An Improved Acetylene Burner for Use in Lighting Up Water Areas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1899-Accepted, 1st July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Acetylene Burner for Use in Lighting Up Water Areas.
We, WILLIAM JUDSON WILSON, of 250, North Eighth Street, in the City of
Philadelphia, County of. Philadelphia. and State of Pennsylvania, United States
of America, Manufacturer, and HENRY CHRISTIE TURNBULL, Jr., of 5, East
Lexington Street, in the City of Baltimore and State of Maryland, United States
of America, Real Estate and Insurance Broker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a projectile to be thrown from a gun and which will
float on water and while floating will afford illumination. The object of the
invention is to provide a projectile adapted to carry a storage of supply of
carbide of calcium or other illuminating material and possessing buoyant pro-
perties so as to float on water, and provided with means whereby the said
material will be lighted after the projectile has reached the water where it is to
float, and also provided with means to maintain the several operative parts of
the projectile in efficient condition for use while it is stored.
One use to which the projectile may be put is for employment by naval vessels
in time of war, to enable a power at war to produce an illumination at sea sur-
rounding or adjacent to hostile vessels in order that such vessels may be observed
at night without disclosing the position of the vessels of the power using the
projectile.
The illuminating projectile may also be used in the merchant marine, and in
certain engineering operations.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of the projectile, except at the two ends
which are side views of the shell in the condition it is when sold or stored.
Figure 2 is an inside end view of the cone-point detached from the body of
the shell.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the movable partition..
Figure 4 is a section view of the burner-end of the projectile with the buffer-
block, cap, and all parts in the position the article has when stored away.
Figure 5 is an end-view of the burner-end of the projectile as seen when the
cap. buffer-block, and screw-cap of the potassium-chamber are removed.
Figure 6 is a side view of the block that secures the time-fuse.
Figure 7 is a side view of the projectile on a smaller scale in the vertical
position it takes when floating in the water, the line, w, indicating the surface
of the water.
The body, A, of the shell or projectile should be made preferably of metal, and
is cylindric in form; it contains a chamber, B, for the storage of carbide of
calcium, and an air-tight or gas-tight chamber, C, separated from the carbide
0 chamber by a movable partition, D, which is held in place only by frictional
contact with the inner wall of the shell. The forward or pointed end, E, of the
projectile is cone-shaped and is connected with the cylindric body, A, by a

page_text: screw, a, and thereby closes that end of the carbide chamber, a gasket, b, being
provided to make the screw connection air-tight. A suitable inlet or passage, c.
for water extends from the point to and through the head of the cone-part into
the carbide chamber; when the projectile is not in use this inlet is closed air-
tight by a screw-cap, d, on the point. This cone-end is weighted by means of
lead or other metal, a, filled inside, and is heavier than the other end. This
weight ensures. that when fired the projectile will make an accurate flight, and
also that when it drops in the water this end will be lowermost, as in Figure 7.
Near the butt-end of the projectile the gas-chamber, C, is closed by a partition, e
and on the exterior of the partition a chamber is formed wherein are located the
burners, f, which open through the partition, e; a chamber, g, also on the exterior
contains metallic potassium in the form of balls or lumps, gl, and coal-oil to
preserve the potassium from oxidation. The potassium is confined in the chamber
by a wire-gause diaphragm, h, and the coal-oil is confined by a screw-cap,
which has inside a packing of cork or other suitable elastic stopper material,
to seal it tightly.
A time-fuse, j, consists of a lead tube charged with powder; one end, j, of the
tube is free and in position to be bent into the potassium chamber when the
screw-cap, i, has been removed, and the other end, ja, is secured to one of the
burners, f, adjacent its gas aperture. The fuse-tube, j, must be of length to
give the requisite time, for lighting after firing, say, half a minute or a
minute, and this requires that it be disposed in the exterior chamber by coiling.
The coils of the fuse must not be in contact with each other in order to avoid
premature burning to keep them separate a ring-shaped block, F, is employed.
This block has an exterior spiral groove k, in which the coils of the time-fuse fit:
it will be seen that the threads, k, of the spiral groove fit closely in contact
with the inner wall of the shell chamber and thus the coils are kept perfectly
separated. The fuse-tube extends from its end, , adjacent the potassium
chamber to the lowermost one of the spiral grooves, or that groove nearest the
partition, e, the fuse then winds around grooves of the block, F, until its end,
comes out adjacent a burner-end. When the projectile is floating in the water
its point, E, is downward, and this position ensures that the fuse in the coils
will burn from the lowermost coil upward.
The ring-shaped block, F, is confined in its shell chamber by simply crimping
or contracting the circular wall of the cylinder at its end, as at 7.
A buffer-block, G, is employed only when firing to loosely cover the end of
the burner-chamber: this block merely separates the end of the projectile from
the charge of powder employed in the gun, and the block drops off or separates
from the projectile while the latter is making its flight through the air. In
order to protect the fuse and potassium and to seal the burner-end of the pro-
jectile air-tight while the projectile is in storage, and also to temporarily confine
the buffer-block, G, to its position merely to prevent it from becoming lost before
the time arrives for the use of the projectile, a cap, H, is employed to cover the
entire butt-end of the projectile. This cap is seen in Figures 1 and 4, and its
rim-flange is crimped as at, l, on the contracted part, 1, of the cylinder-wall,
and may be secured by soft solder.
This soldered-cap, H. at the butt-end and the screw-cap, d, at the point-end
keep the projectile air-tight and water-tight until it is desired to use it.
When the projectile is stored for keeping, the carbide, the potassium and the
fuse will all be maintained in good condition for an indefinite period of time
and thus the efficiency of the projectile is assured.
The operation of the projectile is as follows: when it is desired to use one
of them the cap, H, on the butt-end must be removed; the buffer-block, G, is
lifted in order to remove the screw-cap, i, that seals the potassium-chamber; the
coal-oil should then be poured out and the free end, j¹, of the fuse-tube bent
over into the potassium-chamber. The cap, H, and the screw-cap, i, may be thrown.
away. The screw-cap, d, on the point must be removed. The buffer-block, G,

page_text: should then be reseated loosely, and the projectile put in the gun. The gun
should be sighted in order to deliver the projectile at the desired point.
When the gun has been fired and the projectile drops in the water it will at
first be submerged and the potassium confined in the chamber, g, becoming wet
will glow or inflame and produce heat that will fire the end, j, of the fuse;
an upright position in the water, the
the projectile will float and assume
burner-end upper-most and projecting above the water line which will be at, ar,
see Figure 7. The water will enter the inlet, e, in the point-end and will act on
the carbide of calcium in the chamber, B, and gas will at once begin to generate.
The gas will fill-chamber, C, and then pass through the burners and fuse-end, j²,
will light the gas of one burner; the gas escaping from the other two burners
will then also be lighted. As the carbide is gradually exhausted it swells or
expands in bulk and the partition, D, will thereby be moved upward or toward
the burners. Thus the partition while the projectile is in storage will confine
the carbide closely and prevent it from rattling and yet will yield when the
carbide expands by the action of water..
'
An ordinary shell may contain sufficient carbide to produce a light from one
to five hours.
Having now particularly described and ascertained of the nature our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. An illuminating projectile adapted to float on water and having a chamber
to contain illuminating material; a burner connected with such chamber; and
means for lighting the burner after the projectile alights.
2. A projectile adapted to be fired from a gun and having a chamber weighted
at one side; illuminating material charged into said chamber; burner tubes or
apertures at the side opposite the weighted side; and means for lighting the
burner after the projectile alights.
3. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a cham-
ber for carbide; a water inlet to said chamber and controlled by means to close
the inlet; gas-burners; and an air-tight chamber containing metallic potassium
which inflames when submerged in the water.
4. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a cham-
ber for carbide; a water inlet to said chamber and controlled by means to close
5 the inlet; gas-burners; and an air-tight chamber containing metallic potassium
which inflames when submerged in the water; and a fuse communicating from
the potassium to a burner.
5. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a cham-
ber for carbide; a water inlet to said chamber and controlled by means to close
0 the inlet; gas-burners; an air-tight chamber containing metallic potassium which
inflames when submerged in the water; a fuse communicating from the potassium
chamber to a burner; and a cap covering the butt-end of the projectile and
excluding air and moisture.
6. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a cham-
15 her for carbide; a water inlet to said chamber and controlled by means to close
the inlet; gas-burners; an air-tight chamber containing metallic potassium and
coal-oil to preserve the said potassium from oxidation.
7. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a cham-
ber for carbide; a water inlet to said chamber and controlled by means to close
50 the inlet; gas-burners; an air-tight chamber containing metallic potassium and
a lead tube fuse coiled with the coils separated so that one coil melting will not
prematurely burn another coil-the fuse communicating from the potassium
chamber to a burner.
8. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a chamber
55 for carbide; a water inlet to said chamber and controlled by means to close

page_text: the inlet; gas-burners; an air-tight chamber containing metallic potassium; a
block provided with a spiral groove; and a tube fuse coiled in the spiral groove
of said block and communicating from the potassium chamber to a burner.
9. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a
cylindric shell-forming a carbide chamber; a movable partition to confine the
carbide but which yields when the carbide expands; a water inlet to said
chamber gas-burners; and a tube fuse communicating with a burner.
10. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a
cylindric shell forming a carbide chamber; a water inlet to said chamber; gas-
burners; metallic potassium confined adjacent the burners with a preservative
for the potassium; and a fuse communicating from the potassium to a burner.
11. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a
cylindric shell forming a carbide chamber; a water inlet to said chamber; gas-
burners metallic potassium confined adjacent the burners with a preservative
for the potassium; a fuse communicating from the potassium to a burner; and
a cap covering the end of the projectile and protecting the parts from the action
of air and moisture.
12. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a
cylindric shell forming a carbide chamber; a water inlet to said chamber; gas-
burners metallic potassium confined adjacent the burners with a preservative
for the potassium; a fuse communicating from the potassium to a burner; and
a buffer leck loosely covering the burner-end of the projectile.
13. An illuminating projectile to float on water having in combination a
cylindric shell forming a carbide chamber: a water inlet to said chamber; gas-
burners metallic potassium confined adjacent the burners with a preservative
for the potassium; a ring-shaped block surrounding the burners and potassium
and provided with a spiral groove; and a tube fuse coiled in the spiral groove
of said block.
Dated this 16th day of November 1898.
WILLIAM JUDSON WILSON.
HENRY CHRISTIE TURNBULL, JR.