Improvements in Gas Producing Materials.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 20th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Producing Materials.
I, JOHN ZIMMERMAN, of 1416, Masonic Temple, Chicago, Illinois, United States
of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement; -
As is well known, carbide of calcium and similar gas producing substances
when brought into contact with water decompose, giving up their carbon which
unites with the hydrogen supplied by the water, also decomposed, to form hydro-
carbon gas, generally known as acetylene gas. The difficulty has been that the
carbide of calcium and similar gas producing substances owing to their great
affinity to moisture decompose rapidly when brought into contact with water or
exposed to moisture-laden air so that preservation is difficult and the period of
decomposition not sufficiently prolonged. The consequence is that it has been
found difficult to control or regulate the formation of the gas for illuminating
purposes or to preserve the carbide of calcium or similar gas producing substances
To obviate these difficulties.
for purposes of storage or transportation and use.
inherent in the nature of the substances, I have conceived the idea of employing with
the carbide of calcium and similar gas producing substances some substance that
would have the effect of binding the particles together to produce cakes, sticks or other
bodies of a desired form and of retarding the action of water or moisture on the sub-
stances so that the cakes, sticks, etc., can be preserved with greater facility and so that
when employed for the formation of gas they will decompose slowly and only as
necessary, thus prolonging and regulating their action and increasing their
efficiency.
To this end I take the carbide of calcium and similar gas producing substances
which decompose in the presence of water or moisture and crush or break them to
a desired degree of fineness and then mix them with powdered shellac or similar
substances of greater imperviousness to water than the gas producing sub-
stances, diluted with preferably methyl-alcohol, which act as a binding agent
to hold the particles in cakes, sticks or other concrete bodies made into any form
in which it may be desired to have them for use, and which owing to their relative
imperviousness to moisture or water, will prevent the gas producing substances
from dissolving or decomposing too rapidly in the presence of moisture or water-
which will in fact practically prevent or minimize their decomposing while per-
After the gas
mitting them to decompose when brought into contact with water.
producing substances and shellac or other binding agent have been mixed together
so as to form a consistent paste, I subject the composition to pressure in molds to
cause the particles to adhere to each other so as to form them into cakes, sticks or
other desired forms. After the paste or composition formed as above, has become
set or fixed in the molds so that the cakes or sticks or the like, will preserve their
form they are removed from the molds, preferably exposed to heat to eliminate
the alcohol and are ready for storage, shipment or use. The shellac or other
binding agent holds the particles of the gas producing substance together and
prevents or minimizes the action of moisture and only permits the cake or stick

page_text: to slowly decompose or act when brought into contact with water for the purpose
of producing gas. This enables the cakes, sticks, or the like, to be stored, pre-
served and shipped and used at such time as may be desired.
The powdered shellac is diluted and dissolved in methyl-alcohol until it assumes
about the consistency of varnish-in fact, is shellac varnish. In other words,
it is a saturated solution of alcohol and shellac. It is impossible to give the exact
proportions, as the powdered shellac is added to the alcohol and allowed to stand
until it thoroughly mixes. No record is kept of the proportions, further than given
above that is, the powdered shellac is added to the alcohol until it will dissolve
when it is drawn off in the shape of a thin varnish.
no more,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The process of preparing a gas producing substance, which consists in crush-
ing carbide of calcium or similar gas producing substances, then mixing therewith
a binding agent of greater imperviousness to water than the gas producing sub-
stances, and then forming the resulting paste into cakes, sticks or other forms under
pressure.
2. The process of preparing a gas producing substance, which consists in crush-
ing carbide of calcium to the desired degree, then mixing therewith a solution of
shellac and alcohol, then subjecting the mixture to pressure to form concrete
bodies, and then exposing the bodies to heat to eliminate the alcohol.
3. As a new article of manufacture, a cake or stick composed of carbide of
calcium or similar gas producing substances and a binding agent of greater im-
perviousness to water than the gas producing substances.
4. As a new article of manufacture, a cake or stick composed of carbide of
calcium and shellac as a binding agent to retain the carbide of calcium in desired
form.
Dated this 5th day of November 1807
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.