Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generators.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generators.
I, FREDERICK HUGH SMITH, of The Limes, Dunblane, N.B., Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in acetylene gas generators and has for
its object to provide more efficient means than hitherto for automatically supply-
ing the water to one chamber, after the carbide in the other is exhausted thereby
enabling the chambers to be recharged alternately without interfering with the
gas being formed in the other.
As an example of carrying out my invention I employ a tank or box divided
into an upper and lower chamber connected with each other by a tube depending
from the bottom of the upper chamber to near the bottom of the lower chamber.
Within the lower chamber I mount three upright tubes the two outer of which
are provided with slots or openings at the same level while the third or central
tube is provided with a similar opening at a higher level.
Situated within the lower chamber and below or at the sides of the three upright
tubes are two tubular recesses so arranged that the water in the chamber is free
to circulate around them. These recesses hold the carbide drawers which are
approximately of a semicircular shape in section and access is obtained to the
said recesses by flat metal doors clamped by a screw or other similar means.
ensuring a gas tight joint.
This arrangement keeps the gas cool and prevents the possibility of an ex-
plosion while the formation of the drawers ensures that the moisture formed by
condensation within the recesses cannot come in contact with and attack the
carbide.
For regulating the supply of water to the carbide drawers I employ a five-way
cock which has ports leading to the three upright tubes and the two drawer
tubes, and provided at the outside of the generator with an operating handle,
indicating circle and pointer.
The arrangement of these ports is such that the supply of water to the carbide
drawers can be cut off altogether or actuated in one direction to open the ports
leading from the one outer tube to the tube of the one carbide chamber and at the
same time the ports leading from the central tube to the tube of the other carbide
chamber. It will be seen therefore that upon the introduction of water it will
rise until level with the lower slots in the two outer tubes and will pass through
the one which is open, (the other being closed) attack the carbide and form gas
after which the water will be forced into the upper chamber by the before
mentioned tube-this continuing until the carbide has been exhausted when the
water rises until it reaches the slot in the central tube when it attacks the carbide
in the other chamber.
The cock can then be operated to stop the supply to the second chamber by
the central tube but enabling it to be done through the side tube which fed the
first chamber, the supply to the first chamber is thus stopped, the other outer
tube being also still closed enabling it to be recharged.

page_text: The foregoing operations may be reversed when the opposite takes place.
Then the pointer is turned to "A charged or B charged" (two of the remarks
on the indicator which may consist respectively of "To charge A "To charge B,"
"
A charged "B charged" or other similar indications) as the case may be
and this alters the supply to chamber in use from one low level tube to the other
low level tube, also the ports are now so arranged that the chamber last charged
will come into operation on high level when the other is exhausted.
A water gauge may be used to indicate when the water is working at the
higher level,. this being the indication that one chamber is exhausted and requires
recharging.
I, FREDERICK HUGH SMITH, of The Limes, Dunblane, N.B., 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:-
―
This invention relates to improvements in acetylene gas generators and has for
its object to provide more efficient means than hitherto for automatically supply-
ing the water to one chamber, after the carbide in the other is exhausted thereby
enabling the chambers to be recharged alternately without interfering with the
gas being formed in the other.
As an example of carrying out my invention I employ a tank or box divided
into an upper and lower chamber A and A¹ connected with each other by a tube a
depending from the bottom of the upper chamber A to near the bottom of the
lower chamber A¹. Within the lower chamber I mount three upright tubes B, B' B²,
the two outer of which B, B2 are provided with slots or openings b, b2 at the
same level while the third or central tube is provided with a similar opening b
at a higher level.
Situated within the lower chamber and below or at the sides of the three upright
tubes are two tubular recesses C, C₁so arranged that the water in the chamber A
is free to circulate around them. These recesses hold the carbide drawers e which
are approximately of a semi-circular shape in section and access is obtained to the
said recesses by flat metal doors clamped by a screw c² or other similar means
ensuring a gas tight joint.
This arrangement keeps the gas cool and prevents the possibility of an ex-
plosion while the formation of the drawers ensures that the moisture formed by
condensation within the recesses cannot come in contact with and attack the
carbide, but trickle down outside the drawers.
For regulating the supply of water to the carbide drawers I employ a five way
cock D which has ports d leading to the three upright tube B, B1, 132 and the two
drawer tubes E, E¹ and provided at the outside of the generator with an
operating handle e indicating circle e¹ and pointer e².
The arrangement of these ports is such that the supply of water to the carbide
drawers can be cut off altogether or be actuated in one direction to open the
ports leading from the one outer tube to the tube of the one carbide chamber
and at the same time the ports leading from the central tube to the tube of the
other carbide chamber. It will be seen therefore that upon the introduction of
water it will rise until level with the lower slots bb2 in the two outer tubes and

page_text: will pass through the one which is open, which as shewn in Fig. 5 is b (the
other being closed) attack the carbide and form gas, after which the water will
be forced into the upper chamber by the before mentioned tube a this continuing
until the carbide in the chamber C has been exhausted when the water rises
until it reaches the slot b¹ in the central tube B¹ when it attacks the carbide in
the other chamber C¹.
The cock can then be operated to stop the supply to the second chamber by
the central tube B but enabling it to be done through the side tube B which
fed the first chamber, the ports being now arranged as shewn in Fig. 5. The
supply to the first chamber C is thus stopped, the other outer tube B being also
ciosed enabling it to be recharged.
The foregoing operations may be reversed when the opposite takes place.
Fig. 4 shews the position of the ports' d prior to starting the generator.
Then the pointer is turned to 1 ("A charged") or ("B charged") (two of the
remarks on the indicator which may consist respectively of "To charge A" "To
charge B" "A charged," "B charged" or other similar indications but which are
substituted in the drawings by the numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively) as the case
may be and this alters the supply to chamber in use from one low level tube to
the other low level tube, also the ports are now so arranged that the chamber
last charged will come into operation on high level. when the other is exhausted.
A water gauge may be used to indicate when the water is working at the
higher level, this being the indication that one chamber is exhausted and requires
recharging.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:.
1. In an acetylene gas generator the water tank divided into the two com-
partments A, A1 the compartment A having the two carbide chambers C, C₁
with the drawers c, constructed and arranged in the manner as and for the
purposes herein before described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an acetylene gas generator having two carbide chambers, the arrangement
of the three upright tubes B, B1 B2, the two outer of which have slots b, 62 at a
lower level than the slot in the central tube B¹; and the five way cock D,
whereby the water is caused to attack the carbide in the one chamber when the
carbide in the other becomes exhausted, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated thin 14th day of Tony 1808
JOHNSONS,
Applicant's Agents, 115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.