Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generating Apparatus.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 14th Aug., 1900--Accepted, 6th Oct.,
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generating Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM Ross, of No. 1566, Ontario Street, in the City of Montreal,
District of Montreal, and Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates particularly to the manufacture of acetylene gas and it
has for its object to supply absolutely pure gas to the consumer; to enable all
the air that may happen to gather in the apparatus to be exhausted before any
gas can flow; to provide an automatic feed of the calcium-carbide as the gas-
generative power of the supply in the apparatus diminishes, to provide a gas
holder (forming an integral part of the apparatus) that will be capable of
containing a comparatively large supply of gas, thus necessitating a long seal,
and at the same time enable the gas when generated to pass through and free
itself only from that amount of water necessary to its generation, to provide an
apparatus that can be carried from place to place without any danger of its
parts becoming disarranged, and to further improve the general construction
of this class of apparatus, as hereinafter set forth.
The cylindrical body portion of the apparatus has a pair of oppositely arranged
truncated cones, connected at their bases to the bottom edge thereof 'and form-
ing the generating, or decomposing, chamber.
Openings are cut through the cylindrical body portion and the upper cone,
and the edges of the said openings are connected by a diaphragm, forming a
passage. A chamber, constituting a chute, is formed on the exterior of the
body portion and has an opening, corresponding to the before mentioned open-
ings cut in its side, to receive a drawer, to slide into the passage, the said
drawer having its inner end formed of wire mesh, or the like, to close the open
end of the cone, and act as a false bottom to the generating, or decomposing,
chamber.
This drawer carries the specific quantity of calcium-carbide being used at any
one time; and the passage serves as a port through which the chamber can be
supplied with water.
A gas conducting pipe is connected to, and leads from, the truncated apex
of the upper cone, to a point on a level with the upper end of the cylindrical
body portion.
A cylindrical section constituting a well to receive the residue, and having a
conical bottom, is secured to the lower cone, and the bottom of this well is pro-
vided with a draw off pipe furnished with a piston to enable it to be cleared
in case it becomes clogged.
A dome, or gas holder, about equal in length to, and slightly less in diameter
than, the cylindrical body portion is situated within the said body portion, a
water seal, serving to retain the gas fed to the interior thereof.
It is a well known fact that acetylene gas is much more buoyant than air and
also that the greatest difficulty has been experienced in trying to prevent

page_text: the collection of air in the gas chamber. I completely overcome this difficulty
by causing the first flow from the gas chamber to be the air that may have
collected therein, and this I accomplish by means adapted to automatically
adjust itself to always draw from the lowermost point of the gas chamber.
To this end, I provide a float adapted to rest upon the surface of the water
seal, which constitutes the bottom of the gas chamber, and this float constantly
suspends the lower end of the flow pipe, a short distance above the said water
seal.
This float consists of a plate having three small air chambers formed on its
underside the said plate being slotted to accommodate the gas conductor, and
perforated so as to provide an opening from the gas chamber to the lower end
of a short stand pipe, connected to the edge of such perforation.
The main length of the flow pipe extends from a point within the gas chamber
downwardly through the seal and out of the body portion of the apparatus,
the upper end of this length being connected to the short stand pipe by an
intermediate length of pipe the connections being made by any suitable universal
joints, thus enabling the float to fall and rise with the water seal as the water
evaporates and is replenished, and at the same time causing the gas to be drawn
constantly from the lowermost part of the gas chamber.
The safety blow off pipe leads from a point above the water level in the gas
chamber downward to a sealing chamber, while a branch, leads from the lower
portion of the main length of this pipe, upwardly to communicate with the
open air, the upper end thereof being enclosed in a chamber which is formed
on the inside of the dome and which communicates with the gas chamber when
the dome rises to an excessive height. A second blow off pipe leads from the
interior of the generating chamber to a point, say about 6 inches, below the
surface of the water in the aforesaid sealing chamber. The object in providing
this sealing chamber, and of the second blow-off pipe, is to ensure the relief of
the generating chamber, from excessive pressure such as would result if the
valve for controlling the first mentioned gas controlling pipe failed to act.
The calcium carbide is automatically fed to the chute by the following means:
The chute has a lateral extension, communicating with an opening in the
bottom of a feed box, and normally divided from the said main chute, by a flap
door, the function of which is to prevent the escape of gas to the feed box and
thence to the exterior of the apparatus.
This feed box is provided with a cover, and has rotatably mounted therein
a circular tray provided with a series of radial compartments, each provided
with a door, at bottom, which is held closed by a spring catch in the form of a
crank. A bow spring bears upon an arm on the said crank, whereby the lower
arm of the crank is normally held yieldingly beneath the door. The tray is
mounted rigidly upon the upper end of a pin, rotatably supported by a bracket,
and projecting through a vertical rigid sleeve, ball bearings being provided to
reduce the friction between the said pin and the sleeve and bracket.
This tray is rotated by the fall of the dome, by means of gear wheels rigidly
mounted respectively upon the pin below the feed box and upon one end of a
horizontal spindle, supported also in the said bracket upon the other end whereof
a ratchet wheel is rigidly mounted.
A pawl, to engage and rotate this ratchet wheel in one direction (that
necessary to impart an intermittent rotary movement to the tray) is fulcrumed
to a bracket arm secured rigidly upon the dome.
The carbide tray in rotating causes the cranks, for keeping the doors closed,
to consecutively trip upon a stop secured rigidly within the box, thereby turning
the crank and releasing the door it supports and precipitating the contents of
the compartment into the chute and thence to the lower end of the drawer
within the generating chamber.
In order to automatically close each door, after the contents of its compart-
ment has been precipitated into the generating chamber I fulcrum a forked

page_text: lever within the feed box with its weighted prongs straddling the central sleeve
and with its outer end projecting beneath and bearing upon each door as it
comes over the upper end of the chute, the fork being of just sufficient weight
to overcome that of the door, but not sufficient to prevent its fall when sup-
porting its load of carbide, if released by the crank catch.
The first mentioned gas conducting pipe has a casting secured thereto, formed
with a circular recess, which constitutes the seat for a vertically moveable bell-
valve, guided in its movement by a stem guided in a bracket provided in the
said casting.
When the generation of gas in the generating chamber ceases and the pres-
sure in the said chamber is less than that in the gas chamber, the bell valve
will automatically close the passage through the said pipe.
I have found that the large mass of water necessitated by the foregoing con-
struction not only interferes with the portability of the apparatus but also
necessitates that the apparatus be constructed of exceeding strong and heavy
material. In order to obviate this defect I provide a core in the form of a hollow
cylindrical drum, having a longitudinal central opening of sufficiently greater
diameter than the gas conducting pipe to allow a space the said core being
supported upon legs, connected at their bottom ends to the upper side of the
upper cone.
This core serves the double purpose of displacing an unrequired mass of
water and with it an undesirable weight, and of enabling the gas to be cooled,
this latter being effected by passing both the gas conductor and the main portion
of the flow pipe, through the body of water in the gas holder, which being
divided from the body of water in the decomposing chamber is therefore not
subject to the heat induced by the decomposition of the carbide.
Dated this 15th day of November 1899.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincolns Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Acetylene Gas Generating Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM Ross, of No. 1566, Ontario Street, in the City of Montreal,
District of Montreal, and Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Mechanical
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 particularly to the manufacture of acetylene gas, and
it has for its object to supply absolutely pure gas to the consumer; to enable
all the air that may happen to gather in the apparatus to be exhausted before
any gas can flow: to provide improved automatic feed of the calcium-carbida
as the gas generative power of the supply in the apparatus diminishes; to pro-
vide a gas holder that will be capable of containing a comparatively large supply
of gas, thus necessitating a long seal, and at the same time enable the gas
when generated to pass through and free itself. only from that amount of water
necessary to its generation; to provide an apparatus that may be carried from.
place to place without any danger of its parts becoming disarranged, and to
further improve the general construction of this class of apparatus, as will be
hereinafter clearly set forth.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings

page_text: forming a part of this specification, in which drawings like symbols indicate
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of an apparatus constructed
according to my invention with the feed device shown in section.
Fig. 2 is a plan of my apparatus with the top of the gas holder broken away
and the top of the feed device removed;
Fig. 3 a vertical section of the apparatus;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the check valve for the upper end of
the gas conducting pipe k
Fig. 5 a plan view of the same.
Figs. 6 and are detail views of a trip device for supporting the bottoms
of the rotatable carbide chambers;
Fig. S is a side view of the bracket 19.
Fig. 9 is a section, taken on line 9-9 Fig. 2, of the float
7".
a is a cylindrical body portion having a pair of oppositely arranged trun-
cated cones, b and c, connected at their bases to the bottom edge thereof, and
forming the generating or decomposing chamber d.
Openings are cut through the cylindrical body portion and the upper cone b
the said openings being connected by a diaphragm e thus forming a passage f.
A chamber g, constituting a chute, is formed on the exterior of the body
portion a and has an opening, corresponding to the before mentioned openings
eut in its side, to receive a drawer h, to slide into the passage f, the said drawer
having its inner end i formed of reticulated material such as wire mesh, or the
like, to cover the lower open end of the cone, c, and constitute a perforated
bottom to the generating or decomposing chamber d.
This drawer carries the specific quantity of calcium-carbide to be used at any
one time, and the passage ƒ serves as a port through which the chamber d can
be supplied with water.
kis the gas conducting pipe which leads from the truncated apex of the
cone b, to which it is connected, to a point level or nearly level with the upper
end of the cylindrical body portion a.
Beneath the cone e is a cylindrical chamber j constituting a well to receive
the residue, the said chamber or well having a conical bottom provided with a
draw-off pipe furnished with a piston m to enable it to be cleared in case it
becomes obstructed.
Arranged to rise and fall within the body a is a dome or gas holder n the said
dome being about equal in length to, and slightly less in diameter than the
cylindrical body portion, the gas fed to the interior thereof being retained by
a water seal o.
Guide eyes are secured on diametrically opposite sides of the top of this
domen through which eyes pass guide rods n² secured to the cylindrical body a
and braced together at their upper ends by a cross rod n³.
These rods, and eyes n', serve to maintain the dome n, and cylindrical body
portion a, in their proper relative position to one another.
It is a well known fact that acetylene gas is much more buoyant than air and
also that great difficulty has hitherto been experienced in trying to prevent
the collection of air in the gas chamber. This difficulty is overcome according
to my invention by providing means whereby air that may have collected in
the gas chamber is caused to escape from the lowermost point of the gas
chamber.
To this end, I provide a float adapted to rest upon the surface of the water
seal o, which constitutes the bottom of the gas chamber p, and this float con-
stantly maintains the upper end of a flow pipe inside the gas chamber at a
short distance above the said water seal.
This float consists of a plate q, having three small air chambers formed on
its underside the said plate being slotted, as at s Fig. 2 to accommodate the gas
conducting pipe k, and is perforated as at t Fig. 9 so as to provide an opening

page_text: from the gas chamber to the lower end of a short stand pipe, u, connected to
the edge of the said perforation, t, Fig. 9.
The flow-pipe extends downwardly from a point within the gas chamber
through the seal and out of the body portion of the apparatus as at w, the upper
end of the said pipe within the gas chamber being connected to the short
stand pipe u, by an intermediate length of pipe y connected to each by any
well known or suitable form of universal joints such as indicated at 2, thus
enabling the float to fall and rise with the water seal o, as it evaporates and is
replenished, and at the same time to cause the gas to be drawn constantly from
the lowermost point in the gas chamber.
3 is a safety blow off pipe, extending downwards from a point above the water
level in the gas chamber to a sealing chamber 4 while a branch 5 from the lower
portion of this pipe 3 communicates with the open air. The upper end of the
pipe 3 is enclosed in a chamber 6 which communicates with the gas chamber p
when the dome n rises to an excessive height. A blow-off pipe 7 leads from the
interior of the generating chamber d to say about 6 inches below the surface
of the water in the sealing chamber 4. The object in providing this sealing
chamber 4 and pipe 7 is to ensure the relief of the generating chamber d from
excessive pressure which would be liable to occur if the valve 33 (to be herein-
after described) failed to act.
The calcium carbide is automatically fed to the chute g, which has a lateral
extension 8 communicating with an opening in the bottom of a circular feed
box 9, and normally divided from the said main chute g by a flap door 10, the
function whereof is to prevent the escape of gas to the feed box and thence to
the apartment in which the apparatus may happen to be arranged.
This feed box is provided with a cover 12 and has rotatably mounted therein
a circular tray provided with a series of radial compartments 13, each having
a door 14 in its bottom held closed by a spring latch in the form of a crank 15.
A bow spring 16 bears upon an arm 17 formed in one with the said crank
whereby, the lower arm of the crank is normally held yieldingly beneath the
door. The tray is mounted rigidly on the upper end of a pin 18 rotatably
supported by a bracket 19, and projecting through a vertical rigid sleeve 20,
ball bearings 21 and 22 being provided to reduce the friction between the said
pin and the interior of the sleeve and bracket.
This tray is caused to rotate by the descent of the domen, and a pair of mitre
gears 23 and 24, rigidly mounted respectively upon the pin 18 below the feed
box and upon one end of a horizontal spindle, projecting from the bracket 19,
upon the other end of which spindle is rigidly mounted a ratchet wheel 25,
with which a pawl 26, carried by the dome n engages and rotate this ratchet
wheel in one direction and imparts an intermittent rotary movement to the tray.
The pawl 26 is fulcrumed to a bracket arm 27, secured rigidly to the dome n.
The carbide tray in rotating causes the cranks for keeping the doors closed,
to consecutively trip upon a stop 29 within the box, thereby turning the crank
and releasing the door held thereby and precipitating the contents of its com-
partment into the chute S and thence to the lower end of the drawer h within
the generating chamber.
In order to automatically close each door after the contents of its compartment
has been discharged into the water, a forked lever 30 is fulerumed within the
feed box with its prongs straddling the central sleeve 20 and with its outer
end projecting beneath and bearing upon cach door as it comes over the upper
end of the chute 8, the fork end of the lever being of just sufficient weight to
overcome that of the door, but not sufficient to prevent its fall, when supporting
its charge of carbide, if released by the crank catch.
The gas conducting pipe has connected to its upper end a casting 31, pro-
vided with a circular recess 32, which constitutes the seat for a vertically movable
bell-valve 33, which valve is guided in its movement by a stem 34, passed
through a passage in a bracket 35 in the casting 31.

page_text: When the generation of gas in the chamber ceases and the pressure in the
said chamber is less than that in the gas chamber, the valve 33 will auto-
matically close.
In the body part there is arranged a core 50 in the form of a hollow cylin-
drical drum having therein a central opening 51 of sufficiently greater diameter
than the conductor pipe k to provide a free space between the said conductor
pipe and the inner wall of the said opening, the said core being supported upon
legs 52, connected at their bottom ends to the upper side of the cone b.
.
This core serves. the double purpose of displacing an unrequired mass of
water, and with it an undesirable weight, and of enabling the gas to be cooled,
this latter being effected by passing both the gas conductor pipe and the
main portion of the flow pipe, through the body of water in the gas holder,
which being divided from the body of water in the decomposing chamber is
therefore not subject to the heat induced by the decomposition of the carbide.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. An acetylene-gas generating apparatus comprising a generating chamber
containing water, and consisting of a pair of truncated cones situated one above
the other and connected together and hermetically sealed at their bases; a
lateral passage through which calcium carbide can be supplied to the water
in the said chamber; a gas conducting pipe connected at one end to the trun-
cated apex of the upper cone and means for discharging the contents of the
lower cone, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
2. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a generating chamber
containing water and consisting of a pair of truncated cones arranged one above
the other, and connected together and hermetically sealed at their bases; means
comprising an inclined lateral conducting passage and a horizontally arranged
travelling surface adapted to conduct predetermined quantities of calcium car
bide to the said conducting passage, for supplying calcium carbide to the water
in the said chamber; a gas conducting pipe connected at one end to the trun-
cated apex of the said upper cone; and means for discharging the contents of
the said lower cone substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
3. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body por-
tion, a generating chamber consisting of a pair of truncated cones connected
together, and to the lower end of the said body portion at their bases and con-
structed to contain a body of water; means for supplying calcium carbide to the
water in the said generating chamber; a dome of less diameter than and taking
into the said cylindrical body portion: a water seal in the said body portion
and sealing the lower end of the said dome; a gas conducting pipe connected at
its lower end to the truncated apex of the said upper cone and leading through
the said seal to a point above the surface thereof; a gas flow pipe extending
downwardly from a point above the water seal in the dome through the said seal
and out of the body portion; and a draw off pipe connected to the truncated
apex of the lower cone, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
4. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body por-
tion, a generating chamber consisting of a pair of truncated cones connected
together at their bases and to the lower end of the said body portion and con-
structed to contain a body of water: means comprising a horizontally arranged
travelling surface, having a series of partitions projecting at right angles thereto,
and a conducting-passage for supplying calcium carbide to the water in the said
generating chamber; a dome of less diameter than and taking into the said
cylindrical body portion; a water seal in the said body portion and sealing the
lower end of the said dome; a gas conducting pipe connected at its lower end
to the truncated apex of the said upper cone and leading through the said seal

page_text: to a point above the surface thereof, a gas flow pipe extending from a point
above the water seal in the dome downwardly through the said seal and out of
the body portion; and a draw-off pipe connected to the truncated apex of the
lower cone substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
5. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a generating chamber
a removeable perforated diaphragm extending transversely of the said chamber,
for supporting the calcium carbide, a lateral inclined opening or passage to
said chamber and means for removing the said perforated diaphragm through
such lateral opening substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. In an acetylene gas generating apparatus a generating chamber, having a
lateral inclined opening or passage, a drawer for containing calcium carbide,
and adapted to be slid into the said chamber through said passage and means
for sealing the opening through which the said drawer slides and said drawer
having its inner end formed of reticulated material such as wire mesh and
arranged at an angle to the vertical, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
7. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body por-
tion, a pair of truncated cones connected together, and to the lower end of the
said body portion, at their bases: openings cut through the said body portion
and through the upper cone, the edges of the said openings being connected
by a diaphragm: a drawer adapted to be slid into the passage formed by the
said openings and diaphragm: a dome of less diameter than and taking into the
said cylindrical body portion; a water seal in the said body portion and sealing
the lower end of the said dome: a gas conducting pipe connected at its lower
end to the truncated apex of the said upper cone and leading through the said
seal to a point above the surface thereof; a gas flow pipe extending downwardly
from a point above the water scal in the dome through the said seal and out of
the body portion and a draw off pipe connected to the truncated apex of the
lower cone substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
:
8. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body por-
tion, a pair of truncated cones connected together, and to the lower end of said
body portion, at their bases; openings cut through said body portion and the
nner cone, the edges of the said openings being connected by a diaphragm; a
drawer adapted to be slid into the passage formed by the said openings and
diaphragms, the said drawer having its inner end formed of reticulated material
such as wire mesh or the like; a dome of less diameter than and taking into the
said cylindrical body portion a water seal in the said body portion and sealing
the lower end of the said dome; a gas-conducting pipe connected at its lower
end to the truncated apex of the said upper cone and extending through the
said seal to a point above the surface thereof; a gas-flow pipe extending down-
wardly from a point above the water seal in the dome through the said seal and
out of the body portion and a draw off pipe connected to the truncated apex of
the lower cone substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
9. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body por-
tion, a pair of truncated cones connected together, and to the lower end of the
said body portion, at their bases: openings cut through the said body portion
and the upper cone, the edges of the said openings being connected by a
diaphragm a drawer adapted to be slid into the passage formed by the said
openings and diaphragm: a dome of less diameter than and taking into the
said cylindrical body portion; a water seal in the said body portion and sealing
the lower end of the said dome: a gas-conducting pipe connected at its lower
end to the truncated apex of the said upper cone and extending through the said
seal to a point above the surface thereof; a gas-flow pipe extending downwardly.
from a point above the water seal in the dome through the said seal and out of the
body portion: a float resting upon the surface of said seal, a short stand-pipe
carried by the said float and having its lower end maintained thereby constantly
a short distance above the surface of said seal, a flexible tubular compection

page_text: between the upper ends of said stand pipe and flow-pipe; and a draw off pipe
connected to the truncated apex of the lower cone substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
10. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body por-
tion, a pair of truncated cones connected together and to the lower end of said
body portion, at their bases: openings cut through said body portion and the
upper cone, the edges of said openings being connected by a diaphragm; a
drawer adapted to be slid into the passage formed by the said openings and
diaphragm a dome of less diameter than and taking into the said cylindrical
body portion; a water feal in the said body portion and sealing the lower end
of the said dome; a gas conducting pipe connected at its lower end to the trun-
cated apex of the said upper cone and extending through the said seal to a
point above the surface thereof; a core arranged in the said cylindrical body
portion the said core consisting of a cylindrical drum having a longitudinal
opening therethrough of slightly greater diameter than the gas conducting pipe,
means for supporting the said core a short distance above the upper cone; a
gas flow pipe extending from a point above the water seal in the dome down-
wardly through the said seal and out of the body portion; and a draw off pipe
connected to the truncated apex of the lower cone, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
11. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body
portion, a pair of truncated cones connected together and to the lower end of
the said body portion, at their bases: openings cut through the said body por-
tion and the upper cone, the edges of the said openings being connected by a
diaphragm a drawer adapted to be slid into the passage formed by the said
openings and diaphragm the said drawer having its inner end formed of
reticulated material such as wire mesh or the like: a dome of less diameter
than, and taking into the said cylindrical body portion; a water seal in the said
body portion and scaling the lower end of the said dome: a gas conducting
pipe connected at its lower end to the truncated apex of the said upper cone
and extending through the said seal to a point above the surface thereof; a
core arranged in the said cylindrical body portion the said core consisting of a
cylindrical drum having a longitudinal opening therethrough of slightly greater
diameter than gas conducting pipe, means for supporting the said core a short
distance above the upper cone: a gas-flow pipe extending downwardly from a
point above. the water seal in the dome through the said seal and out of the
body portion and a draw off pipe connected to the truncated apex of the lower
cone, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
12. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body
portion, a pair of truncated cones connected together at their bases, and to the
lower end of the said body portion, openings through the said body portion
and the upper cone, the edges of the said openings being connected by a
diaphragm a drawer adapted to be slid into the passage formed by the said
openings and diaphragm, the said drawer having its inner end formed of
reticulated material such as wire mesh or the like: a dome of less diameter
than and taking into the said cylindrical body portion; a water seal in the said
body portion and sealing the lower end of the said dome; a gas conducting
pipe connected at its lower end to the truncated' apex of the said upper cone and
extending through the said seal to a point above the surface thereof; a gas-flow
pipe extending downwardly from a point above the water seal in the dome
through the said seal and out of the body portion: a float resting upon the
surface of the said seal, a short stand-pipe carried by the said float and having
its lower end maintained thereby constantly at a short distance above the sur-
face of the said seal, a flexible tubular connection between the upper ends of the
said stand-pipe and the flow-pipe: and a draw-off pipe connected to the trun-
cated apex of the lower cone, for the purpose set forth.
13. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body

page_text: portion, a pair of truncated cones connected together at their bases and to the
lower end of the said body portion, openings cut through the said body portion
and the upper cone, the edges of the said openings being connected by a
diaphragm; a drawer adapted to be slid into the passage formed by the said
openings and diaphragm; à dome of less diameter than and taking into the said
cylindrical body portion; a water seal in the said body portion and sealing the
lower end of the said dome; a gas conducting-pipe connected at its lower end
to the truncated apex of the said upper cone and extending through the said
seal to a point above the surface thereof; a core arranged in the said cylindrical
body portion the said core consisting of a cylindrical drum having a longi-
tudinal opening therethrough of slightly greater diameter than the said gas-
conducting pipe; means for supporting the said core a short distance above the
inner cone; a gas flow pipe extending downwardly from a point above the water
seal in the dome through the said seal and out of the body portion; a float
resting upon the surface of the said seal, a short stand-pipe carried by the said
float and having its lower end maintained thereby a short distance above the
surface of the said seal, a flexible tubular connection between the upper ends
of the said stand-pipe and flow-pipe, and a draw-off pipe connected to the trun
cated apex of the lower cone, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
14. An acetylene gas generating apparatus comprising a cylindrical body
portion, a pair of truncated cones connected together and to the lower end of
said body portion, at their bases; openings cut through the said body portion
and the inner.cone, the edges of said openings being connected by a diaphragm
a drawer adapted to be slid into the passage formed by said openings and
diaphragm, the said drawer having its inner end formed of reticulated material
such as wire mesh or the like; a dome of less diameter than and taking into
the said cylindrical body portion; a water seal in the said body portion and
sealing the lower end of the said dome; a gas conducting pipe connected at its
lower end to the truncated apex of the upper cone and extending through said
seal to a noint above the surface thereof; a core arranged in the said cylindrical
body portion the said core consisting of a cylindrical drum having a longi-
tudinal opening therethrough of slightly greater diameter than the gas con-
ducting pipe; means for supporting the said core a short distance above the
inner cone; a gas-flow pipe extending downwardly from a point above the water
seal in the dome through the said seal and out of the body portion; a float
resting upon the surface of said seal, a short stand-pipe carried by the said float
and having its lower end maintained thereby constantly a short distance above
the surface of the said seal, a flexible tubular connection between the upper ends
of the said stand-pipe and flow-pipe; and a draw-off pipe connected to the trun-
cated apex of the lower cone, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX.
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents