Year: 1898

page_text: JAMES ST. CLAIR LEGGE, Gas Engineer, 38, Carlingford Road, Drumcondra, Dublin,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In order to carry out this invention I make a gas holder to the side of this gas
holder can be attached a small chember closed at the bottom another chamber is
made to fit inside the first one, but closed at the top another chamber is made to fit
insiad this one closed at the bottom but can be covered at the top if desired this last
mentained chamber is the carbide of calcium holder and is perforated at the side or
sides, a pipe extends from the bottom of outside chamber to the top of carbide holder,
this pipe takes the gas to the purifiers there is also a pipe from the gas holder there
is also a pipe from gas holder to the outside chamber which takes the water to the
outside chamber.
The pipe which takes the gas to purifiers is fitted with a stop tap and two
leavers the floating bell of the gas holder is provided with one or more rods or guides
to those guides are attached pins.
When the floating bell rises those pins are put in such a position that it lifts the
leaver therefor shuts the stop tap. When the bell falls again it presses down the
lower leaver and opens the stop tap again and so on until the carbide is exasted. Any.
extra pressure of gas is led to the cooler direct by means of a pipe from outside
cylinder, there can be one or more generating chambers attached to the gas holder.
When the gas leaves the outside chamber it passes into a square or cylinder shaped
vessel in the inside of gas holder so that the gas can be cooled it is then taken
through another pipe to the purifiers where it bubles through water which has been
acidulated with hydrochloric or other soutable acids for the purpose of removing the
ammonia from the gas secondly in removing the acidity of the gas by means of a
soutable absorbant such as coustic or potash soda and lastly by drying the gas by
passing it through cloride of calcium which acts like a sponge this gas can then be
passed into the holder and thense to the supply pipes.
Dated this 27th day of Tuly 1900
Improvements in Acetylene Generating Apparatus.
I, JAMES ST. CLAIR LEGGE, of 107, Hollybank Road, Drumcondra, in the City and
County of Dublin, and late of 38, Carlingford Road, Drumcondra, aforesaid, Gas
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
Price 8d.1

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:—
This invention relates to acetylene generating apparatus so constructed that when
the gas holder is full, over production is prevented by the increased pressure of the
gas subsequently evolved upon the water supplied to the carbide of calcium which
increased pressure automatically holds said water back from contact with the carbide
until the gas pressure is reduced.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a partly sectional elevation of the com-
plete apparatus, the section being taken on the broken line 1-2 &c.
---
10 which
is shown in the partial plan view Fig. 2. The same parts are lettered to correspond
in both figures.
A is the gas holder in which is a bell A¹ which rises therein in the manner usual
in gasometers and riding on friction rollers a secured alternately to the interior
of the gasholder A and to the exterior of the bell A¹ as shown in Fig. 2.
The gasholder A is partly filled with water and E is a pipe leading
from the lower part thereof and opening into the lower part of the outer
casing B of the generator. B2 is the carbide holder which is in the form of a
cylindrical basket open at the top and having therein a central tube 62 which is also
open at the top. The body of the carbide holder is furnished with a number of
sinal perforations 61, through which the water passes to the interior, and is locked
by means of bayonet joints or like fittings 6s to an outer cylindrical shell B¹ open at
the bottom but closed at the upper end by means of a gastight cover B³. The central
tube 2 of the carbide holder B2 is fitted over a central gas pipe C which opens just
beneath the cover B³ of the shell B¹, passes through the bottom of the outer casing B
and leads the gas from the generator to the cooler D, whence it passes by the pipe D¹
to the purifier L, thence by the pipe L¹ to the interior of the gasometer bell A¹;
O is the gas supply pipe leading the gas from the gasometer, and P is a cock thereon.
The path taken by the generated gas is shown by arrows in Fig. 1. Qis a tap for
drawing off water from the outer casing B of the generator when so desired, S is a
safety valve in the cover or lid R of said outer casing B, and K is a pipe opening
communication between the interior of said casing B and the pipe C¹ which latter
forms a continuation of the pipe C leading the gas from the carbide holder to the
cooler D) so as normally to maintain equilibrium of pressure of the generated gas on
the surface of the water inside and outside the carbide basket B2. Only one
generator is shown in the drawings but two or more may be used, and the pipe fittings
for a second generator are shown in the drawings.
To
The gasometer bell A¹ is fitted with a number of vertical guiding tubes H which
⚫ ride on vertical guide rods H¹ fixed to the gasholder A in the ordinary manner.
the guide tube H is adjustably secured an arm or rod J, or two where the apparatus
is fitted for two generators as shown, said arm or rod J, making contact, as the bell A¹
rises and falls, with a double-armed or bifurcated lever G secured to the spindle of a
valve F in the pipe C which leads the gas from the generator to the gasholder A.
M is an air outlet cock in the top of the bell A¹ which is usually opened to allow the
air to escape when the bell is first put into the gasholder A, and then closed again by
hand.
The action of the apparatus will now be understood. The water from the gas-
holder A passes by the pipe E to the interior of the generating casing B, thence up
between the shell B₁ and the carbide basket B², through the small perforations in
which it percolates to the carbide. The gas evolved flows through the gas pipe C
and valve F, which is shown in the open position in Fig. 1, thence to the cooler D,
through pipe D¹ to the purifier L and thence to the bell A¹. When the gasholder is
full or nearly so, the bell rises and with it the guide tube H and the arm or rod J
thereon abuts against one of the arms of the bifurcated lever G raises it and thereby
shuts the valve F. The gas subsequently produced in the generator finding no
means of escape through the gas pipe C passes down through the carbide and acts
upon the water in the carbide holder preventing same from entering through the
perforations b¹, some of it may pass through the perforations and bubble up through

page_text: the water between the shell B¹ and outer casing B thus getting to the upper part of
said casing and passing through the pipe K to the gasholder and this may go on
until the pressure in the gasholder and pipe K will act with the pressure of the gas
inside the carbide basket B2 to hold back the water and prevent it from passing
through the perforations in the carbide basket, thus stopping the further evolution of
gas from the carbide. Abnormal pressure of gas inside the outer casing B of the
generator will be released by the safety valve S. As the gas is drawn off from the
gasholder the bell will fall and the guide tube arm J will then act on the other arm
of the bifurcated lever G and open the valve F.
To recharge the carbide holder B2 it is only necessary to shut off the stop cock e in
the water pipe E, then to draw off the water from the outer casing B by opening the
stop cock Q, then by removing the cover R from the outer casing B the carbide
holder and the shell B¹ can be entirely removed.
The purifier L is preferably partly filled with hydrochloric or other suitable acid
for removing the ammonia from the gas which is caused to bubble through it, and is.
also preferably fitted with a reticulated case or tray containing caustic potash or
soda and a top layer of chloride of calcium or other suitable purifying materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An acetylene generating apparatus comprising a gasholder, a generator con-
nected thereto by means of a water pipe, said generator consisting of an outer casing
having a gas tight lid, and inner shell having a gas tight lid and open at the bottom
and connected to a perforated carbide basket with a central tube, a gas tube leading
from the space in the upper part of said carbide basket through the bottom of the
generator and by a system of pipes through a cooler and a purifier to the gasholder,
a pipe connected with the system leading the gas to the interior of the outer casing
of the generator to equalise the gas pressure inside and outside the carbide holder, a
valve in said system, an arm on the gasholder bell to open and close said valve and
regulate the supply of the gas to the gasholder all arranged to operate substantially
as described.
2. An acetylene generating apparatus constructed so that the over production of
gas automatically acts to prevent the access of water to the interior of the carbide
holder substantially in the manner herein described.
Dated this 1st day of Nov 1900
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicant.