Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 2nd Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
We, PAUL DE RESENER, Civil Engineer, of 52 Rue de Menilmontant, and HENRI
LOUIS AMEDEE LUCHAIRE, Manufacturer, of 27 Rue Erard, both of Paris, in the
Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The manufacture of acetylene by means of carbide of calcium should be considered
from two absolutely distinct points of view, viz. :-
The manufacture thereof at a high pressure, storing the acetylene at pressures
varying from 1 kilogramme per square centimetre up to pressures of 30 kilogrammes,
near the point of liquefaction of this gas, and
The manufacture at a low pressure, storing the acetylene under pressure ranging
from 25 millimetres of water to 1 metre as a maximum.
This latter method of manufacture, intended principally for lighting or illuminating
dwelling houses, mansions, villas, railway stations, warehouses, etc., is that which we
have more particularly in view in our present application.
In this case the apparatus should fulfil the following conditions:-
1. It should produce purified acetylene.
2. It should be so easily managed that it can be left in charge of a cook, a gardener,
or other unskilled person.
3. It should be composed of simple and strong parts, so as to be capable of
becoming worn to some extent by reason of long use, without appreciable
derangement.
4. It should be capable of being repaired by a village locksmith or by any tinman.
5. It should occupy the least possible space.
6. Our improved apparatus fulfils, as we are about to show, all the above
conditions.
We desire it to be understood that the drawings accompanying the present
application are intended to facilitate the comprehension of the text and that conse-
quently they represent only the scheme or general outline of the apparatus, which
can be varied in its arrangement, dimensions, and relative proportions, providing such
modifications have for their object only the application under a different form of the
essential features of our invention.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Our apparatus comprises four principal parts (see Figure 1).
1. A vat or vessel A filled with water.
2. A gas holder or bell B immersed in the water contained in the said vat or
vessel.

page_text: These four parts are arranged as shown diagrammatically in elevation and in plan in
Figure 1, so that the apparatus will occupy the least possible space and can be placed,
if required, in a corner.
In principle, and to reduce the volume to a minimum, the apparatus is combined
in such a manner that the reserve of carbide stored in the receivers C and C shall be
sufficient to fill the holder or bell a certain number of times, the gas consequently
having to be manufactured according to the consumption.
It is thus necessary whenever the holder or bell is nearly empty to cause water to
enter the carbide receivers in quantity sufficient to generate the volume of acetylene
necessary for filling the said holder or bell.
Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustratediagrammatically three different methods of accomplishing
this result automatically.
The forms of apparatus shown in these three figures only differ in the
arrangement of the small pipe H. Otherwise the three figures are alike and
represent a vat or vessel A with a conical bottom, full of water, a holder or bell B,
and a carbide receiver C.
From the carbide receiver extend two tubes, one, the tube D, being provided
with a cock I and opening into the lower part of the vat; the other, the tube E,
rising vertically above the upper edge of the vat and then bending over and
descending into the water and opening a little above the conical bottom of the said
vat.
From this arrangement it results that the water of the vat, even when the cock L
is open, cannot enter into the carbide receiver, assuming that the well understood
condition, viz. that the said receiver be closed hermetically, is fulfilled; for this
purpose the said receiver is closed at its upper part by a cover on which bears a
tightening screw, and at its lower part by the drain-cock P. Moreover, by this
arrangement the acetylene gas generated is caused to traverse the whole column of
water in the vat so that it is effectually washed as hereinafter mentioned.
The level of the water in the pipe D does not rise above the line 3, that is to
say, the normal level; but the level rises in the part of the pipe E immersed in the
vat A up to the line 1, this being the upper level.
To disturb this equilibrium, it is necessary that a third pipe H, communicating
with the upper part of the receiver, shall open into the water above the level of
flow, indicated by the line 2, that is to say the level to which the water in the pipe D
must rise in order to enable it to flow into the receiver.
The air then escapes through the end of the pipe H and the water rising in the
pipe D runs into the carbide receiver where it replaces, in equal volume, the air or
gas discharged therefrom.
But since, as above explained, only a small quantity of water is required to fill
the holder or bell with gas, it is indispensable to arrest the flow of water into the
receiver C in time.
We utilize, in three different ways, see Figures 2, 3 and 4, the movement of
the holder or bell to permit or arrest the flow of the water into the carbide
receiver.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the end of the pipe H is fixed, and is
above the level of flow 2, but this pipe is provided with a cock M. When this
cock is open, the water flows through the pipe D into the receiver C; when it is
closed the flow stops.
It is thus sufficient, see Figure 1, to secure to the holder or bell, two projections S
and T adapted to engage with the lever of the cock M, the projection S to open the
said cock when the holder or bell descends and the projection T to close it when the
holder or bell rises again.
We must remark that, contrary to other systems, in our apparatus the flow of the
water to the receiver or the arrest of such flow are obtained by the operation of a cock
in a tube which is always full of gas.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 3, the pipe H is bent twice and one part
of it moves freely in a tube fixed in the centre of the holder or bell B. The

page_text: movable part of this pipe H is attached at its upper end to a cord V, which, after
having passed over a pulley U is secured to the bell B. The two parts of the pipe H
are connected together by a piece of India-rubber tubing R.
The length of the cord V is calculated so that the lower end of the pipe H will be
below the level of flow when its lower bend touches the bottom of the vat and the
bell B has already risen a certain height as shown in Figure 3.
But if the bell B descends, it raises the pipe H by means of the cord V, and
permits the flow of water by raising its lower end above the level of flow 2.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 4, the pipe H is fixed and is immersed in a
tube fixed in the centre of the bell B. This tube, which is closed at its lower end,
is full of water and communicates with the interior of the bell B by apertures
arranged immediately beneath the upper end of the said bell. This tube at ita
upper end forms a stuffing-box which makes a hermetical joint with the pipe H so as
to prevent any leakage of gas.
The whole is arranged in such a manner that the height of the immersed part of
the pipe H when the bell is down, shall be less than the maximum height of the
water column which determines the pressure at which flow of water takes place (see
Figure 3), and greater than this maximum height when the bell has risen to a
certain extent.
We must remark that the position of the carbide receiver, as it is represented in
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, is not absolutely necessary, since it can be mounted in a lower
position whilst retaining the arrangements of the pipe H above mentioned.
It is only necessary for this purpose to arrange the pipe D as indicated in
Figure 5.
In all the arrangements above mentioned the function of the apparatus is
the same.
When the holder or bell B is almost at the bottom of its travel, the gas or the air
contained in the receiver C escapes through the lower end of the pipe H, the water
runs into the said receiver, the acetylene generated drives before it the water
contained in the pipes, enters into the vat wherein it traverses the water and is stored
in the said holder or bell B.
A metallic cone K mounted on the bottom of the vat or reservoir, guides the
bubbles of gas and compels them to pass into the bell even when the latter is at the
top of its travel.
At the moment of its formation, the acetylene carries with it a certain quantity
of water-vapour charged with pulverulent lime and other impurities.
This vapour condenses in contact with the water in the vat and releases the lime
and other impurities which gradually fall onto the conical bottom of the rat whence
they are taken up by the feed water and returned to the receiver.
As the carbide absorbs water with great avidity and the upper pieces of a column
of carbide draw up, through their points of contact, the water in which the lower
pieces are immersed, we divide, as shown in Figure 6, the column of carbide into
several parts or portions enclosed in superposed boxes with imperforate ends, and
perforated sides.
These boxes are connected together by a piece of iron wire arranged in the form
of a rectangle capable of being separated at the upper part when desired, to put in
position or to separate the boxes.
The two ends of this wire are bent over so as to form a kind of handle at the
upper part, which enables the charge to be grasped to lower it into the reservoir or
to remove it therefrom.
With this arrangement, by regulating the flow of the water and the volume of the
boxes, the bell can be caused to bring about in each movement the decomposition of
the contents of only one box.
As shown in Figure 1, the apparatus can be provided with two carbide receivers,
so as to permit of one being cleaned and recharged whilst the other is in use.
As it is necessary, before opening a receiver, to know whether the carbide which it
contains, is exhausted and whether, in consequence, the said receiver is full of

page_text: water, our receivers are preferably constructed partly of metal, and partly of glass
so that it is always possible to see what is going on in the interior of each
of them.
The operation of our apparatus is as follows:-
At the moment of its being set in action, the vat being full of water, the holder
or bell down, its air-escape cock O closed, the cocks L, L, closed and the two
receivers open, a charge of carbide is introduced into each of the latter, and after
having hermetically closed the covers of the receivers, the cock of one of the two,
L for example, is opened to put it into communication with the vat. As the bell is
down, the water enters into the receiver, decomposes the carbide, produces acetylene
and the bell rises. As soon as this has reached a certain height, the water ceases to
run into the receiver, but the bell continues to ascend until the pressure of the gas
in the receiver is equal to the pressure exerted thereon by the water in the vat.
The gas manufactured leaves the bell by the pipe J through the cock N and passes
to the burners.
Proportionally to the consumption of the gas, the bell descends, and when it has
reached a certain position a fresh quantity of water runs into the receiver C and so
on, until the carbide contained therein is completely exhausted. At this moment,
the receiver is full of water, which can be easily ascertained by means of the glazed
apertures provided for this purpose, or simply by a glance at the receiver when the
body thereof is formed of a glass tube.
It is then only necessary to close the cock L, isolating the receiver C from the vat,
to open the drain-cock P, to open the screw-cover and withdraw the spent charge
whilst the water rendered impure by the lime runs away through the cock P.
A fresh charge is introduced, the cock P and the screw-cover closed again, and the
receiver is ready to be set in action afresh.
Consequently, the entire manipulation required for the apparatus consists in
opening the cock of the receiver which is to be used, closing the cock of the other
receiver and renewing its charge of carbide.
We can obviously without departing from the nature of our said invention, modify
according to each particular case or to requirements, the form, dimensions, and
relative proportions of the apparatus, or we can apply thereto any number of carbide
receivers that may appear to be useful or we can employ for controlling the flow of
water into the receivers, either of the particular arrangements above mentioned
which may appear most suitable.
Dated this 31st day of October 1900
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene.
We, PAUL DE RESENER, Civil Engineer, of 52 Rue de Meninmontant, and
HENRI LOUIS AMEDEE LUCHAIRE, Manufacturer, of 27 Rue Erard, both of Paris, in
the Republic of France, 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 manufacture of acetylene by means of carbide of calcium should be considered
from two absolutely distinct points of view, viz. :-
The manufacture thereof at a high pressure, storing the acetylene pressures

page_text: of the ground grain to settle. The openings arranged in an alternating order as
above described in the cells, produce fresh deviations of the air-current, a decrease
in its speed and the separation of the particles according to their relative weight
and bulk. In the last cells, where the speed is reduced to a minimum, the smallest
particles viz. the flour and dust, are eliminated, whereupon the air, from which
all particles in suspension have fallen, enters the pipe fand then recommences its
circulation. Each of the cells is provided at its bottom with a tubular chute or
pipe, through which the separated product can be discharged. As above stated
the heaviest particles or grits, which are not forced out of their path by the air
current when falling, drop directly from the discharge opening or chute d of the
mill into a sack or other receptacle attached to the pipe or chute. If desired the
pipe 9 may be provided with collecting branches at gl similar to those at k so that
a still more complete classification of the heavier grits may be obtained. In order
that the air may be still longer detained in the chamber, laths or strips may be
inserted into the cell openings, as shown at i in the drawings. In the example
shown in the drawing, the top of the mill is, moreover, connected to the exhauster
by means of a pipe l, serving to directly discharge the dust set free in the mill
into the chamber c.
The number of cells may be larger or smaller as desired. The two longitudinal
compartments of the chamber may, according to circumstances, be arranged side
by side, one behind another, or one above another.
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 an apparatus for sorting, ground grain and removing dust therefrom, a
discharge pipe or chute so arranged that the material falling through it is
traversed or crossed by the air-current which circulates through the apparatus
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. The discharge pipe or chute provided with alternating oblique surfaces, upon
which the ground grain or corn drops successively and is delayed so that it is all
brought into intimate contact with the air-current traversing or crossing the chute
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination of the separating chamber constructed as described with
the air-exhauster and the discharge pipe or chute arranged in the air circulating
pipes or passage in such a manner that the different grades or sizes of the ground
grain will by the action of the air-current be separated from each other substan-
tially as set forth.
4. The apparatus for sorting ground grain and removing dust therefrom,
arranged in combination with a mill or grinding machine substantially as
-described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Sorting Ground Grain and
Removing Dust therefrom.
I, REINHOLD STEINBACH, of 115 Schönebeckerstrasse, Magdeburg-Buckau,
in the Empire of Germany, Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to apparatus for sorting ground corn or grain and
removing or collecting the dust therefrom, and the said apparatus is arranged in
such a manner that a circulating air-current acts transversely to the direction in
which the ground corn or grain is discharged from a grinding machine or mill
and tends to force the particles of grain and dust out of the direction or path
in which they fall, whereby, owing to a gradual decrease in the speed of the air-
current the particles under treatment are caused to settle according to their
relative weight and size.
For this purpose the grinding machine or mill is so connected with the settling
chamber and an exhauster by means of pipes or tubes, that the air drawn by the
exbauster from the said chamber will pass across the discharge pipe or chute of the
mill, and will become mixed at this point with the meal or ground grain, then will
subsequently travel through the exhauster and finally return to the settling
chamber which is provided with several compartments or cells. The heavy parts
of the ground grain are, during this operation, separated out at the discharge
pipe or chute, or between the latter and the exhauster, while the next heaviest
parts are eliminated in the first cells of the said chamber and the lightest parts-
namely the flour and dust-are caused to settle in the last cells of the chamber,
near the point where the air current, freed from ground grain and dust,
recommences its circulation.
This invention, which is applicable to mills or grinding machines of various
kinds is shown in connection with a ball grinding mill in the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a front elevation partly in section, and
Figure 2 an end elevation also partly in section, of the apparatus; a designates
the ball grinding mill, b the exhauster and c the settling chamber. In the
discharge pipe or chute d of the mill, oppositely inclined sheet metal plates e are
arranged alternately in two vertical rows; these plates serve to delay the fall of
the meal or ground grain in order to allow the current of air-drawn from the
chamber c through the pipe f and between the sheet metal plates-to pass through
the ground grain which falls down the chute in the form of a thin sheet and force
it out of its path while falling and conduct it through the pipe 9 and the
exhauster b into the chamber c.
The chamber c is, by means of a longitudinal wall divided into two com-
partments and each of these compartments is by means of transverse walls divided
into a number of cells as above set forth. The transverse walls are provided with
openings arranged alternately at the bottom and top of the chambers which
openings serve for the passage of the air.
The air-current in passing from the exhauster pipe into the first cell of the
chamber, undergoes, in proportion to the difference between the cross section of
this pipe and that of the cell, a decrease in speed and thus allows the heavy parts

page_text: acetylene gas generated is caused to traverse the whole column of water in the vat
so that it is effectually washed as hereinafter mentioned.
The level of the water in the pipe D does not rise above the line No. 3, that is to
say, the normal level; but the level rises in the part of the pipe E immersed in the
vat A up to the line No. 1, this being the upper level.
To disturb this equilibrium, it is necessary that a third pipe H, communicating
with the upper part of the receiver, shall open into the water above the level of flow,
that is to say, the level to which the water in the pipe D must rise in order to enable
it to flow into the receiver.
The air then escapes through the end of the pipe H and the water rising in the
pipe D runs into the carbide receiver where it replaces, in equal volume, the air or gas
discharged therefrom.
But since, as above explained, only a small quantity of water is required to fill the
holder or bell with gas, it is indispensable to arrest the flow of water into the
receiver C in time.
We utilize, in three different ways, see Figures 2, 3 and 4, the movement of the
holder or bell to permit or arrest the flow of the water into the carbide receiver.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the end of the pipe H is fixed and is above
the level of flow, but this pipe is provided with a cock M. When this cock is
open, the water flows through the pipe D into the receiver C; when it is closed the
flow stops.
It is then sufficient, see Figure 1, to secure to the holder or bell, two
projections S and T adapted to engage with the lever of the cock M, the projection S
to open the said cock when the holder or bell descends, and the projection T to close
it when the holder or bell rises again.
We must remark that, contrary to other systems, in our apparatus the flow of the
water to the receiver or the arrest of such flow are obtained by the operation of a
cock in a tube which is always full of gas.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 3, the pipe H is bent twice and one part of it
moves freely in a tube fixed in the centre of the holder or bell B. The movable part
of this pipe H is attached at its upper end to a cord V, which, after having passed
over a pulley U is secured to the bell B. The two parts of the pipe H are connected
together by a piece of India-rubber tubing R.
The length of the cord is calculated so that the lower end of the pipe H will be
below the level of flow when its lower bend touches the bottom of the vat and the
bell B has already risen to a certain height as shown in Figure 3.
But if the bell B descends, it raises the pipe H by means of the cord V, and permits
the flow of water by raising its lower end above the level of flow 2.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 4, the pipe H is fixed and is immersed in a
tube fixed in the centre of the bell B. This tube, which is closed at its lower end, is
full of water and communicates with the interior of the bell B by apertures arranged
immediately beneath the upper end of the said bell. This tube at its upper end forms
a stuffing-box which makes a hermetical joint with the pipe H so as to prevent any
leakage of gas.
The whole is arranged in such a manner that the height of the immersed part of
the pipe H, when the bell is down, shall be less than the maximum height of the
water-column which determines the pressure at which flow of water takes place (see
Figure 3), and greater than this maximum height when the bell has risen to a certain
extent.
We must remark that the position of the carbide receiver, as it is representad in
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 is not absolutely necessary, since it can be mounted in a lower
position whilst retaining the arrangements of the pipe H above mentioned. It is only
necessary for this purpose to arrange the pipe D as indicated in Figure 5.
In all the arrangements above mentioned, the function of the apparatus is the
same.
When the holder or bell B is almost at the bottom of its travel, the gas or the air
contained in the receiver C escapes through the lower end of the pipe "H, the water

page_text: runs into the said receiver, the acetylene generated drives before it the water contained
in the pipes, enters into the vat wherein it traverses the water and is stored in the
said holder or bell.
A metallic cone K mounted on the bottom of the vat or reservoir, guides the bubbles
of gas and compels them to pass into the bell even when the latter is at the top of its
travel.
At the moment of its formation, the acetylene carries with it a certain quantity of
water-vapour charged with pulverulent lime and other impurities.
This vapour condenses in contact with the water in the vat and releases the lime and
other impurities which gradually fall onto the conical bottom of the vat, whence they
are taken up by the feed water and returned to the receiver.
As the carbide absorbs water with great avidity and the upper pieces of a column
of carbide draw up, through their points of contact, the water in which the lower
pieces are immersed, we divide, as shown in Figure 6, the column of carbide into
several parts or portions, enclosed in superposed boxes with imperforate ends, and
perforated sides.
These boxes are connected together by a piece of iron wire arranged in the form of
a rectangle capable of being separated at the upper part when desired, to put in
position or to separate the boxes.
The two ends of this wire are bent over so as to form a kind of handle at the upper
part, which enables the charge to be grasped to lower it into the receiver or to remove
it therefrom.
With this arrangement, by regulating the flow of the water and the volume of the
boxes, the bell can be caused to bring about in each movement the decomposition of
the contents of only one box.
As shown in Figure 1, the apparatus can be provided with two carbide receivers, so
as to permit of one being cleaned and recharged whilst the other is in use.
As it is necessary, before opening a receiver, to know whether the carbide which it
contains, is exhausted, and whether, in consequence the said receiver is full of water,
our receivers are constructed partly of metal, and partly of glass, so that it is always
possible to see what is going on in the interior of each of them.
The operation of our apparatus is as follows:-At the moment of its being set in
action, the vat being full of water, the holder or bell down, its air-escape cock O
closed, the cocks L, L, D and D closed and the two receivers open, a charge of
carbide is introduced into each of the latter, and after having hermetically closed the
covers of the receivers, the cock of one of the two, I, for exainple, is opened to put it
into communication with the vat. As the bell is down, the water enters into the
receiver, decomposes the carbide, produces acetylene and the bell rises. As soon as
this has reached a certain height, the water ceases to run into the receiver, but the
bell continues to ascend until the pressure of the gas in the receiver is equal to the
pressure exerted thereon by the water in the vat.
The gas manufactured leaves the bell by the pipe J through the cock N and passes
to the burners.
Proportionally to the consumption of the gas, the bell descends, and when it has
reached a certain position a fresh quantity of water runs into the receiver C and so on,
until the carbide contained therein is completely exhausted. At this moment, the
receiver is full of water, which can be easily ascertained by means of the glazed
apertures provided for this purpose, or simply by a glance at the receiver when the
body thereof is formed of a glass tube.
It is then only necessary to close the cock L, isolating the receiver C from the vat,
to open the drain-cock P, to open the screw-cover and withdraw the spent charge
whilst the water rendered impure by the lime runs away through the cock P.
A fresh charge is introduced, the cock P and the screw-cover closed again, and the
receiver is ready to be set in action afresh.
Consequently, the entire manipulation required for the apparatus consists in
opening the cock of the receiver which is to be used, closing the cock of the other
receiver and renewing its charge of carbide.

page_text: It is obvious that we can, without departing from the nature of our said invention,
modify, according to each particular case or to requirements, the form, dimensions,
and relative proportions of the apparatus, or we can apply thereto any number of
carbide-receivers that may appear to be useful, or we can employ for controlling the
flow of water into the receivers, either of the particular arrangements above mentioned
which may appear most suitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
First. The arrangement of the two tubes D and E making communication between
the carbide-receiver and the vat, the one D for conducting the water to the said
receiver, and the other E serving for the exit of the gas manufactured, which tubes
serve the double purpose of controlling the flow of water into the receiver whilst
compelling the acetylene to traverse the whole column of water in the vat to be
washed thereby.
Second. The arrangement of the gas-cock M mounted on the gas-escape pipe and
its operation by the holder or bell to permit or arrest the flow of water.
Third. The two other arrangements (Figures 3 and 4) of the gas escape pipe H
permitting the flow of the water into the receiver at fixed positions of the holder or
bell.
Fourth. The metallic cone placed on the bottom of the vat and serving to guide
the bubbles of gas rising into the holder or bell.
Fifth. The conical form of the bottom of the water-vat, this shape serving to bring
to the centre and to return to the receivers the lime and impurities given up by the
acetylene to the water of the vat.
Sixth. The arrangement of the superposed boxes forming the charge of the carbide-
receivers as well as their mode of attachment.
Seventh. The employment of glazed apertures or of a tube of glass or translucent
material in the construction of the carbide-receivers.
Eighth. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with
reference to the drawings and operating as and for the purposes above specified.
Dated the 6th day of July 1897
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.