Year: 1899

page_text: I, FRANK RHIND, of 1, Broad Street, in the City of Bridgeport, State of Con-
necticut, United States of America, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to acetylene generators in which it is desirable to cut off
the production of gas before the conversion of the entire mass of carbid. It is
therefore particularly adapted to portable lamps in which the gas holding cham-
ber is necessarily limited both in size and strength and in which it is therefore
advantageous that the evolution of gas should be promptly checked when the
consumption stops.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. I partly in elevation partly in vertical
section represents my device as applied to a cycle lantern, Figs. II and III, one
in top plan view the other chiefly in vertical section, show a portion of my
device detached from the rest, Figs. IV and V partly in section show a modifica-
tion.
1 designates a cycle lantern body; 2, a gas chamber provided with outlet 21;
3, a carbid receptacle having an aperture 31; 4, a liquid containing chamber
or font provided with filler 41, guide tube 42, seating 43, stuffing box 44 and
stop 45; 5, a wick tube provided with pins 51; 6, a cam connected by a shaft 61
to an operating button 62; 7, a cap provided with washer 71.
In the example of my invention illustrated in Figs. I to III of the drawings
the lantern body 1 may be of any desired form. The gas chamber 2 is shown as
secured to the body 1 and as provided with an outlet 21 in the form of a burner
tip within the body. The carbid receptacle 3 as shown is a shell nearly filling
the chamber 2, open at the top and having its bottom centrally pierced at 31.
The font 4 is preferably provided with means as a screwthread or the like by
An annular washer may
which it may be detachably secured to the chamber 2.
be used to secure a gas tight joint. The font 4 has a filler 41 and a central
guide tube 42 preferably rising slightly above the top of the font 1 and being
A wick tube 5 is longi-
provided with a bevelled collar forming a seating 43.
tudinally movable in the tube 42 and is provided with lateral pins 51 passing
through a suitable slot in the tube. A cam connected by means of a vertical

page_text: shaft 61 with an operating button 62 engages between the pins 51. A cap 7
having attached to its under side a rubber or other resilient washer 71 is secured
to the shaft 61.
The operation of my device will be readily understood from an inspection of
the drawings. A mass of carbid in either cake or granular form is placed in
the holder 3. For convenience of removal the carbid may be in a bag-not
shown or a piece of muslin or other pervious material may cover the aperture 31.
The font 4 having been filled with water through the. opening 41 is secured in
place. The wick tube 5 being raised to the position shown in Fig. I water is
at once delivered by the wick from the font to the carbid and generation of gas
begins. When a light is no longer needed the operator turns the button 61 in
the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. II. As the upper portion of the cam G
on the shaft G1 is spiral the wick tube 5 and contained wick are drawn.down.below
the top of the tube 42. The further rotation of the shaft 61 brings the cap 7
over the mouth of the tube 42, the bevelled seating 43 serving to prevent catch-
ing or undue wear of the washer 7.1. A stop 45 on the top of the font 4 may be
employed to limit the movement of the shaft 61 and connected parts. To reduce
the travel of the wick tube 5 I have shown the lower portion of the cam 6 as
horizontal.
In the modification of my device shown in Figs. IV and V of the drawings
the cap 7 is formed in the bottom of the carbid holder 3 instead of being secured
to the shaft 61. The cap 7 and the aperture 31 are equidistant from the axis
of the holder 3. The cam 6 is a slot formed in a sleeve or hollow shaft 61. A
stuffing box 44 axially placed in the depressed top of the font 4 has a slotted
sleeve engaging with a second pin on the wick tube 5. The upper end of the
tube 5 is offset to engage alternatively with the aperture 31 and the washer 71.
As before the drawings clearly show the operation of the device. When the
parts are in the position shown in Fig. IV water in the font 4 will be carried
by the wick to the carbid in the holder 3. When the hollow shaft 61 is turned
by the button 62 the pin 51 riding in the cam slot 6 acts to lower the wick tube 5,
the upper pin on the wick tube engaging with the vertical portion of the slot
in the stuffing box 44 to prevent rotation of the tube 5. When the tube is
depressed so as to clear this vertical slot a further rotation of the shaft 61 turns
the tube 5 and lifts it forcibly against the washer 71.
In previous Patents No. 20051 of 1897 and No. 20052 of 1897 I have shown a
carbid holder in juxtaposition to a font and an adjustable wick passing from
said font to or through an aperture in the carbid holder and adapted to carry a
discontinuable supply of water for the generation of gas. It is found in the
practical use of such lamps or generators that the water in the font, usually
somewhat heated by the chemical action or by the flame or by both, continues
to vaporize after the wick is lowered so that the production of gas is not promptly
and fully cut off. In my present device the washer 71 closely sealing the open-
ing in the font 4 confines the vapor. As a result the continued generation of
gas after the removal of the wick is greatly reduced, the flame quickly dies out
and the subsequent annoying odor caused by the production of gas in too small
volume to maintain combustion at the burner is practically eliminated.
It is clear that the application of my invention is not limited to a cycle lamp
or to the particular forms of the device shown or the especial use described. On
the contrary I am aware that many mechanical alterations may be made in
my device or it may be used for purposes not herein specified without departing
from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
First In a gas generator in combination a carbid holder, a font, a manually
adjustable wick adapted to carry a liquid to said holder and a Can adanted i

page_text: cover the aperture in said holder when the flow of liquid from said font is cut
off, substantially as described.
Second-In a gas generator in combination, a font, a superposed carbid holder,
means for conveying liquid upward to said holder and a manually operated cap
adapted to cover the aperture in said font when the flow of liquid from said font
is cut off, substantially as described.
Third In a gas generator in combination, a carbid holder, a font, a wick
tube in said font, means for moving said wick tube into and out of operative
relation with said holder and a cap adapted to cover the aperture in said font
when the flow of liquid from said font is cut off, substantially as described.
Fourth In a gas generator in combination, a carbid holder, a font, a wick
tube in said font, means for producing and cutting off a flow of liquid to said
holder, means as a cap adapted to cover the aperture in said font when the flow
of liquid is cut off and a lever or button exterior to said generator operatively
connected both to said means for cutting off the liquid supply and to said means
for covering said aperture, substantially as described.
Fifth In a gas generator in combination, a carbid holder, a font, a wick tube
in said font, means for the longitudinal adjustment of said wick tube, a cap
adapted to cover the aperture in said font when said wick tube is not in opera-
tive position, a lever or button exterior to said generator and a shaft connected
to said lever passing through the wall of said generator and acting to alterna-
tively bring said wick tube and said cap into operative position, substantially
as described.
Sixth In a gas generator in combination, a carbid holder, a font, an adjust-
able wick tube in said font, a lever or button exterior to said font, a shaft con-
nected to said lever and passing through the wall of said font, means as a cam
on said shaft for adjusting said wick tube and means also operated by said shaft
for closing the aperture in said font when said wick tube is not in its operative
position, substantially as described.
Seventh-In a gas generator in combination, a carbid holder, a font, a wick
tube in said font, a lever or button exterior to said font, a shaft connected to
said lever and passing through the wall of said font, means as a cam on said
shaft for the longitudinal adjustment of said wick tube and a cap on said shaft
adapted to cover the aperture in said font when said wick tube is not in its
operative position, substantially as described.
Eighth In a gas generator in combination, a carbid holder, a font, a guide tube
in said font, a bevelled collar or seating at the top of said font and surrounding
the top of said guide tube, a vertically adjustable wick tube in said guide tube,
a shaft passing through said font and provided at one end with an operating
lever and at the other end with a cap adapted to bear upon said seating and a
cam on said shaft engaging with said wick tube, substantially as described.
1000
Marks & Clerk,
FRANK RHIND.
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.