of the furnace drawn to a larger scale.
The materials for making the calcium carbide or magnesium carbide,
are in properly proportioned quantities, placed in the furnace A which
is preferably made with a bottom part A² which can be moved into
position and out of position by mounting it on a carriage Brunning
upon rails C, for example and it is preferably provided with means
whereby vertical movement can be given to it to close it against the
furnace body when in place and to release it when it is to be withdrawn. These
means may be of any suitable kind, such for example, as screw-jacks L under the
bearers 1) carrying the moveable parts of the rails, which bearers may be arranged
to slide in guides as shewn. The gases may be supplied to the furnace through
the sides and directed by the blow-pipes so as to cause the flames of the ignited
gases to play upon, or into, the charge as shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or the
gases may be supplied through the bottom of the furnace, as shewn in Figures 4
and 5 for example. The said Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a transverse section
and a longitudinal section of a furnace in which are placed crucibles K, con-
taining the charge the blow-pipes being some of them passed into the furnace
outside the crucibles and others of them being passed into the crucibles. The
parts which correspond with those shewn in the other figures are marked with
the same letters of reference. The charge may be placed on the bed of a furnace
such as is shewn in Figures 4 and 5 instead of being placed in crucibles the
blow-pipes injecting the flames up through the charge.
The making of the furnace bottom so that it can be moved out from the furnace
enables the charge to be very conveniently removed and it economizes heat and
time, as another charged furnace bottom can be at once put in place in the
furnace and a fresh charge he subjected to treatment whilst the carbide previously
formed is being removed. Moreover the operatives are not subjected to the great
heat to which they would be subjected in removing the carbide from the furnace
itself. I do not limit myself to precise details but I may for example effect the
manufacture of calcium carbide, or magnesium carbide in the following manner.
I will presume that calcium carbide is to be manufactured and I will describe my
invention with reference to that manufacture, from which the general proceeding
in making magnesium carbide will also be understood, the materials acted upon
being selected accordingly. In a series of retorts I generate the gases required
for example hydrogen gas, ordinary water gas and hydrocarbon gas from crude
petroleum or the like, the hydrocarbon being preferably sprayed onto clinkers,
or the like, in the upper part of a vertical retort the spraying being effected by
gas, steam, or air. I may also provide carbonic oxide, or producer gas, and also
oxygen to be used when desired to modify the other gases, but generally water
gas, hydrogen gas, and hydrocarbon gas with means for admitting also oxygen,

page_text: or air, or both, when required, will be sufficient for the purposes of my invention.
The water gas can be used with great economy for heating up the furnace and
charge to a degree up to which there is no objection to the use of an oxidizing
Hame, and when this heat is attained the hydrocarbon gas is employed with or
without hydrogen for giving the final heat in the production of the calcium
carbide. The materials placed in the furnace are mainly calcium in the form of
ordinary lime, intimately incorporated with finely pulverized carbon in the form
for example of anthracite or coke. The proportions may be about three parts of
lime to two parts of carbon (by measure). The materials are preferably formed
into bricks, or balls, and a sufficient quantity of water may be added to bring the
materials to proper consistency for moulding. With some descriptions of lime I
may add a small proportion of finely powdered anhydrous lime-sulphate say,
for example, from five to ten per cent. of the entire charge, and in order to make
the material of an open, or porous, character, I may add a material such as
infusorial earth, or kieselguhr, (say about four or five per cent. of the entire
charge) as this facilitates the action of the heating medium in the formation of
the calcium carbide. I may mix pulverized dolomite with the charge with the
object of increasing the illuminating power of the gases evolved from the resulting
carbide by the magnesium of the dolomite and of rendering the charge more open,
or porous, by the shrinkage of the particles of dolomite by the giving off of
carbonic acid under a high temperature. I may use the pulverized dolomite in
any convenient proportion say as high a proportion as from thirty to forty per cent.
of the entire charge When a material is thus added containing lime sufficient
to disturb the proper relative proportions of calcium and carbon in the charge I
make allowance for this in calculating the proportions of calcium and carbon
used as aforesaid. The gases may if desired be injected into the charge from below
and also be introduced at the sides by combining the arrangements of blow pipes
shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and Figures 4 and 5. To allow of the furnace bottom
being moved as described the pipes may (when the injection is arranged as in
Figures 4 and 5) be arranged so that they can be disconnected, or they may be
connected by a flexible arrangement which will allow of the requisite movement,
or the furnace bottom may be fixed, and closable openings be provided to allow of
the insertion and removal of the charge, or of the crucibles or boxes, containing
the charge. In Figures 3 and 5 I have shewn a slab M operated by a lever for
closing the front of the furnace when in operation, and in Figures 4 and 5 a
hollow casing carried by the furnace bottom is provided into which the gases are
received from the flexible pipes leading from the gas holders which supply the
outer tubes of the blow pipes, the said outer tubes communicating with the said
hollow casing, but the mechanical arrangements it will be evident, can be varied
without departing from the nature of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which it can be performed I declare that what I claim is;-
1. The manufacture of calcium carbide, or magnesium carbide, by subjecting
the constituents employed in their production to flames from the combustion of
different gases at different periods of the operation, an oxidizing flame being used
to heat up the furnace and the charge, and afterwards a non-oxidizing flame being
employed to effect the final conversion of the constituents into the carbide.
2. In the manufacture of calcium carbide, or magnesium carbide the addition
to the constituents used to form the carbide, of finely powdered anhydrous lime-
sulphate.
3. In the manufacture of calcium carbide, or magnesium carbide, the addition
to the constituents used to form the carbide of a material such as infusorial earth,
or kieselguhr.
4. In the manufacture of calcium carbide or magnesium carbide, the addition
to the constituents used to form the carbide of pulverised dolomite.
5. The manufacture of calcium carbide, or magnesium carbide, by subjecting

page_text: the constituents employed in their production to the action of first an oxidizing
flame, and afterwards a non-oxidizing flame, by the ignition of the respective
gases forced through blow-pipes into or onto (or both into and onto) the charge
substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. Apparatus for use in the manufacture of calcium carbide, or magnesium
carbide constructed, or arranged, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
1000
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.