Method and Apparatus for the Automatic Inflation of Floating Appliances and other Receptacles with Acetylene Gas, applicable for Life Belts, Buoys, Floats, Pontoons, Signalling Apparatus and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left. 31st May, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Method and Apparatus for the Automatic Inflation of Floating
Appliances and other Receptacles with Acetylene Gas, applicable
for Life Belts, Buoys, Floats, Pontoons, Signalling Apparatus
and the like.
I LAURENT MATIGNON, of La Garenne, Colombes, Seine, France, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to effect the automatic and instantaneous inflation
or charging with gas of various floating apparatus as soon as they are placed in the
water for use; the invention is in particular applicable to life saving apparatus such
as life belts, buoys, floats serving to support heavy bodies in the water, or to raise
them when sunk; to marine signalling and the like. It consists essentially in the
combination with the bags or receptacles of such apparatus which are to be inflated,
of a receiver charged with carbide of calcium or other suitable carbide, which is so
arranged that when the apparatus is introduced into the water for use, the water
penetrates into the receiver and in reaching on the carbide effects the instantaneous
generation of acetylene gas, which passes into the bag or receptacle and inflates it.
The apparatus which I employ by preference for carrying out my said invention
consists of a cylindrical chamber of sheet metal on other material, the upper end of
which is closed by a removable cover, and which is divided internally into two
compartments of unequal size by a vertical perforated or grating like partition.
The larger compartment has an inclined bottom terminating in a discharge opening;
above this bottom is a slightly inclined double bottom, the lower portion of which is
perforated, and which serves to support the carbide of calcium. The smaller
compartment has at its lower end an inlet for water and communicates near the upper
end by means of lateral openings with a lateral vertical tubular passage open at the
lower end and closed at the upper end by cover. Near the upper end it is provided
with a lateral branch which is connected by a pipe or passage with the bag or
receptacle to be inflated. The upper part of the said tubular passage is divided
longitudinally by a perforated partition.
The above described generator having been charged and connected to the bag or
receptacle to be inflated, and immersed in the water, the latter will enter the lower
end of the small compartment and will penetrate through the perforated partition
into the large chamber where it will act on the carbide generating acetylene gas,
which, passing through the upper part of the perforated partition into the small
compartment will pass through the perforations of the tubular passage into the latter,
and through the perforated partition of the latter, to the branch pipe at top and
thence into the receptacle to be inflated. The perforated partitions, in offering a
certain resistance to the passage of the gas, will facilitate the separation of impurities
and moisture therefrom, these being discharged through the bottom opening of the
small compartment.
The residues resulting from the decomposition of the carbide are discharged

page_text: through the bottom opening of the large compartment. The moveable cover of the
latter allows of the escape of the excess of gas generated.
In most cases, and in particular for life saving apparatus which must be ready for
use at a moment's notice, the gas generator forms an integral part of the floating
apparatus, and is charged with carbide in advance so that when thrown into the water
it immediately operates for the production of gas.
When the apparatus is kept charged as described the various before mentioned
openings are kept temporarily closed, so as to prevent the moist atmosphere from
gaining access to the carbide when the apparatus is not in use. Such closure may
be effected by ordinary stoppers, but by preference I employ for the purpose a
material impermeable to air but soluble in water which material is applied in a layer
over a suitable perforated support.
If necessary the apparatus is rendered buoyant in such a manner that it will always
assume in the water the position in which the generation of the gas will be most
advantageously effected.
When the apparatus is applied to a life belt, a charge of about 200 grammes of
carbide will be sufficient for inflating the belt, so that it will occupy very little space.
In applying the apparatus to buoys sufficient for supporting several persons the
buoys may consist of one or more cylindrical bags each supplied with a generating
apparatus of a size proportioned to the capacity of the bags, these bags being provided
with suitable external appliances for the persons to seize and attach themselves to;
they may also be provided with a receptacle containing food.
Larger apparatus may be adapted to support vessels afloat, or to raise sunken
vessels, or as pontoons for bridges.
The apparatus can also be adapted to serve as floats for facilitating the passage of
troops across water courses; for this purpose each soldier may carry an inflatable bag
with generating apparatus. This he fits round his knapsack so that on placing this
in the river &c. to be crossed the bag in becoming inflated supports the knapsack on
the water, and he can then place himself on this and paddle himself across the river
for which purpose he may be provided with flaps, attached to his legs and arranged to
unfold on hinges when moved in one direction, and to collapse when moved in the
other, like a duck's foot.
The inflatable sack may also be made in the form of an article of dress, which when
inflated will support the wearer.
Lastly the inflatable bag may be made to constitute a baloon which will rise in the
air' when inflated by the immersion of the generating apparatus into water, and which
may serve for signalling and the like. This baloon may also be connected to the
above described apparatus for floating in the water.
Dated this 14th day of September 1896.
Method and Apparatus for the Automatic Inflation of Floating
Appliances and other Receptacles with Acetylene Gas, applicable
for Life Belts, Buoys, Floats, Pontoons, Signalling Apparatus 4
and the like.
I, LAURENT MATIGNON, of La Garenne, Colombes, Seine, France, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention has for its object to effect the automatic and instantaneous inflation
or charging with gas of various floating apparatus as soon as they are placed in the
water for use; the invention is in particular applicable to life saving apparatus such
as life belts, buoys, floats serving to support heavy bodies in the water, or to raise
them when sunk; to marine signalling and the like. It consists essentially in the
combination with the bags or receptacles of such apparatus as are to be inflated, of a
receiver charged with carbide of calcium or other suitable carbide, which is so arranged
that when the apparatus is introduced into the water for use, the water penetrates
into the receiver and in reacting on the carbide effects the instantaneous generation
of acetylene gas, which passes into the bag or receptacle and inflates it.
The apparatus which I employ by preference for carrying out my said invention is
shewn in vertical section in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, and as connected
to a life buoy in Fig. 2. It consists of a cylindrical chamber A of sheet metal or
other material, the upper end of which is closed by a removable cover A¹ and which
is divided internally into two compartments of unequal size by a vertical perforated or
grating like partition B.
The
The larger compartment has an inclined bottom C terminating in a discharge.
opening e; above this bottom is a slightly inclined bottom D the lower portion of
which is perforated, and which serves to support the carbide of calcium a.
smaller compartment a' has at its lower end an inlet E for water and communicates
near the upper end by means of lateral openings F with a lateral vertical tubular
passage G divided by partition G1 into a passage g" g connected through holes G²,
open at the lower end at G³, and closed at the upper end by cover g. At the upper
end the lateral branch g³ is connected by a pipe or passage g¹ with the bag or
receptacle such as H to be inflated.
The above described generator having been charged and connected to the bag or
receptacle H to be inflated and immersed in the water, the water will enter the lower
end of the small compartment a¹ and will penetrate through the perforated partition
B into the large chamber where it will act on the carbide a generating acetylene
gas, which, passing through the upper part of the perforated partition B, into the
small compartment al will pass through the perforations F into the passage G and
through the perforated partition G₁ to the branch pipe g' at top and thence into the
receptacle H to be inflated. The perforated partitions, in offering a certain resistance
to the passage of the gas, facilitate the separation of impurities and moisture
therefrom, these being discharged through the bottom opening of the small
compartment a¹.
The residues resulting from the decomposition of the carbide are discharged
through the bottom opening e of the large compartment. The moveable cover g
allows of the escape of the excess of gas generated.
In most cases, and in particular for life saving apparatus which must be ready for
use at a moment's notice, the gas generator forms an integral part of the floating
apparatus as shewn in Fig. 2 and is charged with carbide in advance so that when
thrown into the water it immediately operates for the production of gas.
When the apparatus is kept charged as described the various openings c E and G'
are kept temporarily closed, so as to prevent the moist atmosphere from gaining
access to the carbide when the apparatus is not in use. Such closure may be effected
by ordinary stoppers, but by preference I employ for the purpose a material
impermeable to air but soluble in water which material is applied in a layer over a
suitable perforated support.
If necessary the apparatus is rendered buoyant in such a manner that it will always
assume in the water the position in which the generation of the gas will be most.
advantageously effected. When the apparatus is applied to a life belt, a charge of
about 200 grammes of carbide will be sufficient for inflating the belt, so that it will
occupy very little space.
In applying the apparatus to buoys sufficient for supporting several persons the

page_text: buoys may consist of one or more cylindrical bags each supplied with a generating
apparatus of a size proportioned to the capacity of the bags, these bags being provided
with suitable external appliances for the persons to seize and attach themselves to;
they may also be provided with a receptacle containing food.
Larger apparatus may be adapted to support vessels afloat, or to raise sunken
vessels, or as pontoons for bridges.
The apparatus can also be adapted to serve as floats for facilitating the passage of
troops across water courses; for this purpose each soldier may carry an inflatable bag
with generating apparatus. This he fits round his knapsack so that on placing this
in the river &c. to be crossed the bag in becoming inflated supports the knapsack
on the water, and he can then place himself on this and paddle himself across the
river for which purpose he may be provided with flaps, attached to his legs and
arranged to unfold on hinges when moved in one direction, and to collapse when
moved in the other, like a duck's foot.
The inflatable sack may also be made in the form of an article of dress, which
when inflated will support the wearer. Lastly the inflatable bag may be made to
constitute a balloon which will rise in the air when inflated by the immersion of the
generating apparatus into water, and which may serve for signalling and the like.
This balloon may also be connected to the above described apparatus for floating
in the water.
Having now particularly described and
particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described method of inflating floating appliances by attaching to
them a generator of acetylene gas having apertures for entrance of water to act
on a suitable carbide.
2. Apparatus for generating acetylene gas to inflate a floating appliance, substantially
as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.