Improvements in or relating to Gas Generators for Lamps, Lanterns, and other Purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1898-Accepted, 2nd July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Gas Generators for Lamps, Lanterns,
and other Purposes.
A communication from MATTHIAS CHARLES ARNOT, of Elmira, Chemung County,
State of New York, United States of America, Banker.
°
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 improvements in the apparatus for generating gas
wherein a solid is decomposed by a liquid, and applies more particularly to
generators of acetylene gas where it is intended to produce the gas at a low
pressure and in such limited quantity as may be needed for immediate con-
sumption, the gas being taken from the generating chamber direct and used at
the same pressure under which it is being generated therein.
The objects of this invention are, first to provide means for feeding the liquid
to the solid automatically under an approximately constant head in order to pro-
duce the gas steadily and at the desired pressure; second to provide an auxiliary
receptacle which shall receive and store up any over production of gas from the
generating chamber and thereby prevent the escape of gas into the atmosphere;
third, to provide within said auxiliary receptacle means whereby the varying
volume of gas therein shall control and regulate the feed of liquid to the generating
chamber; fourth, to so construct the liquid column that it will act as a safety
valve when the gas is produced in excess of the capacity of the auxiliary
receptacle and yet leave it in condition to supply liquid to the generating
chamber immediately the gas pressure fails; and finally to adapt such
generator for use in connection with bicycle lamps, carriage lamps, locomotive
headlights, etc., which are subject to heavy jolting, tilting, &c. as well as to
stationary or house lamps where the conditions for perfect and steady operation
are most favorable.
a
These objects are attained by apparatus two forms of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is shown as applied to a
bicycle lamp.
Fig. 1 being a vertical section through the centre of one form of the lamp;
Fig. 2 a horizontal section on an enlarged scale on the line - in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 a vertical section of the auxiliary receptacle also on an enlarged scale
on the line y-y in Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of an alternative construction of a bicycle lamp embodying
the improvements, parts being drawn in section ;
Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is a plan of the dome of the lamp the tank and chimney cap being
removed;
Fig. 7 is a part section of a modified form of coupling.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
1
1 11
1

page_text: generating chamber to ascend into the receptacle and cause
a very effective
regulation of the water supply, it is found that better results are obtained by the
use of the second tube J, which opens into the receptacle some little distance
above the orifice of H, so that the water in B cannot at any time cover its top thus
providing an open communication between chamber and receptacle at all times.
This tube extends above the normal water level a sufficient distance to prevent
the water reaching its orifice when the lamp is tilted or jolted, the false bottom a¹
being pressed up to form a suitable dome to accommodate the tube.
The water level in the receptacle rises and falls according to the variations of
the gas pressure, the gas passing back and forth between generating chamber and
receptacle, and it will be found that a comparatively small receptacle under
ordinary circumstances will accommodate this surplus of gas, and thereby cause a
very steady flame at the burner without any escape of gas to the outer air. At
times, however from various causes especially when the lamp is subject to jolts
and jars, the generation of gas will be in excess of the capacity of the receptacle,
in which case the water will be blown from the column leading from the supply
tank and gas will escape through the vent e. One column G would provide for
this relief but when the pressure falls again in the receptacle and chamber the
water would have to flow down the column and fill the receptacle before it could
again enter the generating chamber, in which time the gas pressure would fall
below the normal. To avoid this the second column F is provided shorter by a
small distance than G so that gas will blow out through F and leave a column
of water standing in G ready to start the flow into receptacle
immediately the gas pressure falls therein, thus keeping the pressure at
the burner up to the normal. In stationary lamps this escape of gas will rarely
if ever take place, but in portable lamps it will quite frequently but in such small
quantities as to be scarcely noticeable.
B
To provide for dry gas and a clear steadily burning flame a small piece of
carbide is provided directly beneath the burner orifice. Any moisture in the gas
from the generating chamber as it ascends to the burner will attack this carbide,
separating itself from the passing gas and producing new fresh and dry gas to
be united therewith. This piece of carbide is to be proportioned to last about
as long as the charge L.
By closing down valve N the water supply will be shut off and the gas then
remaining in the chamber and receptacle will soon be consumed and the flame will
become extinguished. By tilting the lamp backward and removing plug E all
the water will be drained from both receptacle B and tank D). The tank is made
broad and shallow so that the supply level will have little variation and yet
insure an ample supply of water. The tank has been shown encircling the top
of the lamp, which gives sufficient capacity without causing the lamp 'to have
an ungainly appearance. It is located so that its water level will be about three
inches above the orifice of the tube H which gives a head sufficient to produce gas
pressure enough for a 1-4 ft. burner. By arranging the various tubes in
receptacle B on the diameter running from front to rear when the lamp is to be
carried on a bicycle the sidewise tilting to which it is then subject will not so
affect the water level as to cause water to overflow through the tube H to too
great an extent. By placing the transverse partitions across the receptacle and
tank and providing them with openings at top and bottom undue changes of level
arising from tilting etc. are provided against, since these partitions divide the
vessel into small chambers open to one another for circulation of gas and water
but to such limited extent as to prevent the water from passing bodily from side
to side as the vessels are tilted.
In the construction illustrated in Fig. 4, the lower portion of the shell is
provided with an inward projection, which is shown in Fig. 4 as a flange a³ this
flange being corrugated for a purpose which will presently appear. This inward
projection of the shell is engaged by a coupling between the upper and lower
portions of the lamp, the parts of the coupling being so formed as to provide an

page_text: applied to a great variety of lamps and also to generators on a larger scale and
for other lamp purposes. The head of liquid supply may be derived from various
sources and may be much greater when it is desired to produce gas at a higher
pressure and a much greater volume of gas may be produced by correspondingly
enlarging the parts of the apparatus. The relative location of the parts may also
be varied.
Neither does my correspondent confine himself to either form of lamp herein
shown and described, as it is quite evident that the essential features of construc-
tion may be applied equally well to other forms of this type of lamp, such as that
in which the auxiliary receptacle is omitted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware that it is not new
to feed a liquid to a solid by gravity and to regulate the flow by utilising the
back pressure due to over production of gas within the generating chamber to
force the liquid back through the communicating channel: also that it is not new
to dry the gas by bringing it into contact with a second body of the solid near the
point of consumption; and I therefore do not claim these things broadly, but
what I claim is:-
a
1. A gas generating apparatus characterised by the combination with
generating chamber of a liquid supply tank above the chamber an auxiliary
receptacle intermediate of the two, two columns communicating between the tank
and the lower portion of the said receptacle one column terminating at a point
above the lower extremity of the other, and a stand pipe communicating between
the top of the generating chamber and the upper portion of the auxiliary
receptacle whereby the gas generated is automatically proportioned to the demand.
2. In a gas generating apparatus the combination with a generating chamber
of a liquid supply tank above the chamber and an auxiliary receptacle inter-
mediate of the two a column communicating between the tank and the lower
portion of the receptacle a stand pipe communicating between the top of the
generating chamber and the upper portion of the receptacle a second stand pipe
communicating between said chamber and the receptacle at a higher point than
the first within a dome provided therefor in the top of the receptacle.
3. In a gas generating apparatus the combination with a generating chamber C
of a liquid supply tank D above the chamber an auxiliary receptacle B inter-
mediate of the two and resting upon the generating chamber a column G com-
municating between the tank and the lower portion of the receptacle and affording
a direct and unobstructed passage between the two and a stand pipe H com-
municating between the upper portion of the receptacle and the top of the
generating chamber.
4. In a gas generating apparatus the employment of two columns adapted to
supply liquid from a tank to the generating chamber one of said columns
terminating at a point above the lower extremity of the other for the purpose set
forth.
5. In a lamp the combination with a shell provided with an inward projection
such as or 5 at its base, of a reservoir and a coupling of which one part
formed on the reservoir and the other part is adapted to slip down within the shell
and form with the first part a groove within which the inward projection a³ or a³
is clamped.
6. In a lamp the combination with a shell provided with a corrugated inward
projection such as a³ or a at its base of a reservoir and a coupling of which one
part is formed on the reservoir and the other part is adapted to slip down within
the shell and form with the first part a groove within which the inward pro-
jection a or a is clamped.
7. In a lamp of the type described the combination with a tank D of an auxiliary
receptacle B connecting tubes or columns, a removable shell and a dome such