An Improved Automatic Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 1st Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
I, PAUL ANTOINE MARIE LACROIX, of No. 1 Rue Clemence Isame, Toulouse,
France, Engineer. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists of a generator combined with a gasometer with water
displacement.
The generator is composed of one or more receptacles for the calcium carbide
and a water tank with syphon tube connected to said receptacles.
The syphon is formed by a small tube coming from the water tank which is at
its lower end open to a larger tube surrounding same. The water rises in the
outer tube to the level of a tap through which it flows to the calcium carbide
receptacles. Another tap at a higher level connects with the pipe leading to the
receptacle and allows the gas, formed therein to pass into the upper end of the
outer tube whence it is conveyed to the gasometer which is charged with water
and so arranged that the pressure as formed drives the water out of a lower into
an upper tank whence it returns as the gas is consumed. The receptacle for the
calcium carbide is preferentially a round closed vessel, at the top of which is the
movable top for filling. Inside a series of baskets or trays to hold the calcium
carbide are arranged around a central support. The trays are divided into com-
partments and furnished with small tubes so that the gas can be gradually
evolved from the calcium carbide, thus forming an effective generator. When
the gas is formed all that is necessary for the attendant to do is to detach the
generator, and refill it with the calcium carbide. For this purpose the pipe is
detachable. A tap is attached to the generator in order to draw off the water
previous to refilling.
The combination of the said generators with the water-sealed gasometer forms
an effective automatic apparatus for creating and storing the gas.
1007
An Improved Automatic Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
I, PAUL ANTOINE MARIE LACROIX, of No 1, Rue Clemence, Isame Toulouse,
France Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
Price 8d

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention refers to an improved self acting apparatus for the production
of acetylene gas.
It consists of a generator combined with a gasometer with water displacement
and the usual water tank.
I will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which:-
Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation of an acetylene gas generator constructed on
my system.
Fig. 2, shows a sectional elevation of a water tank and gas holder intended for
use with the generator shown in Fig. 1.
Figs. 3, 4, and 5 each show a plan and sectional elevation of a form of tray
intended to contain the calcium carbide.
The generator is composed of a water tank C, which constantly supplies a siphon
tube. This tube conveys the water into the generator or generators.
The siphon is formed as follows: A tube G of small diameter coming from the
water tank runs down into the lower part of a tube E of a larger diameter which
is fixed to the first named by means of a collar soldered to the upper part of the
same.
These two tubes communicate with one another through the medium of the
chamber I which is furnished with a mud cock I¹.
The tube communicates with the generator A by means of the cocks a and b
the collector E and the flexible tube L. The cock a which is of a larger section
than that of b is intended for the passage of the gas.
The generator is composed of a receptacle or chamber A, closed with a her-
metical cover A¹ in which is arranged a central pipe A2 to which the tube L is
connected (a cock R renders it possible to ascertain if the gas is being sufficiently
formed.
A series of baskets or trays p, p, mounted one above the other on horizontal
brackets on a central shaft 0. Each basket consists of a wide shallow tray with-
out cover and perforated in the centre with an opening furnished with a pipe of
a greater height than that of the tray, as well as with one or more pipes in for
the overflow and allowing for the passage of the water from the upper tray into
that immediately below.
The arrangement of these trays being an essential feature of my apparatus I
lay special stress thereon.
In order to secure greater regularity of production and at the same time a
higher degree of sensitiveness in the apparatus, I have increased as far as possible
the number of points of attack and for this purpose, have divided each tray into
2, 3 or 4, compartments. Figs. 3, 4 and 5, show some of the suggested arrange-
ments. As will be readily seen that the water reaching the compartment farthest
away from the pipe m, attacks the carbide in one compartment after another only
entering the second when the carbide in the first is exhausted, until it reaches that
which contains the pipe m, through which after exhaustion, it descends into the
suitably arranged compartment of the lower tray. For the suitable arrangement
of each tray in relation to the others, I have provided them with central tubular
guides of suitable form, (rectangular, round, triangular or square,) which allow
of their being easily and properly placed, that is to say in such a manner that the
channels of the superposed trays are arranged tortuously.
This system of generator is equally suitable for acting on the carbide upward
from below as from above downward. In point of fact, it is sufficient to replace
the central shaft by a tube the lower extremity of which would be free and the
top would receive the feed water for the purpose of directing it to the bottom of
the generator whence it would take an upward course in attacking the carbide
of calcium, as it flows downward.

page_text: The gasometer in which the water level is constantly rising and falling accord-
ing to the pressure of gas generated is composed of a cylindrical or other shaped
receptacle or chamber B, divided into two compartments M N by a horizontal
partition f, furnished with a plunge tube P. From this partition runs a tube U
which communicates with tube F of the generator and a tube V from whence the
gas issues. It follows from the construction of this gasometer that when the gas
penetrating into the lower compartment forces the water into the upper com-
partment the water rises in the latter to the same extent that it has descended in
the lower compartment, the consequence being that the pressure exerted on the
gas varies at the rate of double the displacement of the water in the gas chamber
or the lower compartment N.
On the other hand, in the generator, the difference of the sectional area of the
water tank on the one hand, and that of the annular space comprised between
F and G on the other, is such that the latter may be considered as quite unim-
portant in relation to the former, so that the pressure supported by the gas in this
annular chamber varies in a direct ratio to this displacement.
It follows that if this generator is adapted to a gasometer the pressure in which
displaces water, any displacement of water in the lower compartment of the gaso-
meter will bring about, by reason of the equilibrium of the different pressures,
a double displacement in the distributor.
The gasometer and the generator together form an actual hydraulic lever of
very great sensibility, and perfectly safe in action. The running off of the water
into the generators will be effected with very great precision.
In practice the water-tank or reservoir C may be placed in the gasometer in the
guise of a cover and the tube F fixed against the side in such a manner that the
combination forms a homogeneous and indivisible whole:-
The operation is as follows:
The water runs down from the reservoir C, into the filtering chamber I, through
the tube G concentric to the outer tube F. It runs up again between the two
tubes, and, having reached the height of the cock b, it runs off into the generator,
passing through this cock and the tube L.
Gas is immediately generated ascends through the tube L and passes through
the collector E the cock a and the tube U and enters the lower compartment N of
the gasometer, and forces the water into the upper compartment M.
After a time the column H¹, in the gasometer becomes equal to the column H
in the generator, and thereafter, the gas automatically regulates its own pro-
duction.
In point of fact, if H¹ be increased; H will be increased in the same ratio,
which results in a compression of the water below the orifice in the cock b,
stoppage of the flow of water into the generator and thereby arrests the generation
of gas. An inverse effect is produced if, by withdrawing gas by the tube V the
column H¹ is diminished in the gasometer, H will also be diminished until the
water level in tube F reaches the level of the cock 6 which consequently admits
a fresh supply of water to the generator, thereby generating a fresh supply of gas.
This combination of generator and gasometer constitutes a real hydraulic
lever, not hitherto brought into use, and this constitutes my principal claim.
It is obvious that the collector E may correspond with two or more generators
set in operation simultaneously or successively by some suitable means, such as
an arrangement of cocks.
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:
An improved automatic apparatus for producing acetylene gas, characterised by
1. The combination with a reservoir or water tank, a siphon tube and a col-
lector, of one or more generators each composed of a closed receptacle, in which
is disposed, one above the other and around a central shaft, a series of trays, these

page_text: tray being furnished with overflow pipes and divided into compartments allow-
ing the carbide to be attacked in small portions, this combination constituting
the generator, as herein described and set forth.
2. The combination of the said generator with a gasometer in which the
water is displaced as described above, forming a hydraulic lever, the effect of
which is to double the importance in the distributing tube F of the generator, of
the displacement of water in comparison with such displacement in the lower com-
partment of the gasometer to which it is connected, as herein described and set
forth.
Dated this 16th day of November 1897
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Patent Agent, 171, Queen Victoria Street London E.C.