Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1897--Accepted, 1st May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
I, EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER of 33 Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, and 30 East Parade, Leeds, in the County of York, Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, (a communication to me from abroad by the Firm of Gesellschaft für
Acetylen-Gaslicht Basel, of 67 Steinenvorstadt, Bale, Switzerland) and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to apparatus for generating acetylene gas, which will
now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings; whereon is shewn
a form of construction of the apparatus by way of example; Fig. 1 is an
illustration of same in vertical section. Figs. 2 to 8 shew details partly drawn
to a larger scale, and Fig. 9 shews the same apparatus as in Fig. 1 but with a
different arrangement of some parts of the same, partly in elevation and partly
in section, and Fig. 10 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a
gas holder only.
A indicates the generator, to the top flange a of which the cover a³ is fastened,
by means of screw bolts, whilst to the lower flange a' of the generator the bottom a³
is attached, by means of a clamp at provided with a pressure screw a³, so that on
loosening the screw a³, the clamp a' together with the bottom a³ can be readily
lifted off from the generator. Upon the bottom a³ there is mounted a basket B,
made of woven wire, which is provided with feet and is designed to receive
the calcium carbide, and upon the upper part of the basket there is mounted a
moveable conical cap b¹. This cap has a greater diameter than the basket B
so that its edge projects laterally beyond the basket, and thus deflects laterally
the water that may fall upon the cap from the top, so that the said water cannot
reach the calcium carbide from the top. F is a vessel for containing cooling
water in which the generator A is placed.
In the cover a² there is inserted a cross tube C, one horizontal arm of which
is provided with a safety valve c (Figs. 1, 8 and 9) which is pressed upon its
seat by means of an adjustable spring e' (Fig. 8). The gas escaping through
this valve can be led into the open air or into a special reservoir. The other
horizontal arm of the cross tube C, carries a pressure gauge M, and in the
arrangement shewn in Fig. 1, it is connected with the gas holder E, by means
of a flexible rubber pipe d, and a piece of tube D (which is provided with a stop
cock and with a pressure gauge M¹). The holder E is provided with a
discharge cock e which can be connected either to a gas holder or to the burner
or burners to be supplied with gas. In the latter case there is inserted between
the cock e and the service pipe, a pressure-reducing valve el which also carries a
pressure gauge m.
Upon the vertical part of the cross piece C, there is mounted by means of a
bayonet joint g, a length of tube G, which carries the water vessel H, and is
provided with a five-way cock I. The case of this cock 1 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) is
formed with two passage ways ii. At right angles to the passage ways i and i,
the casing of the cock I is provided with a third passage, the axis of which is
situated in the same plane as that of the passage, and which terminates in a
union or connection 13, which projects laterally from the cock casing, and to
which a flexible rubber pipe can be connected. In correspondence with these

page_text: passages and, the cock plug is formed with a transverse hole (Figs. 2
and 4) and with a T shaped hole (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). The passage in the
cock casing, is connected at its lower end with a thin vertical pipe, whilst an
upwardly directed pipe is fixed into the passage, which pipe projects upon
into the upper part of the water vessel H. Upon this latter there is mounted a
cock K, which carried a charging funnel L. The cock K (Figs. 1 and 7) is an
ordinary double cock with two passage ways k¹k in the cock casing, to which
there correspond two holes k³k formed parallel to each other in the cock plug k.
In the passage there is inserted a pipe which extends to the upper edge of
the funnel L. The vessel H is connected by means of a cord or chain passing
over pulleys, with a balance weight N, so that the water vessel H can be raised
and lowered together with the generator A, and thus allow the latter to be lifted
conveniently out of the vessel F and to be subsequently replaced in the same for
the purpose of charging or emptying the generator.
When the generator A is to be charged, it is drawn out of the cooling water
vessel F, after removing the clamp a', the bottom a³ is removed, and then the
basket B containing the proper quantity of calcium carbide is placed in the
generator A, and the bottom a³ is fastened again to the generator by means of
the clamp a, with interposition of a packing or jointing ring. When the generator
has been replaced into the water vessel F, and the cock I has been closed, that is
to say when its plug has been brought into the position shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,
then by means of the funnel L, after opening the cock K, the vessel H is filled
with water, so that the water passes through whilst the air contained in the
vessel H is able to escape through aud the pipe ko, into the outer air. The
cock K is then closed again. Then on bringing the cock plug into the position
shewn in Fig. 3, the water contained in the vessel H can flow through it and the
pipe slowly into the generator A, whilst the air or the acetylene gas contained in
or generated in A, is displaced from the latter by the water, passes through and
the pipe, into the upper part of H and ensures a supply of water from H into the
generator A. By adjusting the cock plug 20, the supply of water to the generator
can be exactly regulated. A pointer provided on the plug indicates with
accuracy on a scale the position of the cock plug in its casing.
The water which thus passes down from above into the generator, is deflected
sideways by the cap ', and thus reaches the calcium carbide from underneath.
The acetylene gas generated in A, is conveyed through the flexible pipe d to the
gas holder E, whence it can be conveyed through the cock e to the burner or
burners or into a gasometer. By means of the pressure-regulating valve e¹ the
pressure of the gas escaping through e can be reduced as required, the pressure
gauge m serving to indicate the amount of said pressure. The pressure gauge M
indicates the pressure of the gas contained in the holder E, whilst the pressure
gauge M, indicates the pressure obtaining in the generator A. Should the pressure
of the gas generated in the generator A exceed the desired amount, the gas can
be led through the safety valve c and the pipe connected thereto, into the open
air, or into a reservoir,
When the generation of gas ceases in the generator A, then, after closing the
cock d² and the cock c mounted on C, the plug of the cock I is brought into
the position shewn in Fig. 6, whereby the generator is connected by means of the
passage 12 with the connection 3, so that the small amount of acetylene gas still
contained in the generator A, can be led through the pipe connected to the
connection into the open air, or into a separate reservoir. The generator A is
..then lifted out of the cooling water vessel F, and its bottom a³ is removed, where-
upon the residue contained in the generator falls out together with the basket B.
Then the basket B after having been provided with a fresh charge of calcium carbide,
is again placed into the generator, whereupon the latter can again be placed into
the water vessel F, and so on.
In order to avoid the generation of electric sparks during the escape of the gas,
and thus to remove the greatest risk of explosion, any part of the metal piping CG,

page_text: such as for example the cock I, and also a metallic part of the vessel E, are
connected by a wire lead or conductor y and g¹ to earth.
The vessel E is suitable both for illuminating houses as also for transport purpose,
such for example as lighting railway carriages.
Fig. 9 shews another arrangement of apparatus. In this arrangement the vessel E
is mounted in an inverted position upon a suitable stand O, by means of a ring R,
which is clamped to the same, and is provided with trunnions r. Upon the union e³
which is situated upon the bottom of the vessel E, there is mounted a double
cock K, (which is similar to the cock K Figs. 1 and 7) which carries the water
vessel H, cock K and the funnel L. In this arrangement. the piece of pipe G
provided with the cock I is fixed, (instead of the piece of pipe D,) to the vessel E;
and a cross piece of pipe C which carries the generator A, the safety valve c
and the pressure gauge M, is connected to the said pipe G by means of the
bayonet joint g. In this arrangement the water passes out of the vessel H, first
into E and thence, after the cock I is opened, through it and into the generator A,
whilst the acetylene gas, generated in the latter, is conveyed through and the
prolonged pipe into the vessel E. After by opening the cock K', the water
contained in the vessel H has been discharged into the vessel E, the vessel H
is removed from the apparatus and the connection e² is closed by means of a
cap e³ Fig. 10.
In order to be able to remove the generator A from the cooling water vessel F
with this arrangement, the bayonet joint g is undone and the vessel E is turned
on its trunnions r r. The vessel E can in this case be very easily adapted for
transport, by being lifted from the frame O, and the ring R being removed from
the same.
The gas can be drawn off also through the cock 1, as shewn in Fig. 10
(instead of through the cock e Fig. 9), in which case a piece of pipe q Fig. 10 is
placed upon the piece of pipe G by means of bayonet joint g¹, said pipe 1
carrying the pressure gauge M, the reducing valve e being connected to the
service pipe.
From the preceding it will be seen that in the apparatus described the
production of gas takes place only slowly, because the water can only reach
the calcium carbide slowly and from underneath, so that a good cooling action
takes place in the generator. As the latter is entirely surrounded by cooling
water, any escape of gas caused by leakiness of the joints will be at once perceived.
Further the cleaning of the generator is effected automatically on removing the
bottom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for generating acetylene gas, consisting of a generator having
a removeable bottom, and provided with a safety valve, and with a pressure gauge,
and surrounded by a cooling water vessel, a gas holder, and a vessel designed to
receive the water necessary for generating the gas, said vessels being disconnectably
connected with each other by suitable pipes, and the arrangement. being such that
the pipe which is designed to convey the water into the generator, is provided
with a five way cock which allows the air or acetylene gas contained in or
produced in the generator to pass above the water which is to be led into the
generator, for the purpose of producing only a gradual supply of water into the
generator, and consequently to ensure sufficient cooling action in the generator,
and further to enable the gas to be discharged from the generator, before the
residue remaining in the same after an operation, is discharged, substantially as
set forth.
.
2. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas as specified in Claim 1, arranging
the bottom as of the generator A, so that it is fixed in an easily removable manner,
by means of a clamp at (provided with a screw a³) with an interposed jointing disc,
to the lower flange a¹ of the generator, in order to enable the calcium carbide to be

page_text: oduced into the generator from underneath and to allow of readily cleaning the
er; together with-
The basket B of woven wire provided with feet and designed for the reception
of the calcium carbide, and which is provided with a removable conical
cap the lower edge of which projects laterally beyond the side or wall of
the basket, so that the water entering the generator from the top is
diverted laterally by said cap and thus reaches the calcium carbide from
underneath only; and
also
The five way cock I, serving to regulate the supply of water to the generator,
said cock having a casing formed with two passage ways with pipes 27,
and with a third passage terminating in a lateral union on the cock,
whilst the plug of the cock is provided with a transverse hole
corresponding to i, and with a T shaped hole corresponding to it and i²;
The closed vessel H, which is designed to receive the water necessary for
the generation of the gas, and which is connected by means of a double
cock K with a filling funnel L, in such a manner that after the cock K
is opened, the water is able to pass from the funnel L through one of
the plug holes into the vessel H, whilst the air contained in the latter or
the gas present in the same, is able to escape through the other passage
which is provided with a pipe K' that extends up to the upper edge of the
funnel; and
The metallic connection of one or more of the metal parts of the apparatus
with the earth, for the purpose of conducting away the electricity
produced by the flowing through of the gas, thus obviating the production
of sparks.
The apparatus specified in Claims 1 and 2, constructed substantially as
einbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 of the accompanying
vings.
The apparatus specified in Claims 1 and 2, constructed substantially as
einbefore described and illustrated in Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawings.
The general arrangement and construction of parts composing the improved
aratus for generating acetylene gas, all constructed and acting substantially
nd for the purposes described and shewn with reference to the accompanying
vings.
Dated this with d... 1 ML 1005