Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene from Calcium Carbide.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left 25th Oct. 1897 Accepted 27th Nov. 1897
Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1997
Complete Specification Left 25th Oct. 1897 Accepted 27th Nov. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the Production of
Acetylene from Calcium Carbide.
We THOMAS THORP of Whitefield near Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and THOMAS GARDINER MARSH of Examiner Buildings, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the
production of Acetylene from Calcium Carbide and has for its object the
economical and safe production of such gas for lighting and heating purposes.
Hitherto in apparatus for the production of acetylene a chamber has been formed
for the reception of a charge of calcic carbide, which chamber has been charged
at intervals in the production of the gas as the pressure or supply from the receiver
or holder has become exhausted; a reservoir of water in direct communication
with the carbide chamber with or without in intervening valve has formed part
of the apparatus, and by bringing the carbide chamber into contact with the water
in the receiver or by forcing the water into contact with the carbide by the
pressure of gas generated after the action has been once started, or by externally
applied pressure gas has been evolved until all the carbide has been decomposed',
or all the water has been absorbed.
In other cases the carbide has been projected into the liquid in blocks at
intervals by means of suitable mechanism.
By these methids of production it is difficult to regulate the extent of reaction
between the carbide and water and consequently the quantity of gas to be evolved
as when the carbide in mass comes in contact with a little moisture gas is at first
produced rapidly and the lime deposited sometimes forms upon the surface of
the carbide to a greater or less extent thereby preventing the further evolution of
gas to the extent desired, while if the carbide is saturated to ensure the required
production of gas, it retains its moisture until decomposed and consequently the
production of gas continues and cannot be arrested even by the removal of the
carbide from contact with the water which in some cases is done. The gas thus
evolved unless consumed or withdrawn may speedily attain a dangerous pressure.
According to our invention the carbide is introduced in a granulated or powdered
state in small quantities into the liquid provided for setting up the chemical action
resulting in the decomposition of the carbide, which granulated carbide is
measured and admitted by means of suitable apparatus operated by the pressure
of the gas evolved into the liquid at regulated intervals governed by the con-
sumption or drawing off of the gas from the apparatus.
Our improved apparatus consists of a closed vessel forming a generator con-
taining the liquid for decomposing the carbide provided with a float and valve
for maintaining a minimum level, also a sight or water level gauge hereinafter
described by which the feed into the liquid is regulated. There is also an orifice
provided with a flap valve at the top of the chamber which valve is normally

page_text: closed and opens inwards. An outlet orifice leading to the governor is also pro-
vided at the top of the generator.
Above the generator is a chamber in which a part of the feeding device herein-
after set forth for the carbide is arranged and above the orifice, which may be
provided with a flap valve, is a device for receiving the feed of carbide and
directing it suddenly into the generator through the orifice aforesaid.
Above the feeding device is a hopper in which the carbide is deposited, the
hopper being provided at the top with a weighted flap valve opening inwards, and
above the hopper leading to the orifice covered by this flap valve is a shoot pro-
vided with a close fitting cap or door and means for forcing the granulated carbon
through the flap valve into the hopper as hereinafter set forth.
The lower part of the governor into which the outlet orifice from the generator
leads forms a chamber and contains another part of the feeding device which is
connected with the first part of the said feeding device.
Above this chamber forming part of the governor is another chamber con-
structed to have a variable capacity within limits. The moving part of this
chamber is so connected by suitable mechanism with the feeding device, that when
the chamber is expanded it is free from the said device but at a suitable part in
its travel when contracting it engages with the feeding device setting it in motion
and causing it to pass carbide into the generator until the gas evolved due to such
feeding enters the chamber of variable capacity and causing it to expand frees
the feeding device which then assumes a position ready for again being operated
as the variable capacity chamber becomes exhausted of the gas.
Suitable means are provided for keeping this chamber at its full capacity when
desired, as when the generator is being cleaned out for instance; such means
consist of fingers or catches hinged to one part of the variable capacity chamber
and arranged to engage with the other part which fingers being hinged are easily
thrown out of contact or gear when not required for their purpose.
Suitable means are also provided for operating the feeding device by hand for
the purpose of starting the generator, which consists of a spindle brought through
a stuffing box and connected to the feeding device in such manner as to put it in
motion by means of a handle fixed to such spindle.
The variable capacity chamber may be in free communication with the under-
side of the hopper containing the carbide through which hopper and carbide con-
tained therein the gas produced may be carried away to the storing gas holder or
burners, the passage of the gas through the carbide freeing it to a great extent
from the moisture contained therein.
The variable capacity chamber consists preferably of an inverted bell dipping
into a water seal and provided with a stand pipe leading thereinto.
The feeding device consists preferably of an endless band or apron passing
over rollers, which band or apron passes directly under the hopper to receive the
carbide thereon and it is arranged to carry forward a layer of the carbide and
shoot it over into the device for projecting a definite charge through the flap valve
into the generator, which device is preferably made in the form of a tipping
receptacle to overbalance when full of the carbide. The rollers carrying the hand
are rotated by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl or equivalent device operated by
a rod terminating in a rack which engages a spur wheel mounted beneath the
variable capacity chamber. A rack is also arranged to engage with the same or
a similar spur wheel upon the same shaft which rack is operated by the variable
capacity chamber in its descent. A weighted lever or equivalent device brings
the rack and spur wheel and rod and pawl back to a normal position as the variable
capacity chamber expands ready for further rotating the endless belt. Any
suitable mechanical equivalent for the racks and wheels for causing the feeding
band or its equivalent to move may be used.
The sight or water level gauge consists of a glass tube mounted in the ordinary
way in sockets leading into orifices in the generator, one of which orifices is below
the water level, but over each orifice in the generator may be a flexible or elastic

page_text: bag the lower one of which is charged with a liquid, by which arrangement no gas
can escepe if the gauge glass be broken.
The cap or lid of the shoot is furnished with an air pump of metal or flexible
chamber of any suitable material which is normally extended but after carbide
has been passed into the shoot and the lid closed the air pump piston or equivalent
is pressed down thereby forcing the carbide through the flap valve into the
hopper.
100x
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for the Production of
Acetylene from Calcium Carbide.
We, THOMAS THORP of Whitefield near Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and THOMAS GARDINER MARSH of Examiner Buildings, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Mechanical 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:—
This invention consists in improvements in and relating to apparatus for the
production of acetylene from calcic carbide and water and has for its object the
economical and safe production of acetylene for lighting and heating purposes.
Our improvements relate to the kind of aaratus for generating acetylene in
which the calcic carbide is dropped into the water in a granulated form from a carbide
chamber or hopper, and consist chiefly in the improved arrangement or construc-
tion of the mechanism for dropping or feeding the carbide into the water and for
charging the hopper with carbide.
In apparatus for generating acetylene by dropping carbide into the water
hitherto made, there has been a valve or its equivalent operated by the gas holder
or the gas pressure directly and delivering the carbide directly into the water, so
that as soon as the pressure or gas volume decreased in the holder sufficiently to
open the valve, a small quantity of carbide fell into the water and generating gas
immediately closed the valve again, causing carbide to be crushed between the
valve faces and the valve and carbide to stick and interfere with the regular action
of the apparatus.
According to our invention the carbide is introduced in a granulated or powdered
state in small quantities into the liquid provided for setting up the chemical action
resulting in the decomposition of the carbide, which granulated or powdered
carbide is measured and admitted by means of suitable apparatus operated by
the pressure of the gas evolved, into the liquid at intervals governed by the con-
sumption or drawing off of the gas from the apparatus.
Our improved apparatus consists of a closed vessel forming a generator con-
taining the liquid for decomposing the carbide provided with a float and valve
for maintaining a minimum level, also a sight or water level gauge hereinafter
described by which the supply of the liquid is regulated. There is also an orifice
provided with a flap valve at the top of the chamber which valve is normally
closed and opens inwards. An outlet orifice leading to the governor is also pro-
vided at the top of the generator.
Above the generator is a chamber in which a part of the feeding device herein-
after set forth for the carbide is arranged and above the orifice which may he

page_text: provided with a nap vaive is a device for reveiving the feed of carbide and
directing it saddemy into the generator through the office atoresaid.
Above the feeding device is a hopper in which the carbide is deposited, the
hopper being provided at the top with a weighted nap vaive opening wards, and
above the hopper leading to the orince covered by this nap vaive is a shoot pro-
vided with a close nuung cap or door and means for forcing the granulateu carvon
through the Hap valve into the hopper as heremaiter set forth.
The lower part of the governor into which the outlet orince from the generator
leads forms a chamber and contains another part of the feeding device which is
connected with the first part of the said feeding device.
Above this chamber forming part of the governor is another chamber con-
structed to have a variable capacity within mits. The moving part of this
chamber is so connected by suitable mechanism with the feeding device, that when
the chamber is expanded it is free from the said device but at a suitable part in
its travel when contracting it engages with the feeding device setting it in motion
and causing it to pass carbide into the generator until the gas evolved due to such
feeding enters the chamber of variable capacity and causing it to expand frees
the feeding device which then assumes a position ready for again being operated
as the variable capacity chamber becomes exhausted of the gas.
The variable capacity chamber may be in free communication with the under-
side of the hopper containing the carbide through which hopper and carbide con-
tained therein the gas produced may be carried away to the storing gas holder or
burners, the passage of the gas through the carbide freeing it to a great extent
from the moisture contained therein.
The variable capacity chamber consists preferably of an inverted bell dipping
into a water seal and provided with a stand pipe leading thereinto.
The feeding device consists preferably of an endless band or apron passing
over rollers, which band or apron passes directly under the hopper to receive the
carbide thereon and it is arranged to carry forward a layer of the carbide and
shoot it over into the device for projecting a definite charge through the flap valve
into the generator, which device is preferably made in the form of a tipping
receptacle to overbalance when full of the carbide. The rollers carrying the band
are rotated by means of a ratchet wheel and pawl or equivalent device operated by
a rod terminating in a rack which engages a spur wheel mounted beneath the
variable capacity chamber. A rack is also arranged to engage with the same or
a similar spur wheel upon the same shaft which rack is operated by the variable
capacity chamber in its descent. A weighed lever or equivalent device brings
the rack and spur wheel and rod back to a normal position as the variable
Any
capacity chamber expands ready for further rotating the endless belt.
suitable mechanical equivalent for the racks and wheels for causing the feeding
band or its equivalent to move may be used.
The sight or water level gauge consists of a glass tube mounted in the ordinary
way in sockets leading into orifices in the generator one of which orifices is below
the water level, but over each orifice in the generator may be a flexible or elastic
bag the lower one of which is charged with a liquid, by which arrangement no gas
can escape if the gauge glass be broken.
The cap or lid of the shoot is furnished with an air pump of metal or a flexible
chamber of any suitable material which is normally extended but after carbide
has been passed into the shoo. and the lid closed the air pump piston or equivalent
is pressed down thereby forcing the carbide through the flap valve into the
hopper.
In order that the carrying out of our invention may be better understood we
have attached hereunto a sheet of drawings to which we will now refer.
On the said drawings Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of the improved
apparatus and Figure 2 a sectional plan, Figure 3 showing a modified charging
arrangement.
The generator consists of a vessel a having an orifice a¹ preferably provided with

page_text: C
a cover a² opening inwards and made selfclosing by a spring or weight a³, through
which orifice the carbide is introduced into the generator; an outlet orifice a* for
the gas generated; an outlet orifice for the sediment provided preferably with a
valve a attached to a float a and a cock a for discharging the sediment; and a
water level gauge as. Above the generator there is a chamber 6 in which is
situated part of the mechanism for feeding the carbide into the generator a in
definite charges as hereinafter described. Above the chamber is a hopper
containing the carbide, the lower orifice c¹ is directly above the feeding apparatus.
There is a charging orifice provided with a spring weighted flap or cover c³
which is self closing. Above the hopper c there is cylindrical shoot d which pre-
ferably provided with a cap d' and an air pump formed of a plunger d² fitting the
shoot and passing through the lid, and removable with the lid. The plunger is
normally held up by a spring by preference, and its purpose is to force the
carbide charged into the shoot through the flap valve into the hopper b.
From the generator a a conduit e leads into a chamber f above which the variable
capacity chamber or gas holder g is situated. The gas holder is preferably con-
structed in the usual way with a bell g', dipping into a water seal. The tank g
of the holder has a central trunk g³ inside of which a tube g* nxed to the bell g¹
1 arranged. A rod h forming a rack at its lower end is guided in this tube, and
may be provided with additional fixed guides. This rack gears with a broad
spurwheel h fixed on a shaft mounted in suitable bearings, which shaft has fixed
on At a weighted lever that turns the shaft and lifts the rack and rod h when
the tube is lifted off the shoulder on the same by the rise of the bell g¹.
Another rod i sliding in bearing brackets i it is formed with a rack at each end.
one of which gears with the broad spurwheel h¹ and the other with a spurwheel 12
mounted loose on a shaft 1. On his shaft a drum and a ratchet wheel 12 are
fixed, a spring pawl swivelling on a stud screwed into the side of the spur-
A second drum kis
wheel engaging into the teeth of the ratchet wheel 12.
mounted on a shaft opposite to the drum and an endless apron ¹ passed round
the drums, this apron being underneath the outlet of the hopper c. By means
of the arrangements described, the apron is moved forward when the weight of
the bell acting on the shoulder on the rod h forces it down and thereby turns
the wheels in the direction indicated by the arrows, and the apron remains
stationary while the rack h is lifted by the weight 2 when the bell rises, and the
wheels are thereby turned in the opposite directions.
When the apron moves forward, the carbide resting on it is carried along with
it and dropped into the scoop m supported on pivots and held up by the counter-
weight m attached to the scoop until the weight of the carbide overbalances the
weight m¹, when the scoop turns downwards and discharges its contents through
the flap door a² into the generator a.
Instead of the arrangements for feeding carbide into the scoop m hereinbefore
described, equivalent mechanism may be used for this purpose.
The flass gauge as is provided inside the generator with air and liquid tight
easily extensible and compressible bags n and n', the lower part of the gauge and
As the
bag n being filled with water and the upper part and bag n with air or gas.
contents of the bags are under the same pressure as the contents of the generator,
the water level in the gauge corresponds with that of the generator as if the gauge
were in open communication with the same, while the bags in case of breakage of the
glass prevent the escape of gas and water, and also the choking of the lower orifice
by sediment.
Figure 3 shows a modification of the arrangement for charging the hopper c
with carbide through the cylinder or shoot d. The lid of the cylinder has in this
case an annular opening surmounted by a bellows and is hinged and locked in
the manner shewn. The cylinder d is filled with carbide while the lid is open
and after closing the same the bellows are suddenly compressed and the carbide
is forced by the air pressure past the flap door c³ into the hopper c.
The gas may be drawn from the apparatus through a cock o attached to the

page_text: upper part of the hopper so that it has to pass through the carbide and is dried
thereby, or it may be drawn from the gasholder through a standpipe 2. Hinged
supports may be arranged for holding up the gas bell g¹ when turned down and
resting on the edge of the gasholder tank g², for the purpose of inspecting the
apparatus. Water is supplied to the generator through the orifice o com-
municating with a syphon or standpipe of sufficient height to balance the gas
pressure.
When starting, the hopper c is filled with carbide through the cylinder d and
water filled into the generator to the required height. If filled above this height,
the float as will lift the valve a and on opening the cock a the excess will be run
off, the valve closing the outlet when the desired level is attained, after which the
cock is closed.
The shaft is then turned by hand to move the feed apron forward, the shaft
passing to the outside of the generator through a stuffing box and being fitted with
à hand wheel for this purpose. The carbide delivered into the scoop m is dis-
charged from it in a regulated quantity depending on the weight m into the
generator a in the manner herein before described and the generation of acetylene
takes place rapidly. The ras pressure raises the bell g', and lifts the tube g* off
the rack h, when the weight 2 raises the rack hand moves the rack bar i to the
right. As the gas is drawn off for consumption the bell sinks down and the tube g
presses upon the shoulder of the rack bar h, whereby the feed apron is turned
forward and delivers carbide into the scoop m. The descent of the bell and
delivery of carbide continues till the carbide in the scoop overbalances the
weight m when the contents of the scoop are discharged into the hopper and the
play of the arts repeated.
The parts are so proportioned that the entire stroke of the rack producible by
the bell delivers a quantity of carbide in excess of that required to overbalance
the scoop. By these arrangements the crushing of the carbide between a valve
face and its seating is avoided and the supply of carbide to the water takes place
in determined quantities, and the mechanism acts in a decided intermittent
manner.
The flap valve a² may be made to fit gas tight and the rod i passed through a
stuffing box in the wall of the chamber b, in which case the hopper c may be simply
closed by a lid.
To discharge the sediment collecting on the bottom of the generator, water is
filled into the same till the float and valve are lifted, and the cock a' then
opened. The sediment and water will be forced out till the water in the generator
has been reduced to its normal level, when by the sinking of the float the valve a³
is closed again. By this arrangement the emptying of the generator below the
normal water level is prevented and a sufficient quantity of water retained in it.
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. The general construction or arrangement of acetylene generators and the
combination of the parts thereof substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings.
2. In acetylene generators the arrangement of a scoop (m) held up by a counter
weight and discharging the carbide fed into it into the generator when the carbide
over-balances the counter weight, in combination with mechanism for feeding
the carbide into the scoop operated by the extension and contraction of a variable
capacity gas holder substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In acetylene generators the arrangement of a counter weighted scoop, carbide
hopper, feed apron, and mechanism for actuating the feed apron by the rise and
fall of the gas holder bell all constructed substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated on and by the drawings.
4. In acetylene generators the arrangement of an air pump piston or bellows for

page_text: feeding the carbide hopper with carbide substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the drawings.
5. In acetylene generators the arrangement of a water level glass gauge having
its inlets protected by extensible and compressible bags substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings and for the purposes set forth.
6. In acetylene generators the arrangement of a float connected to a lift valve
above the water discharge cock of the generator, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of October, 1897.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.