Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1895-1ccepted, 13th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Acetylene Gas.
I, ERNEST QUELLE, of 41 Rue Taithout, Paris, France, 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 improvements in apparatus for generating acety-
lene gas.
It has for its object :
1. To lessen the time of contact between the water and the calcium or other
metallic carbide.
'
2. To prevent the presence or back flow of air into the apparatus.
-3. To maintain, when a gasometer is used, free communication between the
gasometer and the generator or generators but at the same time to allow decom-
position of the carbide to be stopped at any moment.
4. To divide up the mass of carbide in order to prevent a too violent reaction.
These results are obtained by means of an apparatus (the arrangement of which
may be varied according to the object in view) shown in the drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is the arrangement adopted for direct lighting.
Figure 2 is a section of the carbide receptacle.
Figure 3 shows the vertical partitions which divide up the interior of the carbide
receptacle shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 4 shows an apparatus with concentric and fixed bells.
Figures 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing the arrangement of the carbide
receptacle and two ways of arranging the level of the grids.
Figure 7 shows an apparatus with bells arranged side by side and which
cominunicate with each other.
Figure 8 shows a portable lamp which works on the same principle as the
generators.
Figure 9 shows an arrangement for allowing the apparatus to work continuously.
In order to put my invention into practice I employ a recipient or tank filled
with water into which dip two or more vertical bells attached together and open
at their bottoms. These bells are either fixed or moveable as in gasometers.
They may be either concentric or placed side by side; a single bell divided up
into two or more parts by vertical partitions may also be used.
In order to facilitate description I will assume that there are two bells.
One of these bells serves as a generator properly so called, the other as an
accumulator, that is to say, it serves to receive the gas.
Their upper portions communicate by means of pipes and a cock which may be
regulated as required.
Their lower portions in the case of concentric bells naturally communicate and
in the case of parallel bells they are connected together by a pipe.
The carbide is contained in a special vessel which will be described further cn.
A Figure 1 is the tank, B the accumulator, and C the generator provided with
a plate or cover kept fast by one or more screws and lifted to introduce the carbide
receptacle D which resta upon brackets.
It may be remarked that B may equally well be employed as a generator and C
as an accumulator; also there may be several generating compartments especially
in large apparatus.

page_text: E is the cock on the communicating pipe, F is an air escape cock.
G is the gas outlet pipe which leads into the condenser H in which the excess of
air may be extracted by means of the screw cock I. J is the delivery cock.
The double bell is moveable in a vertical direction and is guided by rollers K.
The said bell may if necessary be balanced by means of counter weights.
In order to charge the apparatus the generator C is opened, the carbide
receptacle D taken out, the tank A then filled with water, after having opened the
cock E through which air esenpes from the accumulator B; when the apparatus is
full of water the cock E is closed and the water is drawn off by the cock L until
its level is at that of the brackets. The accumulator B by the effect of the
atmospheric pressure remains full of water..
The carbide receptacle D is then introduced into the generator C, the cover of
which is then closed. The cock F is opened and water poured in which rises
into C and soon reaches the carbide.
Acetylene is formed by contact with the water and drives out the air through
the cock F. When the gas is sufficiently pure, F is closed and E opened to allow
the gas to fill the accumulator B.
The bell rises by reason of the pressure of the gas and as soon as the carbide is
out of the water the action stops.
The diminution of gas in the bell caused by its use again causes it to fall; the
carbide again comes into contact with the water and gas is automatically
generated.
If the reaction is a little too violent the pressure of gas immediately causes the
level of water in the generator to fall and the netion is momentarily stopped, for
the gas bus not time to immediately pass into B by reason of the small orifice of
the cock E.
If a large excess of gas is produced, this will pass under the lower edges of the
generator C and into the accumulator B. This is also what takes place when the
cock E is closed.
It will be seen that by this arrangement the cock E acts as a moderator and the
carbide is never flooded with water.
In order to recharge the apparatus the cocks EI and J are closed, the generator
opened and the water emptied down to the brackets. The receptacle D is taken
out and replaced by another similar dry one filled with carbide. The rest takes
place as has already been above described.
The regularity of the chemical action is also increased by the internal arrange-
ment of the carbide receptacle.
This receptacle D shown in section in Figure 2 has the form of a bottomless and
coverless cylindrical cage.
Its internal space is divided up vertically by means of partitions M (Figure 3)
thus forming several sections water tight between themselves in a vertical
direction.
The pieces of carbide are placed in these sections in such a manner that if one
of them has just absorbed much water it cannot moisten the others.
Each section is provided at its bottom with grids ur bars, upon which the carbide
rests and which are placed at different levels for each section. The numbers in
Figure 3 indicate manner in which the different bars or grids may be arranged in
steps; it results from this arrangement that the water. reaches the sections
successively one after the other, the chemical action is therefore divided up into
stages and any violent reaction prevented.
This arrangement of grids is specially shown in Figures 5 and 6.
In order to facilitate the construction, the partitions may be rivettod round a
tube or core N Figure 2. Their number varies with the size of the generator.
The cage of the receptacle D is closed at the top by a cover O fixed by means
of a key p or by projections Q taking into circular elots R. S (Figure 1) is a
sieve provided with wire gauze for retaining the pieces of carbide which may fall
from the grids.

page_text: The apparatus just described may also very advantageously be used to charge
gasometers, I however prefer to employ fixed apparatus for this particular
purpose.
In both cases the apparatus is charged by closing the cock E and not J which
remains open. Decomposition is stopped, but by reason of the humidity retained
by the lime in contact with the carbide, gas continues to be slowly formed and ends
by passing out of the generator C into the accumulator B. No gas can overflow
this latter because the cock J is allowed to remain open. Gas therefore flows
freely into the gasometer instead of passing away into the atmosphere.
Figure 4 shows an apparatus with fixed and concentric bells.
The same letters designate the same parts as in the other figures.
The cock E opens automatically as soon as the gasometer is empty.
For this purpose this cock is given a tendency to constantly open by reason of a
weight T fixed to the end of its lever.
To keep the cock closed I fix to its plug a disc U having in its edge a notch
into which takes a pawl fixed to the end of a lever arm V, this lever V is actuated
by the gasometer by means of a rod X and a weighted bent lever Y pivotted to the
gasometer tank.
A stop Z fixed to the upper portion of the gasometer bell when the latter falls
strikes against the arm a of the lever Y and frees the disc U and consequently the
cock E opens by the action of the weight T. This weight may if desired be
replaced by a spring.
The cock may also if desired be fixed by means of a tooth b with which the
disc U is provided at the back of its notch.
Fixed generators have the disadvantage of being subject to very large differences
of water level. To avoid this, the large surface of the gasometer tank is utilized,
and the respective generator and gasometer tanks connected together by means of
a pipe and cock c. The bells are kept fixed by any suitable means.
Figure 7 also shows an apparatus with fixed bells placed side by side and which
communicate at their lower portions by the pipe d.
The generator has no removeable cover, but the bells may be lifted and taken
from the tank A which has the effect of uncovering the receptacle D which rests
upon a support e fixed to the tank bottom.
This generator has as an appendage a condenser H and a gasometer provided
with a projection Z which automatically opens and closes the cock E.
For this purpose a lever X at the top of the gasometer frame carries at one end
a chain hooked to the handle of the cock which itself carries a counter weight T.
The other end of the lever carries a rod 9 which passes down the side of the
gasometer bell. This rod is provided with a small plate h against which the
stop Z strikes when the bell falls. The rod 9 is drawn down and consequently
the chain fis lifted and opens the cock E.
If enough gas is produced to cause the bell to rise the rod y also rises and the
cock E again closes.
Any excess of gas flows freely into the gasometer by passing through the pipe d,
bell B, pipe G, condenser H and pipe i. The cock J should always remain open
except when the apparatus is recbarged with carbide.
The tubing is directly connected to the condenser H but of course there may be
a second similar pipe i and another independent condenser if the regularity of the
light requires it.
For continuous service it is advantageous to use two generators per gasometer
and even more for big installations.
Each lever may work two generators by means of two chains.
In order that one of the generators may be emptied before the other, the two
chains are attached to an elongated ring; (Figure 9) which allows one or other of
the chains to be raised and consequently to give a lead to one or other of the two
cocks. The lead may be changed from one cock to the other by sliding the ring k
the length of j.

page_text: In order to purify the gas one or several receivers may be interposed between
the bells C and B or between B and H or again between H and the gasometer;
some of these receivers through which the gas conduits would pass may contain
acid others a salt of lead, iron or copper or a mixture of two or three of these
-salts.
In order to dry the gas at its outlet from the gasometer a drying apparatus
containing a drying substance may be arranged above the condenser H or in any
other suitable position.
In Figure 8 a portable lamp is shown which works upon the same principle of
the generators but the cock E is replaced by a valve actuated by a float l. The
receptacle D is fixed to the bell C in the same way as the cover O (Figure 2).
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 without
limiting myself to the details of execution which may be varied what I
-claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas a fixed or moveable bell divided
up into several vertical compartments, some serving as gas generators others as
gas reservoirs which communicate with each other substantially in the manner
.described.
2. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas two or more vertical concentric
bells, some serving as generators others as reservoirs which communicate with each
other substantially in the manner described.
3. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas two or more vertical bells placed
side by side, some serving as generators others as reservoirs which communicate
with each other substantially in the manner described.
4. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas a carbide receptacle divided
vertically into several compartments, provided with bars or grids for supporting
the carbide at different levels.
5. The combination of the said carbide receptacle with the said bells.
6. The combination with the said bells of a gasometer communicating with them
by means of a pipe.
7. The arrangement consisting in connecting the generator and gasometer tanks
by means of a pipe.
8. The arrangement of the cock substantially as shown in Figure 4 for
automatically regulating the entrance of gas into the gasometer.
9. The arrangement of apparatus substantially as shown in Figure 7.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1896.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.