Improvements in the Production of Acetylene Gas and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Acetylene Gas and in Apparatus
therefor.
I, ISIDORE NICOLAS VICTOR BABLON,' of 42, Rue-Boulard, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, "do hereby declare the nature of this 'invention to be as
follows:
My invention relates to apparatus for the production of acetylene gas by the
decomposition of carbide of calcium in water, the apparatus having for its object
to provide means whereby a definite relation is maintained between the quantity
of carbide introduced in the form of powder or in lumps into the water and the
quantity of gas consumed whatever be the number of burners in use and whatever
the composition of the carbide employed.
According to my invention the device for automatically controlling the carbide
distributer comprises a gas meter arranged on the pipe which connects the gas-
holder or gasometer of the apparatus with the 'burners and the fly-governor of
which meter rotates with a velocity always in accordance with the number of
burners employed, the said governor transmitting its nioveinent of rotation to the
carbide distributer through the inedium of a variable speed gear which is directly
controlled by the sliding cylinder or bell of the gasholder.,
In a modified construction of my invention the, carbide distributer is formed
of a smooth roller which is automatically controlled by a gas meter of small
capacity upon the feed pipe of which is arranged a valve which only allows the
quantity of gas necessary for supplying the number of burners corresponding to
the capacity of the meter to pass into the said meter any burners above this
number being fed or supplied by means of an auxiliary regulating apparatus. The
degree to which the outlet orifice for the carbide is opened is in this case regulated
by a valve controlled by the bell or sliding cylinder of the gasholder or gasometer.
In carrying out my invention the powdered carbide of calcium is stored in a
receptacle in the bottom of which there is arranged a screw the projecting threads
of which force the carbide, when the screw turns, towards an outlet orifice through
which it falls into water contained in a gas generator. The gas produced passes
through a tube into the sliding cylinder of the gasholder then through a second
tube to the gas meter through which it passes when the valve of a by-
pass to the meter is closed. The Howing gas then causes the fly in
the meter to revolve and finally issues through an
outlet pipe by
which it is conveyed to the different burners. The Hy of the meter serves as
a motor for the screw which it rotates through the medium of a variable speed gear
of suitable construction but preferably, forined of two cone pulleys connected
together by a belt and secured respectively on an extension of the spindle of the
meter and on the spindle of the screw which passes through a, stuffing box. The
belt is controlled by a movable fork which can adjust its position on the pulleys,
The movement of the fork is controlled by a cord to which it is suitably attached.

page_text: This cord, stretched by a counter-weight, is fixed at its other end to a pulley which
is formed in one with, or fixed to a second pulley rotated by the chain or cord to
which the sliding cylinder or bell of the gasholder is suspended and which is kept
taut by a counter-weight.
The diameter of the pulley to which the cord is attached is such that the fork
is moved to one extreme position when the sliding cylinder is just about to reach
its lowermost position and to the other extreme position when it is just about
to reach its uppermost position.
To start the apparatus the screw is turned by hand to cause the initial formation
of gas so as to raise the sliding cylinder after which the apparatus may be left
to itself. From this moment when a burner is turned on the meter fly will rotate
thereby causing the carbide to be fed forward and this feeding of the carbide will
take place the more quickly the more burners there are open, that is to say, the
faster the meter fly turns.
By reason of the variability in the composition of the carbide the ratio between
the gas produced and the gas consumed cannot be accurately arrived at and it
is for this purpose that I provide the variable speed gear arranged between the
meter and the distributing apparatus.
In practice I so construct my apparatus (1) that with the richest possible carbide,
the belt being in the position for rotating the screw at its lowest speed and only a
single burner turned on, the distribution of the carbide remains slightly below
what would be necessary for compensating for this minimum consumption and
(2) that with the poorest carbide which can be employed, the belt being in the
position for rotating the screw at its highest velocity and all the burners being
turned on, the distribution is a little above what would suffice for compensating
for this maximum consumption.
This has, as a result that, under the operation of the sliding cylinder, which
drops or rises according as the production of gas is below or above the consump-
tion the belt assumes automatically on the pulleys a position such that the dis-
tribution of the carbide is always in proportion to the consumption of gas.
I also advantageously provide means such as a pipe whereby the gas can freely
enter the upper part of the carbide receptacle to replace the carbide consumed.
On the said communication pipe I arrange a vessel containing a drying substance
designed to remove any water the gas may contain for the purpose of preventing
any partial decomposition of the carbide in the receptacle and also to prevent
any untimely production of gas, when the apparatus is not in operation by the
diffusion of water vapour towards the carbide.
When the apparatus is stopped the water vapour arising from the water in the
gas generator will decompose the carbide in the neighbourhood of the orifice
from the carbide receptacle which will cause a slow but continuous production
of gas. To prevent this I provide the said orifice with a plug or valve which can
be applied to the same in such a manner as to cut off all communication between
the gas generator and the carbide receptacle. The operation of this plug or valve
is effected by the sliding cylinder of the gasholder when it rises by acting on a
rod, attached to the plug or valve, by means of any suitable mechanism.
I may, in this arrangement, replace the distributing screw with horizontal axis.
for distributing the carbide in the form of powder by an inclined screw or a
horizontal axle, by a wheel, a drum with lateral checks or projections, an endless
band or by any other suitable device. I can also replace the meter for operating"
the carbide distributer either by an independent motor spring and clock work
or by mechanism directly actuated by the gasholder which then acts alternately
in rising and falling.
In the modification of my invention in order to dispense with the considerable
differences in speed of the meter when the number of burners employed is the
maximum or minimum I employ for automatically operating the feed device of
the carbide of calcium a gas meter of small capacity arranged for instance to feed
ten burners and I only pass through this meter the quantity of gas necessary for

page_text: reeding these 10 burners the surplus gas, for the feeding of the number of burners
comprised between ten and the maximum number required, passing through a
special apparatus the delivery of which is automatically regulated according to
the pressure of the gas in the main pipe. The low capacity meter will turn
sufficiently fast, even if there is only a single burner in use, to never produce in
the distribution of the carbide an interruption which is detrimental to the good
working of the apparatus. As this meter only regulates the quantity of carbide
to be projected into the water for generating the gas necessary for feeding a
number of burners varying from 1 to 10 I have arranged for increasing the feed
of the carbide to supply the burners above the 10th by means of a special device
formed of a valve operated by the sliding cylinder of the gasholder; this device
opens the outlet orifice for the carbide to a greater or less extent so that the drum
when rotating with its maximum velocity corresponding to ten burners can
receive a thicker layer of carbide.
This arrangement comprises a generator surmounted by the calcium carbide
receptacle or container, a cooler, a gasholder or gasometer, a meter and special
regulating apparatus.
The carbide distributer consists of a smooth drum movable in a casing and
arranged so that its periphery closes the opening in the bottom of the container.
The front end of the container is provided with an orifice which can be more or
less closed vertically by a valve operated by pinions acting upon racks fixed upon
the said valve.
The drum is rotated by the fly of the gas meter to which it is connected by a
spindle, and the pinions which operate the valve are actuated by a grooved pulley
which itself receives its movement from a cord attached to the sliding cylinder of
the gasholder. The valve is completely lowered a little before the sliding cylinder
reaches its highest position and it is completely opened a little before the said
sliding cylinder reaches its lowermost position.
The gas produced in the generator passes first into the cooler which is a closed
vessel partially filled with water and provided with a horizontal perforated
partition below which the inlet pipe for the gas opens. In rising and passing
through the perforations of this partition and into the layer of water in the cooler
the gas is cooled. It can then take three directions; a first pipe carries it to the
gasholder which regulates its pressure, a second pipe conveys it either by a branch
to the meter which it traverses or by a third pipe into a regulating apparatus from
which it escapes at the required time to be again united, in the main or common pipe
which feeds all the burners, to the gas which has passed through the meter.
The regulating apparatus is formed of a vessel completely closed and containing
a bell or sliding cylinder which dips or plunges into an annular space filled with
water. This sliding cylinder or bell is provided with a central pipe open at its
two ends and the lower open end of which can be applied upon a fixed cone when
the bell or sliding cylinder is lowered.
Upon the branch pipe there is arranged a valve the opening of which is regulated
according to the capacity of the meter. The regulating apparatus is arranged,
according to the pressure to be obtained in the main pipe in connection with the
burners, when charging its sliding cylinder in such a manner that as soon as the
pressure diminishes in this pipe the sliding cylinder is raised by the pressure in
the gasholder.
The opening of the valve is regulated by turning on the required number of
burners, ten for example, to which the meter corresponds and by slowly closing the
valve until the pressure in the main pipe reaches a predetermined pressure, that is
to say, until the bell or sliding cylinder commences to rise. The apparatus can
then be left to itself.
Each burner employed above the 10 burners causing the pressure to be
diminished in the main pipe the bell or sliding cylinder in the regulating apparatus
gradually rises so as to open the lower end of its central tube whereby all the
extra gas necessary for feeding the new burners will pass through the tube without

page_text: causing the meter spindle to rotate with more than its normal velocity which
corresponds to the supply of ten burners.
When there are only ten or less than ten burners in use the valve remains in
its lowermost position which corresponds to an opening sufficient for the quantity
of carbide necessary for the production of gas for the ten burners; then on the
successive addition of other burners above the ten first the pressure will become
lowered in the gasholder and the sliding cylinder or bell will drop and cause a
corresponding movement of the valve. This movement will widen the outlet
orifice for the carbide so that the drum, whilst retaining the same velocity of
rotation, will feed into the gas generator a larger quantity of carbide.
In combination with my apparatus I employ washers, driers, etc., which are
similar to those generally employed in the production of acetylene gas and which
therefore do not need description.
Dated the 10th day of November 1896
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Production of Acetylene Gas and in Apparatus
therefor.
I, ISIDORE NICOLAS VICTOR BABLON, of 42, Rue Boulard, Paris, in the Republic
of France, 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:―
My invention relates to apparatus for the production of acetylene gas by the
decomposition of calcium carbide in water into which the suitably ground carbide
is introduced by means of a rotating distributer operated mechanically by a gas-
meter through which passes the gas flowing to the consumption apparatus. My
apparatus is also provided with novel devices whereby the quantity of carbide
introduced into the water is constantly maintained exactly proportional to the
quantity of gas consumed whatever be the composition of the calcium carbide
employed.
According to my invention the carbide distributer is operated by a gas-meter
fitted to the supply pipe which extends from the gasometer of the apparatus to
the burners or consumption apparatus, the fly-governor of the said meter rotating
with a velocity always in accordance with the number of burners employed.
Between the meter shaft and that of the distributer, I arrange a variable speed
gear which is controlled by the bell or sliding cylinder of the gasometer or gas-
holder and which enables the variability in the composition of the carbide to be
taken into account and the exact proportion between the gas produced and the gas
consumed to be maintained.
In a modification of my invention the carbide distributer is directly operated
by a gas regulator. The speed of these two devices remains constant whatever
the quantity of gas consumed, but the proper proportion of carbide distributed
with respect to that of the gas consumed is ensured by a valve which regulates
the area of the outlet orifice for the carbide and is operated by the bell or sliding
cylinder of the gas-holder.
In another modification of my invention the rotating carbide distributer is
also directly operated by the meter, but upon the supply pipe extending from the
gas holder to the meter, I arrange a by-passage valve which is controlled by the
sliding cylinder of the gas-holder in such a manner that, when too large a supply

page_text: drops me
Passage
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of the gas passes through the meter, the speed of rotation of which is therefore
increased. By this means a constant ratio between the quantity of gas produced
and the quantity consumed is maintained.
In a further modified construction of my invention the calcium carbide dis-
tributer is also operated by the gas meter, but the connection between the shafts
of these two devices can be broken and the clutch device for making and break-
ing the connection is controlled by the sliding cylinder of the gas-holder in such
a manner that as soon as there is over production of gas, the shaft of the dis-
tributer is disengaged from the meter.
My apparatus is also provided with suitable safety devices.
In the accompanying drawings,-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of apparatus made according to my invention:
Figures 2 and 3 are a sectional elevation and a cross section respectively
of a modified construction of my apparatus.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a further modification of my invention:
Figure 5 is a view of a detail; and,
Figure 6 is a view illustrating another construction of the apparatus.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 1 the powdered carbide of calcium is
stored in a receptacle A. in the bottom of which there is arranged a screw B the
projecting threads of which force the carbide, when the screw turns, towards an
outlet orifice C through which it falls into water contained in a gas generator D.
The gas produced passes through a tube E into the sliding cylinder of the gas-
holder then through a second tube G to the gas-meter H through which it passes
when the valve of the by-pass T to the meter is closed. The flowing gas then
causes the fly in the meter to revolve and finally issues through an outlet pipe I
by which it is conveyed to the different burners. The fly of the meter serves as a
motor for the screw B which it rotates through the medium of variable speed
gear of suitable construction but preferably formed, as shewn of two cone pulleys J, L
connected together by a belt K and secured respectively on an extension of
the spindle or shaft of the meter and on the spindle of the screw B which passes
through a stuffing box i. The belt K is controlled by a movable fork m, n which
can adjust its position on the pulleys, that is to say can move it, from the position
indicated in full lines to that indicated in dotted lines at m', n' and vice versa.
It will be obvious that for the same velocity of the meter H the screw B will
rotate more quickly as the belt K approaches the position m², n¹. The movement
of the fork m, n is controlled by the cord M to which it is suitably attached at
the point r. This cord, stretched by a counter-weight attached to one end
thereof is fixed at its other end to a pulley N₁ which is formed in one with, or
fixed to a pulley N rotated by the chain or cord to which the sliding cylinder or
bell T of the gas-holder is suspended and which is kept taut by a counter-weight f.
The diameter of the pulley N to which the cord is attached is such that the fork
is moved to the extreme position indicated at m¹, n¹ when the sliding cylinder F
is just about to reach its lowermost position and to the extreme position indicated
at m, n when it is just about to reach its uppermost position.
To start the apparatus the screw B is turned by hand to effect the initial forma-
tion of gas so as to raise the sliding cylinder after which the apparatus may be
left to itself. From this moment, when a burner is, turned on the meter fly will
rotate, thereby causing the carbide to be fed forward and this feeding of tho
carbide will take place the more quickly the more burners there are open, that is
to say, the faster the meter turns.
By reason of the variability in the composition of the carbide the ratio between
the quantity of gas produced and the quantity consumed cannot be accurately

page_text: arrived at and it is for this reason that I provide the variable speed gear arranged
between the meter and the distributing apparatus.
In practice I so construct my apparatus (1) that with the richest possible carbide
the belt K being in the position m, n i.e. in the position for rotating the screw B
at its lowest speed and only a single burner being turned on, the distribution of
the carbide remains slightly below what would be necessary for compensating for
this minimum consumption and (2) that with the poorest carbide which can be
employed with the belt in the position for rotating the screw at its highest velocity
that is to say, in the position m', n' and with all the burners turned on, the
distribution is a little above what would suffice for compensating for this maximum
consumption.
This has as a result that, under the operation of the sliding cylinder F, which
drops or rises according as the production of gas is below or above the consumption
the belt Kassumes automatically on the pulleys J, L a position such that the
distribution of the carbide is always in proportion to the consumption of gas.
I also advantageously provide means such as a pipe e whereby the gas can freely
enter the upper part of the carbide receptacle A to replace the carbide consumed.
On the said communication pipe e I arrange a vessel P containing a drying sub-
stance designed to free the gas from any water it may contain for the purpose of
preventing the partial decomposition of the carbide in the receptacle A and also
to prevent any untimely production of gas, when the apparatus is not in operation,
by the diffusion of water vapour towards the carbide.
When the apparatus is stopped the water vapour arising from the water in the
gas generator will decompose the carbide in the neighbourhood of the orifice C
from the carbide receptacle A which will cause a slow but continuous production of
gas. To prevent this I provide the said orifice C with a plug or valve X which can
be applied to the same in such a manner as to cut off all communication between
the gas generator and the carbide receptacle The operation of this plug or valve X
is effected by the sliding cylinder of the gas-holder which, when it rises above
a certain point, acts on a rod attached to the plug or valve, by means of any
suitable mechanism not shewn in the drawing.
I may, in this arrangement, replace the distributing screw with horizontal axis
for distributing the carbide in the form of powder by an inclined screw, a wheel,
a drum with lateral cheeks or projections, an endless band or by any other suitable
device. I can also replace the meter for operating the carbide distributer either
by an independent motor, spring and clock work or by mechanism directly actuated
by the gas-holder which then acts alternately in rising and falling.
In the modification of my invention chewa in Figures 2 and 3, in order to dis-
pense with the considerable differences in speed of the meter when the number
of burners employed is the maximum and the minimum I employ, for automatically
operating the feed device of the carbide of calcium, a gas-meter of small capacity
arranged for instance to feed ten burners and I only pass through this meter the
quantity of gas necessary for feeding these 10 burners, the surplus gas, for the
feeding of the number of burners comprised between ten and the maximum number
required, passing through a special apparatus the delivery of which is auto-
matically regulated according to the pressure of the gas in the main supply pipe.
The low capacity meter will turn sufficiently fast, even if there is only a single
burner in use, to never produce in the distribution of the carbide an interruption
which is detrimental to the good working of the apparatus. As this meter only
regulates the quantity of carbide to be delivered into the water for generating the
gas necessary for feeding a number of burners varying from 1 to 10, I have
arranged, for increasing the feed of the carbide to supply the burners above the
10th by means of a special device formed of a valve operated by the sliding cylinder
of the gas-holder; this device opens the outlet orifice for the carbide to a greater
or less extent so that the drum when rotating with its maximum velocity corres-
ponding to ten burners can receive a thicker layer of carbide.

page_text: This arrangement (see Figures 2 and 3) comprises a generator a surmounted by
the calcium carbide receptacle or container b, a cooler c, a gas-holder or gasometer d,
a meter 9 and special regulating apparatus h.
The carbide distributer consists of a smooth drum t movable in a casing 6' and
arranged so that its periphery closes the opening in the bottom of the container b.
The front end of the container b is provided with an orifice which can be more or
less closed vertically by a valve operated by pinions engaging with racks
fixed upon the said valve.
The drum is rotated by the fly of the gas meter g to which it is connected by
a spindle t¹, and the pinions & which operate the valve are actuated by a grooved
pulley which itself receives its movement from a cord q¹ attached to the sliding
cylinder of the gas-holder d. The valve is completely lowered a little before the
sliding cylinder d' reaches its uppermost position and it is completely opened a little
before the said sliding cylinder reaches its lowermost position.
The gas produced in the generator a passes first through the tube o into the
cooler c which is a closed vessel partially filled with water and provided with a
horizontal perforated partition el below which the inlet pipe o for the gas opens.
In rising and passing through the perforations of this partition cl and into the
layer of water in the cooler the gas is cooled. It can then take three directions;
a pipes carries it to the gas-holder d which regulates its pressure and a pipe u
conveys it either by a branch to the meter which it traverses and leaves at v
or by a pipe y into the regulating apparatus h from which it escapes at the required
time through the pipe to be again united, in the main or cominon pipe Q which
feeds all the burners, to the gas which has passed through the meter.
The regulating apparatus his formed of a vessel completely closed and containing
a bell or sliding cylinder h¹ which dips or plunges into an annular space filled with
water. This sliding cylinder or bell is provided with a central pipe Wonen at its
two ends and the lower open end of which can be applied upon a fixed cone w
when the bell or sliding cylinder is lowered.
Upon the branch pipe u there is arranged a valve R the opening of which is
regulated according to the capacity of the meter. The regulating apparatus h
is arranged, according to the pressure to be obtained in the main pipe Q in connec-
tion with the burners, when charging its sliding cylinder h¹ in such a manner that
as soon as the pressure diminishes in this pipe Q the sliding cylinder is raised
by the pressure in the gas-holder.
The opening of the valve R is regulated by turning on the required number of
burners, ten for example, to which the meter corresponds and by slowly closing
the valve R until the pressure in the main pipe Q commences to get lower than a
predetermined pressure, that is to say, until the bell or sliding cylinder h' com-
mences to rise. The apparatus can then be left to itself.
As each burner employed above the 10 burners causes the pressure to
be diminished in the main pipe Q the bell or sliding cylinder h¹ in the regulating
apparatus gradually rises so as to open the lower end of its central tube w whereby
all the extra gas necessary for feeding the new burners will pass through the tube
without causing the meter spindle to rotate with more than its normal velocity
which velocity corresponds to the supply of ten burners.
When there are only ten or less than ten burners in use the valve remains in its
lowermost position which corresponds to an opening sufficient for the quantity of
carbide necessary for the production of gas for the ten burners; then on the succes-
sive addition of other burners above the ten first the pressure will become lowered
n the gas-holder d and the sliding cylinder or bell d will drop and cause a corre-
ponding movement of the valve 7. This movement will widen the outlet orifice
or the carbide so that the drum whilst retaining the same velocity of rotation,
vill feed into the gas generatora a larger quantity of carbide.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate another construction of my apparatus.
The carbide of calcium which has been suitably ground and placed in the store

page_text: receptacle 1 is introduced into the water in the gas-generator 2' through the dis-
tributing device 3 (Figure 5) when the latter is operated.
The gas produced in the gas-generator 2 flows, after having passed through the
cooler 4, through the pipes 5 and 6 to the meter 7 from which it issues by the
pipe 8 to pass to the burners through the pipe 9. But it can also partially or
wholly flow directly from the pipe 5 into the pipe 9 without passing through the
meter by flowing through the by-passage valves 10, 11, 12 the quantity flowing
through depending on the extent to which the valves are opened. The pipe 5
opens under the sliding cylinder 13 of the gas-holder which thus receives the
momentary surplus of gas or delivers the same as the case may be and at the same
time determines the pressure which is to exist at the inlet to the meter 7. A chain 14
supporting at one end the sliding cylinder 13 and at the other end a counter
weight.15 passes over a pulley 16, the axis of which coincides with that of the by-
passage valve 10 so that the said pulley 16 controls the movement of the valve.
When the bell drops below the mean position shewn in the figure, it causes the
valve 10 to close but if it rises above 'this mean position it gradually opens the said
valve and thereby provides a branch passage between the inlet and outlet of the
meter so as to reduce the velocity of rotation of the "meter and consequently to
diminish the amount of carbide introduced into the water and so prevent the over
production of gas.
The weight of carbide introduced into the water for each revolution of the meter
being determined by the construction of the méter in such a manner that even
with the poorest carbide which can be employed in practice the volume of gas pro-
duced is still slightly superior to the volume of gas delivered at each revolution
of the said meter, it will be understood that any increase in the richness of the
calcium carbide will cause the valve 10 to automatically open until the diminution
in speed of the carbide distributer thus brought about re-establishes equilibrium
between the 'weight of calcium carbide introduced into the water in a given time
and the actual richness of the carbide.
The safety devices completing my apparatus comprise floats 17 and 18 resting on
the water in the vessels 19 and 20 which are placed in communication, the latter
with the interior of the gas-generator and the former with the 'interior of the
gasometer 21. When the level of the water drops 'too 'low these floats drop and
operate, by means of the rods 22 and 23 and fingers 24, 25, the arms 26, 27 of the
by-passage valves 11 and 12 which they open and 'which are "afterwards closed by
the counter weights 28 and 29 when the level of the water is again brought to its
normal height.
The object of these devices is to partially or 'wholly cut off the distribution of
carbide into the gas generator as soon as the level of water has fallen 'below a certain
point in the gas generator or in the gas-holder. If there is too small a quantity of
water in the gas generator it is not advisable to allow still more carbide to fall therein
as it would rapidly heat the apparatus; in the case where this lack of water is not
noticed in time the float 18 which drops in its vessel 20 simultaneously with the
water in the gas gonerator operates the cock 12 as described so that the gas from 'the
gas-holder then escapes into the pipe 9 and, as 'no more gas 'passes through
the meter, the distribution of the carbide is stopped.
Similarly if, as a result of the evaporation which is constantly taking place, it
should happen that there is not sufficient water in the gasóinéter to make the joint
when the bell or sliding cylinder is 'in its highest position gas will escape. To
prevent this occurring when the water level falls below a predetermined point the
float 17, which falls in its vessel 19 simultaneously as the water in 'the gasometer
evaporates, 'opens the cock 11 as above described so that 'the gas thus escapes into
the pipe 9 and no longer passes to the meter whereby the distribution of carbide is
stopped.
Figure 6 shews a further modification of my invention. The operation of the
shaft of 'the carbide distributer by the 'meter shaft is automatically controlled by

page_text: the sliding cylinder of the gas-holder as it..es and falls. The sleeve 31 slides'
longitudinally upon the shaft 30 of the carbide distributer, which shaft is sufficiently
extended therefor, the said sleeve 31 being, however, caused to participate in the
rotation of the said shaft by means of a key. A spring 32 which bears against the
disc 33 keyed to the shaft of the distributer presses the sleeve 31 against the friction
diso 40 keyed upon the meter shaft so that the motion of the latter is communicated
to the, distributer shaft. A bell-crank lever pivoted at 34 when its horizontal
arm 35 is raised from its support 36 pulls the sleeve 31 away from the disc 40 by
means of its arm 37.
By a suitable arrangement not shewn in the drawing, the arm 35 is raised by the
sliding cylinder of the gas-holder when it rises above its mean position.
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. Apparatus for the production of acetylene gas wherein suitably ground
calcium carbide is introduced into water by means of a rotating distributer
mechanically operated by a gas-holder, the quantity of carbide distributed being
automatically regulated so that an exact proportion is maintained between the
quantity of gas produced and the quantity consumed whatever the richness of the
carbide employed substantially as described.
2. Apparatus of the kind described in claim 1 for the production of acetylene
gas wherein the calcium carbide distributer A is operated by a gas-meter H fitted
to the supply pipe G, I which extends from the gas-holder to the burners or con-
sumption apparatus and the fly-governor of which rotates with a velocity always in
proportion to the number of burners employed, the shaft of the meter and that of
the distributer being connected by variable speed gear consisting of two cones J. L,
the driving belt K of which is controlled by a fork fixed upon a cord secured to the
bell or sliding cylinder of the gas-holder and is held taut by a counter-weight
in such a manner that the speed of rotation of the distributer is at its minimum
when the sliding cylinder is about to reach its uppermost point and is at its
maximum when the cylinder is about to reach its lowermost point whereby the
quantity of calcium carbide introduced into the water is constantly regulated in
order that the quantity of gas produced shall be proportional to the quantity of
gas consumed, substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
3. Apparatus of the kind described in claim 1 for the production of acetylene gas
wherein the carbide distributer t is directly operated by a gas-meter-g, the speed
of rotation of the two devices being constant whatever the quantity of gas consumed
and the ratio between the quantity of carbide distributed and the amount of gas con-
sumed being ensured by a valve 7 which regulates the outlet orifice for the carbide
and is operated by the sliding cylinder of the gas-holder, substantially as described
and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4. Apparatus of the kind described in claim 1 for the production of acetylene gas
wherein the rotating calcium carbide distributer 3 is operated directly by the
gas-meter 7 and wherein a by-passage valve 10 fitted to the pipe extending from the
gas-holder to the meter is controlled by the sliding cylinder of the gas-holder in
such a manner that when over-production of gas takes place this valve causes the
gas to pass directly to consumption without passing through the meter, whereby
the speed of the latter is reduced, substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
5. Apparatus of the kind described in claim 1 for the production of acetylene gas
wherein the carbide distributer is operated by the gas-meter and wherein the shafts
of the two devices are connected by a friction clutch arrangement operated by the
sliding cylinder of the gas-holder in such a manner that as soon as over-production

page_text: of gas takes place, the shaft of the distributer is released from that of the meter,
substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of August 1897.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.