Year: 1897

page_text: We, CHARLES JOHN BAILEY, Plumber, of 961, Ashton Old Road, and JOSEPH HENRY
NICKLIN, Commercial Clerk, of 26, Station Road, both in Fairfield, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for the generation of acetylene gas; the object
being to construct a portable apparatus which can be used for a portable lamp such
for example as a cycle lamp or carriage lamp.
For this purpose we make use of a small cylinder for containing the calcium
carbide the said cylinder being made with a central tube not quite reaching the top
of the cylinder; this central tube is surrounded by a tube of perforated metal, wire
gauze or other suitable material to retain a suitable space between the calcium and
the inner tube. This perforated tube is kept in place by any suitable means.
At the upper end of this cylinder is fitted a second cylinder the bottom of which
by preference forms the top of the first cylinder.
This second cylinder contains water and is fitted at its lower end with an outlet
and escape valve, or tap, and a pipe in which is a back pressure valve and which leads
beyond this valve to the lower end of the central tube in the first cylinder. The
escape valve can be stopped to prevent the flow of water from the upper cylinder
into the lower cylinder or turned on to allow a suitable quantity of water to pass
from one to the other. The water will then rise up in the central tube in the calcium
cylinder, flow over the upper end thereof, and impinge upon the calcium which is
outside the perforated tube above described.
The acetylene gas will be formed and will escape from an outlet at or near the upper
end of the calcium cylinder to a suitable burner or burners where it can be ignited.
The burner or burners may be fitted in a self contained lamp, or it or they may be
connected to the calcium cylinder by an india rubber or other flexible or suitable
tube or tubes and a suitable tap or valve.
For a bicycle lamp the cylinders may be about one inch and half in diameter the
upper one strapped to the frame and the lower one connected to a suitable burner in
a lamp say on the steering post. The calcium cylinder is removable and is further
provided with a cover or stopper which is removed when the said cylinder is to be
applied to the water cylinder. Two or several cylinders can thus be taken ready
charged if desired, but we find that the lamp with a fully charged calcium cylinder
of three or four inches in length will last about six hours.
We would remark in conclusion that we have described the water container and
the calcium container as cylinders, but they may be made in any other convenient
and suitable form, the dimensions varying of course according to requirements.
D
FIL
Onth 1007

page_text: We, CHARLES JOHN BAILEY, Plumber, of 961, Ashton Old Road, and JOSEPH HENRY
NICKLIN, Commercial Clerk, of 26, Station Road, both in Fairfield, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, 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 apparatus for the generation of acetylene gas; the object
being to construct a portable apparatus which can be used for a portable lamp such
for_example as a cycle lamp or carriage lamp.
For this purpose we make use of a small cylinder for containing the calcium carbide
the said cylinder being made with a central tube not quite reaching the top of the
cylinder; this central tube is surrounded by a tube of perforated metal, wire gauze
or other suitable material to retain a suitable space between the calcium
and the inner tube. This perforated tube is kept in place by any suitable
means.
At the upper end of this cylinder is fitted a second cylinder the bottom of which
by preference forms the top of the first cylinder.
This second cylinder contains water and is fitted at its lower end with an outlet
and escape valve, or tap, and a pipe in which if necessary is a back pressure valve and
which leads to the lower end of the central tube in the first cylinder. The escape
valve can be stopped to prevent the flow of water from the upper cylinder into the
lower cylinder or turned on to allow a suitable quantity of water to pass from one to
the other. The water will then rise up in the central tube in the calcium cylinder,
flow over the upper end thereof to the bottom of the space formed by the surrounding
perforated tube, and impinge upon the calcium which is outside the perforated tube
above described.
The central tube above described prevents any calcium or other sediment from
accumulating in the central part of the calcium carbide container, and stopping up
the opening at the end of the water tube.
We may however dispense with the central fixed tube and make the tube from the
water container extend a shorter distance into the open end of the perforated
tube.
The acetylene gas will be formed and will escape from an outlet at or near the
upper end of the calcium cylinder to a suitable burner or burners where it can be
ignited.
The burner or burners may be fitted in a self contained lamp fitted in the usual
way to a cycle or otherwise formed like oil or candle lamps. It or they may be
connected to the calcium cylinder by an india rubber or other flexible or suitable tube
or tubes and (if necessary) a suitable tap or valve; and for a bicycle lamp the
cylinders may be about one inch and a half in diameter, the upper one strapped to an
upright part of the frame and the lower one connected to a suitable burner in a lamp
say on the steering post. The calcium cylinder is removable and is further provided
with a cover or stopper which is removed when the said cylinder is to be applied to
the water cylinder. Two or several cylinders can thus be taken ready charged if
desired, but we find that the lamp with a fully charged calcium cylinder of three or
four inches in length will last about nine hours.
In order that it may be fully understood how our invention may be carried into
practical effect we have annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings, on which
Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation of one of our improved generators of acetylene
gas.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a similar view, the section being taken at right angles to the section seen
at Fig. 1, this view (Fig..2) shews a modified form of the generator.
Fig. 3 shews the generator provided with a lantern around the burner forming a
cycle lamp applied as usual to the steering post of a bicycle, the latter being indicated
by dotted lines.
a is the water cylinder. and b the carbide container which is shewn screwed on the
bottom of the cylinder a. The latter is provided with a valve at the bottom thereof
formed by a lever c c pivotted at cx and provided with an india rubber or similar
covering on the end c¹; the other end of the lever c is made with a slot or fork at its
free end engaging with an adjusting screw c², by which the valve can be opened as
shewn by full lines or closed as shewn by dotted lines on Fig. 1. The water pipe a¹
the upper end of which is opened or closed by the said valve c¹ has a bore only
sufficient to allow enough water to pass (when the tube is fully opened at the top) to
generate the full amount of gas required, and no more.
61 is the perforated tube in the carbide container b around which the calcium
carbide is packed. This perforated tube b' is held in place by the central block 6*
fixed at the bottom of the container b, and may surround a central tube 6² to the
bottom of which the lower end of the tube a' leads so that no calcium in the space
formed by 6' can get to the open end of a¹ as seen at Fig. 2; or the water can drip
from a', which may be shortened as seen at Fig. 1, directly into the bottom of the
space enclosed by the tube b¹ and the tube 62 may be dispensed with. A small vent
hole a* is made in the top of the water cylinder a.
a² is the outlet for the passage through the tube or pipe a³ of the acetylene gas
formed by the water as it is admitted to the calcium carbide.
The tube or pipe a³ at Figs. 2 and 3 is shewn provided with a burner at a and so
formed that a lantern & can be fitted thereon as seen at Fig. 3, which shews the
whole forming a self contained lamp capable of being fitted as usual to part of a cycle
seen dotted at e.
It will be evident that as the "carbide" chamber b is removable, it can be provided
with a lid and be carried ready charged and ready to be fixed on the lamp in place of
a container the contents of which have been exhausted.
We would remark in conclusion that we have described the water container and the
calcium container as cylinders, but they may be made in any other convenient and
suitable form, the dimensions varying of course according to requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
The combination of a water chamber and valve and supply pipe or tube with a
removable carbide chamber provided with a central perforated tube round which the
carbide is packed and into which the water is supplied from the water chamber
substantially as herein before described.
PEEL