Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 17th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 17th May, 1898-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1898
I, FRANCOIS ANTOINE KIEFFER, of 109, Rue du Bac, Paris, France, Inventor,
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 acetylene gas generators and has for its object to pro-
vide for the automatic supply of the calcium carbide proportionately with the
consumption of the gas, the invention consisting essentially in the combination
with a container for the carbide carried by a bell or holder in which the gas
generated, of a cylindro-conical valve which is caused to be alternately opened and
closed so as to admit and cut off the supply of carbide.
is
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing
wherein Figure 1 shews a vertical section of the whole apparatus, Figure 2 a
vertical section of the valve connected with the float, and Figure 3 an underside
The same letters
plan of the carbide container in which the valve is mounted.
denote like parts in the three figures.
In the drawing is the bell or holder consisting of a bell or hollow cylinder
open at bottom and closed at top and inverted in an annular water seal between
double walls a and c of the tank. The bell is formed in one with the carbide con-
tainer f which is closed hermetically by a cover m and communicates with a second
supply vessel for the carbide from which the carbide may be transferred to
container while the apparatus is in operation. Around the outlet g of con-
tainer fare projections f¹ which support the tubular cylindro-conical valve h
which is weighted with shot and which is capable of sliding vertically within a
hood or tubular casing h¹ rising within the container f. The valve his connected
by means of a screw threaded rod i to an annular float k having a funnel-shaped
mouth leading to its central aperture. The tank has a hopper-shaped bottom,
as shewn, and communicates with a receptacle p provided with a discharge cock q.
Water is supplied to the tank from reservoir through pipe u under the control
of cock u and the gas generated in the apparatus passes away through a pipe s
Finto a purifier whence it is supplied to the service pipes for consumption.
The following is the action of the apparatus:-The containers fo having been
filled with carbide, water is admitted to the receptacle r and to the tank until

page_text: the desired level is reached, whereupon the cock u¹ is closed and the apparatus
commences to act. At this moment the bell is in its lowest position and the
float k in contact with the water so that the valve h is raised sufficiently to uncover
the orifice g of container f and allow a small quantity of carbide to drop into the
water through the funnel mouth k¹ of the annular float. Upon the carbide coming
in contact with the water, acetylene gas is generated the pressure of which raises
the bell together with the carbide container f which causes the valve h to close
the outlet g and thus cut off the supply of carbide. As the gas evolved in the bell
passes away during consumption the pressure in the bell is reduced and the bell
consequently falls together with the container f carried thereby. During this
downward movement of the bell the valve h again rises under the action of float k
so as to allow more carbide to drop into the water, when a fresh evolution of gas
takes place, the bell again rises and again closes the outlet g and so on, thus auto-
matically furnishing a supply of carbide proportionately to the consumption of
gas.
The cylindro-conical form of the valve presents the advantage of enabling it to
readily slide up and down within the hood h¹ (which is surrounded with the carbide)
and also prevents the clogging of the outlet of the carbide container, thus ensuring
the efficient working of the apparatus.
When the supply of carbide in container f is exhausted, the cock n is opened
to allow of a fresh supply being admitted from the upper container o to the
container f.
C
The lime which accumulates at the bottom of receptacle p may be removed
while the apparatus is in action by simply closing cock d and opening cock q.
When this has been effected cocks d and u¹ are opened and the saturated water
in vessel c is run off into receptacle 2 and replaced by a fresh supply from reser-
voir until the water has attained the desired level whereupon cock u¹ is closed.
It will be seen from the foregoing that the carbide is automatically fed to the
generator and that the apparatus may be both charged and cleaned out while
in use.
It is to be understood that the form, dimensions, and materials of which the
apparatus is made and details of construction may be varied without in any way
changing the principle of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
In a generator for acetylene gas the combination with the bell or holder in which
the gas is generated and the carbide container carried thereby, of a float-operated
valve being a cylindrical valve working within a stationary hood fixed within
the container and attached to an annular float, the said valve being adapted to
control the supply of carbide to the generator so as to render the supply of carbide
automatically dependent on the rate of consumption of the gas substantially as
specified.
Dated this 17th
C
1000