Year: 1899

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank. Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil 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 ;-
The object of the present invention is a compact acetylene lamp applicable for
lighting cycles, automobiles, carriages and other like purposes; the examples
described herein are for bicycle and carriage lamps, but it is understood that the
inventors do not limit their invention to the two forms of construction described.
The acetylene gas lamp which is the object of the present invention is characterised
by a special arrangement for putting the carbide of calcium in contact with the
water for producing acetylene gas, and also by an arrangement for purifying the
gas produced before it reaches the burner. The flow of water being regulated
by the more or less rapid entrance of air into the water-reservoir a regular pro-
duction of acetylene gas is obtained which reaches the burner freed from water
and almost cold, thus giving a flame burning regularly and without spluttering.
The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:-
Figure 1 shews a section of the lamp intended for a bicycle.
Figure 2 shews a section of a carriage lamp containing the principal elements
of the invention.
Figure 3 is a view in detail shewing the arrangement of the entrance of air
into the lamp.
The lamp shewn in Figure 1 consists of a receiver 1 containing the supply of
water, closed at the top by a screw lid 2. At the bottom 3 of this reservoir a
tube 4 is inserted in which is a porous plug 5.
This plug allows water to fall into the reservoir 8 at the bottom of which
can be an inclined plane 7.
The carbide receptacle 9 communicates with the reservoir 8; it is a horizontal
cylinder filled with a wire basket 10 containing the carbide, and is closed at the
other end by a screw plug 11 which can be taken out for cleaning purposes and
for the renewal of the carbide in the basket 10,

page_text: The water after passing very regularly through the plug comes in contact with
the carbide of calcium contained in the basket 10 and decomposes it at the
bottom.
Above the receptacle 9 and communicating with it is a receiver 12; this latter
is closed at the top by a screw lid 13. It contains a filter composed of some
porous material, sponge, flannel or the like. The gas formed has to pass through
this filter where it is freed from water and various impurities, and cools, and thus
deposits in the burner and consequent irregularities of light are prevented.
At the side of the receiver 12 is the orifice 16 of the burner which may be
furnished or not with a reflector 17.
The entrance of air into the apparatus is effected through the orifice 18. It
has an elongated form and is placed on the cylindrical part of the receiver 1
closed by the lid 2. This opening can be partially or entirely covered by the
rubber ring 19 so as either to completely intercept or simply diminish the entrance
of air. Thus the supply of water to the carbide can be completely stopped.
This arrangement has moreover the advantage of preventing all danger of
explosion as in the case of there being excessive pressure owing to some accident
or to the obstruction of the burner the gas would return backwards automatically
raise the rubber ring and escape accordingly. This arrangement for the entrance
of air is shewn in detail in Figure 3.
The whole of these arrangements can be modified according to the special
circumstances of the application. For example, Figure 2 shews the application
of the invention to a carriage lamp.
In this apparatus the water reservoir is placed at the back of the lamp and
communicates with the carbide reservoir 9 by the tube 4 and the plug 5. The
water falls drop by drop on to the carbide.
In order to prevent the carbide pressing against the screw plug 20 a grating 21
limits the space reserved for it. The gas produced escapes by the collector 22
and reaches the holder 23 of the lamp; it then enters the tube 24 containing the
flannel or other porous material for filtering the acetylene gas. The water which
is deposited on this straining material runs drop by drop into the holder of
the lamp and collects there. It can be taken out by means of the screw 25 which
disconnects the lamp holder.
The purified and cooled gas rises to the burner by the tube 26 provided
with a cock 27.
The entrance of air is effected in the same manner as in the example previously
described through the elongated aperture 18, and the quantity of air admitted
can be regulated by means of a rubber ring 19. This arrangement has as aforesaid,
the advantage of preventing water reaching the carbide by completely stopping
up the aperture 18, and of preventing all explosion in case of an over production
of gas or if the cock 27 should not have been opened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. An acetylene lamp adapted for lighting velocipedes carriages and the like
characterized by:
1
(a) A water reservoir (1) flowing into a tube containing a plug 5 in
such a manner as to allow the water to escape drop by drop and air to enter
the reservoir in proportion as the water flows out through an elongated
aperture (18) the area of which can be either partially or completely closed
by a ring of rubber or other suitable material:
(b) By a basket or other carbide receptacle communicating beneath with
the water entrance and on the other hand with a receiver or tube con-
taining a filtering substance so that the gas produced cools therein, and
loses the water and other impurities it contains which might obstruct the
orifice of the burner substantially as described,

page_text: 2. In the lamp shewn in Figure 2 the arrangement of a detachable con-
densing collector for the water, in which the water deposited in the filtering
substance by the acetylene gas of the tube 24 is collected.
Dated the Second day of June 1899.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.