Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Generating
Acetylene Gas.
We, JOHN WOOD ROBINSON, of "Armadale," Forest Road, Enfield Wash, and
HERBERT HADLEY, of 6, Albany Road, Enfield Highway, both in the County of
Middlesex, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for generating acetylene gas, and is designed
to provide apparatus of this kind that will be simple in construction, efficient
and practically free from danger in use, and capable of being readily recharged
without necessarily stopping the generation of gas. We also provide means for
giving an audible or visible signal when the carbide in the generating chamber
or chambers is exhausted.
According to our invention we employ one or more generating chambers in
combination with a reservoir containing a bell into which the gas is led. This
reservoir is normally filled with water to about the height of the bell so that this
latter is nearly full of water, but there is an air space in the reservoir above the
bell. The weight of the bell when no gas is in the same causes it to fall to its
lowest position. The water is displaced by the gas and forced through a pipe
opening near the bottom of the reservoir into a displacement tank arranged above
the same. The bell is also caused by the gas to rise until it comes against the
closed top of the reservoir. The air in the upper portion of the reservoir is dis-
placed to the sides of the bell, but cannot escape owing to the pressure of water
in the displacement tank.
We may provide an air valve which may be automatically operated to permit
the escape of some of this air in order to control the quantity and pressure of ohe
water displaced.
The generating chamber consists of a casing of any appropriate shape, prefer-
ably cylindrical, into which we insert a removable liner or bucket containing
the charge of carbide. This liner may rest on projections on the bottom of the
chamber, and may be slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the said
chamber so as not to touch the sides thereof. A suitable gas-tight cover is
provided for the chamber; having therein a cock, to permit the escape of air that
enters the said chamber when the cover is removed for the purpose of recharging.
Arranged above the generating chamber or chambers is a water supply tank or
cistern in which a supply of water is maintained. Communication between this
cistern and the generating chamber is afforded by a pipe which sinks to the level
of the bottom of the chamber and then rises to the top of the interior thereof,
terminating in a rose or other spraying device. In the said communication we
arrange a cut off valve adapted to be closed when there is a certain quantity of
gas in the reservoir; a cock by which the communication can be cut off by hand;
and a check valve which automatically closes the communication when the cover
of the generating chamber is removed or released. We prefer to actuate the cut
off valve to close the communication by a lever adapted to be moved when the bell

page_text: is raised by the gas therein near to the top of the reservoir. The aforesaid air
valve may also be operated through this lever.
The generated gas passes from the top of the chamber through a non-return
valve to a pipe which sinks to the level of the bottom of said chamber then rises
to the top of the interior of the bell, where a swivel gas-tight joint is provided
through which the gas passes to a tubular arm whose free end is maintained by
suitable means a short distance below the level of the water so that the gas is
always discharged into the samet We also provide a suitable stop valve to pre-
vent the overflow of water from the generating chamber to the pipe leading to
the reservoir.
:
As the generation of gas continues the removable liner becomes filled with lime
and water and its increased weight may be utilized when the carbide is nearly
exhausted to overcome a spring and cause a suitable contact to close an electric
circuit operating a bell or other signal. Or we may so arrange it that the electric
circuit is completed through the water itself, or by the float, when the water
reaches the top of the liner.
The gas passes from the bell through a delivery pipe having its open end above
the level of the water therein. We may provide cleansing or purifying and dry-
ing chambers through which the gas is caused to pass before being finally
delivered. We also prefer to provide between the generating chambers and the
reservoir a cleansing or separating box through which the gas is passed and
wherein it is divided into fine streams and is separated from the lime which it
may have brought over with it.
Dated this 23rd day of 1000
Improvements in and connected with Apparatus for Generating
Acetylene Gas.
We, JOHN WOOD ROBINSON, of "Armadale," Forest Road, Enfield Wash, and
HERBERT HADLEY, of 6, Albany Road, Enfield Highway, both in the County of
Middlesex, Engineers, 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 generating acetylene gas, and has for its
object to provide apparatus which is of simple construction, efficient and practically
free from danger in use, and capable of being readily re-charged without neces-
sarily stopping the generation of gas.
According to our invention we employ one, or more generating chambers in
combination with a reservoir containing an inverted chamber or bell into which
the gas is led. This reservoir is normally filled with water to about the height
of the bell so that this latter is nearly full of water. When no gas is in the hell
the latter falls by gravity to its lowest position. The water in the bell is dis-
placed by the gas from the generator or generators and forced into a displacement
tank arranged above the reservoir. The gas also causes the bell to rise until it
comes against or nearly against the closed top of the reservoir, where the move-
ment of said bell is arrested.
Arranged above the generating chamber or chambers is a water supply tank
or cistern in which a supply of water is maintained. Communication between

page_text: this cistern and the generating chamber or chambers is afforded by a pipe. In
this pipe we arrange a cut-off valve adapted to be closed when there is a certain
quantity of gas in the reservoir; and a cock by which the communication can
be cut off by hand. We prefer to actuate the cut-off valve by a lever adapted to
be moved when the bell is raised by the gas therein, to a point near the top
of the reservoir.
The generated gas passes from the top of the generating chamber through a
non-return valve to a pipe which enters at the bottom of the reservoir and then
rises to or nearly to the top of the interior of the bell.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the accom-
panying drawings in which:-
11
Figure 1 is an end elevation,
Figure 2 is a front elevation, partly in section and Figure 3 is a plan, of a
convenient form of the apparatus.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view and Figure 5 is a plan, of the means
for controlling the water supply to the gas generating chambers.
Figure 6 is a vertical section and Figure 7 is a plan of the non-return valve in
the passage from the generating chamber to the gas reservoir.
A is the reservoir. a is the bell situated within said reservoir. a¹ is an open-
ing affording communication between the reservoir A and tank B. is a dis-
charge cock in the bottom of the reservoir, a³ is a cock for controlling the height
of the water in the reservoir. CC are the acetylene gas generators, each of which
is provided with a calcium carbide bucket or container e and also with a removable
fluid tight cover c¹ held in position by means of a cam c carried by a rod jour-
nalled in lugs projecting from the generator C. ³ ³ are hand levers for operating
the cams are the respective discharge cocks of the generators CC. c is
a pipe which connects the generators CC and is controlled by a cock c.
D is the water supply tank or cistern. d is a pipe which leads from the tank D
to a pipe which communicates with the bottoms of the generating cham-
bers CC. d are cocks whereby the water supply may be cut off by hand from
the generators CC. Each of the generators C is provided at the top thereof with
a non-return valve E. ce are pipes connecting the valves EE with a pipe e¹
which latter enters at the bottom of the reservoir, rises to a point near the top
of the bell, and has its free end turned or bent so as to discharge the gas below
the water level in the reservoir. F is a cut off valve which is situated in the
tank D and controls the supply of water to the pipe d. f is the stem of the
valve F. G is a lever which is pivoted at g between lugs depending from the top
of the reservoir A. One end of the lever G is attached to a plate g' which rests
upon the top of the bell a, and the other end of the lever G is connected by a
suitable joint to one end of a rod H. The rod H passes fluid tight through the
top of the reservoir A and through a cylinder h situated in the tank D, and has
its other end connected by a rod to the valve spindle f. h² is a spring which
tends to raise the rod H and open the valve F. I is a pipe for conducting the
gas from a point above the water level near the top of the bell a to the point of
utilisation.
The reservoir A and bell a are filled with water to a suitable height. When
no gas is in the reservoir the bell sinks to its lowest position and the valve Fis
raised or held in its open position by the spring h². Water then passes from the
tank D through the pipes d and to the generator or generators where the
acetylene gas is generated from calcium carbide in the well known manner. This
gas passes through the non-return valves E, E and pipes e, and e¹ to the bell a,
displacing the water in the bell and forcing said water through
the opening a¹ into the tank B. The gas also causes the bell s
to rise until it comes against or nearly against the top of the reservoir A
thereby raising the plate and operating the lever G so as to lower the rod H
and close the valve F. The water is thus cut off from the generators CC and
a

page_text: the generation of the gas due to the existing moisture of the carbide, is permitted
to continue without unduly increasing the pressure in the bell a even if the gas
outlet is closed; such gas, when the gas outlet is closed, merely forcing water
from the reservoir A into the tank B. When the bell a again falls owing to the
release of some of the gas through the pipe I or other suitable outlet, the valve F
is opened and water is again admitted to the generators.
When it is required to clean and re-charge one generator while the other gene-
rator is still in operation, the pipe is closed by means of the cock c, and the
cock for controlling the supply of water to the generator to be re-charged, is
also closed. The lever ³ of this generator is then raised and its lid c¹ removed.
The non-return valve E prevents the return of gas from the bell a to the generator
when the lid of the latter is removed. The cock of this generator may then
be opened to draw off lime, water and refuse, and its bucket or container c
re-charged with calicum carbide, after which the lid is again adjusted and the
cocks and may be opened to permit the generation of the gas.
By means of the cock a water and sludge may be drawn off from the reservoir
when required.
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 in apparatus for generating acetylene gas is :-
-
1. The combination with a movable inverted chamber or gas bell, of a closed
reservoir communicating with a superposed tank, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
2. A valve which controls the supply of water to the generator or generators
and is adapted to be closed by means operated by the rise of the aforesaid inverted
chamber or gas bell, for the purpose specified.
3. The means substantially as described for permitting one or more of the
generators to be re-charged, without stopping the generation of gas in the others.
4. Apparatus constructed, arranged and operating substantially as described
with reference to the accompanying drawings for the purpose specified.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.