Improved Apparatus for Generating Acetylene, and Utilising the same for Lighting and Heating Purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Generating Acetylene, and Utilising the
same for Lighting and Heating Purposes.
I, ROBERT REITMEYER, of 18 Billiter Street, London, E.C., Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, which is a communication to me from abroad by
M. Albert Cerckel, 26 Rue Bergère, Paris, Engineer, to be as follows:-
Calcium carbide when in contact with water evolves acetylene gas which may be.
used for the purposes of lighting & heating. The present invention relates to
improved apparatus whereby the contact between the calcium carbide and water with
which it is charged is automatically regulated according to the consumption
of acetylene gas and a regular & constant supply for. lighting & heating is
maintained, whilst when the charge is exhausted it can readily. be withdrawn and
the apparatus recharged.
The accompanying drawing (Fig. 1) shows that the apparatus consists of twe
vessels A & B communicating with each other at their bases by a tube C, which
is provided with a stop-cock c and a cleansing trap c. The vessel A in which the
calcium carbide is placed is provided with a perforated false bottom a upon which the
calcium carbide rests and at its junction with the connecting tube C a floating
valve In the upper part of the same vessel is also a trap by means of which
it may be filled with calcium carbide, whilst the tube a' either conveys the generated
direct to the burner or into a gasometer before burning.
The second vessel B contains pure water or a saturated solution of sodium
chloride or other suitable aqueous liquid. When B is filled and the stop cock c is
opened this liquid passes along the connecting tube C and reaches eventually the
perforated false bottom a, whereupon an evolution of acetylene gas is at once
produced, and if the tube a' is closed, the pressure of the gas evolved forces back
the water into the reservoir B, effectually preventing further contact with the
calcium carbide and further generation of acetylene. As the gas is consumed
however the water tends again to rise to its natural level and produces a further
evolution of gas, the two actions going on simultaneously until the charge is
completely exhausted. The floating valve allows water but no gas to escape back
into the reservoir B.
This apparatus is applicable to all systems of lighting & heating, for carriage.
lamps, bicycles, fixed & portable burners etc. Fig. 2 represents a form of lamp
based on the same principle suitable for the table.
DLL: act
190C

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Generating Acetylene, and Utilising the
same for Lighting and Heating Purposes.
I, ROBERT REITMEYER, of 18 Billiter Street, London, E.C. Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (which has been communicated to me from
abroad by M. Albert Cerckel, 26 Rue Bergere, Paris, Engineer,) and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:--
This invention has for its object an apparatus for lighting and heating with
acetylene by means of which a perfectly regular burner flame is obtained consequent
upon a constant and regular supply of gas.
This regular supply of gas is obtained by means of a gasometer combined with
a gas generator, and a water reservoir; the gasometer acting as a regulator.
The apparatus is shown in sectional elevation in Figure 1 of the annexed
drawings. A is the vessel containing the calcium carbide, the upper part of which
may be opened as required for the purpose of filling. B is a water reservoir
communicating with the vessel A by the pipe C.
This pipe is provided at its upper end with a stop cock e which allows the
water to be cut off when desired, and consequently prevents the generation of gas.
el is a cleansing trap. D are. the legs upon which the vessel A is mounted. E are
screws for closing the vessel. F is a gauge showing the pressure of the gas in
the vessel, which is made sufficiently strong to support a pressure of 25 to 30 atmo-
spheres and even more. G is an outlet tube for the gas and is provided with a
cock g at its outlet from the vessel A and with a second cock shown at H which opens
9
and closes alternately according to the movement of the bell.
This cock which is shown to a larger scale in Figure 2 consists preferably of a
piston connected by any suitable means to a rod I, a diaphragm of flexible material
such as leather, gold beaters' skin asbestos or the like. The gas passes by the pipe G
into the cock or valve H and then escapes by the pipe G into the gasometer.
When the bell rises it strikes against the lever I and actuates the piston, and thus
causes the diaphragm to be applied against the gas inlet orifice and closes it.
a are gratings for supporting the calcium carbide.
al is an outlet pipe by which the gas after having bubbled through the water
of the gasometer J passes to the burners placed above. j is a stop cock for the
gas is a ball valve placed in the lower portion of the vessel A which opens being
lifted by the flow of water from the reservoir B and is again closed when the
water passes back into the reservoir by the pressure of the gas.
The apparatus is charged in the following manner :-The cocks c and g are closed
and the generator or vessel A opened by unscrewing the screws E; the gratings a
are withdrawn and charged with calcium carbide and the generator is closed by means
of the screw E.
The apparatus is then ready for use and works in the following manner :-
The cocks c and y are opened. As soon as water enters the generator A by the
lifting of the valve e and reaches the carbide in the lower grating, the carbide by
contact with the water is immediately decomposed into acetylene gas which passes
off by the pipe G into the gasometer where it bubbles through and is washed by
the water which it contains.
As soon as the gasometer bell is full the cock H is automatically closed by
the ascending movement-of-the-rod-I-which-is_acted upon by the pressure of the
acetylene.
The gas no longer finding an outlet by the pipe G immediately forces back
the water contained in the vessel A into the reservoir B thus preventing any

page_text: further formation of gas for so long as the pressure in the gasometer J is not.
lessened by the effect of the expulsion of gas it contains.
The valve always floating upon the water will only close the orifice of its
seating when the water has been completely expelled in such a manner that the gas
remaining in the generator cannot escape by the reservoir B.
As soon as the gasometer bell by reason of the delivery of the acetylene is
lowered the cock H opens and again allows the gas in the generator to pass into
the bell.
As soon as the pressure of gas in the generator becomes less than the pressure
of water coming from the reservoir B the water again comes into the generator
and again makes acetylene which is thus produced in proportion as it is consumed.
As the carbide is in separate superposed layers in the compartment, it is not
until the carbide on the first grating has given off all its gas that the water can
reach the second and so on.
Thus all danger of an explosion is avoided.
In this manner by means of this regulating arrangement, with automatic opening
and closing of the cock H, the production of gas is perfectly regulated and may
burn with an even and constant flame.
This apparatus may also be used to produce all kinds of gases such as carbonic
acid and others.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that with-
out limiting myself to the details of execution of the apparatus shown which may
be constructed in any suitable manner what I claim is :-
The apparatus such as described and shown in the drawing consisting in the
combination of two vessels A and B the one containing calcium carbide or other
chemical body to be treated, the other containing water or other liquid, and
communicating with each other at its lower portion by means of a pipe provided
with cocks for allowing liquid to pass from the vessel B into A and to be pressed
back from A into B, the vessel A being provided at its lower portion with a floating
valve opening on the passage of the liquid and again closing when the liquid is
pressed back, thus preventing the gas from escaping by the reservoir B; the said
vessels combined with a gasometer or pressure regulating reservoir communicating
by means of a pipe with the gas generating vessel A, and provided with another gas
outlet tube, the said generator being provided with a regulating arrangement
opening and closing automatically a valve or cock mounted upon a communicating
pipe between the generator A and the gasometer for the purpose of regulating
the admission of the gas into the said gasometer and to thus obtain a perfectly even
flame in the burner.
Dated this 15th day of December 1896
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.