Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for the Production and Consumption of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1897-Accepted 12th June, 1897
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for the Production
and Consumption of Acetylene Gas.
MIT
A communication by the DEUTSCHE ACETYLENGAS-GESELLSCHAFT
BESCHRÄNKTER HAFTUNG, of 120 Alte Jacobstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire
of Germany, Manufacturers.
1, WILLIAM Phillips Thompson, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick, and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil 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 :-
The object of the invention is to provide portable lamps in which the illuminating
gas is developed from carbide of calcium or other carbides, by water being fed to
the said carbide, and the invention particularly has reference to improved means
for regulating the entrance of water into the carbide and the escape of gas from
the generator, also to improved means for keeping the gas-generator at a
comparatively low temperature, while the gas issuing from the generator is not (or
not appreciably) cooled in its path to the flame or flames.
In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,
Figure 1 is a side-elevation of a portable gas self-producing lamp adjustable in
height;
Figure 2 is a side-elevation of a portable foot-lamp embodying the improvements
of the invention, in connection with an improved apparatus for the escape of the
gas remaining when the lamp has been extinguished;
Figure 3 illustrates the arrangement of the gas-generating apparatus within the
foot of a lamp post;
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of an improved safety-valve controlling the
escape of gas;
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively vertical and cross sections of an improved valve
controlling the entrance of water to the carbide.
Referring to Figure 1, A is a rod arranged to slide within the tubular foot B of
the lamp and adjustable in height by a binding screw.
gas-generator C, consisting of a casing provided with a
of which is obtained by a cross-bar c, engaging a hook
said bar c, and bearing against the said door.
The said rod A carries the
gas-tight door, the tightness
and a screw a, traversing
A water-reservoir D is mounted on the casing C, and the water therein contained
fills the upper part of the said casing C, which has a diaphragm d, separating the
water chamber from the lower chamber, into which the box or casing containing
the carbide is removably lodged. The said diaphragm, d, is of metal and cooled
by the water covering its upper surface. The gas developed within the lower
chamber of casing C, eutering into contact with the lower surface of said
diaphragm d is cooled and thereby prevented from reaching a temperature which
might render the gas liable to explosion.
From the upper or water-chamber of the casing C, the water is led down through

page_text: a knee-pipe F, outside of the casing C, and provided with a valve-cock f, or
preferably with two cocks fand f¹. The lower end of said pipe F enters into the
chamber containing the carbide, and is provided with a valve, the details of which
are illustrated by Figures 5 and 6.
The said valve consists of a diaphragm P, having perforations p and elastic flaps o
secured to the lower surface. The said flaps, preferably of rubber, allow the water
to drip down into the carbide, but as soon as the pressure of gas within the generator
reaches a certain, predetermined degree, the said pressure will force the said flaps o
up against the diaphragm P, and thereby stop the entrance of water. The water-
supply, accordingly, is automatically controlled by the pressure of gas existing
within the generator, and every excess of gas-pressure will stop the flow of water
and prevent further generation of gas, until the pressure relaxes again and the
flaps o are free to let the water pass.
The gas-pipe E leading to the burner or any number of burners, passes out of
the generator without traversing the water, and by this arrangement the gas, on its
way to the flame or flames, is prevented from being cooled. Thereby the
condensation of water contained in the gas is prevented, which water of condensation
tends to choke the pipe and cause the flame to flutter.
In the foot-lamp illustrated by Figure 2, the gas-pipe leading from the generator
up to the flame, traverses the water-reservoir D, but, to prevent condensation, the
said pipe is surrounded by a second pipe H, indicated by dotted lines, and said
pipe H being of larger diameter, prevents the water from cooling the gas-pipe E,
thus obtaining the same effect as by leading the gas-pipe out to the side.
The carbide, instead of being charged into the generator by being poured on to
the bottom, as usual, may be carried by a kind of basket or fork G, as indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 2. In this case the carbide is contained in an envelope or
wrapper of paper or other suitable material liable to be softened and worn by the
water supplied from the feed-pipe F, as before described. The carbide, in being
moistened, rapidly increases in volume and by the increase the wrapping material
is torn. As the water is supplied from the top, the destruction of the wrapper will
gradually proceed downwards and when the carbide has delivered all gas, the parcel
placed in the basket G will have been fully destroyed.
In Figure 2, the lamp-burner is shown connected by a flexible pipe, b, to a short
piece of pipe, K, forming part of an apparatus which in combination with a lamp
or a number of lamps serves to lead off the gas which remains in the lamp or lamps
after the flame has been extinguished. The gas, is thereby prevented from
remaining in the lamp, where it might be liable to explode, and also from escaping
into the room.
The said apparatus is carried by a suitable standard I having any number of
branch-pipes K, collecting the gas from a corresponding number of lamps and
leading it off through a main-pipe J.
Each branch-pipe K is connected to the apparatus by a valve k, and a counter-
weight K or spring serves to automatically close the said valve, as long as no
communication is established by the rubber-pipe 6 with the lamp-burner.
The base-plate 1 of the apparatus may be provided with recesses, i, for receiving
the feet of the lamps to be connected for exhausting the waste gas.
The main-pipe J.of the said apparatus either leads to the open air or to a
collecting gas-reservoir or bell.
Within the said main-pipe J, it is preferable to arrange a safety-valve L, the
details of construction of which are illustrated by Figure 4. This safety-valve
permits the escape of gas only at a predetermined pressure, and it prevents the
pressure of the outside atmosphere, or of the bell into which the main pipe J is
leading, from entering into the lamp or lamps connected to the branch-pipes K.
The said safety valve L, consists of a knee L, Figure 4, filled with a suitable
fluid; one branch of said knee leads into a globular or oval chamber L', into which
opens an escape-pipe m, extending into the said chamber L'. The quantity and
weight of the fluid within the knee, L, is calculated to resist a deterinined

page_text: pressure, and as long as such pressure has not been reached, the gas is prevented
from escaping through the knee. But as soon as the pressure of the gas exceeds
the predetermined degree, the fluid will be forced from the knee into the
chamber L', which, however, is not filled, but the gas may pass through the fluid
and escape through the pipe m, the fluid being forced to the sides of the chamber,
where it rises to leave the central space free. In the mouth of pipe m, it is
preferred to place a shield 7 preventing any small particles of the fluid, which
might be thrown up by the pressure of the gas, from being carried along into the
pipe, which particles will be retained by the said shield Z. The gas will pass round
the said shield and escape through the pipe m.
Safety valves of the kind described with reference to Figure 4 may also be
employed at any other place of an acetylene lamp or gas-generator, where it is
desired to prevent the escape of gas, until it reaches a predetermined pressure.
The knee, L, of the said valve may be provided with a scale n, indicating the level
of the fluid within the branches of the knee, and thereby the degree of
pressure of the gas entering the said knee may be readily seen at any time.
In Figure 3 a lamp is shown having in its base a gas-generating-apparatus
substantially of the kind described with reference to Figure 1, the gas produced
from the carbide passing up to the flame. The hollow base of the lamp post has a
door through which the generator may be charged and cleaned. Instead of
placing the generator in the base M of the lamp it might equally well be lodged
within a suitable space provided within the post N at any other part of its
height.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :
•
1. In apparatus for producing gas from carbides, a valve feeding the water to
the carbide, consisting of a diaphragm within the feed-pipe, perforations provided
within said diaphragm, and flaps opening downwards under the pressure of the
water-supply, but automatically closing and stopping the water-supply by any
excess of pressure of the gas, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In apparatus for producing gas from carbides, a gas-generator covered by a
sheet-metal plate covered and cooled by water, a knee-pipe leading from the water-
reservoir to the generator, and a discharge valve provided in the mouth of said
pipe, so constructed as to automatically stop the discharge of water by an excess
of pressure of the gas, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In apparatus for producing gas from carbides, a gas-generator covered by a
sheet-metal plate cooled by water, a knee-pipe leading from the water-reservoir to
the generator, a discharge-valve placed in the mouth of said pipe, closing by the
pressure of the gas exceeding a predetermined degree, and a casing to enclose the
generator, provided with a door tightened by a cross-bar and screw, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In apparatus for producing gas from carbides; a gas-generator covered by a
sheet-metal plate cooled by water, and a gas-pipe leading to the flame or flames,
passing out of the generator without traversing the water, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
5. In apparatus for producing gas from carbides: a gas-generator combined with
a water-reservoir carried by a rod adjustable by sliding in the tubular foot of a
portable lamp-stand, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In apparatus for producing gas from carbides: a gas-generator combined
with a water-reservoir, a gas-conduit pipe leading from the generator to the flame
or flames and traversing the water-reservoir, and a second pipe surrounding the said
gas-conduit pipe to prevent the same from being cooled, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
7. In apparatus for producing gas from carbides, a gas-generator having a
forked or basket-shaped support for the carbide, in which fork or basket the

page_text: carbide is placed in a wrapper adapted to be destroyed by moisture, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In apparatus for generating gas from carbides, the combination, with the gas-
burner, of an apparatus for exhausting the remaining gas, consisting of branch-
pipes provided with valves self-closing by weighted levers, and a main-pipe
collecting and exhausting the gas from the branch-pipe or pipes, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
9. An apparatus for exhausting the gas from lamps or gas-generators, consisting
of branch-pipes provided with self-closing valves, a main pipe collecting the gas
from said branch-pipes, and a safety-valve provided within the said main-pipe,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. A safety-valve to prevent the escape of gas not exceeding a predetermined
pressure, consisting of a knee-pipe, one branch of which leads into a globular or
oval chamber, into which the exhaust-pipe projects, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
.
11. A safety-valve to prevent the escape of gas not exceeding a predetermined
pressure, consisting of a knee-pipe, one branch of which leads into a widened
portion or chamber, into which the exhaust-pipe extends, a shield provided within
the mouth of said exhaust-pipe, and a scale secured to the knee-pipe to indicate
the level of fluid therein coutained, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
12. The combination with a lamp-foot or lamp post, of a gas-generator located
therein, said generator consisting of a water reservoir, a gas-tight casing to receive
the carbide, and a supply-pipe to feed the water into the carbide, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of Al 1007
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.