Improvements in Apparatus for Producing] Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing] Acetylene Gas.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Buckingham
Street, Strand. W.C., London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention a
communication to me from abroad by Franz Vörö of Selmeczbanya, in the King-
dom of Hungary, Notary, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for producing acetylene gas,
which is distinguished from the hitherto known apparatus by the simplicity of
its construction, and its equally good application for the purpose of small and large
supplies, but essentially by the manner of regulating the water admission and
consequently the gas production.
In most acetylene gas producing apparatus it has been tried to adapt the quantity
of the gas produced (that is the quantity of the admitted water to the calcium
carbide) to the consumption thereof in an automatical manner, in order to avoid an
over production and a consequently dangerous over charge of the gas receiver.
This purpose is attained in some constructions, as the production is interrupted
momentaneously when a certain quantity of gas has been collected, whilst the
production is again continued, as soon as the quantity of gas has been reduced to
a certain limit. The regulation of the production is therefor operated at intervals
and not in always equal manner in proportion to the consumption.
This circumstance causes from a practical point of view great inconveniences,
which are especially felt in installations for towns etc. To some extent this circum-
stance has been taken into consideration in those constructions in which the
calcium carbide (in baskets or in the form of cylindrical and similar bodies) is
immersed into water, and the amount of this immersion is made dependent upon
the position of the bell of the gasometer. It is however not taken into considera-
tion, that the calcium carbide which has become wet and is saturated, also when
it is taken out of the water, is still able to produce a considerable quantity of gas.
In the present invention the quantity of the water admitted is continuously
increasing or continuously decreasing, accordingly if the consumption increases or
decreases, that is to say, the admission of water is bound to no limit of the present
gas quantity. Also the apparatus used differs from the hitherto known apparatus
by the small number of its parts, as well as by the arrangement of the same.
On a support of any form there is fixed a cylindrical receiver in which there is
arranged a second receiver in such a manner, that between the two there is a free
annular space. Into this space filled with water the bell dips at the highest point
5 of which there is fixed in a suitable manner a rod which formed at its under part
as a toothed rod and passing through the bottom of the receiver is guided in a
middle tube provided with a stuffing box. On the support there are arranged
under the before said gas receiver two or more or possibly only one gas generator.
The latter consists in the known manner of a suitable horizontal cylinder which
0 is provided with a tightly closable door through which the carbide of calcium can

page_text: -
be introduced. In the interior of the gas generator there is arranged a distribut-
ing sieve of possibly large surface, through which the reaction water is introduced.
For this purpose a tube which is branched according to the number of the gas pro-
ducers and provided at each branch with a tap to be operated by hand, extends
from the receiver to the sieve. In the tube there is inserted a tap at a place before
the junction thereof on the prolonged key of which there is fixed a toothed wheel
engaging with the toothed rod. The outlet opening of the tap is formed in such
a manner that it requires a full revolution of the wheel in order to open the passage
to its fullest extent and close same again. The length of the toothed rod corre-
sponds to a determined length of the movement of the bell and is advantageously
measured in such a manner that at the engagement of the last tooth of the rod
with the toothed wheel the tap has completely closed the water admission, but the
bell can rise still so far and thus produce so much space, as it is necessary for the
_quantity of gas, which is produced by the water still being in the branches of the
tube. The admission of water is the largest when the bell is in its lowest position
and is diminished continuously from this moment. When the bell sinking from
its highest position, brings the first tooth of the rod into engagement with the
toothed wheel the size of the passage is the smallest, but it is increased from this
moment in proportion, as the bell sinks. The regulation is thus exclusively
dependant on the consumption and is operated by a so simple and purely mechanical
means (toothed rod and toothed wheel) to be provided outside the apparatus and
thus easily controllable that a safe working is secured.
In a form of construction there is arranged across over the gas producers a
horizontal cylinder shaped receiver, which is filled to about the half of its diameter
with water or other appropriate liquid. The tubes introducing the gas from the
producers project into this receiver from above downwards in such a manner that
their openings are lying under the water level. From the receiver a tube passes
into the gas receiver-bell from which the gas is conducted through a tube to the
consuming apparatus or to a purifying apparatus. The receiver effects a liquid
closure, which prevents the gas from returning from the bell into the generator
and also it is able to cool and to purify the gas.
The before described apparatus operates in the following manner:-
The receiver as well as the free space between the same and the receiver is filled
with water, the generators are provided with calcium carbide and the taps kept
closed in the stationary position of the apparatus are opened. As the bell is in its
lowest position and the automatic tap in the tube is thus entirely opened, the largest
quantity of water passes into the generators in which by the known chemical pro-
cess there is produced acetylene gas, which passes to the bell and begins to lift the
latter when the consumption is smaller than the production. The upward moving
toothed rod diminishes hereby by means of the toothed wheel the size of the
passage of the tap for the water, until the quantity of water arriving is so great,
that the production is equal to the momentaneous consumption. When the con-
sumption is increased, the surplus is taken from the bell and the latter sinks con-
sequently, the cross section of the passage of the tap is increased so far, that the
consumption is covered again entirely by the production. When the consumption 4
is diminished, the surplus of produced gas will remain again in the bell where-
upon the described operation is repeated.
As it can be understood the regulating device can be made very exact by using
a possibly large wheel with small teeth, so that for instance the lighting or
extinguishing a flame or burner group effects an automatical regulation. The 5
liquid receiver can of course be arranged in any other manner or entirely dispensed
with.
The before described apparatus is to be taken only as a practical example the
details of which can be altered according to necessity.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1808

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Buckingham
Street Strand, W.C., London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention a communication to me from abroad by Franz Vörös, Notary, of
Selmeczbánya, in the Kingdom of Hungary, 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 an improved apparatus for producing acetylene gas,
which is distinguished from the hitherto known apparatus by the simplicity of its
construction, and its equally good application for the purposes of small and large
supply, but essentially by the manner of regulating the water admission and con-
sequently the gas production.
In most acetylene gas producing apparatus of the known kind it has been tried
to adapt the quantity of the gas produced (that is, the quantity of the water
admitted to the calcium carbide) to the consumption thereof in an automatical
manner, in order to avoid an over production and a consequently dangerous over-
charge of the gas receiver. This purpose is attained in some constructions, as the
production is interrupted momentaneously when a certain quantity of gas has been
collected, whilst the production is again continued, as soon as the quantity of gas
has been reduced to a certain limit. The regulation of the production is therefore
operated at intervals and not in an always equal manner in proportion to the con-
sumption. This circumstance causes from a practical point of view great incon-
To some extent
veniences, which are especially felt in installations for towns etc.
this circumstance has been taken into consideration in those constructions, in
which the calcium carbide (in baskets or in the form of cylindrical and similar
bodies) is immersed into water, and the amount of this immersion is made dependent
upon the position of the bell of the gasometer. It is however not taken into con-
sideration, that the calcium carbide, which has been become wet and is saturated
also when it is taken out of the water, is still able to produce a considerable quantity
of gas.
In the present invention the quantity of the water admitted is continuously
increasing or continuously decreasing, accordingly if the consumption increases or
decreases, that is to say, the admission of water is bound to no limit of the present
gas quantity. Also the apparatus used differs from the hitherto known apparatus
by the small number of its parts, as well as by the arrangement of the same.
In the annexed drawing:-
Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections of the apparatus.
On a support S of any form there is fixed a cylindrical receiver L, in which there
is arranged a second receiver, G, in such a manner, that between the two there is
a free annular space. Into this space filled with water the bell I dips at the highest
point of which there is fixed in a suitable manner a rod C which formed at its
under part as a toothed rod and passing through the bottom of the receiver L is
guided in a central tube H provided with a stuffing box. On the support S there
are arranged under the before said gas receiver two or more or possibly only one gas
generator A. The latter consists in the known manner of a suitable horizontal
cylinder which is provided at one end with a tightly closable door T (Fig. 2)
through which the carbide of calcium can be introduced. In the interior of the
gas generator there is arranged a distributing sieve B of possibly large surface,
through which the reaction water is introduced. For this purpose a pipe F which
is branched according to the number of the gas producers A and provided at each

page_text: branch with a tap F to be operated by hand, extends from the receiver G to the
sieve B. In the pipe For a branch thereof there is inserted a tap or cock E on
the prolonged key of which there is fixed a toothed wheel engaging with the
toothed rod C. The outlet of the tap is constructed in such a manner that it
requires a complete revolution of the wheel D in order to gradually reduce or
close the opening from the full open position to the complete closed position. The
length of the toothed rod C corresponds to a determined length of movement of
the bell I and is advantageously measured in such a manner that at the engage-
ment of the last or lowest tooth of the rod C with the toothed wheel D the tap E
completely closes the water inlet but the bell I can still rise for a certain distance
so as to produce so much containing space as is necessary for the reception of the
quantity of gas, which is produced by the water still being in the branches of the
pipe after the complete closure of the cock. The admission of water is the
largest when the bell is in its lowest position and is diminished continuously from
this moment. When the bell, sinking from its highest position, brings the first
tooth of the rod C into engagement with the toothed wheel D, the size of the
passage is the smallest, but it is increased from this moment in proportion as the
bell sinks. The regulation is thus exclusively dependant on the consumption and
is operated by so simple and purely mechanical ineans (toothed rod and toothed
wheel) to be provided outside the apparatus and thus easily controlled, that a safe
working is secured.
In the represented form of construction there is arranged across over the gas
producers A a horizontal cylinder shaped receiver M, which is filled to about the half
of its diameter with water or other appropriate liquid. The tubes N introducing
the gas from the producers A project into the receiver from above downwards in
such a manner, that their openings are lying under the water level. From the
receiver M a tube ' passes into the gas receiver bell, from which the gas is con-
ducted through a tube l' to the consuming apparatus or to a purifying apparatus.
The receiver M effects a liquid closure, which prevents the gas from returning
from the bell into the generator A and also it is able to cool and to purify the
gas.
The before described apparatus operates in the following manner:-The
receiver G as well as the free space between the same and the receiver L is filled
with water, the generators A are provided with calcium carbide and the taps F
kept closed in the stationary position of the apparatus are opened. As the bell I
is in its lowest position and the automatic tap E in the tube F is thus entirely
opened, the largest quantity of water passes into the generators A in which, by
the known chemical process acetylene gas is produced, which passes through the
syphon tubes N, receiver M, and the tube 0 arranged under the floating bell I
and begins to lift the latter when the consumption is less than the production.
The upwardly moving toothed rod C diminishes hereby by means of the toothed
wheel D the size of the passage of the tap E until the quantity of water arriving
is such, that the production is equal to the then being consumption. When the
consumption is increased a greater quantity of gas is taken from the bell and the
latter sinks consequently the size of the passage of the tap E is so increased that
the consumption is again entirely supported by the production. When the con-
sumption is diminished the surplus of produced gas will remain again in the bell,
whereupon the described operation is repeated.
As it can be understood, the regulating device can be made very exact by using
a possibly large wheel C with small teeth, so that for instance the lighting or
extinguishing of a flame or burner group effects an automatical regulation of the
production. The liquid receiver M can of course also be arranged in any other
manner or entirely dispensed with, in which case between the generator and gas
receiver bell there is inserted a liquid closure of the usual kind and the gas can
be purified after having left the bell.
The before described apparatus is to be taken only as a practical example, the
details of which can be altered according to necessities.

page_text: nature 01
Having now particularly described and ascertained the
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
In an improved apparatus for producing acetylene gas the combination of a cock E
with the pipe F connecting the water receiver G with the generator A; on the
extended plug of which cock a toothed wheel D is fastened upon which a toothed
bar C of the gasometer bell I operates for the purpose of regulating the passage
way through the cock so that the diminishing of the water supply commences when
the gasometer bell commences to rise.