Improvements in the Generation of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1900-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Generation of Acetylene Gas.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DARGUE, Electrical Engineer, of 57, Grey Street, in the
City and County of Newcastle on Tyne, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for the production of acetylene gas and to
the method of regulating the pressure and generation of gas in same and has
for its object to provide an apparatus of simple construction so arranged that
the generation of gas is automatically regulated by its own pressure in addition
to or independent of any regulations that may be effected by the aid of any
valve, wick, capilliary tube, cock or the like. The said apparatus is specially
applicable for cycle lamps, carriage lamps, table lamps and the like of a portable
nature although it may be employed with efficiency for generating large quanti-
ties of gas.
According to my invention I provide a casing or receptacle formed of or
divided into two compartments superposed or lineable which chambers are
adapted to contain respectively the carbide of calcium and the water supply for
decomposing the same." The upper compartment containing the water is provided
with a tube or tubes with or without any wick, cock, valve, capilliary device or
the like communicating with the carbide chamber, and rising for a suitable
height in the said water compartment, over this pipe a cap is placed having its
open end towards the bottom of the water compartment and of a sufficient
height from the same to allow of water flowing freely into and out of the said
cap. In apparatus where a valve is also used for regulating the water supply
to the carbide the valve spindle may be passed through the centre of the cap
and fixed to the same, the cap will thus be raised and lowered with the valve,
or the cap may be fastened down by any suitable device either to the bottom or
to the side of the water compartment, the valve spindle being passed through
same in any suitable manner, but the spindle in passing through must make a
gas tight joint. The chamber containing the carbide is in communication
with the burner, lamp, gas-holder or the like to be supplied with gas, by a
pipe or pipes of such dimensions or provided with a suitable burner or other
regulator so as to regulate the flow of gas therein to the desired quantity of
pressure. The carbide chamber or other part may be detachable for charging
purposes or suitable gas tight doors may be provided.
-
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The upper chamber is charged with water in any convenient manner from an
aperture in its top or side, the said aperture being always open. The carbide
of calcium is placed in the lower chamber referred to. The water passes under
the wherein it rises to and above the level of the tube or tubes communicating
cap
with the carbide chamber through which tube or tubes or the wick or the like
contained therein the water passes to the carbide chamber generating gas therein,
which gas passes out by discharge pipe to the burner or other destination;

page_text: when more gas is made than is being used part of it will rise through the water
feed pipe and passing into the cap acts upon and drives back some of the water
in the said cap until the level is lower than the upwardly projecting feed pipe,
the supply of water is therefore cut off until the pressure of gas is lowered,
the same action takes place if the burner or lamp is shut off, the rising pressure
lowering and sealing the water supply and any excessive increase of pressure
will only result in the gas blowing through into and out by the water reservoir.
As an alternative arrangement to the above, the cap may be placed in the
lower compartment containing the carbide of calcium-in this case the water
feed pipe must depend for a certain distance into the carbide compartment and
the cap will be fitted over the same having its open end towards the top of the
compartment.
The operation will be substantially the same as in the previous arrangement,
when more gas is being made than is being used, the pressure will drive back
the water in the cap into the water compartment, thus cutting off the supply
of water to the carbide.
In either of these arrangements the cap would preferably be " fixed" so as
to avoid being lost or thrown out of place, but it is not necessary for it to be
fixed, and in some instances a loose cap could more easily be used, as for
instance in adding this automatic arrangement to many forms of bicycle lamp
now in use, where a loose cap could be placed over the downwardly projecting
pipe of the water valve and having the closed end of the cap resting on the
bottom of the carbide compartment.
Dated 4. ท
1
Improvements in the Generation of Acetylene Gas.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DARGUE, Electrical Engineer, of 57, Grey Street, in the
City and County of Newcastle-on-Tyne, 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:―
My invention relates to apparatus for the production of acetylene gas and to
the method of regulating the pressure and generation of gas in same and has
for its object to provide an apparatus of simple construction so arranged that
the generation of gas is automatically regulated by its own pressure in addition
to or independent of any regulations that may be effected by the aid of any
valve, wick, capilliary tube, cock or the like.
The invention is specially applicable to cycle lamps, carriage lamps, table
lamps and the like of a portable nature, although it may be employed with
efficiency for generating large quantities of gas.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
which, by way of example, illustrate its application to a cycle lamp, Fig. 1
being a vertical central section of one arrangement, and Fig. 2 being a similar
view of another arrangement, only so much of the lamp being shown in this
figure as is necessary for elucidation.
I will refer to Fig. 1 first, and from it, it will be seen that, according to the
invention, I provide a casing or receptacle A formed of, or divided into two
superposed compartments or chambers a, a¹ which are adapted to contain respec-
tively the carbide of calcium and the water for decomposing it. This casing
may be variously constituted to obtain the compartments or chambers a, a

page_text: but I find it most convenient to adopt the construction shown, in which the
compartments are formed separately and joined together for use by screwing
ata, appropriate packing a³ being interposed to ensure tightness. Thus the
carbide chamber a can be readily detached for charging and so forth, though,"
of course, a suitable gas-tight door or doors may be furnished for the same pur-
poses. To fill the water chamber a¹ a hole is made in it, conveniently at the
top as represented, which is closed by a screw-plug a having a hole through
it so that the chamber is always open to the atmosphere.
The water chamber a¹ is provided with a tube B which is fixed to the bottom
thereof and communicates with the carbide chamber a, and it is arranged to
rise for a suitable height into the former, and preferably project well into the
latter, this end being reduced, or closed and perforated to give an even dis-
tribution of the water. Also this tube is preferably surrounded by a perforated
pipe b for preventing clogging by the carbide, the pipe being connected to a
perforated disc b₁ which supports it from the top of the chamber a, and further
avoids any chance of the gas outlet pipe from the chamber a being obstructed
by the carbide.
Over the end of the tube or pipe B projecting into the water chamber a¹ a
cap C is placed with its open end towards the bottom of the said chamber,
and at a sufficient height from same to allow of the water flowing freely into
and out of the cap.
The tube B and cap C may be employed with or without any wick, cock,
valve, capilliary device or the like for regulating the water supply to the carbide
chamber a,
and the mode of fixing or arranging the cap is decided by this. In
the figure a valve is exemplified consisting of a spindle I screwed through the
top of the chamber a¹ where it is furnished with an operating handle or knob d
and also passing through the cap C and into the tube B where its end is reduced
or otherwise adapted to control the outlet of the tube. The cap C may be fixed
to the spindle D in which event it will be raised and lowered therewith; or
it may be fastened down in any suitable way, either to the bottom or to the
side of the water chamber a¹, the joint between the cap and spindle being made
gas-tight by packing or otherwise.
When no valve such as D) is fitted, the cap C will be fastened down as just
explained; or it may be fixed to the tube, a hole or holes being provided in
it to permit the passage of the water; or it may be otherwise arranged.
E is the lamp burner which is connected to the chamber a by a pipe a³, which
may be fitted with a valve or cock for controlling the gas flow. This valve
or cock must be fitted when the valve D or its equivalent is not applied.
The operation is as follows:-
When the chambers a, are charged as explained, the water passes under
the cap C wherein it rises to, and above the level of the tube B and flows through
same (and through the regulating device therein when used) to the chamber a,
generating the gas which passes to the burner E by the pipe a³.
When more gas
is made than is being used, part of it rises through the pipe B and passes into
the cap C and there acts upon and drives back the water until the level is below
the top of the tube B, whereby the water supply to the chamber a is cut off,
and the generation ceases until the pressure of the gas is lowered, whereupon the
water flows again as explained and generation occurs.
The same action takes place if the supply of gas to the burner E is shut off
by the cock or valve on the pipe a, since the rising pressure of the gas stops
the water supply as described, and any excessive increase of pressure only results
in the gas blowing into and through the water chamber a¹, and out by the hole
in the plug a³.
I will now describe the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 2. In this figure
the same letters and numerals of reference are used as in the preceding descrip-
tion, which also applies to this figure, the only difference between the two
arrangements being that in the present one the cap C is reversed, and no valve

page_text: or other regulating device is employed in conjunction with it and the tube B,
though, of course, such may be combined.
As will be seen, the said tube projects nearly to the bottom of the chamber a
to which the cap C is appropriately secured with its open end towards the top
of the chamber. By this disposition there is no need to restrict the outlet of
the pipe B, for the inverted position of the cap C effects the required distribution
of the water.
Instead of the cap C being secured as just explained, it may be arranged as
described in regard to the first arrangement.
as to
The operation of this form of the apparatus is the same as the other.
In both arrangements the cap C is preferably fixed as described so
avoid being lost or thrown out of place, but fixing is not absolutely necessary,
and in some cases a loose cap may be more easily used, as for instance in apply-
ing the invention to that type of lamp having a downwardly projecting pipe in
connection with the water valve, the cap can be placed over the end of the pipe
with its closed end resting on the bottom of the carbide chamber, as will be
evident from Fig. 2.
Though I have only explained the use of one tube B, I wish it understood
that two or more tubes may be employed, each having a cap C, or one cap may
be common to all the tubes or there may be several caps a cap being common
to two or more tubes.
Further, though I have described the invention particularly in regard to a
cycle lamp, vet, as before stated and as will be quite apparent, it is equally
applicable to other apparatus, the application being the same in all cases, the
only differences being the size of the casing or receptacle A, the number of tubes B
and the destination of the pipe a³.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:--
1. In the generation of acetylene gas, causing the water for decomposing
the carbide to pass from the water chamber or compartment to the carbide chamber
or compartment through a tube fitted with a cap, or tubes each fitted with a
cap or with a cap common to all of them or with several caps a cap being common
to two or more of them, said cap or caps being so arranged that during ordinary
working the water passes into the cap or caps and thence to the carbide chamber
or compartment, but when more gas is made than is used, the gas enters the cap
or caps and displaces the water and cuts off the water supply to the said chamber
or compartment, substantially as set forth.
2. In apparatus for the generation of acetylene gas, the combination with
carbide and water chambers or compartments connected together by a tube or
tubes, of a cap or caps fitted over the tube or tubes through which cap or caps
the water normally passes to the carbide chamber, but from which it is expelled
to cut off the supply on more gas being made than is used, substantially as
described.
3. The combination of parts constituting the improved apparatus for the
generation of acetylene gas, all arranged, constructed and operating, substan-
tially as described in reference to the accompanying drawings.
1
1000
June 1000.
For the Applicant,
J. A. HARVEY,
Chartered Patent Agent,
3, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne.