An Improved Portable and Automatic Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas for Lighting Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 12th Apr., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1897-Accepted, 27th Nov., 1897
An Improved Portable and Automatic Apparatus for the Production
of Acetylene Gas for Lighting Purposes.
I, ALFRED HENRI BARTHEZ, of the Hamma, Algiers, Africa, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention is chiefly intended for use in domestic lighting but is also
applicable for industrial purposes, its small bulk permitting of its universal
adoption; further, since the apparatus produces the gas automatically and im
small quantities, all danger of explosion is avoided.
.
My improved apparatus is particularly characterized by the automatic delivery
of the calcium carbide into a floating basket placed in a generating chamber
which communicates by a conducting tube or shoot with the distributing device.
The said apparatus consists first of a lower receiver having two compartments
and supported by three feet on the ground or floor. The gas is generated in the
inner compartment which is supplied with water by means of a tube opening
within same and extending to outside the apparatus where it terminates in a
funnel. Within the inner compartment is a float made of cork or the like and
carrying a funnel-shaped container closed at its lower end by a grid upon which
the calcium carbide rests.
At the bottom of the receiver a cover is provided, and by removing this, the
deposits thrown down as the acetylene is generated, may be withdrawn.
The outer compartment, together with a bell forms the gas holder; the said bell
slides with slight friction upon a tube or shoot communicating with an upper
receiver. The circular wall of the bell moves between the walls of the inner and
outer compartments and separates same. The gas for consumption is led by a
pipe leading from above the water level in the gas holder and passing to without
the apparatus where it is provided with a stopcock.
The second part of the apparatus is a distributor characterized by a deep receiver
supported above the lower receiver, by supports attached to the latter, and com-
This upper
municating with it by means of the pipe or shoot above referred to.
receiver is closed at its upper part by a cover which, being furnished with india-
rubber packing at its inner side, is adapted to hermetically close the said receiver.
Within this upper receiver a wheel is mounted, having radial blades which form
twelve separate tight compartments or buckets. Each bucket is furnished with a
cover provided with india rubber packing and kept closed by a small lever. This

page_text: wheel is mounted on a shaft extending to without the receiver where a ratchet
wheel is keyed upon it. A lever is also mounted loosely on the shaft between the
ratchet wheel and the receiver; this lever carries upon the one side of the shaft a
pawl for actuating the ratchet wheel and a cord from which, depends a weight
adapted to rest upon and be raised with the hell of the gas-holder; at the other
side of the shaft the lever carries a counterweight which causes the said lever to
oscillate to a stop at this side when the weight is raised by the bell. A stop is
also provided which limits the descent of the lever when the bell is lowered, and
the amplitude of oscillation of the lever allows the wheel to be rotated the extent
of one of its buckets at each descent of the weight.
An operating button upon the outer end of a rod sliding with slight friction and
mounted at the side of the upper receiver allows the working of the apparatus to
be started or stopped.
The buckets of the wheel being filled with calcium carbide, the operation of the
apparatus is as follows:
The operating button is pressed inwardly; then,
supposing the lever supported upon the stop near the counter weight, the weight
suspended from the opposite end will turn the said lever and with it the bucket
wheel. In this movement one of the small levers, which maintain the covers
tightly closed upon the buckets, engages the rod of the operating button and is
pushed aside thus allowing a cover to open. The calcium carbide falls from the
bucket down the shoot into the floating basket beneath and is decomposed. The
gas evolved raises the bell of the gas-holder which in turn raises the weight
depending from the lever. Each time this weight is raised, the lever, oscillated
by the counterweight, comes to rest upon the stop. As the gas is consumed the
bell descends and allows the weight to act again upon the lever and bucket wheel,
and so on continuously. When it is desired to stop the production, the operating
rod is drawn outwardly by means of its button and the covers of the buckets of the
wheel are no longer opened. This apparatus works smoothly and with great
simplicity, it is extremely safe and for these reasons can be used by anyone.
Doted thin 19th day of A nuil 1907
An Improved Portable and Automatic Apparatus for the Production
of Acetylene Gas for Lighting Purposes.
I, ALFRED HENRI BARTHEZ, of the Hamma, Algiers, Africa, 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 is chiefly intended for use in domestic lighting but is also
applicable for industrial purposes, its small bulk permitting of its universal
adoption; further, since the apparatus produces the gas automatically and in
small quantities, all danger of explosion is avoided.
My improved apparatus is particularly characterized by the automatic delivery
of the calcium carbide into a floating basket placed in a generating chamber
which communicates by a conducting tube or shoot with the distributing device.
The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus constructed in accordance
with my invention.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 1-2,

page_text: Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan thereof, and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the bucket
distributing wheel.
The said apparatus consists first, of a lower receiver having two compart-
ments R, R, supported by three feet on the ground or floor. The gas is generated
in the inner compartment R' which is supplied with water by means of a tube T
opening within same and which may conveniently extend to outside the apparatus
where it may terminate in a funnel as shown in Fig. 2. Within the inner
compartment is a float P made of cork or the like and carrying a funnel-shaped
container or basket P¹ closed at its lower end by a grid P upon which the calcium
carbide rests.
At the bottom of the receiver R R a cover B is provided, and by removing this,
the deposits thrown down as the acetylene, is generated, may be withdrawn.
The outer compartment R, together with a bell C forms the gas holder; the
said bell C slides with slight friction upon a tube or shoot X communicating with
an upper receiver hereinafter described. The circular wall of the bell C moves
in water contained between the walls of the inner and outer compartments R¹
and R and thus a hydraulic joint is formed between the bell C and inner compart-
The gas for
ment R. The bell C in rising gives motion to a weight Y
consumption is led by a pipe T leading from above the water level in the gas
holder R¹ and passing to without the apparatus where it is provided with a stop-
cock 7.
The second part of the apparatus is a distributor characterized by a deep
receiver supported above the lower receiver, by standards, Fig. 1 attached to
the latter and with which it communicates by means of the pipe or shoot X
above referred to. This upper receiver b is closed at its upper part by a cover c
which, being furnished with india-rubber packing at its inner side, is adapted to
hermetically close the said receiver. Within this upper receiver a wheel G is
mounted, having radial blades which, with the sides, form twelve separate tight
compartments or buckets. Each bucket is furnished with a cover provided with
india-rubber packing and kept closed by a small lever V. The wheel G is mounted
on a shaft a, carried in bearings p, p, and extending to without the receiver where
a ratchet wheel S is keyed upon it. A lever J is also mounted loosely on the
shaft a between the ratchet wheel and the receiver; this lever carries upon the one
side of the shaft a pawl N for actuating the ratchet wheel S and a cord from which
depends a weight Y adapted to rest upon and be raised with the bell C of the gas-
holder as stated; the other end of the lever J carries a counterweight K which
causes the said lever to oscillate to a stop u at this side when the weight is raised
by the bell. M is a pawl for preventing the backward rotation of the wheel G.
A stop u is also provided which limits the descent of the lever when the hell is
lowered, and the amplitude of oscillation of the lever allows the wheel to be rotated
exactly the extent of one of its buckets at each descent of the weight Y.
An operating button s upon the outer end of a rod sliding with slight friction,
and mounted at the side of the upper receiver, allows the working of the apparatus
to be started or stopped.
The buckets of the wheel being filled with calcium carbide and closed, the
operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
-
The operating buttons is pressed inwardly; then, supposing the lever J supported
upon the stop u, the weight Y suspended from the opposite end will turn the said
lever J and with it the bucket wheel. In this movement one of the small levers V,
which maintain the covers tightly closed upon the buckets, engages the rod of
the operating buttons and is pushed aside thus allowing a cover to open. The
calcium carbide falls from the bucket down the shoot X into the floating basket P
beneath and is decomposed. The gas evolved raises the bell C of the gas-holder
which in turn raises the weight Y depending from the lever J. Each time this
weight Y is raised, the lever J. oscillated by the counterweight K, comes to rest
upon the stop u. As the gas is consumed the bell descends and allows the weight
to act again upon the lever J and bucket wheel G. and so on continuously. When

page_text: it is desired to stop the production, the operating rod is drawn outwardly by means
f its buttons and the covers of the buckets of the wheel G are no longer opened.
This apparatus works smoothly and with great simplicity, it is extremely safe
and for these reasons can be used by anyone.
I do not limit myself to the precise mechanical details herein described, as
I may substitute such changes in the details of the apparatus as practice and
experiment may suggest, without departing from the nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In apparatus for the production of acetylene gas, the use of receiver having
two compartments R R¹ and a bell such as C in combination with a floating
basket P adapted to receive the calcium carbide feed, the whole forming a combined
gas generator and gas holder, adapted for use substantially as described and
illustrated.
2. In apparatus for the production of acetylene gas, the use of a floating basket
in the gas generator in in combination with means for automatically supplying
same with calcium carbide when required, the whole arranged or adapted to
eperate substantially in the manner herein set forth.
3. In apparatus for the production of acetylene gas, arranging the bell of the
gas holder as described and utilizing its ascending motion to raise the weight which
operates the carbide feeding device, substantially as described and illustrated.
4. In apparatus for the production of acetylene gas, the use and arrangement
of a feed wheel enclosed in a gas-tight holder and having a number of separate
hermetically closed compartments, adapted to isolate the carbide of calcium from
humidity and from contact with the gas generated, and only distributing said
carbide to the generator in proportion to requirements thus avoiding all chances
of explosion, the said wheel holder being connected to the generator by a shoot
such as X, all substantially as described and illustrated.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improved
apparatus for the production of acetylene gas, constructed or adapted to operate
substantially as described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.