Improved Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left 3rd Aug 1897 Accented 18th Sept 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
I, ALFRED FOURNIER, Barrister 6 Rue du Foin, Paris, France, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of an acetylene gas producer which, while more particularly
applicable for supplying a single lamp or a small number of burners, is neverthe-
less capable of being used either for domestic or industrial purposes and can bo
employed with advantage in lighting private dwellings, chateaux, factories and
other edifices.
In accordance with my invention, the carbide of calcium, in a pulverulent or
granular state is placed in a box forming part of and placed inside a gasometer
bell; the box is closed at the top and is provided, at the bottom, with a valve
which is actuated by the movement of the bell itself and automatically causes a
quantity of the carbide to fall from the box into a vessel containing water in which
the said bell floats, thus producing gas as required and maintaining inside the bell
the predetermined pressure necessary for the proper working of the generating
apparatus.
1000
ALFRED FOURNIEK, Barrister 6, Rue du Foin, Paris, France, do heroby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manuer the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention consists of an acetylene gas producer which, while more
particularly applicable for supplying a single lamp or a small number of burners,
is nevertheless capable of being used either for domestic or industrial purposes,
and can be employed with advantage in lighting private dwellings, chateaux,
factories, and other edifices.
In accordance with my invention, the carbide of calcium, in a pulverulent or
granular state, is placed in a box forming part of and placed within a gasometer
bell; the box is closed at the top and is provided, at the bottom, with a valve
which is actuated by the movement of the bell itself, and automatically causes a
quantity of the carbide to fall from the box into a vessel containing water in which
the said bell floats, thus producing gas as required, and maintaining inside the bell

page_text: the predetermined pressure necessary for the proper working of the generating
apparatus.
Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of my improved apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a modification thereof.
Fig. 3 is a like sectional elevation showing further improvements upon the
construction shown in Fig. 1.
The apparatus is substantially composed of a water vessel a in which floats a
gasometer bell b guided, in its up and down movements, by rollers c running
against rails d fastened to the inner wall of the vessel a. Within the vessel a and
concentrically thereto is arranged a holder e containing water, an annular space
being left between e and a in which floats the bell b. In the middle of the dome
or cover of the bell b is arranged, above the holder e, a box f preferably of
cylindroconical shape, closed at the top, and provided at the bottom with an
opening g closed by a conical valve A secured upon a vertical rod which carries a
weight at its lower end. The length of the said rod is so regulated that as,
owing to the consumption taking place, the pressure of the gas within the bell
falls below the desired pressure whereby the bell will descend with the box f, the
lower end of the rod i shall abut against the bottom of the vessel e. The result is
that the rod i is stopped together with the conus h and that as the bell continues
to descend, it will cause the aperture g to be opened and thus allow a quantity of
the carbide contained in f to fall through. Such carbide falls into the vessel e and
its re-action upon the water therein contained gives rise to a production of
acetylene gas, whereupon the pressure will increase in the bell b and the latter will
rise. The conus h again closes the aperture g until the pressure within the bell
falls sufficiently to cause the above described operation to take place again.
A valve & has connected to it a suitable pipe for leading the gas to the apparatus
for the consumption of the same.
The box can be and is preferably in communication with the inside of the bell b
by a branch pipe in order to ensure an equalisation of the pressure both in f
and in e.
A metal disk m may be placed inside the box f for the purpose of acting by its
own weight to cause the carbide to steadily drop from the said box as required
and act at the same time as a guide for the rod i passing centrally through the
same; but the said disk may be dispensed with. The weight of the bell b, box f
and its contents is so calculated that it shall counterbalance a pressure of say
10 centimeters of water at the time the rod i touches the bottom of the
vessel e.
The conical end of the box f terminates in a tubular portion n flaring downwards
at o.
For generators of large sizes, the apparatus can be supplied with water and bo
emptied without it being necessary to raise or to remove the bell b. The carbide
can likewise be charged into the box without it being necessary to remove the
latter and without any loss or waste of gas. For these purposes, the fresh water
can be supplied from a tank not shown, placed at a sufficiently high level to cause
the water pressure to exceed the gas pressure within the apparatus, the water
being conducted into the gasometer by means of a pipe not shown. An opening in
the lower portion of the vessel e, suitably closed in ordinary times serves for the
removal of the lime water. The apparatus might also be provided with a U shaped
pipe acting both as a level indicator and an overflow.
In Fig. 2, I have shown an arrangement in which the conus h, instead of causing
the aperture g to be opened upwardly, is caused to be opened downwardly. In this
arrangement, the rod instead of being fixed directly to the conus h, is jointed to
one end of a lever p pivoted at r on a bracket s fastened to the box and carrying
the conus h at its other end. When the bell b descends and the lower end of the
rod i strikes the bottom of the vessel e, the lever p is moved in the direction of the
arrow and causes the conus h to open the aperture g.
In Fig. 3, I have shown an apparatus embodying most of the elements comprised

page_text: in the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, but having incorporated therewith certain devices
additional thereto. The same letters of reference designate the same parts as those
shown in Fig. 1.
The box containing the carbide is connected by a pipe t to a feeding hopper u
containing a supply of carbide, a damper or other suitable valve v being fitted in
the pipe t. This arrangement enables the box f to be charged with carbide from
time to time without any material escape or waste of gas.
The operation of supplying fresh water to the apparatus can be effected by means
of a siphon w, which, at the same time, acts to some extent as a level indicator.
Onto the rod i and below the flared tubular portion n is fixed a conus x acting
to spread or distribute the carbide as it falls into the water.
Y
To the bottom of the vessel e is connected, by means of any suitable coupling
and a valve, a vat z into which the lime water is collected from time to time
without causing any interruption in the normal operation of the apparatus.
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. In an apparatus for generating acetylene gas acting at the same time as a
gasometer, the method consisting in utilising the pressure of the gas within a
bell 6 in equilibrium in a liquid for actuating, in accordance with the up and down
motion of the said bell due to the fluctuations of pressure, a vertical rod i connected
to a valve, plug or like device h, for the purpose of alternately opening and closing
an aperture g in the bottom of a box f containing granular or powdered carbide, all
substantially as herein before described and illustrated with reference to Fig. 1 of
the accompanying drawing.
2. The modified arrangement of mechanism for actuating the valve h, substantially
as hereinbefore, described and illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing.
3. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus for producing acetylene
gas, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Fig. 3 of the
accompanying drawing.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.