An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas for Acetylene Gas Lighting.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1896
CODEL LEIE DI MOITICATION
An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene
Gas for Acetylene Gas Lighting.
I, FRITZ ROSSBACH-ROUSSET of Tempelhof, near Berlin, Germany, 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 :-
The processes and apparatus hitherto known for the generation of acetylene gas
for illuminating purposes, have the disadvantage of producing fluctuations in the
gas generating vessel, and in consequence thereof, irregularly shaped and
unsteadily burning flames and the object of this invention is to suppress this
disadvantage.
As hitherto, the acetylene gas is obtained by the chemical decomposition of
carbide of calcium by means of water, but in this invention the method of supplying
the water and the regulation of the water supply is peculiar.
In the process of the invention the excess of pressure developed in the gas vessel
by too large a supply of water is applied to the detention of the water in the supply
pipe and by constantly heating one part of said pipe à vaporising space is formed
therein in the manner that when permanency of action comes on, the water in
passing this vaporising space is changed into vapour which is condensed at another
place farther on, on the way to the carbide container, and finally is supplied to the
carbide in the form of water of condensation. The pressure of the gas in the
generator therefore acts to regulate the vaporisation and condensation inasmuch as
it displaces the water in the supply pipe in such a way that, as required, upon the
commencement of decrease of pressure the vaporisation and condensation and
therewith the water supply is increased, and upon the commencement of increase of
pressure, is on the contrary, diminished, as will be obvious from the hereinafter
following description of the working of the apparatus serving for carrying out the
process of the invention.
In the accompanying drawing Figs. 1 to 3 are sectional views of the apparatus
of the invention in three different stages of operation. Figs. 4 to 6 are
similar
views of a modified form of the apparatus.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, G is a casing in which is placed a container C charged
with the calcium carbide and introduced after opening the door K. S is a pipe
jointed to the casing G through which pipe the generated acetylene gas is con-
ducted to the place where it is to be used. Through the casing G passes a pipe B,
D, R, W, the free end of which is returned through the side J of the casing and is
there provided with a cock V the open end of said pipe coming over the container C
and being in communication with the water reservoir A past the cock, or shut off
by this latter from the same. That part D of the water supply pipe which is
located immediately over the carbide container is enlarged to form a chamber
whilst the part W has arms of unequal length and its bottom portion is bent to an
U shape.
The apparatus operates as follows:-
The container C filled with calcium carbide is placed in the casing G, reservoir A
changed wish meaton and the cools Wanamed the now than Arming in unnamulated

page_text: quantity and therefore in excess, on to the carbide forthwith produces in the
vessel G a pressure exceeding the pressure normally required for the developement
of the gas flame. This excessive pressure also passes into the end of the supply
pipe and causes a return flow of the water and the complete interruption of the
water supply as shewn in Fig. 2. Of the water thus detained, that portion which
is in the chamber D being highly heated by the great heat, which as is known, is
at once generated upon the evolution of the gas, is partly converted into vapour or
steam which, as shewn in Fig. 3, collects in the upper part of chamber D and in
the pipe part R. The latter is located outside the casing G and is kept cool by
the outside temperature, consequently in this pipe part a partial condensation of the
steam takes place and the water of condensation thus formed gradually passes
over into the long arin of the pipe part W, to which end part R is laid at a slight
inclination to the borizontal plane. In this way the water will in a short time
gradually overflow in the short arm of the pipe part W and thence pass in small
quantity to the carbide container as shewn in Fig. 3.
So soon as the above continuous equable action comes on, the apparatus will
continue working in the described manner. This continuous action is derived from
the gas pressure in the casing G and is always maintained, as so soon as fluctuations
of pressure commence, for instance if the pressure in the casing G commences to
rise, the water present in the pipe part W and in the chamber D is driven backward,
the water flowing backward in part W is elevated in the long arm of the same and
the space and the surface for the purposes of condensation thus diminished. The
quantity of water exposed to vaporisation, that is to say, the vaporising surface is
at the same time diminished by the water flowing backward into the chamber D.
Therefore the result of an increase of pressure is a decrease in the vaporisation and
condensation and consequently a decrease in the supply of water. The contrary
obviously obtains when the pressure in the casing G commences to diminish as then
the vaporisation and condensation and consequently also the supply of water is
increased. In this way the supply of water to the carbide of calcium in the con-
tainer C is regulated exactly in the proportion required to maintain constant the
pressure in the casing G.
In the modified form of carrying out the invention (Figs. 4 to 6) the chamber D
is located outside the casing or generator G and is heated by gas jets issuing from
a tube Z fed from the generator. For the rest the operation is precisely the same
as that previously described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, similar reference letters
also being used to indicate like parts in both forms of construction.
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. A process for the production of acetyline gas by the action of water on
carbide of calcium, in which by the continuous heating of one part of the water
supply conduit, the water in passing through said part is converted into steam,
said steam being afterwards condensed and the water of condensation supplied to
the carbide of calcium in a regulated quantity by means of the gas pressure in the
gas generator and variations in the vaporising and condensing surfaces, substantially
as described and shewn.
2. An apparatus for carrying out the process referred to in Claim 1, characterised
by a casing G in which is placed a carbide of calcium container C, said casing
being provided with an outlet pipe S for the generated acetyline gas; a water
reservoir A and a conduit B, D, R, W, leading from said reservoir through the
casing G to the container C the part W of said conduit being of an U shape with
arms of unequal length and having an extension provided, if necessary, with a
cock V and leading into the interior of the casing G and terminating over the
container C, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the
drawing.
3. The modified construction of the apparatus referred to in Claim 2, in which

page_text: modification the enlarged or chambered part D of the conduit B, D, R, W, is.
located outside the casing G and is heated by a special burner tube Z, substantially
as described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6 of the drawing.
Dated this 16th day of January 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant..