Improvements in Acetylene Generating Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Acetylene Generating Apparatus.
I, EDOUARD HENRIQUEZ, of 22, Rue de Paris, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, 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 ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the kind of apparatus for generating acetylene from
calcic carbide in which water is supplied to the carbide and an excess of gas
pressure stops a further supply of water so as to reduce or stop the production of
acetlyene, and consists in improvements in the construction or arrangement of
said apparatus.
On the drawing appended hereunto the improved apparatus is shewn in vertical
section by Figure 1 and in plan with the cover of the generator removed by
Figure 2.
The improved apparatus consists of an annular water tank A formed with a
central well B which tank is divided by a partition a into a lower gas tight com-
partment al and an upper compartment a2 which may be open. From the lower
portion of the compartment a¹ a pipe c fitted with a cock c leads to the inside of
the well B, a branch pipe fitted with a cock being arranged to discharge water
from the compartments a¹ or well B into a drain. From the partition plate a a
pipe d descends to near the bottom of the compartment a¹ and a valve dis
arranged by which the inlet to the pipe d can be closed. A pipe e with a cock e¹
ascends from the partition, leading to the gas mains or gas holder if one is used,
and a branch pipe f with a cock f¹ connects the rising pipe e below the cock e¹
with the inside of the well B.
The well B forms the generator. It is closed by a gas tight cover b, the cover
being made hollow and very deep for the purpose of reducing the air space in
the generator. To the top of the cover a cock g is fixed surmounted by a
funnel g¹ and communicating through a syphon pipe g² with the inside of the
generator. Below, the cover a pipe k with cock is fitted to the side of the
well B, leading outside the building in which the generating apparatus is placed
or into a chimney flue.
Into the generator is placed a bucket H fitted with handles h to lift it by. A
standpipe passes water tight through the bottom of the bucket and is sur-
rounded by a perforated pipe h². The carbide is contained in the annular space
round the pipe h³.
A glass gauge is preferably fitted to the side of the tank A, another gauge
may be arranged at the side of the upper compartment a², but preferably this
compartment is fed from the water main or a cistern through a ball tap so as to
keep the water level in the compartment at a certain height above the top of the
pipe h¹ corresponding to the gas pressure which it is desired to have in the gene-
rator. A sight glass 61 is fixed to the side of the generator about or just below
the level of the cock f.

page_text: The manner of working this apparatus is as follows; At the start the compart-
ment a¹ is filled from the upper compartment a² through the valve , the cocks cl
and being closed and cock e or f¹ open. When the compartment a' is quite
filled, the valve d' is closed. The carbide bucket H with carbide is then placed
into the generator and the cover 6 fastened on, suitable packing to make a gas
tight joint being placed between the surfaces. A little water is then poured into
the funnel g till it flows out of the syphon pipe and trickles upon the carbide,
the cock being left open meanwhile. Some acetylene is thereby generated and
drives out most of the air in the generator through the pipe k into the atmos-
phere, after which the cock is closed and the cock f opened, cock e¹ being
closed at the time. When the cock c¹ is now opened, water will flow from the
compartment a¹ into the generator B through the pipes and fill the space round
the carbide bucket H and in the pipe h, the sizes of the vessels being so propor-
tioned that the volume of the pipe and space round the bucket slightly
exceeds the volume of the compartment a¹ above the level of the top of the pipe h',
so that when the water flows into the generator through the pipe c from the
compartment a' while the valve d' is closed, it cannot rise above the top of the
pipe. The apparatus is then prepared for generating acetylene.
For this purpose the valve d is slightly opened, when the head of water will
cause some water to overflow the pipe and running to the bottom of the pipe h²
will pass through the perforations of the same to the carbide and start the gene-
ration of acetylene. If the cock e¹ is closed, the gas pressure will force the water
partly out of the compartiment al and the generator through the pipe d into the
upper compartment a², and the valve d' may now be fully opened. When the cock e¹
is opened and gas drawn off for consumption or into the gasholder, the
pressure in the apparatus will fall and water be again forced over the top of the
pipe so as to generate more gas. If at any time the production of gas exceeds
the consumption, the water in the compartment a¹ and generator B will be forced
down again and into the compartiment a³ whereby a further supply of water to
the carbide is stopped, till by the consumption of gas the pressure has fallen again
sufficiently for the head of water in the compartment a2 to cause the water to
overflow the pipe h¹. In this way the apparatus selfactingly regulates the pro-
duction of acetylene according to its consumption.
When the carbide in the bucket has become exhausted which will be the case
when on closing the cock e' while the water is above the standard level it is no
longer pressed down in the compartment a¹, the cock c¹ is closed while f¹ and e¹
are kept open, and water is run into the generator through the funnel g¹ and
syphon g² to drive out the gas remaining in the generator. When the water level
approaches the cock f¹, which can be observed through the sight glass 61, the
cock is closed and cock ¹ opened, and the small remainder of gas expelled.
The cover can then be opened without risk or inconvenience, the water drained
from the generator B through the cock c, the carbide bucket H lifted out emptied
and recharged and inserted again. The cover being closed, a little water is again
dropped on the carbide through the funnel and syphon to expel the air, after
which the cock k¹ is closed and f¹ opened, and the apparatus will start working
again as herein before described.
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:
4
4
1. In acetylene generating apparatus the arrangement of a central well or 5
generator surrounded by a water tank divided into two superposed compartments,
a carbide bucket with a central standpipe surrounded by a perforated pipe, a pipe
descending from the upper compartment to near to the bottom of the lower com-
partment and a valve for closing the same, a pipe fitted with a cock connecting
the lower parts of the lower compartment and the generator and having a branch 5
with a drain cock, a gas pipe fitted with a cock connecting the upper parts of the

page_text: said lower compartment and the generator, and a cover for closing the generator
at the top, substantially as described and illustrated by the drawing.
2. In acetylene generating apparatus arranged as specified in the preceding,
claim, the use or arrangement of a deep cover fitted with a syphon pipe and
filling funnel, and a pipe on the generator below the cover fitted with a cock and
open to the atmosphere, substantially as described and illustrated and for the
purpose set forth.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester,
Harrington Chambers, 24, North John Street, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.