Improvements in Portable Acetylene Generators for the Lamps of Cycles and other Acetylene Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1899-Accepted, 9th Sept., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Acetylene Generators for the Lamps of
Cycles and other Acetylene Lamps.
I, HUBERT HENRY, of Spring Lodge, Manningham, in the City of Bradford,
Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
This invention relates to improvements in that type of portable acetylene
generators for the lamps of cycles and other acetylene lamps in which the water
is held in a container and is allowed to fall by gravity on to the calcium carbide
contained in a generator below, and its primary object is to provide simple and
efficient means of opening and closing the generator.
For this purpose I make the bottom of the generator detachable and form a
gas tight joint between it and the bottom of the sides of the generator by an
india rubber ring or washer. The face of the ring or washer may abut against
the bottom of the sides of the generator or the bottom of the sides of the generator
may be widened out to make it taper or conical and form a seat for the bottom.
The bottom is held pressed in position by one or more cross pieces hinged to the
generator by one end and the opposite end connected by a hook and eye or by
a readily detachable clip or other suitable fastening. The cross piece or its con-
nections with the generator may be made sufficiently springy so that in case an
undue pressure arises in the generator the bottom is free to be forced from its
seat and allow the excessive gas to escape. A screw, cam or eccentric or an
equivalent device may be employed to regulate the pressure of the cross piece on
the bottom.
An inner vessel to receive the charge of calcium carbide may be secured to the
bottom and be arranged to be withdrawn with it.
To attach the generator to a cycle it may be suspended by two hooks on the
top attached to rings or the like strapped to a convenient part of the frame and
a hook below connected by an elastic ring or a spring under tension to a part of
the frame beneath.
Dated this 13th day September 1898.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Patent Agents, Bradford.
Improvements in Portable Acetylene Generators for the Lamps Or
Cycles and other Acetylene Lamps.
I, Hubert HenRY, of Spring Lodge, Manningham, in the City of Bradford.
Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in that type of portable acetylene
generators for the lamps of cycles and other acetylene lamps in which the water
is held in a container and is allowed to fall by gravity on to the calcium carbide
contained in a generator below, and its primary object is to provide simple and
efficient means of opening and closing the generator.
For this purpose I make the bottom of the generator detachable and form a
gas tight joint between it and the bottom of the sides of the generator by an
india rubber ring or washer. The face of the ring or washer may abut against
the bottom of the sides of the generator or the bottom of the sides of the generator
may be widened out to make it taper or conical and form a seat for the bottom.
The bottom is held pressed in position by one or more cross pieces hinged to the
generator by one end and the opposite end connected by a hook and eye or by
a readily detachable clip or other suitable fastening. The cross piece or its con-
nections with the generator is made springy SO that in case an
undue pressure arises in the generator the bottom is free to be forced from its
seat and allow the excessive gas to escape. A screw, cam or eccentric or an
equivalent device may be employed to regulate the pressure of the cross piece on
the bottom.
An inner vessel to receive the charge of calcium carbide is secured to the bottom
and is arranged to be withdrawn with it.
To attach the generator to a cycle it may be suspended by two hooks on the
top attached to rings or the like strapped to a convenient part of the frame and
a hook below connected by an elastic ring, or a spring, under tension to a part of
the frame beneath.
To fully describe my invention reference is made to the accompanying sheet of
drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of refer-
ence indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.
Figure 1, represents a side view of my improved generator.
Figure 2, is a front view of the same.
Figure 3, is a similar view to Figure 1 with the lower portion in section.
Figure 4, is a plan view of Figure 2.
Figure 5, is an underside view of Figure 1.
Figure 6, is a separate view of the bottom.
Figure 7, is a view of the front portion of a cycle frame showing a convenient
metliod of attaching the generator thereto.
The generator 1, is provided with a water vessel 2 above and separated there-
from by a diaphragm or cross partition 3. A valve is fitted in the diaphragm 3
regulated by the spindle 4 and external button or milled head 5.
The bottom 6,
of the generator is made detachable and a gas tight joint is made between it and
the generator by the india rubber ring 7. The bottom 8 of the sides of the
enerator is widened out to receive this ring. The bottom 6 is held pressed in
position by the cross piece 9 hinged to the generator at one end by the link 10
and the link 11 at the other end is hooked over the hook 12 fixed to the generator.
The pressure of the cross piece against the bottom is regulated by the screw 13
passed through the centre of the cross piece and the latter is made sufficiently
thin to be springy so that under excessive pressure the bottom is free to be
forced from its seat. Water is supplied to the vessel 2 through an orifice in
the top closed by a screw cap 25.
An inner vessel 14 is secured to the bottom 6 to receive the charge of calcium
carbide.
The generator is provided with two hooks 15 at the top by which it is suspended
by the links 16 to straps 17 fixed to the frame 18. A hook 19 is also provided
on the bottom of the generator connected by the elastic ring 20 to the strap 21 on
the fiame beneath. When the generator is mounted in this way the gas
passage 22 is connected to the lamp by a piece of flexible tubing. The generator

page_text: may however be mounted at the head of the machine in a similar way to an
ordinary cycle lamp, and be fitted with a burner enclosed within a reflecting
shield and glass front.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. An acetylene generator having a detachable bottom held in position by a
springy cross piece or an equivalent springy device, substantially as herein shown
and described.
2. An acetylene generator having a detachable bottom held in position by
a springy device, in combination with an inner vessel fixed to said bottom to hold
the charge of carbide, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The means or method of attaching the generator to the cycle illustrated in
Figure 7.
Dated this 19th day of June 1899.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Patent Agents, Bradford.