Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
I, WILLIAM JAMES MACKENZIE, of 917 Garscube Road, in the City of Glasgow,
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide simple and inexpensive acetylene
generating apparatus by means of which the supply of gas will be automatically
maintained by suitably connecting the gas holder to control the admission of water
to contact with the carbide, and in which risk of leakage by badly fitting joints
is obviated by the use of a water trap or seal.
The improved apparatus comprises a generator consisting of a cylindrical or
other water tank or vessel in the middle of which is held or fitted the case contain-
ing the carbide. Over the central casing is fitted a bell or annular double cased
vessel whose lower end dips into the water tank and forms a trap between it and
the carbide container, the bell being double cased and filled with water to absorb
the heat generated in the formation of the gas. The water tank is preferably
suspended from the bell for convenience of removal for recharging with carbide.
From the interior of the bell a pipe provided with a stop cock is led into a gas
holder, the pipe passing up through the water space of the gas holder which
latter may be of the ordinary bell type dipping into water; and from the water
tank of the gas holder or other source of water supply a pipe is led into the
casing charged with carbide. This water pipe is fitted with a regulating cock or
valve having a lever handle which is operated by a rod or wire from the rising
and falling gas holder.
On the end of the lever handle is an eye through which the rod or wire passeз
and bearing on the rod or wire is a brake composed of a spring or a jointed arm
or the like, the brake being adjusted so that it engages the wire or rod during the
early part of the upward movement of the latter with the gas holder, but releases
it and permits of the free rising of the gas holder without entirely closing the
regulating cock. A catch piece, which may be adjustable, on the lower end of the
rod or wire engages the eye on the lever handle and effects the complete closing of
the regulating cock when the gas holder rises to its highest limit. On the descent
of the gas holder the rod or wire is at once gripped by the brake and the regulating
cock more or less opened. In order that the water supply to the carbide con-
tainer may be cut off and overflow of the seal prevented when the gas holder
descends owing to generation of gas ceasing, a beam or other lever connected to
the lever of the regulating cock is so placed as to be acted on from the gas holder
as it descends to the lowest limit as for example by a catch on the rod or wire, the
beam lever being thereby tilted to lift the regulating cock lever and close off the
water supply.
In the operation of the apparatus water is admitted by the pipe to the carbide,
and acetylene gas is generated and passes by the gas pipe into the gas holder
which accordingly rises. On the gas holder being filled or partially filled the rod
or wire connecting it to the lever handle operates the valve on the water pipe to

page_text: regulate or cut off the supply of water to the carbide and the further generation
of gas is thereby controlled or stopped. When the gas drawn off from the holder is
greater than the amount supplied from the generator the holder falls and opens
more or less the water regulating valve so that more water is admitted to the
generator and a greater volume of gas is generated; and in practice the supply of 5
water is regulated so that the gas generated and passing into the holder is equal
or approximately equal to that drawn off.
Dated this 24th day of October 1800
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather, Chartered Patent Agents,
62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.
Generating Acetyle
I, WILLIAM JAMES MACKENZIE, of 917 Garscube Road, in the City of Glasgow,
Electrician, 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 has for its object to provide simple and inexpensive acetylene
generating apparatus by means of which the supply of gas will be automatically
maintained by suitably connecting the gas holder to control the admission of water
to co act with the carbide, and in which risk of leakage by badly fitting joints
is obviated by the use of a water trap or seal.
The Invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being a
front elevation of the improved apparatus for generating acetylene gas, fitted
with a single vessel for holding the carbide, and Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively
a front elevation and a part side elevation of the apparatus fitted with two carbide
containers.
Referring to Fig. 1 the improved apparatus comprises a generator consisting of
a cylindrical or other water tank or vessel A in the middle of which is held or
fitted the case B containing the carbide. Over the central casing B is fitted a
ball or annular double cased vessel C whose lower end dips into the water tank A
and forms a trap between it and the carbide container, as shown at Fig. 2, the
bell C being double cased and filled with water to absorb the heat generated in the
formation of the gas. The water tank A is preferably suspended from the bell C
as shown for convenience of removal for recharging with carbide. From the
interior of the bell C a pipe D provided with a stop cock E is led into a gas
holder F, the pipe passing up through the water space of the gas holder which
latter may be of the ordinary bell type dipping into water; and from the water tank
of the gas holder or other source of water supply a pipe G is led into the casing
charged with carbide. This water pipe is fitted with a regulating cock or valve H
having a lever handle I which is operated by a rod or wire J from the rising and
falling gas holder F.
On the end of the lever handle is an eye K through which the rod or wire J
passes and bearing on the rod or wire is a brake composed of a jointed or spring
arm L or the like, the brake being adjusted so that it engages the rod or wire J
during the early part of the upward movement of the latter with the gas holder F
but releases it and permits of the free rising of the gas holder F without entirely
closing the regulating cock H when the gas holder has reached a certain height
because of the lever handle I being then in such a position that its friction upon
the rod J is not sufficient to cause it to be further lifted.
A catch piece or

page_text: thickened piece M which may or may not be adjustable, on the lower end of the
rod or wire J finally engages the eye K on the lever handle I and effects the
complete closing of the regulating cock H when the gas holder Frises to its
highest limit. On the descent of the gas holder the rod or wire J is at once
gripped by the brake or falls by its own weight and consequently the regulating
cock is more or less opened. In order that the water supply to the carbide con-
tainer B may be cut off and overflow of the seal prevented when the gas holder F
descends owing to generation of gas ceasing, a beam or other lever connected to
the lever handle I of the regulating cock H is so placed as to be acted on from
the gas holder F as it descends to the lowest limit, as for example by a catch on the
rod or wire, the beam lever being thereby tilted to lift the regulating cock
lever and close off the water supply, or a chain attached to the lever handie I may
be raised by hand and secured upon a hook on the side of the gas holder F to
effect the purpose described.
In the operation of the apparatus water is admitted by the pipe G to the car-
bide, and acetylene gas is generated and passes by the gas pipe D into the gas
holder F which accordingly rises. On the gas holder F being filled or partially
filled the rod or wire J connecting it to the lever handle I operates the valve H
on the water pipe G to regulate or cut off the supply of water to the carbide and
the further generation of gas is thereby controlled or stopped. When the gas
drawn off from the holder F is greater than the amount supplied from the generator
the holder falls and opens more or less the water regulating valve H so that more
water is admitted to the generator and a greater volume of gas is generated and
in practice the supply of water is regulated so that the gas generated and passing.
into the holder F is equal or approximately equal to that drawn off.
In order to make the supply of gas continuous I provide two generators to each
gas holder as shown by Figs. 2 and 3, one generator only being in operation at one
time. The arrangement is similar to Fig. I with the addition of a device by which
one of the water supply cocks H is held in a closed position whilst the other is
free to be acted upon by the rising and falling of the gas holder F. This device
consists of a beam lever N, pivoted at 0 on the gas holder F, having attached to
it near either end a chain or looped wire P. These looped wires P' act alternately
upon the lever handles I of the supply cocks H to hold any one of these cocks
closed when the other is generating the gas, and this is effected by a rod Q on the
gas holder acting upon one of two projections R on the lever N, to keep one end of
said lever raised as indicated by Fig. 2. When the gas holder has fallen
below a predetermined height the rod Q clears the projections and the raised
and weighted end of the lever N falls, whereby the lever handle I which was
formerly raised is allowed to drop and its supply cock H opened to admit water
to the generator, at the same time as the cock H on the other generator is closed.
The weight S may be removed now or later to the other end of the lever N in order
that the supply cock H of the generator which is now in action may be closed the
instant the generation of gas therein has ceased, and the other cock H opened to
supply water to the idle generator which has in the meantime been recharged
with carbide.
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 generating acetylene gas the combination with the gas
holder of a water jacketted bell attached thereto and adapted to carry in suspen-
sion from it a removable water tank or vessel within which the carbide container
is so placed as to extend upwards into the bell, and a water supply pipe controlled
by a tap or cock automatically operated by a rod and lever from the moving gas
holder substantially as described."
2. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas the combination with the lever
operating the water supply tap or cock of a spring brake adapted to engage with

page_text: and be operated by a rod or like device suspended from the moving gas holder
tantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1897.
WALLACE
FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather, Chartered Patent Agents,
62 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant."