Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
We, THE ACETYLENE LIGHT SYNDICATE, LTD., Manufacturers, and JOHN GORE,
Engineer, both of Trowbridge, in the county of Wilts, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of acetylene gas, and to
that class of such apparatus having two generators designed to be successively
brought into operation and provided with means whereby after the contents of one
generator have been exhausted, the water will be caused to automatically enter the
other generator.
In apparatus of this kind as heretofore constructed, a series of cocks has been
provided for shutting off the water and gas from the exhausted generator to permit
the emptying and recharging of the same.
The object of this invention is to dispense with the use of this series of cocks
and to provide improved means for controlling the supply of water to the generator
in operation.
According to this invention we arrange in the water supply pipe a single cock
which serves to direct the water into one generator or the other as desired, the said
cock hereinafter referred to as the distributing cock having preferably a hollow
plug through which the water enters and a single opening at the side through
which the water leaves. The pipe between the said distributing cock and each
generator is formed with a dip or bend for containing water which acts as a seal to
prevent gas from the generator from entering the water supply pipe or passing from
one generator to the other.. A by-pass around the distributing cock connects the
water supply pipe of the two generators so that when one generator is full water
can flow into the other generator.
In order that the supply of water to the generator and the consequent generation
of gas may approximately correspond with the demand for gas a sliding gas holder
is arranged in conjunction with the generator and a valve which controls the water
supply is arranged to be operated by the gas holder when it falls to a certain level.
In practice we find it advantageous to operate the said valve through the medium
of a rod which extends up to the centre of the crown of the gas holder. The water
which flows through this valve may be supplied to it through a pipe from an
external water supply or the valve may admit water from the tank of the gas holder,
the lever and other parts of the valve being counterbalanced so that the amount of
work which the gas holder has to perform in operating the water supply valve is
reduced to a minimum.
The pipes through which the gas from the generator flows to the gas holder are
not continuous, a water trap being arranged into which the gas discharge pipes upon

page_text: the generators dip, the water forming a seal to prevent the gas from one generator
entering the other generator whilst being emptied and recharged.
Dated the 8th day of November 1897.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Acetylene Gas.
We, THE ACETYLENE LIGHT SYNDICATE, LTD., Manufacturers, and JOHN GORE,
Engineer, both of Trowbridge, in the County of Wilts, 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 apparatus for the manufacture of acetylene gas, and to
that class of such apparatus having two generators designed to be successively
brought into operation and provided with means whereby after the contents of
one generator have been exhausted, the water will be caused to automatically enter
the other generator.
In apparatus of this kind as heretofore constructed, a series of cocks has been
provided for shutting off the water and gas from the exhausted generator to permit
the emptying and recharging of the same.
The object of this invention is to dispense with the use of this series of cocks
aud to provide improved means for controlling the supply of water to the generator
in operation.
According to this invention we arrange in the water supply pipe a single cock
which serves to direct the water into one generator or the other as desired, the said
cock, hereinafter referred to as the distributing cock, having preferably a hollow
plug through which the water enters and a single opening at the side through
which the water leaves. The pipe between the said distributing cock and each
generator is formed with a dip or bend for containing water which acts as a seal to
prevent gas from the generator from entering the water supply pipe or passing from
one generator to the other. A. by-pass around the distributing cock connects the
water supply pipe of the two generators so that when one generator is full water
can flow into the other generator.
In order that the supply of water to the generator and the consequent generation
of gas may approximately correspond with the demand for gas a sliding gas holder
is arranged in conjunction with the generator and a valve which controls the water
supply is arranged to be operated by the gas holder when it falls to a certain
level.
In practice we find it advantageous to operate the said valve through the medium
of a rod which extends up to the centre of the crown of the gas holder, the lever
and other parts of the valve being counterbalanced so that the amount of work
which the gas holder has to perform in operating the water supply valve is reduced
to a minimum.
The pipes through which the gas from the generator flows to the gas holder are
not continuous, a water trap being arranged into which the gas discharge pipes
upon the generators dip.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing, which shews in end elevation the generator
and in vertical section the gas-holder arranged in conjunction with the said
generator.

page_text: , a¹ are the two generators, b is the water supply pipe and c, c are the pipes
for conveying the water from the pipe b to the said generators a, a¹ respectively.
d is the cock for directing the water into either of the generators as desired and
e is the by-pass around the said cock.
ff are the pipes through which the gas generated in the generators a, a²
respectively is discharged the said pipes at their lower ends dipping into water in
the closed chamber g which water forms a seal to prevent the gas from one
generator entering the other generator whilst being emptied and recharged. This
chamber g is connected by a pipe h with the interior of the gas-holder i and
provided with a funnel through which water may from time to time be introduced
into the said chamber g.
j is a valve which serves to control the flow of water through the pipe b to the
generators a, a¹; this valvej has a lever k the free end of which projects through
a slot in a vertical tube or pillar in the gas-holder which pillar has within it a
rod m having a cap or knob n at its upper end whilst its lower end presses upon the
lever kas indicated by the dotted lines in the drawing. o is a weight connected
by a cord passing over a pulley with the lever k and serving to counterbalance the
weight of the said lever and the rod m so that the latter do not by their weight
open the valve against the pressure of the spring thereof.
When the sliding section of the gas-holder reaches a certain downward position
it impinges against the cap n and so presses down the rod m and opens the valve j
to admit water into the generators.
The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described is as follows:-
Assume the parts to be in the position shewn in the drawing in which the sliding
section of the
gas-
s-holder is just commencing to open the valve j to admit water
through the pipe b and the cock d is in a position to place the generator a¹ in
communication with the said pipe. The water from the pipe ò which flows through
the cock d and the U-pipe c¹ into the generator a¹ causes the generation of gas in
a well known manner, which generation will continue, assuming the supply of
water is not cut off, until all the calcium carbide in the generator a¹ has been
exhausted. When the attendant is aware of this fact he should reverse the cock d
so that the water will then flow from the pipo b into the generator a and then
commence to recharge the generator a¹ the water in the syphon pipe c¹ preventing
the gas from the generator escaping through the said pipe. Should, however,
the attendant owing to inattention or other cause fail to reverse the cock & then
after a short interval the water will rise through the by-pass e and enter the
generator a.
As herein before stated when the sliding section of the gas-holder is low enough
to press upon the rod m the valve will be opened to admit water through the supply
pipe b; when, however, the consumption of gas is less than the quantity generated
and the gas-holder rises the valvej will be closed to shut off the supply of water
and remain so until the consumption causes the sliding section of the gas-holder
to fall and again open the valve. The water which flows past this valve may be
supplied through a pipe from an external water supply or the valve inay admit
water from the tank of the gas-holder; in the latter case it will be obvious that
the water level in the gas-holder must always be above the top of the by-pass e of
the generator.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the summe is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for the manufacture of acetylene gas the combination with the
generators and with a pipe for supplying water to the said generators, of a cock
for directing the water into either of the generators through suitable branch pipes
having dips or bends for containing water seals and a by-pass around the said
cock through which the water can flow, substantially as, and for the purpose,
described.

page_text: 2. In apparatus for generating acetylene gas the combination with the generators
of a gas-holder having a sliding section, a water supply pipe for the said generators
extending into the said gas-holder, a valve in the water pipe within the gas-holder
and a rod sliding in a suitable guide and extending up into the gas-holder so that
if will be operated to open the valve when the sliding section reaches a certain point
in its downward movement, substantially as described.
3. The improved apparatus for the manufacture of acetylene gas consisting of
the parts constructed and combined substantially in the manner herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing and operating as, and for
the purposes, set forth.
Dated the fith day of Santamber 1898
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.