Improved Portable Apparatus for Generating and Burning Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1897-Accepted 20th Now
1007
Communicated from abroad by ANDRÉ GOBRON, of 6 Cité d'Hauteville, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Mechanical Engineer.]
Improved Portable Apparatus for Generating and Burning
Acetylene Gas.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both in the County of Lancaster, and,
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, do
5 hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
The present application relates to a lamp adapted for burning gas produced by the
combination of water with carbide of calcium.
The novel features which form the essential part of this application are as follows:-
(1) The mode of supplying the water
automatically according to the requirements of the consumption. (2) The method
to the carburettor which is effected
of regulating the pressure obtained by means of a safety valve which when the
maximum pressure is exceeded delivers surplus gas to a supplementary burner,
which burner consumes the surplus production until equilibrium of pressure and
feed is completely reestablished.
carburettor by connecting it with the burner tap in such a manner that it is
(3) The method of regulating the feed to the
impossible to cause the water to reach the carburettor without opening the burner
tap and that these two actions cannot be rendered independent for their respective
function. The body of the lamp is composed of an envelope of suitable shape
divided at about a third of its height by a plate. The part above this plate forms
the receiver for the water, and the part below it the carburettor. At the centre of
the water holder and in a vertical position is pla el a bell communicating with the
carburettor by means of a central tube. The carburettor is divided in its height into
two parts by means of a movable partition in the shape of a dome perforated with
holes. The lower part contains the carbide of calcium, the upper part receives the
gas produced in the carburettor and acts as a gasometer. The roof of the gasometer
is padded with felt or other absorbent material intended to collect the moisture of
the gas before this passes to the burner. Above is placed the burner supplied with
gas by means of a tube which communicates with the carburettor. A branch pipe
allows the gas to escape into the air by unscrewing its plug when requisite. Upon
the supply tube is placed a tap controlled from the outside.
cylindrical box is placed concentrically around the tube and having an adjustable
A safety valve in a
spring controlling the valve. A tube reaches to a hollow burner pierced with a circle
of little holes. Upon the opening of the safety valve it causes the gas to pass through
the holes and ignite.
The supply of water to the carburettor is effected through tubes communicating
with the bell aforesaid and preferably provided with a filtering device for purifying
the water, and means for removing and cleansing the same, the inlet valve for the
water is connected to the tap of the burner by means of a rack gearing into toothea
[Price 8d 1

page_text: segmental dises on the boss of the controlling valve. This arrangement is so devised
as to permit of the opening and closing of the tap when the water valve is closed but
it does not permit of the closing of the said tap when the water valve is opened.
From this arrangement it results that the user is obliged to shut off the delivery. of
the water to the carburettor before closing the tap. The operation of the new lamp
is as follows:-
The carburettor having been supplied with carbide of calcium, water is poured into
the reservoir. The water then penetrates under the bell, and the lamp is ready for
work. The water valve is then opened by turning the tap and this causes at the
same time the opening of the burner tap; the water passing from the bell traverses
the plug and falls drop by drop (in consequence of the resistance which it experiences
in its passage through the porous plug) upon the carbide, combines with the same
and generates the acetylene gas which passes to the gasometer and from there to the
burner and beneath the bell through the central tube. If in consequence of a too
rapid development of gas in the carburrettor the pressure increases, the gas is
compressed under the bell and exercises a pressure upon the surface of the water
contained in this bell and causes the level of the liquid to fall until it is below the
adjustment and the water is forced out of the bell into the reservoir. The supply of
water to the carburettor consequently ceases from this moment, the gas continuing
to be formed increases the pressure still further and causes the level of the water to
be forced down until the consumption at the burner relieves the pressure. If the
pressure of the gas still continues to increase it then raises the safety valve and is
burned around the ordinary burner. In this manner the increase of consumption
corresponds to the increase of production.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Application.
Improved Portable Apparatus for Generating and Burning
Acetylene Gas.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, 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 ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The present application relates to a lamp adapted for burning gas produced by the
combination of water with carbide of calcium. The construction of this new lamp
and its special arrangements will be easily understood from the following specification
and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the axis of the apparatus.
Figure 2 represents a vertical section on the line V x of Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a horizontal section on the line Y Z.
In all these figures the apparatus is represented in action.
The novel features which form the essential part of this application are as follows:-
(1) The mode of supplying the water to the carburettor which is effected automatic-
ally according to the requirements of the consumption. (2) The method of
regulating the pressure obtained by means of a safety valve which when the maximum
pressure is exceeded delivers surplus gas to a supplementary burner, which burner

page_text: :
consumes the surplus production until equilibrium of pressure and feed is completely:
reestablished. (3) The method of regulating the feed to the carburettor by.com-:
necting it with the burner tap in such a manner that it is impossible to cause the:
water to reach the carburettor without opening the burner tap and that these two
actions cannot be rendered independent for their respective function. The body of
the lamp is composed of an envelope A of suitable shape divided at about a third of
its height by a plate E. The part B above this plate forms the receiver for the
water, and the part below it C the carburettor. At the centre of the water holder and
in a vertical position is placed a bell D fixed upon the plate E and communicating
with the carburettor C by means of a central tube D¹. The carburettor C is divided
in its height into two parts by means of..a movable partition C³ in the shape of a
dome perforated with holes c. The lower part C¹ contains the carbide of calcium, the
upper part C2 receives the gas produced in the carburettor and acts as a gasometer.
The roof of the gasometer C² is padded with felt C' or other absorbent material
intended to collect the moisture of the gas before this passes to the burner. Above
is placed the burner F supplied with gas by means of the tube F1 which communi-
cates with the carburettor. A branch pipe F11 with which the tube F1 is provided
admits of the gas being allowed to escape into the air atmosphere by unscrewing the:
plug or the cover F1 whenever this is considered necessary.. Upon the supply tube F
is placed a tap G controlled from outside by means of the handle H. Below the tap G
is placed the safety valve S formed of a cylindrical box I, placed concentrically around
the tube F¹ and raised upon the upper plate E¹ of the body of the lamp A:
box I is divided into two compartments 12 13 by means of a partition I¹ which is
pierced with holes i and forms the seat of the safety valve S. A spring J whose.
pressure can be regulated maintains the valve S pressed upon its seating. Above.
the box I and concentrically to the tube F¹ is placed a tube K the upper part of
which reaches to the hollow burner F and is pierced with a circle of little holes k.
Upon the opening of the safety valve it causes the tube F¹ to communicate with the
tube K by means of holes f pierced in the tube F¹ in the compartment I³, and the,
holes g pierced in the upper part of the compartment I2 at the base of the tube K.
cap
This
n1"
The supply of water to the carburettor is effected by the arrangement of parts as
follows:-The bell D receives the previously determined adjustment d and one of the
twin tubes L, M placed outside the said bell and passing with its lower ends through
plate E. The tube L which bears the adjustment & cominunicates with the tube M.
by the passage m, arranged in the part which unites them at their upper end...The
top of the tube L is provided internally with a plug of felt or other material suitable.
for intercepting the impurities of the water before its, entrance into the passage m..
This plug is fixed at the end of a rol n supported i. the tube L by means of the
screw cap n¹. In order to cleanse the plug whilst. the lamp is out of use the
can be removed and the rod n taken out. The tube M is provided at its upper part.
with a conical valve N which closes the passage m and is controlled in combination
with the tap G by means of the following arrangement:-Upon the spindle of the
valve G is fixed a disc G¹ which has that one of its faces which is turned towards H₁
divided across the diameter into two segments the one of which g¹ is thicker than the
other g². The spindle of handle H bears secured upon it the sleeve H which forms
one piece with a second disc H¹ toothed upon a portion of its circumference and
having one of its faces (the face corresponding to the dise G¹) divided into two
segments the one of which h¹ occupies one quarter of the surface and is thicker than
the other 2 which occupies three quarters. The Figures 3 and 3B shew clearly the
construction of the discs H¹ G¹. The rod N¹ of the conical valve N bears at its upper
part above the plate E', which it passes through, a rack O engaging with the pinion P
of the disc H. The space left between the two segments g¹ and h¹ permits of the
opening and closing of the tap G when the valve N is closed, but it does not permit
of the closing of the said tap when the valve N is opened. From this arrangement it
results that the user is obliged to shut off the delivery of the water to the carburettor
before closing the tap G. The operation of the new lamp is as follows:-
The carburettor having been supplied with carbide of calcium, water is poured into

page_text: the reservoir B through the hole of the screw cap R up to a level which does not
exceed the height of the tube D' which height is conveniently regulated by means of
a float indicator placed outside the lamp. The water then penetrates through the
holes t under the bell, and reaches the level of the reservoir B. At this moment the
lamp is ready to work. The valve N is then opened by turning the tap H and this
causes at the same time the opening of the tap G; the water passing from the bell D
traverses the plug and falls drop by drop (in consequence of the resistance which it
experiences in its passage through the porous plug ) upon the carbide, combines with
the same and generates the acetylene gas which passes to the gasometer C² and from
there to the burner F through the tube F', and beneath the bell D through the
central tube D¹. If in consequence of a too rapid development of gas in the
carburettor the pressure increases the gas is compressed under the bell D and exercises
a pressure upon the surface of the water contained in this bell and causes the level of
the liquid to fall until it is below the adjustment d and water is forced out of the
bell D into the reservoir B passing through the holes t. The supply of water to the
carburettor consequently ceases from this moment, the gas continuing to be formed
increases the pressure still further and causes the level of the water to be forced down
until the consumption at the burner relieves the pressure. If the pressure of the gas.
still continues to increase, it then passes through holes f of the tube F¹, raises the
safety valve S, passes through the tube K and is burned at around the ordinary
burner. In this manner the increase of consumption corresponds to the increase of
production.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
The novel lamp for acetylene gas characterized by
1. The method of supplying the water to the carburettor C obtained by the
arrangement of the bell D communicating with the water reservoir B in combination
with a valve N admitting of the passage of the feed water to the carburettor in such
a manner that when the pressure is excessive the gas fills the bell D and causes the
level of the water to descend so as to prevent the same flowing into the carburettor.
2. The method of regulating the pressure by means of a safety valve S connected
on one hand to the central burner tube F and on the other hand to a supplementary
burner tube K in such a manner that as soon as the pressure causes the valve or
valves to be raised, the excess of gas is burnt at the tube K until there is a complete
equilibrium established between the pressure and the feed without causing any
accident.
3. The method of regulating the feed to the carburettor by means of the valve N
whose motion is combined with a handle of the tap G in such a manner that it is
impossible to admit water to the carburettor without opening the tap of the burner,
and that one cannot close the tap of the burner without closing the valve N which
supplies water to the carburettor.