Year: 1898

page_text: I, JAMES SMITH FERGUSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at
44, Eleventh Street North, in the City of Minneapolis, in the County of Hennepin.
and State of Minnesota, United States of America, Book-keeper, 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 :-
My invention relates to a class of generators wherein gas is formed by the union.
of a liquid and a solid; and my invention consists in the production of a case or.
cabinet constructed substantially as herein shown and hereinafter described adapted.
to hold both the liquid and the solid (separated) and to automatically precipitate
measured quantities of the said solid into said liquid and to store and automatically
control the pressure of the gas generated by their union, as will hereinafter
appear.
My invention relates especially to the production of acetylene gas produced from
the union of water and calcium carbide.
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1
is a perspective view of my generator complete. Fig. 2 is a top view of the case or
cabinet detached from the gas-holder. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4
is a section of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a detail. Similar letters refer to similar parts
throughout the several views.
The cabinet A may be made of any suitable material (galvanized iron being
Its cover a may be hinged
adapted to its construction) and of any desired form.
thereto, or it may be removable therefrom. It should be provided with suitable
clamps to hold it in close contact with an intervening packing. Said clamps and
packing I do not deem it necessary to show, as such devices are common and form
no part of my invention. The shelves bare hinged to its interior side or sides
(preferably the latter) intermediate its height. They are supported in a horizontal.
position by means of latches c, but are adapted to swing downward to a vertical
position when the latches are deflected. Each of these shelves b is adapted to hold
either a fixed or a removable case or magazine d, holding the calcium carbide, and
when in a horizontal position, as shown by b, Fig. 4, keeping it apart from the
water with which the cabinet A is charged, but when in a vertical position, as
shown in dotted lines in same figure, precipitating it therein. It will be understood

page_text: that when the magazines & are affixed to or integral parts of the shelves b they
precipitate their contents below into the water, but when removable therefrom they
(with their contents) are precipitated into the water, from which they are recovered
when recharging the cabinet A. The latches c, which support the shelves b, may
be held in position by means of the spring f, Fig. 4, being spring latches, or they
may be so fashioned as to be held in place by their own weight, being gravity-
latches.
The shaft g is journalled in the ends of the cabinet A, extending outward from
one of them. It is provided with a number of cams h, one for each pair of shelves,
as shown. These cams operate to deflect the latches c, and are so set upon the
shaft g that their projecting points will operate in turn, to the end that but one of
the latches c will be deflected and but one of the shelves b will be dropped at any
one time.
A ratchet wheel i, having as many teeth as there are magazines d, is affixed to the
end of the shaft g which extends out through the end of the cabinet A. It
operates to intermittently rotate the shaft g.
The rock-shafts ; (like the cam-shaft: g) are journalled into the ends of the
cabinet A and with the same should be provided with a suitable stuffing-box.
They operate to lift the shelves back into a horizontal position.
The pendent rod k is connected with the rising-and-falling case of a telescope
gas-holder. It operates, in its downward movement to intermittently rotate the
ratchet-wheel i by contacting with and pressing down on the teeth.
The click operates to control the intermittent action of the ratchet-wheel i and
prevents its rotating backward or in the wrong direction.
The pipe m connects my generator with a telescope gas holder not unlike those
in common use. It is provided with a valve n to shut off communication between.
the generator and the gas-holder.
I operate my device as follows: I first admit or pour water into my cabinet A,
leaving it about one-third full. I then charge the magazines with calcium carbide.
close down and clamp the cover. I then open the valve n of the connecting pipe m
to provide for storing of the gas and turn the ratchet wheel i one tooth, thereby
rotating the shaft g, deflecting one of the latches c, dropping one of the shelves b,
and emptying the contents of or precipitating one of the magazines into the water
below. Through this operation acetylene gas will at once be evolved, penetrate
the water, accumulate in the cabinet A, above the same, flow through the pipe m
into the telescope gas-holder and by its expansive force lift the moveable case
thereof. Then as the gas is exhausted at the burners the movable case of the
telescope gas holder will fall by gravity, carrying with it the pendent rod k, the
lower end of which will contact with one of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel i, which
will rotate one tooth, when the above described operation will be repeated until the
last magazine has been emptied or precipitated.
Thus it will be seen that my generator (after being started) is automatic in its.
operation.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner in which it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as
new and desire to secure by letters patent is :-
1. The combination with a telescope gas-holder, of a case or cabinet having
horizontally-supported shelves hinged to its interior side or sides, magazines
supported by, and latches supporting, the said shelves, a shaft having cams mounted
thereon, and a ratchet-wheel affixed thereto, a pendent rod operated by the rising-
and-falling case of the telescope gas-holder, adapted when on its downward course!
to contact with a tooth of, and to rotate said ratchet-wheel, and a pipe connecting
said case or cabinet, and the said telescope-gas-holder, substantially as shown and
for the purposes specified.
2. The combination with the telescope gas-holder of a case or cabinet having

page_text: horizontally-supported shelves, magazines supported by, and latches supporting,
the said shelves, a shaft having cams mounted thereon, and a ratchet wheel affixed
thereto, a pendent rod attached to, and operated by the rising-and-falling case of
said telescope gas-holder and a pipe connecting said case or cabinet and the said
telescope gas-holder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
0 T
1000