Improved Apparatus for use in the Production of Acetylene.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for use in the Production of Acetylene.
We, GEORGE EDWARD ARKELL, of Cullingworth, near Bradford, in the County of
York, Photographer, and JAMES WILLIAM BAILEY and JOHN CLAPHAM, trading as
Bailey and Clapham, of Eagle Works, Keighley, also in the County of York,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows.
that is to say :-
It relates to improved apparatus for use in the production of "acetylene" for
lighting and other purposes and consists essentially of at least three vessels or
containers and a receiver with the advantages hereinafter explained.
In the production of our improved apparatus we employ the usual and well
known kind of gas-holder consisting of an inserted shell operating within a water
tank, and in proximity with this we arrange a receiver for the water supply (for the
reason hereinafter explained) a vessel at a lower level than this receiver for
regulating the supply to the calcium carbide and a vessel beneath this for
receiving said calcium carbide.
The upper vessel or water receiver communicates with the supply regulator by
a pipe in which is placed a valve or cock, while a similar pipe having a valve
or cock preferable of the same dimensions as the one before referred to, couples
this regulator with the generator or carbide holder beneath.
The carbide holder has also a pipe leading from its upper part into the lower part
of the supply regulator so that the gas generated therein passes through the water in
the regulator forward into the gas holder in which it is conducted by a pipe to enter
said holder above the water it contains.
The valves or cocks situated in the pipes intervening between the receiver and
regulator and this latter and the generator are coupled by lever arms so that they
may be operated by rising and falling movements of the gas holder.
The actions of the apparatus are as follows:-
On the generator having a supply of calcium carbide placed in it, it is fixed in its
position relatively with the other parts, and the upper water receiver and the
intervening water regulator are filled with water. The two intervening valves or
cocks are then opened simultaneously (as may readily be effected by both being
coupled to be operated by the gas holder) and the water flows from the receiver into
the regulator at the same speed or rate as it flows from this latter to act upon the
carbide. By the actions of the water on the carbide the acetylene is generated and
rising passes through the regulator and forward into the holder which it causes to
rise on which it moves the parts through which it transmits motion to the valves or
cocks, until the gas within it is reduced to allow it again to descend on which it again
operates the valves or cocks and more of the gas is generated.
These simultaneous operations of the two valves or cocks insures the regulator or
intermediary vessel being kept supplied with an approximately even quantity of
water, and by the gas being conducted through this intermediary vessel is it constantly
meeting fresh water which more thoroughly frees it from its impurities and is enabled
better to cool same before it enters the holder, while any and all of the impurities
that are thus collected by this water are allowed to flow back into the generator so
D

page_text: that it may be carried away with the spent carbide or refuse therein as will be
understood, thus all the parts are kept clean and free from accumulations while the
productions of the gas is automatically regulated.
The several parts for producing the gas may be duplicated and used in connection
with one gas holder as will be readily seen, and still one set of such parts alone need
be in use at one time, since by arranging the holder so that it will come into contact
with the parts for operating the valves or cocks of one set at one part of its vertical
path, while it comes into contact with parts for operating another set at another
time, each set may be brought into use in its order.
We preferably employ a receiver for the water since had it to be supplied direct
from a main or supply pipe its pressure might be different to the pressure it had in
the intermediate vessel, so that the supply into this could not be so easily regulated
relatively with the quantities that was allowed to escape through it into the
generator, as is the case when the parts are used as we describe.
Dated this 10th day of November 1897.
Improved Apparatus for use in the Production of Acetylene.
WE, GEORGE EDWARD ARKELL, of Cullingworth, near Bradford, in the County of
York, Photographer, and JAMES WILLIAM BAILEY and JOHN CLAPHAM, of the Firm of
Bailey and Clapham, of Eagle Works, Keighley, also in the County of York,
Engineers, 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, that is to say :-
It relates to improved apparatus for use in the production of "acetylene" for
lighting and other purposes and consists essentially of at least three vessels or
containers and a receiver with the advantages hereinafter explained.
In the accompanying sheets of drawings, which are illustrative of our invention.
Figs. 1 and 2 are elevation and plan of our improved apparatus.
Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevation and sectional plan respectively, of parts shown
by Figs. 1 and 2.
Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views to Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, but illustrate a
modification hereinafter explained.
Similar letters and figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several
views.
In the production of our improved apparatus we employ the usual and well known
kind of gas-holder consisting of an inverted shell a operating within a water tank b,
and in proximity with this holder we arrange a receiver c for the water supply (for
the reason and with the modifications hereinafter explained) a vessel d at a lower
level than this receiver for regulating the supply to the calcium-carbide and a vessel f
beneath this for receiving said calcium-carbide.
The vessel c communicates with the vessel d by a pipe g in which is mounted a
valve or cock g¹ while a similar pipe h having a valve or cock h¹, preferably
of the same dimensions as the valve or cock g¹, couples this vessel d with the
vessel f.
The vesself has also a pipe k (carried high enough to be above the level of the head
of water in the vessel c) leading from its upper part into the lower part of the
vessel d so that the gas generated in said vessel f passes through the water in the
vessel d into the gas-holder a in which it is conducted by a pipe m to enter the holder
above the water contained by the tank b.

page_text: The valves or cocks g¹ and h¹ are coupled by lever arms n and p and connecting
rod so that they may be operated by the rising and falling movements of the
gasholder a.
The actions of the apparatus are as follows:-
On the generator f having had a supply of calcium carbide placed in it, and the
receiver c and the regulator vessel d received their proper quantities of water as
indicated by Fig. 3, the two valves gl and h' are opened simultaneously by
depressing the end 2 of the arin n, so that water from the vessel c descends into the
vessel d while at the same time and in about the same quantity water is allowed to
flow from the vessel d to the generator f wherein it acts upon the carbide. By this
action of the water on the carbide the acetylene-gas is generated and rising passes
through the pipe k, through the water contained in the vessel d and forward
through the pipe m to the gas-holder a which, by its pressure, it causes to rise.
This rising of the holder a transmits motion to the arm n by the projection r,
fixed upon it, taking between the bifurcations on the end 2 of said arm n, such
motion (which is in a vertical direction) causing said levers n and p to close the
valves g¹ and h¹ so that the supply of water to the generator f is cut-off at this time
and until, by the gas being withdrawn from the holder a, (said holder a) again
falls in order to bring its projection r to depress the lever n and so again open the
valves g¹¹ to allow the water to flow to the carbide to effect a further production of
the gas.
The simultaneous operations of the two valves g¹ h¹ insures the vessel d being
kept supplied with an approximately even quantity of water, and by the gas being
conducted through this vessel dit is constantly meeting fresh water which frees it
from its impurities and cools it before it passes into the holder a, while all the
impurities that are thus collected from the gas by this water are carried back again
by it into the generator f so that it is carried away with the spent carbide or refuse
therein as will be understood, thus all the parts are kept clean and free from accumu-
lation and the production of the gas is automatically regulated. Further by
utilising the water thus arranged to clean the gas, for afterwards hydrating the
carbide, any gas that it has absorbed will be given up.
The several parts for producing the gas, that is the vessel c d and f and their
pipe and lever connections may be duplicated and used in connection with one gas
holder a as shown in the several drawings, and still only one set of such parts need
be in use at anytime, since by arranging the holder a to have its projection » at
varied heights or positions upon it each to come into contact with its respective
end 2 of the lever n as the holder a descends one set of the said vessels will be
brought into use during the movements or operations of the holder a in one part of
its vertical path, while another set will be thus requisitioned at another time or
during the movements of said holder a in another part of its said path, consequently
when the carbide in the generator firstly used is exhausted, the holder a will descend
to bring the second generator into use so that while this latter is producing gas the
contents of the former may be removed and renewed.
We preferably employ a receiver c for the water (which may if desired be of
sufficient size to meet the requirements of both of the vessels d as shown by Figs. 5
and 6 and which although herein shown as in contiguity with the holder a may at
any desired distance therefrom as may be found convenient) since had such water to
be supplied direct from a main or supply pipe its pressure might be different to the
pressure it had in the vessel d so that the supply into this latter could not be so
easily regulated relatively with the quantities that were allowed to escape through it
into the generator f as is the case when the parts are arranged as we describe.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1

page_text: removing the impurities therefrom is afterwards used for hydrating the calcium
carbide substantially as herein specified.
2. In apparatus of the class described means whereby the flow of water for
acting upon the calcium carbide is regulated and controlled substantially as set
forth.
3. In apparatus for generating acetylene-gas, the several parts constructed and
arranged to operate in combination substantially as herein specified.
T11:
TALL 1
1000
G. E. ARKELL,
J. W. BAILEY,
J. CLAPHAM,
Per Samuel Hey,
Agent.