Improvements in and relating to Method of and Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Method of and Apparatus for
Producing Acetylene Gas.
I, JAMES ALBERT DEUTHER, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at 114 Purchase Street, in the City of Boston, County of Suffolk, and
State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 the generation of illuminating or other gas from
calcium carbide or other chemical substances, which, when treated with water or
other liquid, generate a hydro-carbon or other gas.
The object of this invention is to automatically control the positive generation
of a determined amount of gas by feeding a fixed quantity of the calcium carbide
and adulterants to the water or other liquid contained in the generator in which
the gas is generated..
The present automatic apparatuses for generating gas from certain chemical
compounds which are decomposable by action of water or other liquids, are either
faulty or unsafe from the fact that such apparatuses depend upon the volume or
pressure of gas so generated to control the access of water or other liquid to
the said decomposable compounds; in other words, by limiting the supply of
water admitted to said decomposable compounds it is endeavored to limit the
amount of gas generated by the admission of water or other liquid to such
compounds. In these devices where the pressure or volume of gas generated is
made use of in such manner to regulate the amount of gas to be generated, a
further element of danger is presented from the fact, that should the pressure
or volume controlling devices for au admission of water to the calcium carbide
or analogous substances become inoperative, such a quantity of gas may be
generated as to render the generating apparatus a source of danger.
It is my purpose and object to practically and safely control the amount of
gas to be generated by regulating the quantity of pure calcium carbide or
analogous compounds to be brought into contact with water or other liquid, so
that only so much gas is generated according to the fixed quantity of pure calcium
carbide and adulterants fed from time to time. It is my purpose and object to
control the feeding of this fixed quantity of pure calcium carbide by regulating
the operation of the feeding apparatus by the pressure or volume of gas so
generated, which preferably may be stored in a gasometer, but not necessarily
so, so that the calcium carbide is only fed as the pressure or volume of the gas
generated decreases, and no calcium carbide is fed when the pressure or volume
is above a certain point. From this it is obvious that it is impossible by my
invention, to continue generating an indefinite quantity of gas, because only a
fixed quantity of pure calcium carbide and adulterants, capable of generating a
determined amount of gas, is fed from time to time, which feeding depends upon
the pressure or volume of the gas generated and stored preferably, in the
gasometer.
For carrying out my invention I take calcium carbide or other analogous
substances, adapted, when treated with water or other liquid, to evolve a hydro-
carbon or other combustible gas, and form it into tablets of definite form or
weight and containing a definite amount of pure calcium carbide and adulterants,
and as each tablet represents a fixed quantity of pure calcium carbide, a deter-
mined quantity of gas is generated from each of said tablets when fed to the
water or other liquid in the gas generator.

page_text: I take said calcium carbide or other analogous substances, whether produced
in a solid form, either crystalline or as a mass, and pulverize the same, or
if it is originally in an amorphous condition and by addition or otherwise have
a pruduct containing pure calcium carbide and adulterants, and place the same
in moulds of the size adapted to ultimate requirements; for instance, we have
a mass of the substance, and we take a mould holding say, ten cubic inches, in
said ten cubic inches 1 propose always to put, and by my process it is possible
to put, such an amount of pure calcium carbide and adulterants as will generate
an amount of gas to meet the ultimate requirements, and that is, the proportioning
of the amount of pure calcium carbide which said ten cubic inches is to contain.
Taking, for instance, a house where there is only required a gasometer holding
two cubic feet of gas to properly operate the feeding mechanism and fill the
requirements of said house, I will have such feeding mechanism drop in the
apparatus of such a house, a tablet capable only of generating an amount of gas
that would not cause the said holder to blow or give a greater or less volume
than is designed to operate the mechanism of that particular apparatus.
Now it is, clear that in such substances, that if one pound of the uniform calcium
carbide and adulterants gives, say, four cubic feet of gas when decomposed by
water, then a certain weight of such uniform decomposable substance may be
taken when in a powdered condition, and compressed into tablets, which tablets
being homogeneous, will generate, when brought into contact with water or other
liquid, a fixed amount of gas. It will readily be understood, that in order to feed
a definite amount of calcium carbide or analogous substance, it is preferable to put
such a substance in a tablet form, each tablet representing by decomposition, a
definite volume of gas, and by means of suitable apparatus, these tablets are fed
from time to time, depending upon the pressure or volume of the gas generated.
It will he understood that, while it is preferable to feed the material in a tablet
form, yet the powdered substance may be fed to the water in the generating
chamber in any suitable receptacle without being compressed; it being understood,
however, that said receptacle is capable of holding a definite quantity of such
substance, which, upon decomposition by contact with water or other liquid gives
a definite volume of gas.
The process of treating calcium carbide or analogous substances to make the
same of uniform composition, and forming the same preferably into tablets, each
tablet representing by decomposition a determined volume of gas, is not claimed
in this application but forms the subject matter of another application filed
herewith.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the gas generating chamber and
gasometer, and with other parts in elevation.
Figure 2 is a plan view taken on the line x-x of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of one of the tablets of
calcium carbide or analogous substance.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.
A represents a gas generating chamber constructed preferably of steel or other
suitable material of sufficient strength and provided with a tap hole closed by a
plug A', and an opening near the top provided with a cover A'. In the top of said
generator there is provided an opening or port B, for the purpose hereinafter
described. Over the top of said chamber and secured thereto, there is located a
chamber C closed on the sides and at the end C³ to prevent escape of gas, and
open at the end C, and having an upper plate C' and a lower plate C, and in
the lower plate C there is a port C which registers with the port B. Secured to
the top plate C there is a hopper D, having a suitable cover D' and a series of
bolts D, which secure said hopper to the top plate C. The bottom of said hopper
is open and communicates with the chamber C, and in said hopper there is located
a number of tablets D3 of calcium carbide or analogous substance, which are
adapted, as hereinafter described, to drop into said chamber C and then be pushed

page_text: forward toward the ports B and C by the piston G in its reciprocations in said
chamber C. To the rear end of said piston there is secured a rod F which extends
rearwardly and is pivotally connected at F to the cross-arm F of the horizontal
arms F and F which are on opposite sides of the chamber C, and at their front
ends form a cross bar E, to which is pivotally connected the arm E', which in turn
is pivotally connected at E to the arm E of the bell crank lever E' pivoted to
a standard E, secured to the generator A, and the lower arm E2 of said bell crank
lever is provided with a slot E' in which is located the rod N and on said rod N
below said slot is an adjustable nut O having a set screw O. The said rod N
extends upwardly and passes through the slot M' on the rod M, and above said rod
there is located an adjustable nut N¹ having a set screw N. The said rod M is
provided with a sleeve L' and by means of a set screw L can be adjustably
located on the vertical rod L. The said rod L at its lower end is provided
with a flange L which is riveted to the top of the bell H' of the gasometer J,
which bell is sealed in a liquid and capable of rising and falling according to the
varying amount of gases stored therein.
The gas generated in the generator A passes by the pipe H to the bell H¹ of
the gasometer, and from the gasometer it is conducted for use by a pipe K, which
has a suitable valve K' which can be used to shut off the flow of the gas.
Supposing now, that one of the tablets D' of calcium carbide or other analogous
substance, is dropped into the rectangular chamber C, from the hopper D, and has
been pushed forward by the piston G, (the apparatus, of course, being first started
by hand) until it reached the ports C and B, whence it dropped into the water of
the generator A, and the gas evolved by the calcium carbide or analogous substance
coming into contact with the water, passes over into the bell H' through the pipe H,
and as the volume of gas in 'the bell H increases, it raises up said bell and the
rod M, which acts on the rod N, owing to the location of the nut N', and the said
rod M, owing to the location of the nut O acts on the lower arm E of the bell
crank E' and causes the upper end of the arm E³ to move the arm E', rods F
and F and the cross-arm F to move rearwardly along the guides G, provided in
the chamber C for guiding the piston G, and by means of said rods as above
described, the piston G is moved rearwardly until its front edge aligns with the
rear edge of the hopper D, when one of the tablets D' will drop into the chamber C
in front of the piston. Now so long as the volume of the gas is at a certain
point, the bell H of the gasometer will remain in its raised position, but as the gas
is used its volume decreases in proportion to the use, and the bell H¹ will slowly
fall and with it the rods M and N and the adjustable nut O, moving away from
the arm E will no longer support the same, and the said arm E is moved
downwardly by the lower end M of the rod M as the bell H and rod M move
downwardly upon the decrease of volume of gas in said bell H', and in said down-
ward movement the arm E2 will move the arms E, E and rods F and F¹ and the
piston G forwardly to the position shown in full lines, Figure 1, and the tablet
previously dropped into the chamber C in front of the piston G will fall into the
water contained in the generator A, and the gas generated from the new tablet
will pass over into the gasometer.
From the above it is clear that in the operation of my apparatus the feeding of
the tablets of calcium carbide, or analogous substance, will be controlled by the
pressure or volume of the gas generated, and, as previously described, each tablet
represents by decomposition a definite volume of gas, consequently it is clear that,
having a fixed amount of calcium carbide, which represents by decomposition a
definite volume of gas, it is possible to provide generating apparatuses and to
supply said generating apparatus with calcium carbide, or analogous substance, in
such amounts as that each apparatus can be provided with tablets which generate a
volume of gas required for such apparatus. For instance, in a house where there
is only required a gasometer holding two cubic feet of gas to properly operate the
feeding mechanism and fill the requirements of said house, the apparatus will bo
constructed to drop into the gas generator of such a house a tablet capable of

page_text: generating only two cubic feet of gas, which would not cause said gasometer to
blow or to give a greater or less volume than is required to operate the mechanism
of the apparatus located in said house, and likewise for gasometers requiring three
cubic feet of gas, four cubic feet of gas, and so on.
It will be understood that I do not limit myself to the construction of the
apparatus shown and described, as it simply represents one form of apparatus in
which my invention can be carried out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is:-
1. In a gas generating apparatus, a gas generating chamber for holding water or
other liquid and provided with a gas outlet, a receptacle for holding calcium
carbide compounds or analogous substances, and mechanism for automatically
feeding said calcium carbide compounds or analogous substances in a compact body
to said gas generating chamber and adapted to be operated by the variations of the
volume of the gas generated.
2. In a gas generating apparatus, a gas generating chamber for holding water or
other liquid and provided with a gas outlet, a receptacle for holding calcium
carbide compounds or analogous substances containing a fixed amount of calcium
carbide or analogous substance, and mechanism for automatically feeding said
calcium carbide compounds or analogous substances in a compact body to said gas
generating chamber and adapted to be operated by the variations of the volume
of the gas generated.
3. In a gas generating apparatus, a gas generating chamber for holding water or
other liquid and having a gas outlet, a gasometer with which said gas outlet
communicates and in which the gas generated is stored, a receptacle for holding
calcium carbide compounds or analogous substances, and mechanism for feeding
said calcium carbide compounds or analogous substances in a compact body to said
gas generating chamber and adapted to be operated by the variations of the volume
of the gas in the gasometer.
4. In a gas generating apparatus, a gas generating chamber for holding water
or other liquid and having a gas outlet and a port through which calcium carbide
compounds or analogous substances are fed to said gas generating chamber, a
gasometer with which said gas outlet communicates and in which the gas generated
is stored, a chamber located on said gas generating chamber and having a port
registering with the port of said gas generating chamber, a receptacle for holding
calcium carbide compounds or analogous substances communicating with said
chamber, and mechanism for feeding said calcium carbide compounds or analogous
substances in a compact body to said gas generating chamber and adapted to be
operated by the variatious of the volume of the gas in the gasometer.
5. In a gas generating apparatus, a gas generating chamber for holding water
or other liquid, and having a gas outlet and a port through which calcium carbide
compounds or analogous substances are fed to said gas generating chamber, a
gasometer with which said gas outlet communicates and in which the gas generated
is stored, a chamber located on said gas generating chamber, a receptacle for
holding calcium carbide compounds or analogous substances communicating with
said chamber, and mechanism for feeding calcium carbide compounds or analogous
substances in a compact body to the gas generating chamber and consisting of a
piston adapted to feed said calcium carbide compound and devices co-operating with
said piston to actuate the same and adapted to be operated by the variations of the
volume of the gas in the gasometer.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.