Inprovements relating to the Production of Acetylene Gas and to Lamps for Generating and Burning the same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1897-Accepted, 23rd Oct., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[Communicated from abroad by WIZARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, a corporation
organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, and doing business at
No. 340 Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America,
Manufacturers.]
Inprovements relating to the Production of Acetylene Gas and to
Lamps for Generating and Burning the same.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
My invention relates to Acetylene Gas Lamps, and more particularly to that class
of acetylene lamps adapted for use upon bicycles or other vehicles, although the
invention may be adapted for use in stationary acetylene gas lamps.
Acetylene gas is usually artificially generated upon the chemical reaction of a
metallic carbide, as calcium carbide, and water, the resultant products being calcium
oxide and acetylene gas, the gas when ignited producing a pure, white and brilliant
light.
My invention herein has for its object to overcome many serious difficulties and
objections that heretofore have been present in acetylene gas lamps and the
apparatus for producing the gas burned thereby. Acetylene lamps are usually
constructed in combination with a gas-generating device formed in one integral
structure with the lamp so that the lamp and the source of gas supply might be
carried from place to place and the gas burned where it would be otherwise
impracticable to secure a supply thereof.
It has heretofore been proposed to provide a gas-generating chamber forming
a part of the lamp structure in which the carbide, preferably metallic carbide,
such as a carbide of calcium, is placed. The liquid gas-producing ingredient or
water in such a structure is confined in a separate chamber and applied to the
carbide drop by drop to generate gas, the design being to apply the water at a rate
corresponding to the consumption. This method of producing the gas has proven
faulty, however, since thereby the generation of gas is spasmodic, owing to the
uneven distribution of the water and the varying rates of reaction thereof upon the
carbide. The water when thus applied to the carbide in this uneven manner,
furthermore, is accumulated to such an extent in the gas-producing chamber as to
cause a long continued generation of gas after the consumption thereof has ceased.
For this reason, explosions are liable to result.
One feature of my invention consists in an improved method of generating
the gas, while other features relate to an improved structure for consuming the
same, controlling the rate of production and the pressure maintained within the
producing chamber.
I will explain my invention by reference to the accompanying drawing, which
illustrates the preferred embodiment thereof, in which,

page_text: i.
features of my invention;
7.)
Fig. 2 is a plan view of a removable cap for the generating chamber;
Fig. 3 is a modification of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.
Like parts are indicated by like letters of reference throughout the different
views.
I will first give a detailed description of the lamp structure and then of its mode
of operation.
The carbide or gas-producing chamber is provided with a removable cap a,
which may be screwed into position by the handle a¹, through which the generated
gas is preferably conveyed to the point of application. I preferably provide a
centrally-disposed tapering socket in the removable cover extending above and
beneath the same. The lower extension of the socket has threaded engagement
with a removable cap, which is designed to hold a filtering medium b, as felt, in
position. A tapering plug c ground to fit the tapering socket is provided with
a centrally-disposed vent and a threaded bore into which the stem of a valve
casing d is screwed. The valve casing is also provided with a gas vent communicat-
ing with the vent in the tapering plug, said valve casing being constructed at
its upper portion to receive a gas tip composed preferably of lava, also provided
with a vent which communicates with the interior of the carbide chamber through
the medium of the vents in the tapering plug and valve casing. A passage e
in the lava tip is provided to produce an admixture of air with the gas for producing
perfect combustion. A valve f has threaded engagement with the valve casing d
and by its operation is adapted to control the flow of gas through the tip. I prefer-
ably provide a spring washer g which maintains the conical plug in firm contact
with the engaging socket, whereby leakage of gas is prevented.
I provide a combustion chamber which may be of any desirable form to protect
the flame produced at the tip, said chamber being provided with a downwardly-
extending annular hood, which engages the top portion of the wall of the carbide
chamber. I provide a slot f' in the wall of the combustion chamber and the
hood, which receives the stem of the valve f as the combustion chamber is being
placed in position. It frequently happens that, in securing the cap a in position,
the stem of the valve f will not register with the slot f¹, so that, in order to secure
the hood in position, it would be necessary to slightly loosen the cap a, which is
objectionable, if it were not for the peculiar engagement between the tapered plug c
and the tapered socket shown. By this construction, the said plug may be rotated
to bring the valve stem into alignment with the slot.
I surround the carbide chamber with a water receptacle, which flares outwardly
at its upper portion. The water from this receptacle is preferably passed through
the passage, preferably right-angular, into the bottom of the carbide chamber.
I provide a valve which may be operated by the stem h¹ for graduating the flow
of water through the passage in proportion to the gas that is to be consumed.
Suitable stuffing boxes are provided about the valve stems to prevent leakage of
gas and water. I provide an air valve i, an end view whereof is shown to the right
of the tubular projection k containing said valve. The valve comprises a
tube, screwed within the removable nipple about which tube a rubber
or other flexible wedge-shaped duct is secured, the wedge-shaped end
of said duct or valve extending inwardly, so that air may
the water chamber to replace the vacuum created upon the passage of the water
into the carbide chamber, while at the same time the emission of gas by way of
the water chamber is prevented. The tendency of the gas to retard the inward flow
of the water is thus greatly reduced. I provide the nipple with a threaded bore
through which the air may enter the water chamber and into which a pipe from
an air pump may be screwed for the purpose of forcing the water through the
passage to clean the same of any sediment. I provide a second tubular pro-
jection which communicates directly with the carbide chamber. Into the upper
end of this projection I screw a removable cap l, at the inner end whereof a vent
...
enter

page_text: plug is screwed. A plunger 13 normally closes the vent in said plug through
the agency of the coiled spring shown, but upon an excessive pressure of gas the
plunger is elevated from the vent, whereby a dangerously excessive pressure is
at all times avoided. By constructing the safety valve as shown, the entire valve
may be removed without dissembling its parts:
I preferably use the carbide in stick form as shown, and, in order that the water
admitted through the graduated opening may be evenly distributed over the con-
tiguous surface of the carbide stick, I provide an absorbent medium, pad, or
distributing element m, held in position by an annular casing m³. The absorbent
medium serves to evenly distribute the water and to prevent the same from surging
suddenly within the carbide chamber, thereby preventing an uneven production
of gas.
Where such an opening is employed, I preferably interpose between the
same and the pad a wire netting n or other suitable device for elevating the pad
slightly from the bottom of the carbide chamber, whereby the water may be evenly
distributed to the bottom of the pad.
To maintain a firm engagement between the carbide stick and the absorbent
medium, I provide a device which is engaged between the chamber and the carbide
and which, while it is adapted to maintain this firm engagement, at the same time
will yield sufficiently to compensate for any expansion in the mass of carbide.
In Fig. 1 I have shown a washer upon the top of the carbide, between which and
the top of the chamber is interposed a coiled spring which exerts a downward
yielding pressure upon the carbide.
In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a filtering medium which in this instance may
replace the filtering medium shown in Fig. 1, said filtering medium being contained
by a porous housing b', the gas being adapted to pass through the filtering medium
and the porous housing. I secure an annular spring washer 2 to the housing,
which maintains frictional engagement with the cylindrical wall of the carbide
chamber. In charging the lamp, the body ¹ is pressed upon the carbide stick
with the pressure required, this pressure being maintained by the spring washer,
which is constructed to yield upon the expansion of the carbide. The function of
the filtering medium shown in both Figs. 1 and 3 is to remove the moisture held
by the gas in suspense and any impurities that otherwise would be passed with the
gas through the gas tip.
I have fully described the preferred embodiment of my invention in a lamp
and generating device, but it is obvious that changes may be readily made without
departing from the spirit of my invention. Furthermore, the relative disposition
of the parts may be altered and the same results secured as by my present device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention 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. A gas-generating lamp provided with a valve for controlling the flow of
generated gas, the casing of the valve being arranged to rotate, for the purpose
set forth.
2. A gas-generating lamp provided with a filtering medium through which the
gas is passed to the burner, for the purpose set forth.
3. A gas tip having a gas passage, and a small passage communicating therewith,
for the purpose set forth.
4. A gas-generating lamp provided with a safety valve subjected to the influence
of the generated gas, for the purpose set forth.
5. An acetylene gas-generating lamp provided with a water receptacle from
which the water is passed into the generating chamber, said receptacle being
provided with a valve for admitting air as the water is removed and which is
constructed to prevent passage of gas therethrough.
6. An acetylene gas-generating lamp provided with an absorbent medium, the
water being admitted to one side of said medium while the solid carbide is

page_text: maintained in substantial contact with the other side of said absorbent medium, for
the purpose set forth.
7. An acetylene gas-generating lamp provided with an absorbent medium, and
a perforated element for elevating the absorbent medium above the bottom of the
carbide chamber, the water being admitted through the bottom of the carbide
chamber from a water receptacle in the amount required, for the purpose set
forth.
8. A bicycle acetylene gas-generating lamp having a device for holding the
carbide in position, said device having yielding engagement with a relatively
fixed portion.
9. A bicycle acetylene gas-generating lamp having an absorbent medium to
which the water is supplied and in contact with which the carbide is held by a
spring.
10. The herein described method of generating gas, which consists in placing
an absorbent medium in contact with a proportionately large area of one gas pro-
ducing ingredient, passing a liquid gas-producing ingredient to the absorbing
medium, absorbing the liquid, passing it to the first aforesaid ingredient and
regulating the passage of said liquid ingredient to the absorbent medium in a rate
proportionate to the volume of gas required.
Dated this 23rd day of Sentember 1897
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.