Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for the Manufacture and Use of Acetylene Gas
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11 th Nov., 1897-Accepted; 11th Dec., .1897...
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for the Manufacture and
Use of Acetylene Gas."
[A communication from FERNAND ALEXANDRE of Paris in the Republic of France,
Engineer],
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement: --
:
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for the manufacture and use
of acetylene gas.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section with some parts broken away of
a generating apparatus according to the present invention.
1
Fig. 2 shows an extension or adaptation of the invention in the shape of a
floating light-house or luminous buoy, the apparatus being shown in elevation
in vertical section.
Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the generating apparatus is arranged
in the upper compartment of a gas-holder B so as to cause it to work in combina-
tion with said gas -holder, as will be hereinafter explained.
On a support A suitably secured in the upper compartment 0 of the gas-
holder B is arranged the generating apparatus which, in the present instance,
is made in two separate parts; the generator proper C and the feed-reservoir D
for the liquid producing the decomposition of the carbide of calcium.
The generator C comprises: an outer cylinder or vessel in which is arranged
another cylinder or vessel E serving as a jacket and a third cylinder or vessel. F
which contains the charge of carbide of calcium. This latter cylinder F rests
on the porous bottom G of the cylinder E which forms a bell H for the gas
generated, and is provided with a flanged cover I for the air-tight closing of the
cylinder C. The inner vessel is provided with holes J suitably arranged at
different heights on its circumference and closed by porous plates K held by
plates L suitably secured on the said cylinder F. Said plates L are each provided
with a hole M corresponding to the holes J of the cylinder F.
The reservoir D containing feed-water for the generator C, communicates with
the latter by means of a syphon tube D¹. At the upper part of said reservoir
there is arranged a chamber D² the bottom of which is provided with a funnel P
enabling the reservoir D to be filled, and the cover of which is constituted' by an
air-tight screw plug P₁ to which is connected a pipe Q through which the gas
generated escapes and is conducted into the bottom compartment N of the gas--
holder B. The chamber D2 is filled with absorbent material such for instance
as sponge, for the purpose of drying the gas entering and passing through it
from a pipe R connected at the other side to the bell H of the generator C.. A
cock S with a float T is fitted to the pipe R between the bell and the chamber D³.
A syphon pipe 0¹ places the two compartments N and O of the gas-holder -B

page_text: in communication and enables water to pass from one of these compartments into
the other under the pressure of the gas generated. The compartment N com-
municates besides with the outside by means of a gas-distributing pipe U.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:
The water from the reservoir D passing through the syphon D1 enters the
generator and rises in the empty space between the vessels C and E. Owing
to the porosity of the bottom-plate G, moisture passes into the vessel E, to the
vessel and arriving at the first porous plate K, passes through it and comes
in contact with the carbide of calcium adjacent to it, whereby acetylene gas is
generated immediately which rises in the bell H, passes through the valve S
which is open at this moment, as the level of water in the compartment O is not
sufficiently high to raise the float T, and through the pipe R from whence it
enters the drying chamber D2 whence it is led by means of a pipe Q into the lower
compartment N of the gas-holder B.
As the gas is being generated and as its pressure in the compartment N of the
gas-holder increases, the water from this compartment is forced through the
tube 0¹ into the upper compartment O thereby raising the float T of the valve S
until the latter is closed.
At this moment the gas which is still issuing from the vessel F into the bell H
attains a pressure greater than that of the head of water in the reservoir D) and
sufficient to force the water from vessel into the said reservoir D in which as
well as in the compartments N and O of the gas-holder B the head of water is
suitably calculated to attain the working described.
The carbide of calcium in the vessel being no longer exposed to moisture,
the production of gas ceases until owing to the consumption or drawing off,
through the pipe U of the gas, the pressure of gas in the compartment N decreases
and no longer balancing the water in the compartment O, enables a supply of
water to re-enter the said compartment N, thus causing the lowering of the
float T of the valve S and the opening of the latter.
To this opening of the valve S will correspond the escape of the gas stored in the
bell H of the generator C, that is to say, the lowering of pressure in the latter
and, consequently, the return of the water from the reservoir D) into said
generator C when the carbide of calcium will again be acted upon and a fresh
quantity of gas generated, and the whole apparatus acts again as just described.
The step or echelon arrangement of the opening in the vessel has an advan-
tage of rendering the apparatus much more sensitive and enabling the total charge
of carbide of calcium to be divided into superposed layers so that said layers
are attacked successively, from bottom upwards, the layers placed immediately
above the layer attacked being always left intact.
The arrangement of the principal parts of the generator in the interior of the
compartment of the gas-holder and dipping into the water in said compárt-
ment has, moreover the advantage of automatically cooling said parts without
any extra expenditure.
As regards more particularly the generator proper comprising the described
arrangement of the vessel F containing the carbide of calcium, its use may be
extended by applying it, without in any way departing from the spirit of the
present invention, to the construction of a floating light-house or luminous buoy,
the arrangement of which may be clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the accompanying
drawing. This figure is an elevation in vertical section.
Said buoy comprises chiefly a cylindrical or other tube a provided at the top
with a hollow-ring b acting as a float and maintaining the whole apparatus
afloat, all the lower part immediately under the ring b being completely sub-
merged, while the upper part projects beyond the surface of the water, being held
up by the float and comprises a gas-distributing valve c with an upper burner d
or with a pipe-branch from which the gas may be supplied to any other floating
apparatus provided with a burner without any generator.
The bottom of the tube a is constituted by a base e screwed or otherwise
1

page_text: secured thereto and provided with holes f which give free passage to the water
which has to act on the carbide of calcium for generating the gas, and on the
disc e there is arranged another disc g of porous material.
In the tube a there is arranged a cylindrical or other shaped receptacle F rest-
ing on the porous bottom 9 and containing the charge of the carbide of calcium.
This receptacle F is provided as hereinbefore explained with holes suitably
arranged at different level on its surface and respectively closed by porous plates K
preferably made of amadon held by plates or clips L secured at desired points
on the outer surface of said receptacle, each of which plates is provided with a
perforation M corresponding to those in the cylinder F.
The apparatus arranged as described and floating in the water (as shown by
way of example in the accompanying drawing) acts in the following manner:--
The pressure of water surrounding the vessel a causes the water required for
the reaction on the carbide of calcium and the generation of the acetylene gas,
'to enter through the holes f of the base e. This water passing through the
porous plate g rises in said vessel a round the vessel F, where by means of the
porous plates K, it enters and acts as previously explained and attacks succesively
the superposed layers of the carbide of calcium in the vessel F as the acetylene
gas generated becomes consumed.
The result of these arrangements is that, the valve c being open, the acetylene
gas escapes as it becomes generated, the water being allowed to rise progressively
in the vessel a round the vessel F and to attack successively the layers of the car-
bide of calcium; if the valve c is closed, the pressure increases in the vessel a
and becomes greater than the head of the entering water and consequently forces
the water out of the vessel a through the lower parts of the latter. until, the car-
bide of calcium in the vessel F being no longer attacked and the production of
the gas consequently ceasing, the pressure in the vessel a balances the
pressure of
the water. At this moment the production of gas ceases as the active carbide
of calcium is not exposed to the action of the water, and the production begins
again only when the valve a being again opened, the pressure in the vessel a
decreases and again admits water into the latter, whereupon the production of
gas recommences controlled by the regulating of the supply-cock c to which regu-
lation correspond the variations of pressure of the gas in the vessel a whereby
the water is caused to attack or prevented from attacking the carbide of calcium
as previously explained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
-
1. Apparatus for the production of acetylene gas, comprising a vessel for con-
taining carbide of calcium provided with holes uniformly arranged at different
heights, said holes being closed by porous plates held by plates having holes cor-
responding to the holes in the vessel so that the layers of carbide of calcium in
the vessel can be attacked only successively from the bottom upwards by the mois-
ture passing through the porous plate successively, the layers of carbide of
calcium lying above the one attacked not being then acted upon substantially
as described.
2. The combination of a vessel such as described in claim with an outer
vessel having a porous bottom and an upper bell or dome, and a flange, a, I, con-
stituting a cover for an outer vessel, as C, connected by a 'syphon, as D¹, to a
liquid reservoir supplying the liquid required for the decomposition of the car-
bide of calcium, said reservoir having an upper chamber D2 in which is dried
the gas supplied from the bell by a pipe provided with a valve S actuated by a
float, as T, substantially as described.
3. The combination of parts forming the subject of claims 1 and 2, with a sup-
port in the upper compartment of a gas-holder B which upper compartment is
connected by a syphon tube with the bottom-compartment N of the gas-holder,

page_text: the compartment N receiving through a tube the gas from the drying chamber
and distributing or discharging said gas through another pipe, as U; the vibra-
tions of pressure of the gas thus generated producing the displacement through
the syphon tube of water from one compartment into the other, in such a manner that
at the moment when the maximum pressure of the gas is attained the float T
acts and closes the valve S thus stopping the production of the gas in the genera-
tor, said production beginning again as soon as the pressure of the gas in the
bottom compartment N decreasing the level of the column of water in the upper
compartment descends and enables the float T to open the valve S and so allow
the production of gas to be resumed substantially as described.
4. An acetylene gas generator adapted for use with a floating light-house or
buoy comprising a carbide of calcium vessel constructed as hereinbefore described
in an outer vessel provided with a porous bottom plate and a perforated base, said
outer vessel being supported in the water up to a pre-determined level by means
of a float, thereby holding above water the upper part of said vessel comprising
a valve c which can be connected directly to a burner d or to a branch by means
of which the gas can be supplied to other floating apparatus without any inner
generating parts substantially as described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
apparatus for use in the production of acetylene gas substantially as described
and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete float-
ing apparatus for the production and use of acetylene gas substantially as de-
scribed and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of November 1897.
BOULT & WADE
Agents for the Applicant.