Improvements in and connected with the Manufacture of Calcium Carbide.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1898-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Manufacture of Calcium
Carbide.
-
We, JOHN EDWARD TENISON WOODS, of 38, Chantry Road, Stockwell, in the
County of London, Civil Engineer and Chemist, and WILLIAM ASCROFT BYROM,
of 32, Great Saint Helens, in the City of London, Gentleman, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of carbide of calcium
and has for its object a process and apparatus whereby such carbide can be pro-
duced more economically and more simply than heretofore. This process
comprises two stages that is to say 1. The production of the gaseous mixture
necessary to make carbide of calcium; 2. The production of carbide of calcium
proper.
In carrying out the first stage of our improved process, we fill a number of
retorts provided with suitable connections as well as with an inlet and outlet
pipe with hydrated oxide of iron or bog iron ore and we heat them to a temperature
of about 1000 F. We then cause a current of crude petroleum vapor produced
in a separately heated vessel, to pass through these retorts whereby the iron oxide
is reduced to spongy iron, while a certain quantity of steam is formed and some
free carbon is deposited. The gas escaping from the outlet pipe of the last retort
consists chiefly of acetylene (CH2) and marsh gas (CH) and is conveyed to
and stored in a suitable gas holder. A current of steam being subsequently
allowed to pass through the retorts kept at the temperature aforesaid, the spongy
iron is converted again into iron oxide and free hydrogen is generated from
the decomposition of the steam which takes place and partly combines with the
free carbon deposited forming both acetylene (CH2) and marsh gas (CH) the
gas escaping at the outlet consisting now of acetylene, marsh gas, and a large
quantity of hydrogen all of which is conveyed to the gas holder above mentioned.
These gases intermingle in the gas holder and constitute the gaseous mixture
the production of which is the first step of our process. The retorts and con-
nections are of the same description as the plant used for manufacturing
illuminating gas and being well known need not be described here.
To carry out the second part of our process i.e. the manufacture of carbide
of calcium we use an apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings
wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 is a section on line A, B, of
Fig. 1 of our improved blow pipe burner; Figs. 3 and 4 being a sectional
elevation and a plan of the furnace whereinto converge three of the said burners.
The said burner consists of a conical casing or shell a preferably of steel and
provided with two diaphragms or partitions 6 and b¹ likewise of steel and fixed
or soldered air and gas tight to the inside wall of the shell a.
These diaphragms
form two chambers c and c¹ the uppermost of which is an air chamber while the
lowermost is a gas chamber. The air and gas chambers c and c¹ are each pro-
vided with an inlet d and d respectively each of which is fitted with a screw

page_text: valve of any suitable construction but not shown on the drawings. The two
diaphragms 6 and 6₁ are furnished with a number of tapped perforations into
which are screwed the upper ends of central tubes e and those of the tubes f
concentric to the former, respectively, the lower end of these tubes entering
the perforations of a shield secured to the lower end of the shell or casing a;
the tubes e communicating thus with the air chamber c and the tubes f with the
gas chamber c¹. Air is forced through the inlet d by means of a fan or blower
and the inlet d¹ is connected to the supply pipe of the gas holder containing
the gases produced in accordance with the first stage of our process such as above
set forth. The crucible or furnace illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is provided with
three of the blow pipe burners shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the nozzles of which con-
verge towards the centre of such furnaces, being the opening through which a
mixture of fine charcoal and lime is fed. As soon as the blow pipes are set in
action an intense heat reaching a temperature of about from 4000 to 5000° F. is
quickly raised and converts the mixture in the crucible or furnace into carbide
of calcium.
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;-
1. The manufacture of a gaseous mixture by alternately causing hydrocarbon
vapor and steam to pass through retorts containing hydrated oxide of iron or
bog iron ore whereby the oxide of iron is alternately reduced to a spongy metallic
mass and reoxidized substantially as herein described and shewn.
2. The utilization of the gaseous mixture produced in the manner above
claimed for reducing a mixture of lime and carbon into carbide of calcium sub-
stantially as herein described and shewn.
3. The improved apparatus for carrying out the process set forth in Claim 2
consisting of a number of converging blow pipe burners arranged. in a furnace
and constructed and operating substantially as herein described and shewn.
4. The improvements in and connected with the manufacture of carbide of
calcium substantially as herein described and shewn and for the purpose set
forth.
D1 1
1000