Improvements in and connected with Acetylene Generators,
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Acetylene Generators,
I, THOMAS THORP, of Moss Bank, Whitefield, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to apparatus, for generating, acetylene from calcic carbide
and consists in improvements in the arrangement or construction of said apparatus
and of parts thereof, the improvements being more particularly suitable for
small apparatus. The gas generator consists of a preferably cylindrical chamber
built in a horizontal position into the lower part of the gasholder tank, closed at
one end and fitted at the other with a cover fixed on as usual with clamping. bolts
and nuts. The carbide is contained in a box open at the top, which can be
pushed into the generator when the cover is removed. This box is preferably of
rectangular section or such other shape, that when it is in position in.the generator,
a-space is left underneath and at the sides of it. The inlet opening for the water
is at the top of the generator preferably in the centre of the gas holder tank, and
or sides
underneath it a gutter is arranged conveying the water beyond the end
of the carbide box; so that the space between the walls of the box and generator
is first filled and a water jacket formed before the water overflows the edge of the
carbide box and commences the generation of carbide. The excessive heating of
the carbide, which frequently occurs where water is dropped on to the same
for producing acetylene, is thereby prevented. The top of the generator is also
fitted with a vertical gas pipe leading through a water seal into the gasholder
bell.
Above the water inlet a three way cock is arranged surmounted by a vertical
pipe. The plug of the cock has a through bore and another lateral bore at a right
angle to the through, bore and meeting the same, the shell of the cock having also
a vertical through bore and a lateral bore. When the cock is in the position that
the lateral bores of shell and plug coincide, water flows from the gas holder
tank into the generator to fill the water jacket whether the regulating valve herein
after described is open or shut, a glass gauge or its equivalent being preferably
arranged to indicate the level. By a quarter turn of the cock the inlet to the
generator is closed, and the apparatus can be left in this condition till gas is
wanted. By another quarter turn the lateral inlet of the cock is closed and the
through passage opened, so that water can flow through the vertical pipe.from
the gasholder tank into the generator. The water supply and gas generation are
selfactingly regulated in the following manner:
At a short distance above the cock the pipe surmounting the same is fitted with
a valve seating and an inverted valve, the stem of which at its upper end is
connected to a disc fitting loosely into the tube and provided with arms extending
Above this disc
through slots. in. the same into the tank and fitted with floats.
another disc is arranged connected by a rod adjustable in length to the top of the
gasholder bell. When the bell is filled with gas and raised, the discs are at some
distance from, each other and the floats hold the valve against its seating, so that
When gas
no water can flow into the generator and the gas production is stopped.

page_text: is withdrawn from the bell and it sinks, the disc connected to it presses upon the
float dise and depresses and opens the valve, so that water can flow into the
generator and the gas production is resumed, till the rise of the bell allows the
Hoats to close the valve again.
To manipulate the three way cock a spindle is connected to the plug and extends
to the outside of the tank through a bearing bush fixed thereto, a water tight
packing being obtained preferably by binding a piece of india rubber tubing at
one end to the bush and at the other end to the spindle. The latter is fitted with
a handle formed with a pointer, and on the tank or a sector: attached to. the same
indications such as Fill, Off, On, are fixed to determine the positions.
As the carbide box will always be filled with the same quantity of carbide and
this requires for its complete decomposition the same quantity of water, the
fall of water in the tank can be utilised to indicate when the carbide is exhausted.
For this purpose the upper end of the tank is provided with a glass gauge or
window on which a line is marked up to which the tank must be filled before the
gas generation is commenced, and below, it another line to which the water level
will drop when the quantity required for completely decomposing the carbide has
been supplied to the generator, so as to indicate to the attendant that the charge
of carbide must be renewed.
For this purpose the cock handle is turned to the mark "Off" and a cock fixed
in the lower part of the cover of the generator opened to run off the water from
the same, an air inlet valve.or plug being fitted to the upper part of the cover.
When the water is drained off, the cover can be removed, the carbide box with-
drawn, emptied, re-filled and pushed in again, after which the cover is closed. The
cock is then turned to the niark " Fill and water run into the generator to fill
the jacket in the manner hereinbefore described, after which the cock is turned
back to the mark "Off" and water filled into the tank till it reaches the
upper
mark on the glass gauge. The apparatus is then ready for being re-started, which
is done by turning the cock to the mark
.
"
On."
The tank is fitted with the usual safety pipe with water seal to allow the gas to
escape outside the building if an excessive generation takes place. Obviously, two
generators may be arranged in the same gas holder tank and charged alternately,
if it is desired to continue the generation of gas without interruption.
improvements in and connected with Acetylene Generators.
I, THOMAS THORP, of Moss Bank, Whitefield, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, 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:-
-
My invention related to apparatus for generating acetylene from calcium
carbide and consists in improvements in the arrangement or construction of said
apparatus and of parts thereof the improvements being more particularly. suitable
for small apparatus.
In order that my said invention may be readily ascertained I have hereunto
appended two sheets of drawings.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2. show vertical sections at right angles to each other and Figure
a front elevation of my improved generator. The gas generator consists of a
preferably cylindrical chamber A built in a horizontal position into the lower part
of the gas holder tank and is closed- at one end the other end being fitted with .a
cover a which is held in place by means of clamp screws .. The carbide..is
contained in a box C open at the top which can be pushed into the generator
when the cover is removed. This box. C is of such shape that when it is in position
in the generator A a space is left underneath and at the sides of it and may. be
divided into spaces for containing the carbide by means of hollow partitions c
through which the water can rise and flow over onto the carbide. The inlet
opening d for the water is at the top of the generator A in the centre of the gas-
holder tank B. Underneath the opening d a gutter d' is arranged to convey the
water beyond the end of the carbide box C so that the space between the sides of
the box and generator is first filled and a water jacket formed before the water over-
flows the lower edge of the carbide box and commences the generation of
acetylene. The excessive heating of the carbide which frequently occurs where
water is dropped onto the same for producing. acetylene is thereby prevented. . On
the top of the generator A there is also fitted a vertical gas pipe c for removing the
gas through a water seal el 'and perforated funnel to the gas holder bell E.
.
Above the water inlet a three way cock D is arranged surmounted by a vertical
pipe F. · The plug of the cock D has a through bore a³ and another small
lateral bore at a right angle to-the through bore and meeting the same the
shell of the cock having also a vertical through hore and a lateral bore_d".
When the cock 1) is in position so that the lateral bores of the shell and plug
coincide, water flows from the gas holder tank B into the generator A to fill the
water jacket whether the regulating valve G hereinafter described is open or shut.
By a quarter turn of the cock 1) the inlet to the generator A is closed and the
apparatus can be left in this condition till gas is wanted. By another quarter
turn the lateral inlet of the-cock is closed and the through passage opened as
from the gas
shewn in Fig. 1 so that water can flow through the vertical pipe
holder tank B into the generator A..
The water supply and gas generator are self actingly regulated in the following
manner.
At a short distance above the cock. 1) the pipe F surmounting the same is fitted.
with a valve seating g and an inverted valve G the stem g of which at its upper
end is connected to a dise fitting loosely into the tube F and provided with
arms g³ extending through slot f in the same and fitted with an annular float K.
Above the disc g² a knob f¹ is arranged at the end of a rod fattached to the
top of the gas holder bell E. When the bell is filled with gas and raised the
disc gand knob f' are at some distance from each other and the float K holds the
valve G against its seating "g, so that no water can flow into the generator A and
the gas production is stopped.
When gas is withdrawn from the bell E and it sinks the knob f¹ connected to it
presses upon the float disc g² and opens the valve G, so that water can flow into the
generator A and the gas production is resumed till the rise of the bell E allows the
float to close the valve G again.
To manipulate the three way cock 1) a spindle h is connected to the plug &
and extends to the outside of the tank 1 through a bearing bush fixed thereto,
a water tight packing being obtained preferably by binding a piece of india rubber
tubing at one end to the bush and at the other end to the spindle h. The
latter is fitted with a handle h³, formed with a pointer h and on the tank or a
sector attached to the same indications such as Fill, Off, On are marked to
determine the position. As the carbide box C will always be filled with the same
quantity of carbide and this requires for its complete decomposition the
same quantity of water the fall of water in the tank B can be utilised
to indicate when the carbide is exhausted.
For the
the
purpose upper
end of the tank B is provided with a glass gauge or

page_text: window on which a line is marked up to which the tank B must be filled before
the gas generation is commenced, and below it another line y to which the water
level will drop, when the quantity required for filling the space round the carbide
box in the generator is drawn off, a third line z marking the level to which the
water drops when, the water required for completely decomposing the carbide has
been supplied to the generator so as to indicate to the attendant that the charge
of carbide must be renewed. For doing this the cock handle is turned to the
mark "Off" and a cock a fixed in the lower part of the cover a of the generator A
is opened to run off the water from the same, an air inlet cock a being fitted to the
upper part of the cover and opened, at the same time by means of a handle a
connecting the two together. When the water is drained off the cover a can be
taken off, the carbide box C withdrawn, emptied, refilled and pushed in again,
after which the cover is replaced. After the tank has been filled up again to the
mark the cock D is turned back to the mark "Fill" and water run into the
generator A to fill the jacket in the manner hereinbefore described after which the
cock 1) is turned back to the mark "Off." The apparatus is then ready for being
re-started which is done by turning the cock to the mark "On."
The tank is fitted with the usual safety pipe i with water seal j to allow the gas
to escape outside the building if an excessive generation take place. The pipe k is
provided to supply the gas for consumption.
Obviously two generators may be arranged in the same gas holder tank and
charged alternately if it is desired to continue the generation of gas without
interruption.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. The construction of an acetylene generator or the arrangement and combina-
tion of the parts thereof substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
the drawings.
2. The arrangement of a three way cock controlling the inlet from the gas holder
tank to the carbide chamber of an acetylene generator substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore set forth and illustrated by the drawings.
3. The arrangement of a slotted stand pipe with valve seating and inverted valve
attached to a float and a pusher rod attached to the gas holder bell for self-actingly
controlling the supply of water to the carbide chamber from the gas holder tank
of an acetylene generator substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings.
R. J. URQUHART, C.E.,
Chartered Patent Agent, 57, Barton Arcade, Manchester.