Year: 1898

page_text: GEORGE WILLIAM BENJAMIN CREES, Hilperton, Trowbridge, Wilts., Engiucer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
another
rise
tank inverted
water tank
At
or near
on
and either
to
at
An improved method for regulating the supply of water to the carbide of calcium
in the production of acetylene. I provide a lower tank for holding water, and
made
dimensions, and
of slightly smaller
and fall inside the water tank.
of the
the centre
water tank is a column or pipe standing vertically, and reaches slightly
above the edges of the water tank, this pipe or
column is open
the top, and is surrounded by the water in the water tank, a smaller
pipe connects this column with the carbide chambers which are situated at the
lower part of the
its inside or' outside,
its upper
a pipe leads from the inside of the column, passing over
the
edge into the water tank, and the end of this pipe whcih is in
column dips into a small bucket or receptacle, which is supported by a float rest-
ing on the surface of the water in the water tank the result is that once the
water is made to flow through the pipe leading from the water tank to the bucket
inside the column the apparatus will work automatically in the following manner.
The gas bell descending presses upon the float which descends taking the bucket
inside the column down with it, and as soon as the upper edge
of the bucket is below the surface of the water in the water tank, the water
will flow over the edge of the bucket, and pass into the carbide chamber, the
acetylene is conveyed by another pipe from the carbide chambers to the gas
holder causing it to ascend, and the float being released from the pressure of
the gas holder rises with it to the surface of the water bringing the bucket
with it, and immediately the edge of the bucket has reached the level of the
water on the outside of the column or pipe the water ceases to overflow until the
gas holder again descends, and compels the float and bucket to descend with it,
and by the action described supplies water in the correct quantities necessary for
the production of acetylene without waste.
I do not confine myself to the fixing of the column, float, and bucket inside
the water tank and gas holder, but the same may be arranged on the outside of
the apparatus, and to work with the action of the gasholder.
1. of Cantambor 1808

page_text: I, GEORGE WILLIAM BENJAMIN CREES, of Hilperton, Trowbridge, in the County
of Wilts., 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:-
This invention relates to an improved generator of acetylene, in which the gas
is generated by the action of water upon calcium carbide. The apparatus is
automatic in its action and regulates itself with great nicety, being at the same
time simple and effective, and easily understood by anyone using same.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood, I have attached
hereto a sheet of drawings, on which
Figure 1 shows a vertical section of my apparatus, and
Figure 2 shows an outside perspective view of same, the upper portion of the gas
bell and tank being broken away in order to show the interior, and the carbide
cover removed, showing the carbide tray partly withdrawn.
Figure 3 shows a suitable funnel for starting the apparatus as hereinafter
described.
In carrying out my invention, I take a cylindrical or other conveniently shaped
tank or receptacle A, capable of holding water and which may stand on legs or
not as desired, and fitting loosely within this tank is a bell or inverted cylinder B.
Lying horizontally within the bottom of said tank A, I may provide a watertight
chamber C, the open end projecting through the side of the tank A. Said chamber
contains a removable tray or box D) divided into compartments by partitions
such as E for reception of the carbide. Rising vertically within the tank A is
a hollow column or pipe F (which may be conveniently mounted upon the
chamber C), closed at its lower.end and open at the top. Said column is slightly
higher than the edge of the tank A, and is surrounded by the water in the latter
which is incapable of entering the column by direct means. A pipe G leads from
column F (preferably at or near the middle) to the carbide chamber C, an inter-
cepting cock H being also provided. Said carbide chamber need not necessarily
he within the water tank but may be placed upon the outside or anywhere below
the level of same.
The water is introduced automatically as required into the column F by
means of a syphon or bent tube J, one member of which may open into the tank
and the other member project downwardly into the column F (the tube of the
syphon bending over the top edge of the same) dipping into a movable bucket K
within the column, the object of which is to receive the flow of water from the
syphon and to regulate or arrest the same as may be required. Said bucket K
is supported by a float L resting normally on the surface of the water in the
water tank, and capable of rising or falling around the outside of the column F,
and I may connect the bucket to the float by a rod M extending upwardly from
the inside of the bucket to a short distance above same, where it may be secured
to a dome or the like N, surmounting the float L. Said dome N may be cut
away at the sides or top as shown.
The outside of tank A may be furnished with a deep spout or funnel O extending
from the top edge to about half the depth of the tank, and at the bottom of said
funnel is an orifice P giving free communication with the tank A.
The member of the syphon J lying without the column F is preferably con-

page_text: nected up with the bottom of the funnel 0 (instead of opening direct into the
water tank) by a connecting pipe J' furnished with a cock Q.
For conducting the gas away from the generating or carbide chamber C into
the gas holder or bell cylinder B, I employ a pipe R rising from the top of the
chamber Cup to the level of the top of the water tank (or slightly higher) and
then bend same down in the reverse direction for a short distance.
The gas may be led away from the gas bell B by a pipe S open at the top, which
is higher than the water level and connected with a suitable service cock and
union T fitted to the outside of the apparatus, as shown in Figure 2. The
bottom of the service pipe S is necessarily shown broken away in the sectional
Figure 1.
The gas, bell B forms a water seal within the tank A. I employ guide rods U.
fixed to the outside of the water tank over which slide eyeletted lugs V carried
by the bell B, and I may or may not provide balance weights as may be found
more convenient.
The carbide or generating chamber C is provided with a removable cover W,
the same being planed and flanged or otherwise prepared to ensure a gas tight
joint, and secured by studs and fly nuts X and Y. The carbide
tray is trough shaped, and contains cross partitions E, and a perforated
longitudinal partition Z forming a double wall along one side of the tray, whereby
the water which falls through the tap H into the first compartment may be
quickly and almost simultaneously conveyed along the whole of the tray. A
handle D may be provided for withdrawing said tray for purposes of emptying
and refilling.
The action of my invention is as follows. The tank A may be filled with
water to within a short distance of the top of same, which may be done by
pouring water into the funnel O, allowing it to flow through the hole or orifice 1,
(or direct into the tank, the gas bell being removed for this purpose) the cock Q
being meanwhile open or closed. The syphon must now be started, after
which the apparatus will work quite automatically as long as sufficient carbide
and water remains. As will be seen from the drawings, the highest part of
the syphon tube J is above the level of the edge of the tank A, so that it will
be necessary to force the water over said highest part before obtaining the required
flow through the pipe J. This may be done by any suitable method, such as
by a special funnel-Figure 3-inserted down the funnel 0 into the entrance of
cock Q, its top edge being higher than the edge of the water tank. Upon water
being now poured into said special funnel, it will rise to a level higher than the
bend of the syphon tube J, whereupon the syphon action is immediately set
up, and the apparatus will work automatically as follows. The gas bell B bearing
on the float I will descend with the latter, taking the bucket K inside the
column down with it, and as soon as the water in the bucket is below the level
of the water in the tank, it will flow through pipe J into the bucket K, over-
flowing the sides of the latter into the column or tube F, until the water in said
column or tube reaches the outlet into pipe G. The water then runs through
pipe G into the carbide chamber and on to the carbide in the tray D.
generated gas then passes up pipe R into the gas bell B causing the
latter to ascend. The float L, relieved of the pressure of the bell, rises to the sur-
face of the water, bringing the bucket K with it, and as soon as the upper edge
of the bucket K is above the level of the water in the tank A, the water ceases
flowing, or returns through the syphon until the level is established. In pro-
portion as the gas is withdrawn for use, the gas bell descends, taking the float
and bucket with it, until the level of the water in the bucket is again below
that of the water in the tank A, when the water may again fill up and overflow
the bucket, passing into carbide chamber through pipe G, the gas bell as it rises
again stopping the supply of water to the carbide. By this action, water is
supplied to the carbide in exactly the required quantities without waste of gas.
T'ho

page_text: 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 a generator of acetylene, a device for regulating the supply of water
to the carbide.consisting of a syphon working in combination with a bucket and
float substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. The hereinbefore described generator of acetylene, substantially as described.