Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene.
I, CARL SCHNITZLER, of Lindenstrasse 23, Berlin, Germany, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for producing acetylene gas in which the
carbide chambers are automatically emptied. Similar apparatus have been
already constructed but have the disadvantages that, in refilling the emptied
chambers, the time of doing so must be chosen with accuracy, whilst each door
of the carbide chambers must be closed separately and it is possible for these
doors to become unfastened.
Now, apparatus according to this invention does away with all these disad-
vantages. Such an apparatus comprises a gas-holder and any desired number
of generators which either each contain one receptacle for the carbide after the
manner of the old generators, or possess a series of carbide chambers. These
generators are connected with the bell or movable part (hereinafter called the
bell) of the gas-holder by means of a peculiar and novel transmission device,
in such a manner that each time the bell sinks one carbide receptacle after
another is automatically emptied, thereby causing evolution of gas until the
gas-holder is again filled. By this means it is possible to produce any required
quantity of gas automatically continuously and instantaneously, all that is
necessary being to refill the emptied carbide receptacles. In hitherto-known
apparatus this is not possible: if the consumption of gas increases, for example,
it is necessary to make expensive alterations, as enlarging the gas-holder, which
require much time, or to put up new apparatus, including new gas-holders. In
apparatus according to this invention this disadvantage is remedied.
Such apparatus comprises, as has been stated, any desired number of genera-
tors and a gas-holder provided with a bell. In one example each of the genera-
tors contains a number of carbide chambers which are filled with carbide after
taking off the cover with which they are provided. The floor of each carbide
chamber consists of a falling door which is kept closed by a suitable fixing
device, as a detent hook. Each of the detent hooks is provided with a nose
which, when the door is closed, bears on a rotatable roller mounted in the
corresponding generator, and which for the purpose of opening the door, is
lifted by releasing-pins arranged around the periphery of the said roller. The
shaft of this roller projects out of the generator, and on its external portion
there is mounted a disc which is provided with a groove and whose edges carry
a number of teeth corresponding to the number of the carbide chambers in the
corresponding generator. Over this disc and in the groove thereof there runs,
in the direction of the gas-holder, an endless chain that connects all the genera-
tors with a star-wheel which is mounted on any fixed portion of the gas-holder
and which has as many arms as there are carbide chambers in each or any of the
generators. On the bell of the gas-holder there is provided a pawl acted on
by a weight or by spring pressure, which, at every downward movement of the
bell, engages with an arm of the star-wheel and thereby turns the said arm
downwards, whilst on the upward movement of the bell the pawl is swung round
on its pivot, so that the star-wheel remains at rest.

page_text: On the chain, at regular intervals there are provided pins or strikers to a
number (for example eight) equal to the number of carbide chambers in each
or any generator; these pins project laterally from the chain and at the appro-
priate times engage the teeth of the discs mounted on the roller shafts extending
through the generators, whilst the remainder of the chain runs in the groove
on the said discs without setting them in motion.
The mode of action is as follows:-By rotating the star-wheel the chain is
so placed that the first of the pins engages a tooth of the disc of one of the
generators, whereupon all the carbide chambers of all the generators are filled
with carbide.
The generators are connected in a suitable manner with the gas-supply pipe.
After the generators have thus been filled, the star-wheel on the gas-holder
is turned so far that the chain runs towards the holder until by means of the
said first pin on the chain, the disc of the corresponding generator, and the
releasing-pin on the roller, the first hook is disengaged in consequence of which
the first falling door allows the quantity of carbide lying on it to fall into the
water in the generating chamber. The gas consequently generated is led under
the bell by a pipe, whereby the bell is caused to rise.
In consequence of the drawing of gas from the supply pipe, the bell sinks
again and the chain is moved further forward by the pawl on the bell and star-
wheel until another falling door is released and a new evolution of gas causes
the bell to rise again. Thus the rising and falling of the bell causes quite auto-
matically successive evolutions of gas by means of the chain with the series
of pins thereon.
The distance apart of the several generators is so fixed that the first pin of
the chain empties the first carbide chamber of the second generator as soon as
last pin has released the last falling door of the first generator. The chain is
maintained at the necessary tension during the operation by adjustable guide
rollers.
When the generator is completely emptied, it can be filled again immediately.
It is caused to come automatically into action again by the chain, only in its
turn .c. when the first of the series of pins on the chain again engages the
disc of this generator.
The distribution of the pins or strikers on the chain is so arranged that the
first pin always sets the first generator into action as soon as the last pin leaves
the disc of the last generator, so that the automatic action of the acetylene
apparatus continues in a cycle as long as the generators are filled up.
For the purpose of giving a definite succession to the releasing of the falling
doors by means of the detent hooks, each falling door may carry on the side
adjacent to the next succeeding one a supporting strip or fillet arranged to
project under the said next succeeding one, so that the succeeding doors cannot
be released until those coming before them have been released.
Dated this 28th day of August 1899.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating acetylene.
I, CARL SCHNITZLER, of Lindenstrasse 23, Berlin, Germany, 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 relates to apparatus for producing acetylene gas in which the

page_text: carbide chambers are automatically emptied. Similar apparatus have been
already constructed but have the disadvantages that the times of refilling the
emptied chambers must be carefully selected, that each of the doors of the car-
bide chambers must be closed separately, and that it is possible for these doors
to become unfastened.
Now apparatus according to this invention does away with all these disad-
vantages. Such an apparatus comprises a gas-holder and any desired number
of generators, which either each contain one receptacle for the carbide after the
manner of the old generators, or each possess a series of carbide chambers.
These generators are conected with the bell or movable part (hereinafter called
the bell) of the gas-holder by means of a peculiar and novel transmission device,
in such a manner that each time the bell sinks, one carbide receptacle after
another is automatically emptied, so that gas is evolved until the gas-holder
is again filled. By this means it is possible to produce any required quantity
of gas automatically, continuously, and instantaneously, all that is necessary
being to refill the emptied carbide receptacles. In hitherto-known apparatus
this is not possible; if the consumption of gas increases, for example, it is
necessary to make expansive alterations, as enlarging the gas-holder, which
require much time, or to put up new apparatus, including new gas-holders.
In apparatus according to this invention this disadvantage is remedied.
In order that the invention and the manner of performing the same may be
clearly understood, a detailed description will now be given with the aid of
the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a partial vertical section and
Fig. 2 a partial plan representing an example of such an apparatus.
Such apparatus comprises, as has been stated, any desired number of genera-
tors and a gas-holder provided with a bell a. In the example each of the
generators contains a number of carbide chambers k which are filled with car-
bide after taking off the covers o with which they are provided. The floor of
each carbide chamber k consists of a falling door which is kept closed by a
suitable fixing device, as a detent-hook h. Each of the detent books h is pro-
vided with a nose u, which, when the door is closed, bears on a rotatable roller
mounted in the corresponding generator, and which for the purpose of opening
the door i, is lifted by the releasing-pins m arranged around the periphery of
'the said roller.
The shaft of the roller / projects out of the generator, and on its external
portion there is mounted a disc which is provided with a groove and whose
edges carry a number of teeth corresponding to the number of the carbide
chambers in the corresponding generator. Over this disc and in the groove
thereof there runs, in the direction of the gas-holder, an endless chain d that
connects all the generators with a star-wheel r which is mounted on any fixed
portion of the gas-holder, and which has as many arms c as there are carbide
chambers in each of the generators. On the bell a of the gas-holder there is
provided a pawl b acted on by a weight or by spring pressure, which, at every
downward movement of the bell, engages with an arm of the star-wheel and
thereby turns the said arm downwards, whilst on the upward movement of the
bell a the pawl b is swung round on its pivot, so that the star-wheel r remains
at rest.
On the chain at regular intervals there are provided pins or strikers o a num-
ber (in the example eight-1, 2, 3, . . . 8) equal to the number of carbide
chambers in each generator; these pins project laterally from the chain and at
the appropriate times engage the teeth of the discs 9 mounted on the roller
shafts extending through the generators f, whilst the remainder of the chain
runs in the groove on the discs g without setting them into motion.
The mode of action is as follows:-By rotating the star-wheel the chain d
is so placed that the first of the pins engages a tooth of the disc g of one of the
generators, whereupon all the carbide chambers of all the generators are
filled with carbide.

page_text: The generators are connected in a suitable manner with the gas-supply pipe.
After the generators have thus been filled, the star-wheel r on the gas-holder
is turned so far that the chain & runs towards the holders until by means of
the first pin 1 on the chain d, the disc g of the corresponding generator, and the
releasing pin m on the roller, the first detent hook his disengaged, in conse-
quence of which the first falling door allows the quantity of carbide lying on
it to fall into the water in the generating chamber. The gas consequently.
generated is led under the bell a by a pipe n, whereby the bell is caused to
rise.
In consequence of the drawing of gas from the supply pipe, the bell a sinks
again and the chain is moved further forward by the pawl 6 and the star-wheel r,
until another falling door is released and a new evolution of gas causes the
bell a to rise again. Thus the rising and falling of the bell a causes quite auto-
matically successive evolutions of gas by means of the chain d with the series 1,
8 of pins thereon.
2,
The distance apart of the several generators f is so fixed that the first pin 1
of the chain d empties the first carbide chamber of the second generator as soon
as the last pin 8 has released the last falling door of the first generator. The
chain dis maintained at the necessary tension during the operation by adjust-
able guide rollers g.
When a generator is completely emptied, it can be filled again immediately.
It is caused to come automatically into action again by the chain d only in its
turn .e., when the first of the series of pins on the chain again engages the
disc g of this generator.
•
The distribution of the pins or strikers 1, 2, 3
8 on the chain is so
arranged that the first pin, 1, always sets the first generator into action as soon
as the last pin 8 leaves the disc g of the last generator, so that the automatic
action of the acetylene apparatus continues in a cycle as long as the generators
are filled up.
Each door may carry on the side adjacent to the next succeeding one a sup-
porting strip or fillets arranged to project under the said next succeeding one,
so that the succeeding doors i cannot be released until those preceding them
have been released.
In Fig. 1 the working is illustrated; f' is a generator with a carbide cham-
ber full, and fo is a generator in action. As the chain d is moved towards the
gas-holder, the generator still contains four filled chambers, its pin 4 having
already released the detent shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is:-
1. Means for automatically supplying carbide in acetylene apparatus, com-
prising an endless chain (d), provided with pins, that transmits the motion of
a star-wheel (r) which is actuated by the bell of the gas-holder, to the releasing
rollers (6) of the several generators in such a manner that the falling doors
(which may be provided or not with supports s) of the several carbide recep-
tacles are opened in succession.
2. In apparatus for generating acetylene, means for automatically supplying
carbide constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as hereinbefore des-
cribed with reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Doted this 27th day of April 1900.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.