Improvements in Apparatus for Decomposing Calcium Carbide.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
'Improvements in Apparatus for Decomposing Calcium Carbide.
I, HARALD GABE of 13 Monradsvej, Copenhagen, Denmark, Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and' in what manner the same is
o be performed, to be particularly described, and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to apparatus for decomposing calcium carbide for the
production of pure acetylene the operation of the apparatus being such that the
generation of the gas is automatically regulated according to the consumption.
The apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification wherein Fig. 1 is a central vertical section and Fig. 2 a top plan of a
small apparatus whilst Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation aud Fig. 4 a part plan
of an apparatus for generating larger quantities of acetylene.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 a is a water container having a gas outlet tube rising
d is a gas bell
centrally through its bottom and controlled by a stop cock c.
immersed in the water and provided with a central guide tube e having gas exit
orifices at the upper part and sliding easily upon the gas outlet tube 6 whereby
the gas bell d is guided. The crown of the gas bell is surmounted by say two
cylindrical charge chambers g opening into the bell and closed at top by screw
caps h. Within each charge chamber a cylindrical charge holder k is suspended to
the hooked end of a slide rod m passing through a stuffing box and gland n on the
screw cap h. The charge holders are perforated to admit the water to the con-
tained charge of calcium carbide which is packed in the perforated charge holder
in layers alternated with discs of waterproof material so that only the immersed
portions of the charge will be saturated.
The apparatus is used as follows. The charge holders containing the charge as
above described having been suspended within the chamber g by rods m retained
in the raised position by screwing on the caps and tightening the glands n and
the container a having been filled with water and the gas bell placed in position
with the tube e upon the tube b, one of the charge holders is lowered slowly by
slacking the gland n and pressing down the suspension rod m so that the charge
comes in contact with the water whereupon acetylene is generated and the gas
bell is raised by the internal gaseous pressure, the charge being meanwhile con-
tinually lowered until it will go no farther whereupon the gland is screwed up
tight. The generation of the gas will thereupon continue at a rate corresponding
exactly to the consumption until the charge is exhausted and the gas bell descends,
whereupon the other charge must be brought into action in the same way and so
on. Should it be desired to arrest the generation of the gas the charge is drawn
up into the charge holder chamber out of reach of the water the gas remaining in
the bell being consumed and the stop cock c closed. The gas passes out of the bell
through the holes and tube b to the water separator o where any water is drawn
off by cock p, then through the filter to the burners.
The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is intended for the generation of
larger quantities of acetylene. In the water tank a¹ are immersed one or more
bells d having suspended within the same a large charge holder k¹³ charged with
calcium carbide as described. Each bell d' has two gas delivery pipes and s the
former leading from the upper part of the bell and the latter from near the mouth
of the bell. The pipes have stop cocks t and t' which are kept closed whilst the
bell is being immersed and the pipes r, sare coupled by screw unions u u¹ to

page_text: brauches of a common delivery pipe provided with a stop cock between the two
branches and leading through the condenser and filter to a gas holder.
The cocks t t being opened and the cock v connected with the gas holder so as
to be opened whenever the gas holder assumes a certain position the operation is
as follows-
The air being forced out of the bell the water rises within it and on reaching
the charge the decomposition of the lowest layer of calcium carbide takes place.
The gasholder having risen to a certain height the cock will be closed auto-
matically the calcium carbide saturated by water will however continue to be
decomposed and generate acetylene forcing the water out of the bell whereupon
any surplus of gas will pass out to the gas holder through the pipe s.
:
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 herein described apparatus for decomposing calcium carbide constructed
and operating substantially as specified.
2. An apparatus for decomposing calcium carbide comprising a bell immersed in
a water container and having a perforated charge holder supported within it in
such position that the decomposition of the charge proceeds gradually upwards as
the water reaches the calcium carbide and so that the contact of the water with
the calcium carbide and consequently the generation of the gas is regulated by the
gas pressure within the bell, substantially as specified.
3. In apparatus such as described for decomposing calcium carbide, the arrange-
ment of the charge in the charge holder in the form of superposed layers of
calcium carbide alternately with separating waterproof discs so as to limit the
saturation to the immersed part of the charge as specified.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1895.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.