Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Acetylene Gas.
1, JOSEPH EDWARD ATKINSON, of 48 Derwent Road, Stoneycroft, Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster, Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of acetylene gas from
calcium carbide, and the objects are, to reuder the apparatus, as far as possible,
automatic, to ensure that all gas generated shall pass to the gasometer, to so
arrange the apparatus that the charge of calcium carbide may be replenished
without interrupting the process of manufacture, and to prevent the possibility of
the water, used to moisten the calcium carbide, passing into the gasometer.
In carrying out my invention I provide two generators which I will term
respectively A and B; each generator is provided with a loose perforated box
adapted to hold the calcium carbide and to be easily placed within, or withdrawn
from, the generator through a door in the side thereof, which door is adapted, in
virtue of a rubber washer, to be easily closed absolutely gas-tight. Water is led from
a cistern over-head into each generator, the arrangement of the pipes for the water
supply being as follows;-The pipe from the cistern bifurcates and a two way cock is
fitted so that the supply can be turned into either of the two branches; one branch
leads to the generator A and one to the generator B, and each branch is controlled
by a regulating cock which is operated by the rising and falling of the gasometer,
the supply being diminished as the gasometer fills, and vice versa. The branches
are also connected, where they enter the generators, by a communicating pipe
controlled by a cock, and the ends of the branches terminate, within the generators,
in rose fittings which are adapted to spray the water over the calcium carbide and
thoroughly saturate the latter. Cocks are fitted at the bottoms of the generators
so that any residue of water may be withdrawn. The arrangement whereby the
gasometer regulates the flow through the branches comprises, a plug cock operated
by a pinion gearing into a segmental wheel keyed to the plug of the cock, and
means whereby the rising and falling of the gasometer rotates the pinion in the
appropriate direction. The port in the plug of the cock is of triangular shape so
that as the cock opens the available area is at first small but rapidly increases as
the cock is rotated. Separate pipes lead from the uppermost portions of the
generators to the gasometer; these pipes are provided with cocks and are carried
sufficiently high above the cistern to prevent any water in the generators passing
into the gasometers.
The action of the apparatus is as follows;-
Assuming that both the generators are in the first instance charged with the
calcium carbide, that the gasometer is empty, and that the two-way cock is so turned
as to supply the generator A with water; the water ou entering the generator A
sprinkles over the calcium carbide and produces acetylene gas which passes on to
the gasometer; should the supply exceed the demand (as it will do at first since the
cock, if the gasometer be empty, will be full open), the supply of water will be
automatically reduced in consequence of the gasometer rising. As the calcium
carbide becomes more and more exhausted, the rate of supply of the gas will
diminish, but if the normal rate of demand be continued the gasometer will fall,

page_text: with the result that the regulating cock will be opened to a greater extent and the
supply increased.
When the carbide is quite used up the water will continue to flow till it fills
the generator A and will so displace the acetylene gas therein and force it into the
gasometer; as soon as the generator A is filled with water the water passes on to
the generator B through the connecting pipe (the cock of which is left open when
both generators are charged) and there acts on the fresh calcium carbide. The
regulation of the water by the movement of the gasometer will take place as
before, and it will be noticed that the water now flows into the generator B through
the regulating cock on the branch pipe leading to A. It is however advisable to
recharge the generator A whilst the gas is being produced in B and to this end
the two-way cock is turned so as to divert the stream of water into the branch
pipe of B, and as the two regulating cocks are coupled together the regulation still
goes on the cock on the communicating pipe and the cock on the outlet pipe of A
are now closed, the water is withdrawn, the door opened, the perforated box
withdrawn and recharged, and again placed in position with the door closed, after
which the communicating cock and the cock on the outlet of A are opened, so that
when the carbide in B is exhausted the water flows into the generator A, and so
on. The generators are thus alternately charged and the production of the gas
is continuously carried on. The mechanism described, by means of which the
gasometer directly operates the water regulating cock, may of course be modified,
and the apparatus may comprise more than two generators; or one generator only
may he used and the re-charging effected when the gasometer holds a sufficient
supply, but as the gasometer is likely to contain the least reserve when the carbide
is becoming exhausted, it will be seen that the arrangement described has many
advantages and requires much less close attention.
Gauge glasses are fitted to the generators to enable the attendant to see the
quantity of water in the generators.
Dated this 29th day of October 1805
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26 Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for the Manufacture of
Acetylene Gas.
I, JOSEPH EDWARD ATKINSON, of 48 Derwent Road, Stoneycroft, Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster, Miller, 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 the manufacture of acetylene gas from
calcium carbide, and the objects are, to render the apparatus, as far as possible,
automatic, to ensure that all gas generated shall pass to the gasometer, to so
arrange the apparatus that the charge of calcium carbide may be replenished
without interrupting the process of manufacture, and to prevent the possibility of
the water, used to moisten the calcium carbide, passing into the gasometer.
I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figs. I and II are, respectively, an elevation and a plan of the general arrangement,
and Figs. 111, 1V and V are detail views. In Fig. I the generators and the
supply tank are shown in section and in Fig. 11 the supply tank is, for the sake of
clearness, omitted; in Fig. III the pipes and the cocks are shown in section.
In carrying out my invention 1 provide two generators which I will term
respectively A and B; each generator is provided with a loose perforated box 1
adapted to hold the calcium carbide 2 and to be easily placed within, or withdrawn

page_text: from, the generator through a door 3 in the side thereof, which door is adapted, in
virtue of a rubber washer and suitable handles to be easily closed absolutely
gas-tight. Water is led from a cistern 4 overhead into each generator, the
arrangement of the pipes for the water supply being as follows;-The pipe 5 from
the cistern bifurcates and a two way cock 6 is fitted so that the supply can be
turned into either of the two branches; one branch 7 leads to the generator A aud
the other 8 to the generator B, and each branch is controlled by a regulating
cock 9, 9' which is operated by the rising and falling of the gasometer, the supply
being diminished as the gasometer fills and vice versa. The branches 7 and 8 are
also connected, where they enter the generators, by a communicating pipe 10 con-
trolled by a cock 11, and the ends of the branches terminate, within the generators,
in fittings 12 which are adapted to spray the water over the calcium carbide and
thoroughly saturate the latter. Cocks 13 are fitted at the bottoms of the generators
so that any residue of water may be withdrawn. The arrangement whereby the
gasometer 14 regulates the supply through the branches 7 and 8 is as follows;-
Each branch is fitted with a plug cock, and as these two cocks (figured 9 and 9'
in the drawings) are so arranged that their plugs are in line and the plugs are
connected together by a coupling 15 (Fig. III); the two plugs are operated by a
segmental wheel 16 into which the pinion 17 gears, and the latter is caused to
rotate, as the gasometer rises and falls, by means of a rope 18 which is wrapped
round the pulley 19; the upper end of the rope passes round a guide pulley 20
and is attached to the gasometer and the lower end carries a tension weight 21.
When the gasometer is full, and in its top position (as shown in the drawings)
the cocks 9 and 91 are closed, and it will be seen that as the gasometer descends
the pulley 19 will be rotated by the rope and the cocks opened by the pinion 17
gearing into the segmental wheel.
It will be seen (Fig. IV) that the port in the plug of the cock is triangular, so
that as the cock opens the available area is at first small but rapidly increases as
the plug is rotated; another suitable form of opening is shown in Fig. V. It is
important for the successful working of the apparatus that a large movement of
the gasometer should, at first, open the cock by a comparatively small amount, and
in this respect I find the gearing shown, in combination with the special form of port
described, gives excellent results.
Separate pipes 22 and 23 lead from the uppermost portions of the generators to
a common pipe 24 which leads to the gasometer; these pipes are provided with
cocks 25 and are carried sufficiently high above the cistern to prevent any water in
the generators passing into the gasometer.
The action of the apparatus is as follows;-
Assuming that both the generators are in the first instance charged with the
calcium carbide, that the gasometer is empty, and that the two-way cock is so
turned as to supply the generator A with water; the water on entering the
generator A sprinkles over the calcium carbide and produces acetylene gas which
passes on to the gasometer; should the supply exceed the demand (as it will do at
first since the cock, if the gasometer be empty, will be full open), the supply of
water will be automatically reduced in consequence of the gasometer rising. As the
calcium carbide becomes more and more exhausted, the rate of supply of the gas will
diminish, but if the normal rate of demand be continued the gasometer will fall,
with the result that the regulating cock will be opened to a greater extent as
shown by the dotted lines in Fig. I, and the supply increased.
When the carbide is quite used up the water will continue to flow till it fills the
generator A and will so displace the acetylene gas therein and force it into
the gasometer; as soon as the generator A is filled the water passes on to the
generator B through the connecting pipe 10 (the cock 11 of which is left open
when both generators are charged) and there acts on the fresh calcium carbide.
The regulation of the water by the movement of the gasometer will take place as
before, and it will be noticed that the water now flows into the generator B
through the regulating cock 9 on the branch pipe leading to A. It is however

page_text: advisable to recharge the generator A whilst the gas is being produced in B and
to this end the two-way cock is turned so as to divert the stream of water into the
branch pipe of B and as the two regulating cocks are coupled together the regula-
tion still goes on.
The cock 11 on the communicating pipe and the cock 25 on the
outlet pipe of A are now closed, the water is withdrawn, the door opened, the
perforated box withdrawn and recharged, and again placed in position with the door
closed, after which the communicating cock 11 and the cock 25 on the outlet of A
are opened, so that when the carbide is exhausted in B the water flows into the
generator A, and so on. In the drawings the carbide in the generator B is
supposed to be exhausted and the gas is being produced in A.
The generators
are thus alternately charged and the production of the gas is continuously carried
.on. The mechanism described by means of which the gasometer operates the
water regulating cock, may of course be modified, and the apparatus may comprise
more than two generators, or one generator only may be used and the re-charging
effected when the gasometer holds a sufficient supply, but as the gasometer is
likely to contain the least reserve when the carbide is becoming exhausted it will
be seen that the arrangement described has many advantages and requires much
less close attention.
Gauge glasses are fitted to the generators to enable the attendant to see the
quantity of water in them.
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. The improved apparatus for manufacturing acetylene gas, which consists of
generators such as A and B communicating with a gasometer and provided with
removable boxes to hold the carbide, the said generators being independently
connected through regulating cocks (controlled by the movement of the gasometer)
to a multiple way cock connected to a cistern or other water supply, and having
communicating pipes and cocks so arranged that when the carbide in one generator
is exhausted the water passes on automatically to a charged generator, after which
the exhausted generator may be isolated for re-charging; substantially as described
and illustrated.
2. In apparatus for manufacturing acetylene gas, a controlling cock for the water
supply operated by the movement of the gasometer, and having a port so shaped
that the cock opens slowly as the gasometer begins to descend and rapidly
afterwards; substantially as described and illustrated.
3. In apparatus for manufacturing acetylene gas, a series of regulating cocks
whose plugs are coupled and which are operated, by spur gearing, by the movement
of the gasometer; substantially as described and illustrated.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved apparatus
for manufacturing acetylene gas; substantially as illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 29th day of July 1896.