Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Production of
Acetylene Gas.
I, LOUIS JOSEPH DEDECKER, of 96, Rue Masui, Brussels, Belgium, Mechanician,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic production of
acetylene gas, the object of the said invention being, more especially, to procure
an apparatus which is simple and cheap, offering no danger and producing
acetylene gas automatically according to the combustion.
The apparatus belongs to the class of generators with which the carburet in
powder, or in small pieces, is distributed in the water in proportion to the con-
sumption, to avoid, in an absolute manner, all over production of gas.
The invention which forms the object of the present application especially
relates to new means imagined, with a view to securing the safety of the apparatus,
avoiding all escape or loss of gas, and preventing all abnormal heating. These
means consist principally in employing a gas bell separate from the properly-so-
called generator, and in combining with the generator and with the gas bell, a
special mechanism commanding the distribution of the carburet in the water of
the generator and automatically actuated at the desired moment, by the gas-bell,
as will be more completely described in course of the present specification.
In this apparatus, the carburet reservoir is arranged on the cover of the gene-
rator the bottom of which inclines so as to facilitate the flowing of the dregs
which are evacuated through a waste-cock.
The carburet reservoir has a reversed truncated cone at its lower part provided
with a circular opening closed by a distributing cone, to the summit of which a rod
is fixed, the said rod passing through the cover of the reservoir, and bearing a
plate on its upper end, the said plate being pressed by a spiral spring arranged on
the rod between the plate and the cover of the reservoir.
The spring serves to keep the reservoir closed by the cone so long as another
force does not press upon the plate to overcome the resistance of the spring.
Inside the generator, to the right of its upper part, a purifying apparatus is
fixed, the said purifier communicating on the one and with the generator, by a
tube provided with a wire-gauze at its lower part, and on the other hand with a
tube leading to the generator.
The tube which communicates the purifier with the gasometer has several elbows
of suitable shape and at its end which empties into the gasometer, it has a drying
apparatus provided with a wire-gauze which serves to detain the solid matters
which might be drawn with the gas; moreover, this tube is provided, on the
outside of the gasometer, with a cock allowing the interception of the communica-
tion between the generator and gasometer.
The drying apparatus may be filled with any drying matter, but preferably
pieces of pumice-stone slightly soaked with an acid.
On the tank of the gasometer uprights are fixed, connected at their upper ends

page_text: by a cross-bar, and on which rollers run, the axles of which turn in supports fixed
on the bell of the gasometer, the object of which is to guide the said bell in its
upward and downward movements.
The bell bears an arm laterally, the said arm terminating in a knob fixed in front
and above the knob or plate already mentioned.
The arm is articulated towards its middle, by means of a hinge to be able to
bend upwards; but in the working position, it is held rigidly by a socket which is
arranged on it and which can slide longitudinally,
The bell has, at its lower part, a weight suited to the pressure desired to be
obtained, and on its lateral side it bears stop tappets which, when the bell contains
no gas, rest upon the upper edge of the tank. The socket can then be slipped on
the arm and the extremity of this arm be turned upwards, so that when the
functioning stops, the knob of the arm does not press against the knob of the dis-
tributing cone and consequently does not act upon its spring.
The functioning of this apparatus is as follows:
The granular carburet is introduced into the reservoir, then the knob of the
lateral arm is made to press on the knob of the distributing cone to keep the
reservoir open at its lower part. The carburet falls into the water of the generator
and acetylene gas is emitted.
As soon as the pressure of the gas produced and conducted into the bell becomes
sufficient to lift the said bell, the knob of the arm leaves the knob of the distribut-
ing me and this cone rises under the action of the spring and stops the fall of
carburet into the water.
When, in consequence of the consumption, the pressure of the gas diminishes
in the bell, the said bell descends again and causes a fresh quantity of carburet
to fall into the generator.
The result of this is that the production of gas is very slow in the generator and
that no quick heating is to be feared.
The generator being hermetically closed, no escape of gas can be produced in
it; also no escape can take place in the gasometer, the gas being conducted to
the centre of this apparatus and cannot escape along the sides, as is generally,
the case with gasometers having the gas bell combined with the producing
apparatus.
It must be observed that the carburet can be introduced into the reservoir and
the provision of water in the generator be increased during the functioning of the
apparatus, without any inconvenience or danger; the waste can also be allowed to
escape if necessary.
1000
Improvements in Apparatus for the Automatic Production of
Acetylene Gas.
I, LOUIS JOSEPH DEDECKER, of 96, Rue Masui, Brussels, Belgium, Mechanician,
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 invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic production of
acetylene gas, the object of the said invention being, more especially, to procure

page_text: an
apparatus which is simple and cheap, offering no danger and producing
acetylene gas automatically according to the combustion.
The apparatus belongs to the class of generators with which the carburet in
powder, or in small pieces, is distributed in the water in proportion to the con-
sumption, to avoid, in an absolute manner, all over production of gas.
The invention which forms the object of the present application especially
relates to new means imagined, with a view to securing the safety of the apparatus,
avoiding all escape or loss of gas, and preventing all abnormal heating. These
means consist principally in employing a gas bell separate from the properly-so-
called generator, and in combining with the generator and with the gas bell, a
special mechanism commanding the distribution of the carburet in' the water of
the generator and automatically actuated at the desired moment, by the gas-bell,
as will be more completely described in course of the present description and
specified in the claims.
In the annexed drawing a practical form of construction of this apparatus is
represented by way of example in a vertical section.
In the drawing:
A is a gas generating reservoir provided with a slanting bottom a, a clearance
cock b, a water-level indicator tube a safety tube e, a stopper f, and an escape
pipe 9 provided with an introduction valve gi for the purifying liquid.
B is a carburet reservoir provided with a screw-stopper h, a distributing cone i,
a cylindrical rod j passing through a stuffing-box and ending in a plate and
a spiral spring m arranged on the rod j.
D is a purifier arranged in the generator and provided with a tube n to indicate
the water-level, with a waste cock; a gas introduction tube and a pipe p con-
necting the purifier with the escape pipe g.
EF is the gasometer, E is the bell of the gasometer provided with slide rollers 4,
a horizontal articulated arm r which has a knobs at its end, a weight t and stop
tappets u.
Fis the tank of the gasometer provided with the upright guides and a
waste-cock w.
G is a drying apparatus provided with a wire gauze a and fixed on the end of
the tube g which is provided with a cock y.
Z is a tube for the exit of the gas having a cock Z'.
The carburet reservoir B is arranged on the cover of the generator A, the
bottom of which inclines so as to facilitate the flowing of the dregs which are
evacuated through the waste-cock b.
The carburet reservoir B has a reversed truncated cone at its lower part provided
with a circular opening closed by the carburet distributing cone i, to the summit
of which the rod is fixed, the said rod passing through the cover of the reser-
voir B, through the stuffing-box k, and bearing the plate / on its upper end, the
said plate being pressed by the spiral spring m arranged on the rod between the
plate and the cover of B.
This spring serves to keep the recipient B closed by the cone i so long as another
force does not press upon the plate / to overcome the resistance of the spring m.
The carburet is introduced into the recipient B through the hole h, and the
water into the generator A through the hole f and the said holes are closed by
absolutely air-tight stoppers.
Inside the generator A, to the right of its upper part the purifying apparatus D
is fixed, the said purifing communicating on the one hand with the generator, by
the tube o provided with a wire-gauze at its lower part, and on the other hand
with the tube g leading to the generator, by means of the pipe p.
The purifying matter is introduced into the recipient D through the valve gl
fitted on the tube g.
The tube which communicates the purifier with the gasometer has several
elbows of suitable shape and at its end which empties into the gasometer, it has

page_text: a drying apparatus provided with a wire-gauze a which serves to detain the solid
matters which might be drawn with the gas; moreover, this, tube g is provided,
on the outside of the gasometer, with a cock y allowing the interception of the
communication between the generator and gasometer.
The drying apparatus G may be filled with any drying matter, but preferably
pieces of pumice-stone slightly soaked with an acid.
The gasometer E F communicates with the piping of the burners by the tube Z,
provided with a cock Z' at its exit from the gasometer.
On the tank F of the gasometer uprights are fixed connected at their upper
ends by a cross-bar, and on which the rollers q run, the axles of which turn in
supports fixed on the bell E of the gasometer, the object of which is to guide the
said bell in its upward and downward movements.
The bell E bears an armr laterally the said arm terminating in a knobs fixed
in front and above the knob or plate already mentioned.
The armis articulated towards its middle, by means of a hinge to be able to
bend upwards, but in the working position, it is held rigidly by the socket a¹
which is arranged on it and which can slide longitudinally.
The bell E has, at its lower part, the weight t suited to the pressure desired to
be obtained, and on its lateral side it bears stop tappets u which, when the bell
contains no gas, rest upon the upper edge of the tank F. The socket a¹ can then
be slipped on the arm r and the extremity of this arm be turned upwards, so that
when the apparatus stops; the knob s of the arm does not press against the knob /
and consequently does not act upon the spring m.
The function of this apparatus is as follows:-
The granular carburet is introduced into the reservoir B, then the knob s
is made to press on the plate 7 to keep the reservoir B open at its lower part. The
carburet falls into the water of the generator A and acetylene gas is emitted.
As soon as the pressure of the gas produced and conducted into the bell E
becomes sufficient to lift the said bell, the knobs leaves the knob or plate / and
the cone rises under the action of the spring m and stops the fall of carburet into
the water.
When, in consequence of the consumption, the pressure of the gas diminishes in
the bell E, the said bell descends again and causes a fresh quantity of carburet
to fall into the generator.
The result of this is that the production of gas is very slow in the generator.
The generator being hermetically closed, no escape of gas can be produced in it;
also no escape can take place in the gasometer, the gas being conducted to the
centre of this apparatus and cannot escape along the sides, as is generally, the
case with gasometers having the gas bell combined with the producing apparatus.
It must be observed that the carburet can be introduced into the reservoir B
and the provision of water in the generator A be increased during the function
of the apparatus, without any inconvenience or danger; the waste can also be
allowed to escape if necessary.
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 an apparatus for the automatic production of acetylene gas, the combina-
tion of a gas generator, a distributor fixed on the generator, a purifier placed in
the generator, a gasometer, and a drier placed in the interior of the gasometer,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a carburet distributor, the combination of a tank terminating at its lower
part in a truncated side provided with a circular opening, a cone closing this
opening, a rod fixed to the upper part of the cone, passing through the cover of
the tank by means of a stuffing-box and hearing a knob or plate at its upper
end; and a spiral spring arranged on the afore-mentioned rod, between the knob
and the cover of the tank, the object of the said spring being to keep the cone

page_text: lifted in its normal position to close the lower part of the tank, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
3. In an apparatus for the automatic production of acetylene gas, the combina-
tion, with the gasometer bell, of a lateral horizontal arm fixed on this bell and
jointed about its middle part, to be bent upwards, a socket arranged on this rod
to hold it firm, and a knob fixed at the end of the arm to press the knob of the
distributor rod when the bell of the gasometer descends, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
Dated this 7th day of December 1808
J. P. BAYLY,
18, Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for the Applicant.