Portable Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1898-Accepted, 2nd July, 1898
Portable Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
I, ALBERT DENICH, of 4, Rue Anthony, Paris, France, Inventor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is a portable apparatus for fabricating
acetylene gas and intended specially to light vehicles such as carriages, bicycles
and the like.
This apparatus offers the following advantages: It is very simple, of little
volume and weight, which renders it easily transportable; besides, it is not expen-
sive, is easily charged and offers no danger of explosion.
This apparatus does not require a gasometer and is composed simply of a-
cylinder in metal, closed at each end and composed of two parts screwed together.
The inside of this cylinder is divided into two parts by a partition fixed to the
upper part which serves as a water cistern, the lower compartment being reserved
for the carburet of calcium. The cover of the upper compartment is supplied
with a threaded tube stopped by a cap forming a nut and serving for the intro-
duction of the water, moreover it is provided with a socket with teeth forming
notches of different depths. In this socket a vertical rod turns, terminated at its
extremity by a winged nut underneath which a small transversal rod crosses.
This vertical rod is provided on the inside of the water, cistern, with helicoidal
spring and has at its lower part a cock terminated by a tube traversing the
partition separating the two compartments and terminating into the lower chamber,
where it brings the water necessary for the operation. A vertical tube passing
through the water chamber and terminating into the carburet chamber is con-
nected to a rubber tube which is connected with the lantern and serves to lead
the gas to the burner; to this tube is branched another to bring back into the
upper chamber the non-consumed gas which can escape by the winged nut.
The working of this apparatus is very simple and easy to understand; the 2 parts
of the cylinder being screwed together it suffices to fill the upper part with water
and put some carburet of calcium, broken into small pieces, into the lower chamber,
then open the cock more or less, according to the quantity of gas to be produced,
by turning the thumb nut and introducing the small transversal rod, situated
above the nut, into one of the notches formed by the teeth of the socket.
The small transversal rod is held in the notch by the tension of the spring
and the water can flow by the cock into the lower compartment, where it falls on
the carburet of calcium and produces the acetylene gas which clears away by the
vertical tube and reaches the burner by the rubber tube. If there is an over-
supply of gas, the non-consumed gas returns to the upper compartment by the
branched tube joined to the preceding one; from the upper chamber the gas
escapes outside by the thumb nut which forms a safety-valve.
L. DUVINAGE,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: I, ALBERT DENICH, of 4, Rue Anthony, Paris, France, Inventor, 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: -
The present invention concerns a portable apparatus for producing acetylene
gas, specially designed for lighting vehicles such as carriages, bicycles and the
like and provided with a regulator for the inlet of the water into the gas generator,
the said regulator being removable and forming a safety valve, in case of over-
production of gas.
The annexed drawing shows, as an example, an embodiment of this invention.
This drawing shows a longitudinal section of the apparatus. The said apparatus
has no gasometer and is simply composed of a metallic cylinder having its ends
closed and composed of two parts K and L screwing into each other; these two
parts are separated by a partition M; the upper section L serves as a water
reservoir and the lower section K receives the carburet of calcium and forms the
gas generator.
The top of the chamber L is provided with a boss Q closed by a nut E¹ and
serving for the introduction of the water.
The partition M has an opening for the admission of the water into the gas
generator K this admission is regulated by a regulator as fully described herein-
after.
A tube G¹ discharging into the section K, and connected with the burner by
a flexible tube, serves for the exit of the gas and leads it to the burner.
The recipient K being filled with a certain quantity of carburet of calcium
broken into small pieces, and the two parts of the apparatus being screwed into
each other, the upper reservoir L is filled with water; to set the apparatus at
work, the opening for the admission of water is opened more or less, according to
the quantity of gas to be produced, by means of the regulator.
The said regulator is composed of a socket G secured to the bottom of the water
reservoir, communicating by a small passage with the gas generator, and in which
is introduced a piston H, the said piston being secured to the end of a rod B;
this rod, passing along its whole length through the water reservoir, enters a
collar-socket A, screwed on another socket I secured to the top of the water
reservoir.
The rod B has a button C on its upper end, screwing on this end.
The collar-socket A has five notches or incisions one above the other, in one of
which is hung a pin E passing through the rod B and secured thereto.
The rod B has a shoulder J upon which presses a spiral spring the said spring
surrounding the rod and pressing, on the other hand, against the collar-socket,
thus drawing the rod downwards and holding the pin E in the notch in which it is
hung.
According to the depth of the notch in which the pin E is placed by turning
the button C, the piston H will penetrate more or less into the socket G and will
more or less, close a lateral opening made in this socket and through which opening
the water of the reservoir flows into the gas generator.
The deepest of the notches forms the notch stopping the admission of water
when the pin is engaged therein; the greatest admission of water and consequently,
the maximum production of gas, corresponds with the placing of the pin in the
smallest notch. Once the pin is in the chosen notch, the water-inlet is regular
and the light given by the produced gas is absolutely steady.

page_text: In case of over production of gas, the regulator serves at the same time as a
safety-valve the pressure of the gas becoming, too high, the water is forced
back by the pressure of the gas which, passing then through the space comprised
between the piston H and the bottom of the socket G, raises across the column of
water, mixes with the air and escapes through the circular hollowing of the collar-
socket A, which hollowing is necessary for the free working of the rod B.
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 a portable acetylene gas producing apparatus a regulator for the admission
of water into the gas generator, distinguished by a rod opening and shutting the
opening for the admission of the water into the gas generator at will; the said rod,
operated by a button on its upper end, being placed and held, at heights corre-
sponding with the desired opening to be given to the above-mentioned admission,
by means of a collar-socket with notches, in one of which notches is lodged a pin
appertaining to the rod, and of a spiral spring drawing the rod downwards and
thus holding the said pin in the chosen notch, the regulator thus arranged serving,
in case of over production of gas, as a safety-valve, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
2) A portable acetylene gas producing apparatus, substantially as described
and shown.
1
101
1000
L. DUVINAGE,
Patent Agent, 8, Rue des Princes, Brussels, Belgium.