Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1898-Accepted, 21st June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Producing
Acetylene Gas.
A communication from OCTAVE PAYAN, of Bayeux, Calvados, in the Republic
of France, Journalist.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 an improved apparatus for the manufacture of acety-
lene gas by an automatic injection of calcium carbide into water, said apparatus
presenting all the necessary safeguards against explosion in case of over produc-
tion. To make the invention better understood, the apparatus is illustrated in
the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus according to this invention, com-
prising the generator, automatic distributing device for calcium carbide, gas-
holder and bell and gas dry ng apparatus.
Fig. 1 shows in plan a detail of the mechanism operating the distributor and
ensuring the air-tightness of the generator.
Fig. 2 shows a modified construction of the generator in vertical section.
Fig. 3 shows in vertical section, another modification of the generator.
The apparatus (Fig. 1) consists of a generator with the carbide distributor A,
gas-holder and bell B and drying chamber C.
The generator A is constituted by a reservoir with a dome and flange above,
hermetically closed by a cover, and preferably, a funnel shaped base which
terminates in a drain cock r.
To this base there is secured by say, four feet a distributor a constituted pre-
ferably by two equal cones joined by their bases.
Above this double cone is a tube b b the distance between the bottom of the
tube and the distributor being equal at least to the diameter of said tube.
This tube 66 passes through the cover at the top of the reservoir and projects
some distance above it and is provided at the top with a funnel.
At the side and above this tube there is arranged a small horizontal ring or
plate e el above the funnel of the tube b¹ and cut away at the part above the
opening of the funnel. This plate is moreover held in position by a rod t ex-
tending from the end of a bracket c c attached to or forming part of a coliar
or flange surrounding the tube b b¹.
Over this plate there is arranged and moves, by means which will be herein-
after described, a series of vessels d d secured to the edges of or carried by a
horizontal disc, ring or spokes a', carried by a central vertical rod a² to which
is secured a ratchet wheel a³, with a number of teeth which may correspond
to that of the vessels.

page_text: Each of these vessels is destined to receive a quantity of calcium carbide
required to produce sufficient gas to fill the bell of the gas holder.
Each vessel is provided with a cover and a hinged bottom resting on the
plate e e¹.
A rod f f passing through the bracket c c in which it is adapted to rotate
and provided at the top with a pawl and a spring gto keep it in engagement
with the ratchet wheel-is adapted to operate the ratchet wheel and conse-
quently the disc carrying the vessels. This rod is provided with a small
lever (Fig. 1 Fig. 1 showing the arrangement more or less diagrammatically)
connected by another rod u u¹ to a bell crank lever o o¹ secured to one of the
uprights of the gas-holder, a projection secured to the top of the gas-holder
bell being arranged to come in contact with said lever when about three fourths
of the gas contained in the bell are consumed. The rod f f passes downwards
into the generator to slightly below the bottom of the tube bb and carries at
its lower end a plate secured at right angles to it. This latter plate when
in its usual position closes the orifice of the tube . This rod ff is also
provided with a helical spring the ends of which are respectively secured to
the bracket c c and to the lever g, in order to return the rod into its normal
position as soon as a charge of carbide has been discharged into the water.
In order to avoid loss of gas, the rod f f¹ passes through a tube h¹ immersed
in water and projecting above the generator to a greater extent than would cor-
respond to the pressure exercised by the gas.
The generator is connected to the gas holder by a tube extending from the
flange or top of the generator and passing into the gas holder and under the
bell.
The gas holder B differs from the usual gas holders only by the provision of
a safety tube which serves to discharge the gas outside the room or place in
which the apparatus is placed, in case there be an over production of gas.
The drying apparatus C consists of a small chamber into which the substances
or material used to dry the escaping gas before it enters the gas pipes, can be
introduced or renewed, when necessary, through a cover secured preferably at
its top.
On the cover of the drier there is arranged a sleeve m containing several
discs or plates of metallic netting or wire of very fine mesh through which passes
the gas and which serves to prevent any flame which may strike back from
entering the drier or reservoir.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-
Water is introduced into the generator A through an opening 2 until, it is
nearly full, then the opening is closed, say by a screw plug. At this moment
the water is almost on the level with the opening and well above the lower
opening of the tube which is immersed in the water to a sufficient extent.
The cock is opened whereby communication is established between the
generator and the bell of the gas-holder, the rod f f is turned by means of the
small lever so as to move the plate so as to uncover the tube b¹, then
picces of calcium carbide preferably previously impregnated with oil or petroleum
are thrown into the tube in a sufficient quantity to produce sufficient gas
to fill the hell. Then the rod f f is allowed to return to its usual position, and
consequently also the plate i The lower opening of the tube is thus
closed. The pieces of carbide on falling into the mass of water fall upon the
double cone a along which they pass to the lower part of the vessel. The car-
bide soon becomes free from the oil or petroleum with which it was coated and
the water begins to act on it. The gas produced is at once guided by the double
distributor a outside the orifice of the tube and the effervescence produced
by the decomposition of the carbide cannot drive particles of carbide into the
tube since it is closed by the plate i i. The gas rises vertically to the top
of the generator above the water, whence it escapes through the cock m, into the
bell of the gas holder.

page_text: This operation having taken place, there is placed into each vessel dda
charge of carbide of calcium, except in the one situated directly over the
tube 66. Then the bell may be connected with the gas pipes or burners by
opening the cock s.
When three fourths of the gas contained in the bell have been consumed, the
tappet secured to the top of the bell, strikes the horizontal arm of the bell
crank lever o o¹, and moves the lever g and consequently slowly turns the rod f f¹
which by means of its pawl causes the ratchet wheel secured to the rod support-
ing the charge vessel da to turn to the extent of one tooth. The series of
vessels also turn and so that the next vessel comes into position over the tube b b'.
The bottom of this vessel being then situated over an open portion of the plate e e¹
supporting the vessels, fall down about its hinge and thus discharges its con-
tents into the tube 6 and thence into the water contained in the generator.
At the same time that the rod f f rotates the vessel, it also moves the plate i i¹
which closed the tube bb' and enables the carbide to fall to the bottom of the
generator, under the double cone.
The gas produced by this new quantity of carbide raises the bell whereby the
horizontal arm of the lever oo is at once released and the spring a thereupon
brings the rod f f¹ into its ordinary position and consequently the plate i i¹
returns under the orifice of the tube b b¹.
The operation thus described is repeated until the last of the charge vessels
is exhausted. When the last vessel arrives in the position above the tube b b
a tappet secured to said vessel may close an electric circuit and ring a bell
thereby informing the attendant that the supply of carbide is exhausted.
It is then only necessary to refill the vessels except the one situated above the
tube b b¹.
When the apparatus has been at rest for several hours, the deposit resulting
from the decomposition of the carbide, settles at the bottom of the generator.
To remove it, it is sufficient to open the drain cock having previously closed
the gas cock n and to close the drain cock when the water discharged is no
longer of a milky appearance. Then the quantity of water required to replace
the amount discharged, is introduced through the opening p and after closing
this opening the apparatus is again ready for work.
The modified constructions of the generator shown in Figs. 2 and 3 differ only
by the arrangement used to prevent the gas from escaping through the
tube 6. In both cases the generator is provided with a similar charge dis-
tributing device to that already described, the rod f f extends only to the cover
of the generator and does not pass into the interior, the plate the tube hh'
and the double cone a being done away with.
According to the construction shown in Figure 2, the generator is divided
into two by a plate y forming an inclined plane, the two divisions being in
communication at the bottom and at the top by means of two passages of different
dimensions. The bottom hole which is the larger one, serves for the passage of
the calcium carbide. The top one, which is smaller, is for the passage of gas.
The tube is arranged towards the side of the generator and extends to
the top part of the plate, below the hole made for the passage of gas.
When the carbide is introduced into the generator it slides along the inclined
planey and passes through the lower opening, to the bottom of the funnel
shaped base of the generator. When rising, the gas produced, passes along
the under side of the inclined plane and arrives, through the upper opening,
above the water contained in the generator where it enters the tube leading to
the bell.
Fig. 3 shows a modified construction of the generator.
In this form there is the same distributing device as in Fig. 1 but with the
following alterations. The rod f f' stops at the cover of the generator and
does not descend into the interior of the generator and the plate and the
tube are suppressed.

page_text: To prevent particles of carbide carried by the effervescence produced by the
decomposition of the carbide, from entering the tube b b', a series of narrow
plates are secured to the tube b 61 by hinges a slight distance above the lower
orifice of said tube and descend on the double cone a so as to leave a very small
clearance between the double cone and the plates.
When the carbide is discharged into the generator the plates do not offer
any resistance, but open out about their hinges and immediately close again,
until a further charge is introduced.
It is to be understood that my correspondent does not confine himself to the
number or arrangement of the carbide vessels or to the particular form of the
gas distributors in the generator as these may be varied or modified in many
ways without departing from the spirit of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:-
1. An acetylene gas generator comprising a reservoir and a charge distributing
device consisting of a series of vessels with movable hinged bottoms, which are
caused to periodically rotate by means of gearing operated by the gas-holder
bell to bring the vessels one after another over a tube through which the carbide
enters the reservoir and to discharge their contents thereinto, in combination
with a gas distributing device in the reservoir and means for preventing the
escape of gas into the charge inlet tube substantially as described.
2. In an acetylene gas generator a charge distributing device comprising a
series of vessels having hinged bottoms, rotatably supported on a vertical rod,
above a plate provided with an opening corresponding to the size of the bottoms
of the vessels and arranged above the charge inlet tube to the water reservoir
of the generator and means for intermittently rotating said charge vessels, sub-
stantially as described.
3. In an acetylene gas generator a charge distributing device comprising a
series of vessels having hinged bottoms rotatably supported on a vertical rod
above a plate provided with an opening corresponding to the size of the bottoms
of the vessels and arranged above the charge inlet tube to the water reservoir
of the generator in combination with a toothed wheel on the vertical spindle
cooperating with a pawl on a spring controlled lever arm connected to a lever
adapted to be operated by the bell of the gas holder to produce an intermittent
rotation of the charge vessel in accordance with the consumption of the gas
substantially as described.
4. An acetylene gas generator comprising a series of intermittently rotatable
charge vessels d with hinged bottoms supported by a vertical rod on a plate e
and means for rotating said rod intermittently by the movement of the bell of
the gas holder in combination with a charge inlet tube and means within the
water reservoir for distributing the gas and preventing the passage of gas into
the charge inlet tube substantially as described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
acetylene gas generator substantially as described or illustrated in Figure 1 of
the accompanying drawings.
6. In an acetylene gas generator of the kind described means for within the
water reservoir distributing the gas and preventing the passage of gas into the
charge inlet tube substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 2 or in
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.