Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene or other Gas, Generated by the Addition of a Liquid to a Solid, and Adapted for Use in Combination with Cycle and other Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 2nd June, 1899
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene or other Gas,
Generated by the Addition of a Liquid to a Solid, and Adapted for
Use in Combination with Cycle and other Lamps.
We, THOMAS HENRY LEWIS, of 20, Cheapside, in the City of London, Consulting
Engineer, and LUX SYNDICATE LIMITED, of 20, Cheapside, in the City of London,
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:-
-
Our invention is more especially designed for adaptation to a portable lamp
and serves to remove one of the present objections to the use of acetylene gas as
an illuminant which arises from the trouble occasioned by the charging and re-
charging of the generator. By our invention the carbide or other solid is pre-
pared for use by being charged into cases in the form of cartridges which cases
or cartridges merely require to be inserted into the receptacles provided in the
generator and which when the generator requires to be recharged are readily
removed to make way for new cartridges.
Our invention also enables the lamp to be extinguished without giving rise to
a prolonged production of gas and consequent waste and objectionable smell.
In carrying out our invention we arrange to limit the quantity of carbide or
other solid undergoing decomposition at one time by providing that no water shall
run into the second or subsequent cartridge receptacle until the first and subse-
quent receptacles in their order have been filled with water. By this means a
gradual quantity of gas is generated at the moment it is to be used and in amount
corresponding with the volume to be consumed. The lamp therefore cannot be
overcharged with carbide. When the lamp is required to be extinguished the
turning off of the water supply prevents the water from extending to any further
cartridge than that actually being moistened at the time and the remaining
unused cartridges in the generator are then ready for use when the lamp is
required to be relighted at any future time.
We will describe our invention by the aid of the accompanying drawings in
which-
Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section of the lamp.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the front of the lamp open.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the generator containing the cartridges the path of the
liquid from one cell to another being indicated by means of arrows, dotted
arrows indicating the passage of the water through the base of the cells and full
arrows indicating the direction of the flow through the orifices at or near the top
of each cell.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section following the line A.B. in Fig. 3.
Figs. 5 and 6 are elevational views of two forms of cartridge case.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the cover fitting over the top of the generating chamber.
Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view of part of the lamp showing how the water
is fed from the reservoir to the generator.
The generator A is constructed of any number of tubes (according to the
required productive capacity of the lamp) affixed vertically to a base which forms
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page_text: the bottom of the generator which slides into the holder B and is held in position
by the spring clips C or any other suitable form of fastening so as to form a gas
tight chamber from whence the gas generated is conducted to the ignition jet.
The tubes are placed closely together and soldered or otherwise connected so
that the interstices between them form separate water tight chambers. Any
convenient tube we adopt as the first, say the tube No. 1 shown in Fig. 3. We
affix thereto a stand pipe D to conduct the water from the cistern E through the
pipe F to the bottom of the first tube through a perforation provided at the
bottom of the tube 1 where shewn with a broken arrow. The admission of water
to the second and remaining tubes in succession is effected in the following
manner. The cartridges hereafter described having been first inserted one in
each of the tubes and the generator adjusted to the lamp in its proper position
the water is admitted through the pipe F and enters the tube 1 through the
perforation in the lower part of the tube 1. The water circulates through and
around the cartridge in the tube 1 and contacting with the carbide contained in the
cartridge generates gas. When the water has reached a point near the top of
the tube (by which time the carbide in the cartridge in the tube 1 has gene-
rated nearly the whole of the gas it is capable of generating) it overflows into
the opening a through a perforation provided near the top of the tube 1 and finds
its way into the tube 2 by means of the duct and through a perforation provided
at the lower part of tube 2 as shown by the dotted arrow (in Fig. 3). The
water gradually moistens the carbide in the cartridge provided in tube 2 with
the consequent generation of gas and on the water in tube 2 reaching a point
near the top as in tube 1 the same overflows into the opening entering the tube 3
through the perforation provided in the bottom thereof as shewn by the dotted
arrow. This operation is repeated on the remaining tubes in succession until all
the cartridges in the generator have been moistened during which time a con-
stant and uniform supply of gas is maintained.
b
For the construction of the cartridges we employ cylindrical cases made of
vegetable gauze, stiff canvas or cloth, what is known as wirette we find to be
especially suitable for the purpose as serving to admit water to the carbide in a
gradual and uniform manner or they may be made similar in form to the gun
cartridges used for sporting purposes. The cases (when not made of vegetable
gauze stiff canvas or cloth) are provided with small perforations (H_Fig. 5) at
equal and suitable distances apart for the gradual and uniform admission of
water to the carbide contained in the cartridge. The cases are sealed at the top
and bottom and are so constructed that they will fit evenly into the tubes but
allow sufficient space around them to allow the water to circulate freely and allow
for any slight expansion of the cartridge when moistened. We find greater
efficiency in the working of the lamp can be obtained by filling the cases with
calcium carbide reduced to a powder mixed with Keiselguhr or other substance
of a like nature in the proportion of 5 parts of carbide to 2 of Keiselguhr or in
proportions differing therefrom according to the varying size of lamp and gene-
rator. To prevent rattling the cartridges are made at the lower end with
flange (I) sufficiently large to fit the tubes. To provide against the water
escaping from the openings by an undue tilting of or shock to the lamp and in
order to facilitate emptying generator of water when only a part of the charge
has been decomposed without disturbing remainder of charge we fit a cover
Fig. 7 over the top of the generator which, by means of springs adjusted to the
cover, can be made to fit tightly over the top of the generator, small holes being
provided in the cover over each of the tubes to allow the gas generated by the
carbide cartridges to find its way to the burner as it is generated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A portable acetylene lamp comprising a cistern for the water supply and

page_text: mounted beneath the cistern a generator chamber divided into compartments
and charged with carbide of calcium in separate cartridges and with connexions
through which the water may flow from the cistern into the several compart-
ments of the generator chamber in due succession all constructed and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a portable acetylene lamp such is herein before described the use of a
compartmented generator chamber having water ways and connexions with the
cisterns and with the gas burner of the lamp substantially as hereinbefore
described and as shewn in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a portable acetylene lamp such as is herein before described the use of a
carbide of calcium cartridge constructed as herein before described and as shewn
in Figs. 5 and 6 and charged with the unmixed salt or with a mixture of carbide
of calcium and Keiselguhr substantially as herein before set forth.
Dated this fith day of April 1899.
THEO.
MCKENNA,
17 and 18, Basinghall Street, London, Applicants' Agent.