Improvements in Apparatus for the Production and Storage of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct.,
1898
Improvements in Apparatus for the Production and Storage of
Acetylene Gas.
I, JAMES MCCONECHY, of 67, Renfield Street, of the County of the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention which relates to apparatus for the production and storage of
acetylene gas has for its object the provision of rendering the holder or gasometer
competent, when it falls to a certain level, of operating certain levers in order
to admit of a supply of water to the gas producer or producers necessary for the
generation of a fresh supply of gas. I am aware several methods have been
adopted to fulfil this end, more or less by an arrangement of peripheral contact
or impact of the holder.
According to my present invention I propose to form a tubular opening passing
centrally through the holder in order to admit of an upright lever, terminating
preferably with a head or projection, which as arranged, is to be depressed by
contact of a bridge piece formed upon the top of the holder and carried in suitable
guides.
The rise of the gas holder consequent upon the further supply of gas may be
made to operate the valve communicating with the reservoir so as to turn off the
water. This may be accomplished by an engaging and disengaging gear after
the manner of certain drop hammers and pile driving appliances. Or by a counter-
poise and chain; or by the action of a spring.
ן ו רד
1907
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Production and Storage of
Acetylene Gas.
I, JAMES MCCONECHY, late of 67, Renfield Street, but now of 142, West Regent
Street, of the County of the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Manufacturer, 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 which relates to apparatus for the production and storage of
acetylene gas has for its object the provision of rendering the holder or gasometer

page_text: competent, when it falls to a certain level, of operating certain levers in order
to admit of a supply of water to the gas producer or producers necessary for the
generation of a fresh supply of gas. I am aware several methods have been
adopted to fulfil this end, more or less by an arrangement of peripheral contact
or impact of the holder.
According to my present invention I propose to form a tubular opening passing
centrally through the holder in order to admit of an upright lever terminating
preferably with a head or projection, which as arranged, is to be depressed by
contact of a bridge piece formed upon the top of the holder and carried in suitable
guides.
The rise of the gas holder consequent upon the further supply of gas may be
made to operate the valve communicating with the reservoir so as to turn off the
water. This may be accomplished by an engaging and disengaging gear after
the manner of certain drop hammers and pile driving appliances; or by a counter-
poise and chain, or by the action of a spring.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried
into effect, I have hereunto appended one explanatory sheet of drawings in the
several figures of which corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of
reference.
Figure 1 is a horizontal vertical section, partly in elevation of a gas producing
apparatus, a holder, which, in dot and pick lines, is shown in its highest position,
tank and automatically controlled water reservoir made in accordance with and
constituting my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with the holder, shewn in full lines,
raised to its highest position.
Figure 3, is a part sectional view of a holder and the automatic actuating
device hereafter more fully to be described and,
Figure 4, is a corresponding view of the automatic engaging, and disengaging
device for operating the lever which is designed to turn on and off the water to
the gas producer.
The holder is marked A, the tank with its water seal is marked B, the reservoir
or water accumulator is marked C. The gas producer 1). The pipe connecting
the reservoir C, with the producer D, is marked E, stop cock F, and supplemental
tap or valve G. A pressure pipe, C¹ Fig. 1, also connects the reservoir C, with the
gas producer D, so that the pressure in both vessels is the same which causes the
flow of the water. The lever H, which connects the upright or vertical lever I,
is fulcrummed at h, and operates the stop-cock F, by means of a quadrant f, which
may, or may not be of rack formation; or the arm of the said valve or stop-cock F,
may be formed with a toothed quadrant, engaging with a corresponding quadrant
formed at the end of the said lever H. The upright vertical lever I, which is
pivoted to the lever H, at i, passes up the central opening or tubular passage
formed in the holder and terminates with a rounded head or button J, which is
engaged by a bridge piece K, formed at a central point of the dome of the
holder A; when the holder is at its lowest or nearly its lowest position. The
bridge-piece K, works in a groove or longitudinal slot L, formed on either side of
a funnel M, which rises centrally out of the bottom of the tank B, and is so
constructed, as shown, that the groove or slot L, is always above the level of the
water in the tank, and therefore the water is not capable of escaping by that
passage. When the valve F, of the reservoir or accumulator C, has been turned
on by the fall of the holder, and the quantity of water admitted to the producer
has been such as to generate a sufficient volume of gas to raise the holder, the
water is turned off by the action of a powerful spiral spring g, drawing down the
quadrant and at the same time raising the vertical lever I, ready to be again
acted upon by the fall of the holder.
In lieu of the spring, g, the automatic engaging and releasing device, illustrated
in Figure 4, for operating the valve F, by means of the lever I, may be adopted
which consists of tonglike arms N and N¹, pivoted to the transverse piece K,

page_text: fitted on the top of the holder A. These arms N and N¹, are more or less kept
together at their lower ends by means of the spring O, which is interposed
between the horn shape extremities of their upper ends. When the holder falls
to a pre-determined level, the head of the lever I, by means of its conoidal con-
figuration slips between the gripping ends of the arms N and N¹, and the said
transverse piece pressing on the head of the lever forces it down in order to turn
on the water in the manner already described. The holder consequent upon a
fresh supply of gas rises as also does the cross piece K, and with it the lever I,
whose head is still held between the grippers of the arms N and N¹ aforesaid.
When the holder has risen a certain distance, the horns N2 and N³ come in con-
tact with the inclined surfaces P and PI placed in the sides of the funnel M and
force open the gripping surfaces of the lower arms N and N₁ which are pivoted
at n, so that the head of the lever I is released, and at this certain elevation the
water is turned off.
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 and storage of acetylene gas an arrange-
ment of vertical lever working in a central passage or opening formed in the
holder which when the holder falls to a certain determinate level, said lever is
acted upon by a bridge piece, formed at the top of the holder, to operate certain
levers in order to admit a supply of water to the gas producer or producers
substantially as described and shown on the drawings.
2. The locking and releasing device illustrated in Fig. 4, and operating sub-
stantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn on the accom-
panying sheet of drawings.
Dated this 20th day of September 1898.