Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
I, SAMUEL SIDNEY BROMHEAD, of 171, Queen Victoria Street, in the City and County
of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communi-
cation from abroad) and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention is in acetylene gas apparatus and has for its particular object the
improvement of such apparatus to the end that the carbide of calcium may be fed
automatically and delivered into the gas generating chamber in predetermined
quantities and at such times only as may be needed to insure the continuous and
economical generation of gas. It also provides for automatically stopping the
feeding of carbide whenever the use of the gas is discontinued.
Heretofore it has been most common in this class of apparatus to provide a
continuously fed supply of carbide in which case the gas is generated continuously.
In some instances however the feeding of the carbide has been in a measure controlled
through the movement of a storage chamber or gasometer, but under such conditions,
the storing of this gas is considered more or less dangerous.
In the apparatus of the present improved form, very simple but accurate
mechanism is provided for delivering the carbide to the generating chamber in
given quantities and for stopping such delivery so soon as the use of the gas is
discontinued, the generation of gas being always limited by the charge of carbide
delivered, thus rendering a storage tank or gasometer unnecessary. By thus
controlling the generation of gas, apparatus is provided that is not only economical
but is also absolutely safe even in the hands of a novice.
The newly improved apparatus briefly described comprises a supply chamber for
the carbide of calcium, a water or generating chamber, means for measuring and
delivering into the said generating chamber a given quantity of carbide, means
coacting with the said measuring and delivering device and water chamber for
automatically controlling the delivery of the carbide and means consisting of a
cut-off or separator located between the water in the generating chamber and the
carbide feeding mechanism whereby all moisture in said generating chamber is
prevented from rising into contact with the carbide held in reserve.
To more clearly explain this invention the annexed sheets of drawings have been
provided illustrating the same as follows:-
Fig. 1 shows in side elevation and partly in vertical section and Fig. 2 in plan
view, acetylene gas apparatus embodying the several features of this invention.
Fig. 3 shows in elevation and on a somewhat enlarged scale the above mentioned
carbide measuring and delivering mechanism.

page_text: Figs. 4 and 5 show in central vertical section certain interior parts of the carbide
measuring and delivering mechanism, said sections being taken respectively in
planes at right angles to each other.
Fig. 6 illustrates partly in elevation and partly in vertical section a portion of the
carbide measuring and delivering mechanism and Fig. 7 shows in elevation a certain
detail of said mechanism.
Fig. 8 shows on a somewhat enlarged scale and in central vertical section certain
mechanism for automatically actuating and controlling the said carbide measuring
and delivering mechanism.
Fig. 9 is a view similar to the Fig. 8 showing a portion of the mechanism of the
latter and the manner in which it operates.
Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 8.
Fig. 11 illustrates in plan a certain detail of construction of the mechanism
of Figs. 8 and 9.
Referring to the drawings the reference numbers 10 and 11 denote two concentric
cylindrical tanks or water chambers the former of which is of somewhat greater
diameter but of less height than the latter and receives within itself the lower
portion of the said latter. The top of chamber 10 is closed over while that of
chamber 11 is left open and communication between said chambers is established at
the lower end of chamber 11 by means of passages 11ª provided in the wall of said
chamber 11.
Located at opposite sides of the water chamber 10 are devices for supporting,
measuring and feeding the carbide, said devices including a water vessel 12 and a
super-imposed storage chamber 13 which latter is connected with said water vessel
by an inclosed passage 14. Within the passage 14 are arranged two tapered
chutes 15, 16, here shown as rectangular in cross section, located one above the
other whose smaller ends hang down in said passage in such relative positions that
the upper chute 15 will discharge its contents into the lower chute 16, so that the
latter may discharge into the water vessel 12. These chutes, together with certain
cut-off devices, coacting with the lower ends thereof and with the surrounding
enclosed clear space, form the measuring and delivering mechanism above referred
The said cut-offs consist of curved gates 17 that are secured to trunnions 18, 18ª
the former of which is journaled in the wall of passage 14 while the latter is journaled
in a circular plate 14ª and is extended to receive a hub 19 in which is mounted a
radial arm 19 having a weight 19b at its free end, which weight is of sufficient size
to overbalance the curved cut-off gate 17. A stuffing box of ordinary form (denoted
by the number 20) is secured upon the projecting central portion of the plate 14" as
is best seen in Fig. 5. The plates 14ª are secured to the wall of passage 14 by bolts
or screws as shown.
to.
Referring now particularly to Fig. 3 it will be seen that each hub 19 is provided
with two approximately radial arms 21, 21 arranged as here shown and preferably
having their outer ends connected by a strip 21.
Reference number 22 denotes a vertically extending bar mounted to slido in
ways 14" formed on the casing of passage 14 at one side of the hubs 19. The sliding
bar 22 is provided with pins 22 that project therefrom as seen in Fig. 3, each pin
being adapted to engage arm 21 as bar 22 moves upward and arm 21" as said
bar 22 moves downward (strips 21" being of less thickness than arms 21, 21ª to
permit pins 22" to travel beneath them) this providing means for rocking hubs 19
and the connected cut-off gates 17 both to open and close said gates.
In order to lock gates 17 both in their open and closed positions each hub 19
bears on its inner face an angular web 19 that has two straight edges 19ª, 19
that may engage the edge of bar 22, as seen in Fig. 7, and thus prevent the acci
dental rocking of hubs 19 and the connected gates 17. The bar 22 is cut away as
at 22 at the point where the angle between the straight sides 19d, 19e would other-
wise impinge against said bar when the gates are being opened or closed, that is
to say when bar 22 is being moved to rock the hubs 19.

page_text: The gates 17 it will be noticed, are formed as arcs of the same circle in which
they travel and they are loosely fitted with relation to the lower or delivery ends
of the chutes, so that the granulated carbide cannot clog, or in any degree obstruct
the passage of the gates, when the latter are swung forward to cut off the supply of
carbide.
The upper gate 17, which must of necessity cut through and separate the mass
of carbide at each forward movement of said gate, is so located with relation to
the delivery end of the upper chute that space, approximately equal to the granules
of carbide, is afforded between the chute and the gate, when the latter is swinging
forward to its closed position (see particularly Fig. 6 which shows the upper chute 15
and its gate 17). The granules of carbide are thus prevented from wedging between
the end of the chute and the advancing gate for the reason that they may be
readily pushed before the moving gate if not otherwise displaced.
It should be understood that the power obtainable (in apparatus of this particular
class) for automatically operating the gates 17, is very limited and it is therefore
imperative that provision be made for the practically unobstructed movement of
said gates and this is accomplished by the proper regulation of the space between
the upper chute 15 and its coacting gate 17, as just described. In order that the
granules of carbide may not pass by gravity or be forced by the weight of the
mass above through the open space thus provided, gate 17 is made of a width
somewhat greater than the width of the mouth of the chute 15 so that said gate over-
laps (i.e. extends beyond) the walls of the mouth of the chute sufficiently to prevent
such undue displacement of the carbide.
It should also be particularly noted that, when the upper gate 17 is moved away
from the delivery end of chute 15 to release a portion of the contents of said chute,
said gate swings into the unoccupied space between the chute and the enclosing shell
of passage 14, also that, when said gate is swung forward to close the delivery end
of the chute and thus cut off the discharge of carbide, any of the granulated
particles of said carbide that might seek to unduly obstruct and check the advance
movement of said gate are readily pushed before the gate into the said unoccupied
space on the opposite sides of the chute. It has been found in practice that this
provision for the clearance for the free moment of the cut-off gates 17 is absolutely
necessary for the reason that the carbide cannot be successfully fed by means of
ordinary plug valves, or sliding gates operating entirely within the mass of the
carbide. The lower chute 16 and its gate 17 are substantially the same as the
upper gate and chute already described.
When a charge of carbide is dropped into the water of the generating chamber 12,
ebullition takes place and the space in said chamber above the water is immediately
filled with vapor which seeks to rise and, if not checked, soon passes upward into
contact with the supply of carbide held in reserve, resulting in dampening the
carbide and causing its particles to adhere to each other and soon become a pasty
mass that refuses to pass downward by gravity. Such serious difficulty is overcome by
interposing between the water and the carbide feeding mechanism a positive moisture
cut-off that is closed immediately after a charge of carbide is fed into the generating
chamber and remains closed until it is time to drop another charge into said
generating chamber.
Said moisture cut-off is best shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings and is
located preferably entirely within the generating chamber 12 but it could be as well
located at any point between the water in said chamber and the delivery end of
chute 16. The upper end of the generating chamber 12 is forined with a rectangular
opening that registers with passage 14 and depending from said upper end of
chamber 12 and within the latter is a rectangular frame 23 whose lower face is
curved to co-operate with a, curved cut-off 24 of gate form. Gate 24 is supported
by trunnions 24ª, 24 as best seen in Fig. 5, the former of which trunnions has a
bearing in an extension 23ª of plate 23 and the latter a bearing in a sleeve 24d
located in the wall of chamber 12 and through which sleeve the trunnion 24 extends
to receive on its outer end an arm 25. Said arm 25 is adapted to be operated to

page_text: rock the cut-off 24, which latter, when in the position shown in full lines in
Fig. 4, serves to close the opening leading from chamber 12 to passage 14,
or, when in the position shown in dotted lines in the same Fig., said opening is left
unobstructed. Gate 24 is so fitted with relation to the curved lower face of frame 23
that a practically tight joint is provided, thus preventing positively the passage of
vapor through said passage connecting the generating chamber and passage 14
when the said gate is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4. The free end of
lever 25 is connected by a link 25" to a frame 26 secured to bar 22 and, through
said link, vertical movement of said frame and bar results in the imparting of a
rocking motion to arm 25 and the moisture cut-off gate controlled thereby.
Assuming that the gates 17 and the moisture cut-off gate 24 are in the positions
shown in Fig. 4 (the corresponding positions of the weighted arms 19 and the
arm 25 and connected parts being shown in Fig. 3) that is to say, the lower gate 17
is closed and the upper gate 17 opened, thus permitting the carbide to pass down-
ward from the upper chute 15 and fill the lower chute 16 and the moisture cut-off
gate 24 is closed to prevent the upward passage of moisture:-Should bar 22 be
slid upward, such action results through frame 26 and link 25" in rocking the arm 25
and the gate 24 controlled thereby. The pins 22" are so located upon bar 22 that,
soon after the beginning of the upward movement of said bar, the upper of said
pins engages arm 21 of the upper hub 19 and forces said arm before it and thereby
effects the rocking of the upper gate 17 into the position shown in full lines in the
Fig. 6, thus cutting off all communication between the chutes 15 and 16. Con-
tinued upward movement of bar 22 brings the lower pin 22 into engagement
with arm 21 of the lower hub 19 and, forcing the same before it, effects there-
through the rocking of the lower gate 17 into the clear space at the side of chute 16,
as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, thus opening the lower gate and permitting the
carbide in the lower chuts (16) to pass by gravity downward. In the meantime
however the moisture cut-off gate 24 has been rocked from the opening connecting
chamber 12 and passage 14, so that when a charge of carbide is dropped as just
mentioned the same passes through said opening and into chamber 12. When
bar 22 is returned to its downward position, the first action of such return move-
ment is to begin the closing of gate 24 after which the lower pin 22ª engages
arm 21 of the lower hub 19 to close gate 17 and continued downward move-
ment of said bar 22 causes the upper pin 22 to engage arm 21" of the upper hub 19
to rock gate 15 into its open position, as in said Fig. 4, when the carbide is allowed
to pass from the upper or storage chute down into the lower or measuring chute
whence it may be discharged at the proper time into the generating chamber 12.
When bar 22 has been moving downward to operate the gates 17 in the manner
just described, said bar has been serving also to close the moisture cut-off gate 24,
the closing of the latter being accomplished just before the return of the gates 17
to their last named positions. The weights 19" above described are provided to
give a quick opening and closing movement to the cut-off gates 17, the weights
serving to accelerate such movement as soon as they are moved past the vertical
centre of the trunnions 18, 18" as will be well understood by reference to the
drawings.
When a charge of carbide is delivered into the generating chamber 12 as just
described, decomposition immediately begins and the resulting gas seeks an outlet
which it finds through a pipe 27 connecting the said generating chamber 12 with
the main tank or water chamber 10. As the gas enters chamber 10, it at once
begins to displace the water therein and forces the same through passage 11ª into
tank 11, causing said water to rise in the latter tank. The gas in chamber 10
passes therefrom for consumption through a pipe 28 having one or more coils
submerged in the water of tank 11 to effect the cooling of the said gas. As the
gas in the tank or chamber 10 is consumed the water in chamber 11 correspondingly
falls and that in chamber 10 rises, said water passes from the former to the latter
chamber through the openings 11ª.

page_text: It has already been mentioned that means are provided, coacting with the said carbide
measuring and delivering mechanism, for automatically controlling the last named
mechanism. Describing now said means for automatically controlling the carbide
measuring and feeding mechanism the reference number 29 denotes a float located
in the water of chamber 11 and connected by certain mechanism hereinafter
described with one end of a lever 30 hung at 30 midway its length and at the
upper end of chamber 11. The other end of lever 30 is connected by a link 31 with
frame 26. The float 29 is adapted to rise and fall with the water in chamber 11
and said float, through lever 30 and link 31 acts as follows to operate the described
carbide measuring and feeding mechanism.
Assuming that the supply of gas is nearly exhausted in chamber 10 and the
water in chamber 11 and float 29 are falling, such action rocks lever 30 to draw
bar 22 upward, the latter operating the carbide feeding mechanism to feed a charge
of carbide downward and actuating the moisture cut-off meehanism to permit the
passage of carbide into chamber 12. The formation of gas at once takes place and,
as above described, causes the water and float 29 in chamber 11 to rise, the latter
through lever 30 and link 31 actuating the carbide measuring and feeding and
the moisture cut-off mechanisms in the direction the reverse to that just described.
To cause the carbide feeding mechanism and particularly the moisture cut-off
nechanism to act very rapidly, that the opening between passage 14 and the
generating chamber 12 may be left open only the briefest possible time, thus
practically preventing the passing of moisture from the latter to the former,
mechanism is provided whereby a very rapid movement is attained for bar 22. To
attain such movement of bar 22, the float 29 is not connected directly with lever 30
in which case float 29 and bar 22 would move in unison and necessarily slowly, but
the following described mechanism is provided for connecting the said float and
bar. Describing now the last named mechanism the reference number 32 denotes
a cross bar located near the upper open end of chamber 11 and having depending
therefrom, midway its length, a tube 33 which receives and forms a guide for two
other tubes, 34 and 35, concentric with tube 33 and located respectively outside
and within the latter. Tube 34 is adapted to rise and fall with float 29, and, to
attain this end, said tube has, radiating outward and downward therefrom, arms 36
secured to the upper face of float 29. Tube 35 is somewhat longer than tube 33
and projects beyond the ends thereof and bears on its upper end a connection 37 by
means of which the tube is secured to lever 30 and, on the lower end, tube 35 bears
a disc 38 adapted to receive and support a weight 39. Tube 35 is adapted to
travel with a vertically reciprocating motion and, to assist in retaining float 29 in
line therewith, the latter is provided with an upwardly extending stud 29" entering
the lower end of said tube as shown in the drawings. Located within tube 35 is a
spring 40 having a widened portion 40 projecting through an opening 35" in said
tube and, when said tube 35 and float 29 are in their highest position, as shown in
Fig. 8, the spring portion 40* registers with and enters an opening 33" in tube 33.
Said tube 33 has on each side of its opening 33" a wing 33b which wings project
through a slot 34" extending almost throughout the length of tube 34 and between
the said wings 33b a trigger 41 is pivoted, one arm of which engages the edge of
the spring portion 40" and whose other arm lies in the path of a projecting arm 42
formed on a ring secured to the upper end of tube 34.
Assuming now that the various elements under consideration are in the positions
shown in Fig. 8 (the float 29 being now in its upward position) it will be seen that
as the said float begins its downward travel, tube 34 will travel correspondingly on
the tube 33 (dotted lines in Fig. 8) while tube 35 will remain in its elevated
position. The downward travel of float 29 and tube 34 continues until arm 42
carried by the said tube engages and rocks before it the trigger 41, such action
resulting in forcing inward the spring portion 40* from the opening 33" as shown
in Fig. 9. When the spring portion 40 is withdrawn from the opening 33 as just
mentioned, tube 35 is free to travel downward and such action takes place at once
by reason of the weight 39 resting on disc 38 secured to the lower end of tube 35,

page_text: Tube 35 then drops by gravity until the weight supporting disc 38 nearly reaches
the top of float 29, such downward movement of said tube serving to rock lever 30
and actuate the mechanism controlled thereby in the manner already described.
To relieve the rigid shock, that would result if the weight were allowed to drop
directly upon the float, an elastic washer 32 is placed upon the cross-bar 32, said
washer being of such thickness that it receives and checks the connection 37 just
before the weight reaches the float. As float 29 and tube 34 begin to travel
upward by reason of the rising of the water in chamber 11, caused by the formation
of gas as above explained, tube 35 and its weight 39 are also carried upward by
said float until the spring portion 40 registers with, and snaps into, the opening 33'
of tube 33. Said elements, having now reached their uppermost positions, are
retained therein until there occurs a repetition of the operation just described, it
being understood that the said upward travel of tube 35 rocks lever 30 and actuates
the mechanism controlled thereby in the opposite directions to those caused by the
downward travel of the tube.
In the gas apparatus shown in the drawings only two generating chambers and
connected parts are shown but it will he obvious that several generating chambers
could be arranged around chamber 10, and their respective carbide feeding
mechanisms controlled by float 29, as suggested by dotted lines in Fig. 2.
The described apparatus is extremely simple in its construction, has no parts
easily worn out and is automatic in its action.
Inasmuch as the generation of gas is stopped at the time, or very soon after,
the use of the gas is discontinued and, inasmuch as it is impossible for the gas to
accumulate under pressure, the described apparatus may be regarded as absolutely
safe and may be operated by any person of average intelligence.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination, in acetylene gas apparatus, a water chamber, a super-imposed
carbide storage chamber, an enclosed passage connecting said chambers, and
mechanism for releasing from said storage chamber and for measuring and
delivering into the water chamber, a specified charge of carbide, consisting of two
tapered chutes suspended in said passage with surrounding clear space as set forth,
and cut-off gates located at the delivery ends of said chutes; said gates consisting
of curved plates so hung that they may be swung into the space surrounding the
chutes when opened to permit the carbide to be discharged from said chutes, all
substantially as specified.
2. In combination, in acetylene gas apparatus, a water chamber, a super-imposed
carbide storage chamber, an enclosed passage connecting said chambers, and
mechanism for releasing from said storage chamber and for measuring and
delivering into the water chamber, a specified charge of carbide, consisting of two
tapered chutes suspended in said passage, with surrounding clear space as set forth,
and cut-off gates located at the delivery ends of said chutes; said gates consisting
of curved plates adapted to be swung across the delivery ends of said chutes and
so located that space approximately equal to the size of the carbide granules is
provided between the gate and the delivery end of the chute with which it cooperates,
all substantially as specified.
3. In combination, in acetylene gas apparatus, a water chamber, a super-imposed
carbide storage chamber, an enclosed passage connecting said chambers, and
mechanisms for releasing from said storage chamber and for measuring and a
delivering into the water chamber, a specified charge of carbide, consisting of two
tapered chutes suspended in the said passage with surrounding clear space as set
forth, and cut-off gates located at the delivery ends of said chutes; said gates
consisting of curved plates adapted to be swung across the delivery ends of said
chutes and so located that space approximately equal to the size of the carbide
granules is provided between the gate and the delivery end of the chute with

page_text: which it co-operates; the said gates being also greater in width than the delivery
ends of the chutes to prevent the undue passage of the carbide when the gate is
closed, all being substantially as specified.
4. In combination, in apparatus of the class referred to, a storage chamber, an
enclosed passage depending therefrom, a chute suspended within said passage, a
trunnioned cut-off gate located at the delivery end of said chute, a hub 19 secured
to one of said trunnions, means for rocking said hub, and means for locking said
hub and the connected gate against rotation, all substantially as specified.
5. In acetylene gas apparatus, a reservoir for the carbide, a generating chamber
located below the reservoir, an enclosing passage connecting the reservoir and
chamber, a gate for controlling the flow of carbide, a weighted counter-balance
connected to the shaft of the gate, and two arms connected with the trunnions
of the gate, combined with an endwise moving bar provided with a stud which
operates in connection with the arms, a moisture cut-off placed at the lower
end of the passage comprising a gate supported by trunnions one of which bears
an arm connected by a link with the vertically moving bar, substantially as
shown.
6. In an acetylene gas apparatus, a reservoir, a generator located below the
reservoir, a connecting passage between the reservoir and the generator, a tapored
chute placed in the passage, a pivoted swinging gate operating in connection with
the lower end of the chute, a counter-balance connected with the gate, two arms
extending from the trunnions of the gate, combined with a vertically moving bar
provided with a stud which operates in connection with the two arms, a moisture
cut off placed at the bottom of the passage, an arm secured to the trunnion thereof
and a link connecting said arm with the vertically moving bar, substantially as
specified.
7. In an acetylene gas apparatus, a reservoir, a generator, a passage connecting
the reservoir and the generator, a tapered chute placed in the passage, a pivoted
swinging gate operating in connection with the lower end of the chute, a counter-
weight, and two arms placed at an angle to each other and extending from the
trunnion of the gate, combined with a vertically moving bar provided with a stud
which alternately engages with the arms connected with the gate, and by means of
which bar the gate is alternately opened and closed as the bar is moved endwise,
substantially as set forth.
8. In gas apparatus, in combination in and with a gas controlled water chamber,
a float, a weighted slide, means for retaining said slide in its elevated position and
for releasing the same when the said float reaches its lowest position, substantially
as specified.
9. In gas apparatus, in combination in and with a gas controlled water chamber,
a float, a weighted slide, means for retaining said slide in its elevated position and
for releasing the same when the said float reaches its lowest position, and a lever
supported by a fixed fulcrum and having one end connected with the said weighted
slide, substantially as specified.
10. In gas apparatus, in combination in and with a gas controlled water chamber,
a float, a weighted slide, means for retaining suid weighted slide in its elevated
position and for releasing the same when the said float reaches its lowest
position, carbide feeding mechanism substantially as set forth, and mechanism
connecting said feeding mechanism with the said weighted slide whereby the
feeding mechanism is caused to operate with a rapid movement, as and for the
purpose specified.
11. In gas apparatus, in combination, a receiver, a generating chamber and pipe
connections between said receiver and chamber, carbide measuring mechanism
over the generator, a float and an independently operated weighted slide within
said receiver, and connections between the said carbide measuring mechansim and
the weighted slide and float whereby the said carbide measuring mechanism is
caused to operate with a rapid movement, substantially as specified.

page_text: 12. In gas apparatus, in combination in and with a gas controlled water
chamber, a float, a weighted slide, means for retaining said weighted slide in its
elevated position and for releasing the same when the said float reaches its lowest
position, carbide feeding mechanism, a generating chamber, a moisture cut-off
between the said generating chamber and feeding mechanism, and mechanism
connecting the said moisture cut-off with the said weighted slide, all substantially
as specified.