Improvements in Feed Governors for Apparatus for Producing Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec.,
1908
Complete Specification Left 2nd Sept. 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left 2nd Sept. 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feed Governors for Apparatus for Producing
Acetylene Gas.
I, JOHN OWDEN O'BRIEN, M.I Mech. E., of the Firm of W. P. Thompson & Co.,
of 6 Bank Street, Manchester, Liverpool and London, in the Counties of Lancaster
and Middlesex respectively, Patent Agents, (a communication from Paul Philippe
Honoré Macé, of 14 Rue de Victoire, Paris, in the Republic of France, Merchant),
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for use in controlling the production of
acetylene gas and its object is to provide a means of attaining this result in a simple
manner.
It consists in the employment of a float placed in the reservoir of water of the
apparatus which under the action of the differences of level which are produced
therein consequent upon the consumption of gas being greater or less than its
production-determines or checks the feeding either of the carbide or of water
according to the description of apparatus used.
The invention will be clearly described as applied by way of example to
apparatus operated by the fall of powdered calcium carbide into water.
To carry out the invention. I employ preferably a reservoir of water hermetically
sealed which is provided with ordinary arrangements for the introduction and regu-
lation of the level and the withdrawal of the water used. The lower part of the reser-
voir communicates by means of openings with another reservoir or compartment either
concentric or not, the upper part of which communicates with the atmosphere.
Above the sealed reservoir is placed a receptacle or hopper to contain powdered
carbide the conical lower part of which terminates in an aperture over which the
governing valve is fitted.
In order to regulate the movements of this valve it is mounted on a rod at the
bottom of which is fixed a float and which is guided vertically by means of a cross
bar fitted into the reservoir and by a gland or packing arranged in the cover of the
carbide receiver or in any other suitable way.
As during the working of the apparatus the gas contained in the upper part of
the reservoir of water should have a certain excess of pressure to ensure its flowing
into the conduits, the height of the water is regulated by means of an overflow
tap in such a way that it corresponds to the normal speed of the apparatus, that is
to say to the moment when as a consequence of the pressure of the gas the height
of the water in the second compartment rises to the desired height.
The apparatus being thus arranged it will be understood that when the pressure
of gas passing away by the outlet pipe is reduced the height of the water will rise
in the reservoir and by raising the float will allow of a certain quantity of carbide
to pass into the reservoir; but immediately the gas generated thereby sufficiently
raises the pressure, the float falls and as it descends lowers or closes the valve and
stons the admission of the carbide.

page_text: In order to prevent the carbide as it falls from the aperture falling upon the float
and thereby modifying its weight there is arranged above the float a cone which
prevents the carbide coming in contact with the float and at the same time
distributes it uniformly over the surface of the liquid.
To start the machine the rod carrying the valve extends above the top of the
hopper and terminates in a knob which can be raised by hand to permit a first fall
of carbide, which promptly raises the pressure in the apparatus and brings the
level of the water in the reservoir to its normal height which is necessary to deter-
mine the working, which then continues automatically and regularly as before.
When the system is to be applied to regulate the fall of water on to the carbide
the float must be placed in a vessel near the apparatus for producing acetylene gas
and which is also composed of two compartments in which is established the
necessary alteration of level the rod of this float is then joined by means of
suitable levers to the tap which admits water to the carbide contained in the gas-
generator, whatever may be the forms and particular arrangements."
Dated this 22nd day of December 1896.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Feed Governors for Apparatus for Producing
Acetylene Gas.
I, JOHN OWDEN O'BRIEN, M.I Mech. E., of the Firm of W. P. Thompson & Co.,
of 6 Bank Street, Manchester, Liverpool and London, in the Counties of Lancaster
and Middlesex respectively, Patent Agents, (a communication. from Paul Philippe
Honoré Macé, of 14 Rue de la Victoire, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Merchant), 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 invention relates to apparatus employed to control or regulate the pro
duction of acetylene gas, and its object is to provide a means of attaining this
result in a simple manner.
It consists in the employment of a float placed in the reservoir of water of the
apparatus which communicates with another reservoir opened at the top, so that
under the action of the differences of level which are produced therein consequent
upon the consumption of gas being greater or less than its production-the float
determines or checks the supply either of the carbide or of water according to the
description of apparatus used.
The invention will be clearly described as applied, by way of example, to
apparatus operated by the fall of powdered calcium carbide into water as shown in
vertical section on the drawing.
To carry out the invention I employ preferably a reservoir A of water hermeti-
cally sealed which is provided with ordinary arrangements for the introduction
and regulation of the level and the withdrawal of the water used. The lower part of
the reservoir A communicates by means of openings 6 with another reservoir or com-
partment B either concentric or not the upper part of which communicates with the
atmosphere. Above the sealed reservoir A is placed a receptacle or hopper C to
contain powdered calcium carbide the conical lower part of which terminates in
an aperture D over which the governing valve d is fitted.
In order to regulate the movements of this valve it is mounted on a rod E at the
bottom of which is fixed a float F and which is guided vertically by means of a

page_text: cross bar G fitted into the reservoir A and by a gland or packing H arranged in
the cover of the carbide receiver or in any other suitable way.
As during the working of the apparatus the gas contained in the upper part A¹
of the water reservoir A should have a certain excess of pressure to ensure its
flowing into the conduits, the height of the water is regulated by means of an
overflow tap a in such a way that it corresponds to the normal working of the
apparatus, that is to say to the moment when as a consequence of the pressure of
the gas the height of the water in the second compartment B rises to the desired
height y-y.
The apparatus being thus arranged it will be understood that when the pressure
of gas passing away by the outlet pipe i is reduced the height of the water
will rise in the reservoir A and by raising the float F will allow of a certain
quantity of carbide to pass into the reservoir; but immediately the gas generated
thereby sufficiently raises the pressure, the float falls and as it descends lowers or
closes the valve d and stops the admission of the carbide.
In order to prevent the carbide as it falls from the aperture D falling upon the
float and thereby modifying its weight there is arranged above the float a cone j
which prevents the carbide coming in contact with the float and at the same time
distributes it uniformly over the surface of the liquid.
To start the machine the rod E carrying the valve d extends above the top of the
hopper C and terminates in a knob K which can be raised by hand to permit a
first fall of carbide, which promptly raises the pressure in the apparatus and brings
the level of the water in the reservoir A to its normal height which is
necessary to determine the working, which then continues automatically and
regularly as before.
When the system is to be applied to regulate the fall of water upon the carbide
the float must be placed in a vessel near the apparatus for producing acetylene gas
and which is also composed of two compartments one of which is closed and sub-
mitted to the pressure of acetylene gas and the other is opened at the top, and in
which is established the necessary alteration y- of level. The rod of this float
is then joined by means of suitable levers to the tap which admits water to the
carbide contained in the gas-generator, whatever may be the forms and particular
arrangements.
Lastly it must be understood that I do not limit myself to the arrangement of
the apparatus described above, and shown on the accompanying drawing.
It is evident that the float F instead of being placed in the sealed reservoir A,
may also be placed in the neighbouring reservoir B.
In that case the rod of this float rising above this reservoir, would then be
fastened to one of the extremities of a lever or balance, capable of oscillating at
its centre on a support fixed to the apparatus, and the other extremity of which
would be fastened to the top of the rod E carrying the supply valve d.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the 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 :-
1. In an apparatus for producing acetylene gas; an automatic supply regulator
which consists in the combination with a water reservoir hermetically sealed and
subject to the variable pressure of the gas produced and communicating with an
open reservoir of water subject to the relatively constant pressure of the atmos-
phere, of a float immersed in the water of one or other of these reservoirs and
commanding the supply valve of the said apparatus.
2. In an apparatus for producing acetylene gas, the combination of a hermeti-
cally sealed water reservoir communicating at its lower part with a water reservoir
open at the top, a receptacle containing powdered calcium carbide placed above the
closed reservoir, a float immersed in the water contained in the said closed reservoir,
the rod of which carries the supply valve and extends above the carbide receptacle,

page_text: and a fixed cone placed between the said float and the said supply valve, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose above described.
Dated this 30th day of August 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool, and London, Patent Agents.