Improvements in Acetylene Gas Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 25th Nov., 1899
Improvements in Acetylene Gas Machines.
I, FRANK MATTHEWS, of 181, St. James Street, in the City of Montreal, in the
County of Hochelaga, in the Province of Quebec, Canada, Manager, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to improvements in acetylene gas machines, and the object
of the invention is to devise a compact and simple form of machine, which shall
be perfectly automatic in its action and free from offensive odors, and manufac-
ture a gas from the carbide of calcium equal to any produced up to the present
date, and it consists essentially of a generator provided with a central hollow stem
having connected to its four sides upsettable buckets to hold the carbide, the
holding catch of such buckets being released by the head of a rod extending up
through the stem and deriving an upward movement through the rise and fall of
the gas in the gasometer, so as to upset the carbide in the bucket or each set
of buckets in its turn into a chute, which leads to a water receptacle, thereby
generating the gas which passes up a tube, in the middle of the gasometer, (which
tube is provided with a safety air pipe) thereby raising the dome in proportion
to the amount of carbide deposited in the water, a blow off pipe of course being
provided to prevent any accident in the way of explosion, and the manufactured
gras being carried off through the gas supply pipe, the various parts being con-
structed in detail as hereinafter more particularly described.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each
figure.
Fig. 1, is a sectional perspective view of the machine showing the interior and
exterior arrangement of the gasometer.
Fig. 2, is a detail of a carbide bucket, and
Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of a shield hereinafter described.
A is the gasometer, B is the dome, C is the water receptacle, D is the carbide
receptacle, d is a hollow stem to hold the carbide buckets d¹ which are detachably
placed on the tower d by means of small axis d². Standing out from the corner
of the bucket d is a spring catch d³, which slips into an orifice in the stem d and
locks itself, so as to retain the bucket when charged with carbide in an upright
position until upset by the upward movement of the rod E which has a large flat
head e made to fit the opening up the centre of the tower d closely enough to
catch the spring catch d³, and thereby release the bucket from its upright
position and discharge the carbide into the chute c when it strikes the water at
once runs down the slope of the water receptacle C past the shield c¹ and forms gas
which rises up through the water and passes up the only outlet tube a, as the
shield c¹ prevents the gas returning up the chute c, and thus the weighted dome B
s raised, being kept in place by small wheels 6 running on vertical tracks b¹.
On the dome starting to descend, it forces the gas through the gas supply pipe a¹
to the various parts of the house or building where it is required. In order to
avert any danger of explosion, I have provided a blow-off safety tube 3 which

page_text: is provided with a downwardly tubular cover of such a length, that when the
dome B rises to a high level, it leaves the top of the tube a³ uncovered to receive
the over supply of gas, forcing it down and out.
Attached to the overflow tube a² out side the gasometer I have a small tap a¹
to draw off any water which may accumulate. In the automatic working of my
small
machine I have a contrivance by which, when the dome B descends
bracket contacts with the turned top of the rod E¹ and gradually forces it
downwards thereby tilting the lever F until the pawl e¹ engages with one of the
notches and raises the rod the space of one notch.
The co-acting pawl 3 prevents all chance of the rod E slipping backwards. The
lever F has a balancing weight e to equalize its movements. By means of the
catches e and 3 working the rod E up according to the action of the dome B the
flat head e of the rod E gradually releases the buckets & from their upright
position either one, two or four at a time according to the number placed at the
same horizontal position on the stem. The outside casing D¹ of the carbide
holder D is made so as to fit snugly into a trough G at the opening of the chute c.
This trough is kept filled with water and thus prevents any possibility of offensive
odor from the machine when working. This I consider a very essential feature
of my invention. The water receptacle C has a lower chamber into which
sediment from the used carbide deposits itself and is readily cleared out by means
of the tap c³.
I have provided a safety attachment to be used in emptying the machine of the
spent carbide and water and again refilling the lower receptacle with water.
G is a cylindrical shaped cap, closed at one end, made of any sheet metal and
intended to fit loosely over the top of the tube a, the open end of the cylinder
being immersed for several inches in the water, and the top and closed end of the
cap or cylinder being held by suitable lugs, sufficient distance from the tube a
to allow the gas to pass out of the tube a and down between the outside of the
tube a and the inside of the cap G¹ into the water, and so find its way into the
gasometer and the gas supply pipe a¹. The effect of the lower portion of the
cap G¹ forming a water seal, between the tube a and itself, is to absolutely
prevent the return of gas to the generating chamber.
The pipe H inside the tube a is intended for the ingress and egress of air accord-
ing as the water receptacle C is being emptied of refuse carbide and water or
being refilled with water.
On
Its mode of operation is as follows:-The air supply pipe H¹ is connected with
the pipe H at its lower bend below the stop cock H. The stop cock H2 is pro-
vided with a lever H³ which locks itself in the wheel controlling the out-let
tap. When the lever H³ is locked in the wheel the outlet tap is closed.
opening the stop-cock H2 by means of lifting the lever H3 and turning the wheel c¹
the residue of the carbide and water flows out of the tap 3 thus reducing the
level of the water in the receptacle C thereby causing a vacuum which is readily
filled with air coming through the pipes H and H¹.
To refill the water receptacle the lever H³ is again raised to open the stop cock H
and as the water level rises it forces the air out of the tube a through the pipes H
and H¹ thus doing away with the danger of the contact of the air and the gas.
On thus providing an exit for the air in the machine, attach a hose or pipe
to the stop cock and proceed to fill the generator with water.
A pipe I is provided leading out of the chute c to carry away any gas which
may be generated in the chute.
The machine stands on four uprights which are preferably fixed to the top rim
of the gasometer.
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 combination with the gasometer and an independent water receptacle

page_text: located beneath and communicating with the same provided with an inclined side
or chute, of a carbide receptacle located above the hopper leading into the chute,
a central stem in the receptacle, a plurality of carbide-holding buckets swung at
different heights on the stem, a detachable means for maintaining them in a
horizontal position and means operated by the fall of the gasometer for releasing
the catch of each successive bucket, so that it upsets and deposits its contents
upon the chute as and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with the gasometer and an independent water receptacle
located beneath the same provided with a tube extending from the water receptacle
up into the gasometer and an inclined side forming a chute for the carbide, a
deflecting shield intermediate of the length of the chute, a hopper formed at the
top of the chute, a carbide receptacle located on same, a central stem in the
receptacle, a plurality of carbide holding buckets swung at different heights on
the stem, a detachable means for maintaining them in a horizontal position and
means operated by the fall of the gasometer for releasing the catch of each suc-
cessive bucket, so that it upsets and deposits its contents upon the chute as and for
the purpose specified.
3. The combination with the gasometer and an independent water receptacle
located beneath a and communicating with the same provided with an inclined
side or chute, of a carbide receptacle located above the hopper leading on to the
chute, a holow stem suitably supported on the carbide receptacle, a series of
buckets located above each other and pivotally swung on the stem, a catch extend-
ing through a recess in the stem and holding the buckets in 'heir normal hori-
zontal position, a rod extending upwardly through Le stem provided with a
suitable head designed to engage with the catch to loosen the same, and means
connected with the gasometer for imparting an upward movement to such rod
upon each downward movement or fall of the gasometer dome as and for the
purpose specified.
4. The combination with the gasometer and an independent water receptacle
located beneath and communicating with the same provided with an inclined side
or chute, of a carbide receptacle located above the hopper leading into the chute
a hollow stem suitably supported on the carbide receptacle, a series of buckets
located above each other and pivotally swung on the stem, a catch extending
through a recess in the stem and holding the buckets in their normal horizontal
position, a rod extending upwardly through the stem provided with a suitable
head designed to engage with the catch to loosen the same, a series of notches on
such rod substantially corresponding in distance with the distance between the
catches of the buckets in the stem, a pawl mechanism engaging with such notches
and means connected to the gasometer to operate such pawl mechanism upon each
downward movement of the dome of the gasometer as and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination with the gasometer and an independent water receptacle
located beneath and communicating with the same and provided with an inclined
side or chute, of a carbide receptacle located above the hopper leading into the
chute a hollow stem suitably supported on the carbide receptacle, a series of
buckets located above each other and pivotally swung on the stem and holding the
buckets in their normal horizontal position, and extending upwardly through the
stem provided with a suitable head designed to engage with the catch to loosen
the same, a series of notches on such rod substantially corresponding in distance
apart with the distance between the catches of the buckets in the stem, a suitable
lever pivoted in the frame, a pawl connected to one end of the lever and engaging
the rack, a retaining pawl, a rod connected to the opposite end of the lever and
provided with a bent upper end and suitably supported in the frame, and a pro-
jecting bracket extending from the top of the gasometer and designed to come
in contact with the rod, so as to tilt the operating lever at the bottom thereof on
its pivot as and for the purpose specified.
6. The combination with the gasometer and an independent water receptacle
located beneath the same and provided with a tube extending from the water

page_text: receptacle up into the gasometer and with an inclined side or chute, of an air
pipe inside the gas tube leading from the generator chamber where it passes
outside, and automatically locking stop cock worked by a lever fitting in the
wheel of the refuse outlet tap and designed when closed to exclude air, of a
cylindrical cap on top of the gas tube leading from the generating chamber and
designed to form a water seal, of a carbide receptacle located above the hopper
leading into the chute, a central stem in the receptacle, a plurality of carbide
holding buckets swung at different heights on the stem, a detachable means for
maintaining them in a horizontal position and means operated by the fall of the
gasometer for releasing the catch of each successive bucket so that it upsets and
deposits its contents upon the chute as and for the purpose specified.
Doted the 28th day of August 1899.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.