An Improved Generator for Acetylene and certain other Gases.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
UOMI DEI DIRUITICATION.
An Improved Generator for Acetylene and certain other Gases.
I, EUGENE HENRI FERNAND DES ESSARDS of 48 Rue M. Le Prince, Paris, in the
Republic of France, 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:—
This invention relates to a gas generator for the automatic production, at
constant pressure, of acetylene, or any other gas generated in an analogous
manner.
1
This apparatus is represented in vertical section in the accompanying drawing.
The said apparatus, represented by way of example, consists of two superposed,
hermetically closed receptacles A and B, communicating with one another by a
device C and a tube D.
The receptacle A is supplied with a liquid such as water and in the receptacle B
is placed the body to be reduced or dissolved such as calcium carbide.
The device C interposed between the receptacles A and B, is a kind of bulb or
chamber having an air hole c; into this chamber two concentrical tubes a, a¹
project downward, leaving between them an annular space to allow the passage of
air from c into A.
The inner tube a¹ is slightly longer than the outer tube a; the function of these
tubes being to allow the flow of the liquid while the level in the interior of the
said bulb is maintained constant. Any other appropriate device by which a
constant level can be maintained may be employed, thus for example: two.
non-concentrical tubes, or one single tube, and so on.
The base of the bulb is connected to a tube 6 the lower part of which is provided
with a minute hole and projects into the carbide receptacle B, in order to convey
the liquid slowly from the bulb upon the carbide.
In constructional devices subject to vibrations and shocks, this tube may be bent.
down into the form of a syphon.
A plurality of tubes similar to the tube 6 may form a group terminating in the
carbide vessel B.
The tube b extends at its base into a valve 61, formed by an indiarubber pipe.
provided with a longitudinal or other slit at its end.
By the predetermined length of the partly capillary tube 6 and its valve b', that:
is to say, the length comprised between its lower extremity and the base of the
tube a, the object of which is to prevent any return, the pressure of the liquid and
consequently its flow from the receptacle A is regulated in a very constant
manner.
The tube is. moreover provided with a cock c¹ for opening and closing the
communication between the two receptacles A and B.
In all cases the reaction produced by the contact of the liquid with the body to
be reduced or dissolved, disengages a gas; for example, when calcium carbide is
treated with water, acetylene gas is formed; this gas fills the receptacle B, whence
it can escape through the tube D and may be conveyed thence to a suitable burner.
The tube D projects through the bottom of the upper receptacle A, into the
vessel F which acts as a condenser. The tube D, closed at its top, is provided
with lateral holes e for the escape of the gas, also with a hole e¹ enabling the
bottom of the condenser F to communicate with the said tube. This latter

page_text: terminates at its base in a piece d of peu-nib or other appropriate shape, to prevent.
the formation of a liquid bubble within this tube, which might hinder the ascension
of the gas.
The condenser F is partly filled with glass balls or fragments or. with any-other
suitable substance, upon which the water contained in the gas is condensed while
the gas passes to any suitable burner arranged at H.
Finally the upper part of the receptacle A is provided with a tube or opening g
serving for the introduction the liquid required for the operation of the
apparatus.
The gas generator, thus constructed may be arranged to serve as a portable
lamp or as an industrial or domestic apparatus for feeding several burners; in the
latter case it is merely necessary to vary the dimensions of the constituent parts.
The material may be of any suitable kind: It is, however, evident that the gas is
generated in proportion as it is consumed and under constant pressure, and that the
obstruction of the conduits by condensed liquid is prevented; the apparatus may:
serve for other kinds of gas.
a
When this apparatus, as hereinbefore mentioned,' is to be employed as
generator, may connect a gasholder therewith loaded to a pressure of 1 centimetre
or more of water higher than that of the generator.
In this arrangement the gas holder remains unaffected or idle, as long as the
conduit supplies the amount of gas in proportion as it is used, but on the other
hand, when the burners are extinguished, the gas holder receives the surplus
production of gas from the generator and the supply of water in the latter ceases
by reason of the difference of pressure existing between: the latter and the
gasholder.
•
In a modification of the above described device the water may be caused to
arrive from underneath the body to be reduced. For this purpose the body to be
reduced is placed upon a suitable screen arranged at a sufficient distance from the
bottom of the receiver.. A'.tube is provided in the same vertical plane. as the
tube band passing down to the bottom.of.the receiver but open at its base to a
sufficient extent establish a free communication with the liquid. It is thus by its
ascending motion and from underneath that the liquid attacks. the body, to be
reduced:
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 gas generators.for automatically producing acetylene or other gas resulting
from an analogous reaction, the combination of two receptacles-one of which
contains the reducing or dissolving liquid and the other the body to be reduced, or
dissolved, with an intermediate chamber or bulb, interposed between the said
two receptacles and into which bulb two concentrical tubes of different lengths.
project, or any other arrangement for obtaining a constant level, such as two
non-concentrical tubes, one single tube or the like, leading from the upper
receptacle, project; aud: from which intermediate chamber a tube, provided with
a cock and a valve, passes into, and terminates within the lower receptacle, for the
purpose of enabling the- liquid to produce the reaction and, consequently effect
the automatic disengagement of gas at constant, pressure..
.
2. In generators for producing, acetylene or other similar gases, the combination
of receptacles, -one of which contains the reducing or dissolving, liquid and the
other the body, to be reduced or dissolved-with a chamber or bulb interposed
between said receptacles for obtaining a constant level, and with a condenser, into
which the vapours, carried along, by the gas, enter together, with the gas through
lateral holes, the water of condensation being allowed to flow into. the. lower
receptacle-through a hole provided at the base of the said condenser.
3.. In generators for producing gas automatically and at constant pressure, the
arrangement of a pointed piece, of pen-nib or other shape, at the gas discharge

page_text: opening in the lower receptacle containing the body to be reduced or dissolved, the
said pointed piece serving to prevent the formation of a liquid bubble which would
tend to prevent the free passage of the gas.
4. The generator for producing automatically and at constant pressure, acetylene
or other gas resulting from a similar reaction, the arrangement of which is
described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, and which
generator may be employed as a portable lamp or as an industrial or domestic
producer or generator for supplying any required number of burners, substantially
as hereinbefore specified.
5. A generator of the kind herein specified, for producing or generating
acetylene or other gas, arranged in such a manner that the liquid may pass either
from above or from below upon the body to be reduced or changed.
Dated this 15th day of January 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.