Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1897-Accepted, 16th Oct.,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
I, ARTHUR RIEFFEL, of 42 Boulevard Exelmans, Paris, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic production of acetylene
gas by the action of water on calcium carbide in which the column of the feed-water of
the generator preserves a marked constant level above the generator, the water
being conveyed to the said generator in an intermittent and automatic manner
according to the needs of consumption by means of a device which eases the bell
of the gas holder when it descends and places extra weight on it when it ascends
so that the said bell may exert on the gas a greater or less pressure than the
column of feed water.
The apparatus is composed of a water tank discharging intermittently into a
basin from which the generator's feed pipe runs; of a generator or gazogene; of
a condenser-filter and a gas-holder. Its characteristic features comprise essentially.
A combined tank or reservoir and basin enabling the water level to be kept
constant above the generator in the feed column.
The rising and falling pipe conveying water to the generator.
The devices for the automatic variation of weight of the gas holder's bell with
the object of regulating, stopping or starting the flow of water into the generator.
Finally the arrangement of the condenser-filter situated on the gas conduit
leading from the generator to the gas holder.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a general view of the apparatus.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate in detail, in vertical section and horizontal section,
the generator shown in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of constructive arrange-
ment of the generator, the lid supposed to be removed.
Figure 5 represents a variation of the modified position of the feed water basin,
said basin surrounding the generator.
Figures 6 to 10 represent various modified devices for automatically changing
the weight of the bell.
Whatever the arrangement of these different parts the complete apparatus
comprises the water tank or reservoir a the feed water basin b, the gas generator A,
the condenser-filter B and the gasholder G.
The tank a (Figure 1) is, by preference, a cylinder horizontally arranged and
furnished with two pipes c and d for the intermittent out flow of water and
entrance the air. The basin 6 is connected with the generator A. by a bent pipe e
which firstly runs towards the ground and then rises terminating in the generator
somewhere about the top. All communication between basin b and the generator
can be cut off by aid of the cock ¹.
The generator represented in Figures 1 to 3 consists essentially of a vertical
57

page_text: cylinder A terminating in a funnel shaped part at the lower portion to facilitate
discharge, and shaped at the top like an autoclave. Frame supports f f¹ are
placed in this cylinder and are guided by vertical angle irons V and V¹, Figure 3
and which rest by their upper edges on horizontal angle irons, fixed inside the
cylinder A when said frames are pushed home. These frames occupy about half
the section of the generator and according to circumstances two or several being
supet posed vertically, to the inner sides of these frames horizontal rods g are
fixed which divide them into floors and form supports on which plates h Figure 2
are placed. On each plate h a frame i is soldered in which the calcium carbide
is placed; the front part of said frames being partially open at i¹ for exit of the
lime. The frames ff and each of the plates h has a fixed and rigid ring ; and
through all these rings is passed a vertical rod K Figure 7 to prevent the plates h
from falling.
In the case of large apparatus the generator may be somewhat differently
arranged as shown in Figure 4. The receiver A¹ is placed obliquely and the
calcium carbide is put into wire-work baskets 1 provided with a solid sheet iron
bottom, and which can easily be removed when the baskets are out of the water.
All these baskets are connected together and attached to the same carriage 2
adanted to move on rollers along the two arms of a U-shaped iron 3, fitted to the
inner side of the recipient A¹. This U shaped iron extends outside the receiver
or vessel A¹, after a break fo allow the lid to pass, which in the drawing is
sunnosed to be removed. This extension of the iron 3 is fixed on the frame which
supports a grooved pulley 4 over which passes a cord 5 one end of which is
attached to the carriage 2 when the lid of vessel A¹ is removed and the baskets
are to be cleaned. To effect this cleaning the train of baskets 1 is raised by
pulling cord 5, then the baskets containing nothing but lime are cleaned by
brushing the wire-work and removing the bottoms; the lime falls down the
inclined plane between the arms of the U shaped iron and drops into the generator.
Water and lime are then simultaneously discharged by opening the cock 6; then
after replacing the bottoms of the baskets 1, they are filled with carbide and the
train is allowed to descend and enter the vessel A¹ by gradually releasing the
cord.
To diminish the temperature inside the generator and at the same time prevent
eventual freezing of the water in the feed-basin 6 the same may be arranged as in
Figure 5, giving basin b such a form and position that it may completely surround
generator A or A¹. All the other particular organs of each of these apparatus
remains, however unaltered.
Whatever the arrangement and mode of constructing the generator, the water
runs into this recipient by a pipe e falls to the bottom of the generator and
gradually rises flooding the frames i or baskets 1 and the carbide they contain.
The gas produced in the generator escapes by pipe furnished with a cock
and passes into a condenser filter B (Figure 1) composed of a tube or horizontal
cylinder in which are suitably arranged and fixed, at proper distances, partitions
or discs m formed of some open-work and fibrous material for example canvas or
loosely woven asbestos. This cylinder B is half filled with water by the nozzle n
which is then hermetically closed.
The acetylene arriving through pipe 7 passes through the meshes (wet in con-
sequence of the capillarity of the fabric of the discs) is filtered washed and deposits
the excess of steam it has conveyed and then passes through pipe o under the
bell G¹ of gas-holder G.
The condenser filter is also provided with a cock p to discharge the excess of
water caused by condensation of the steam conveyed along with the acetylene;
it suffices to open this cock once or twice a month. If this precaution were
neglected the water would flow away of itself through pipe 7 open at both ends
one of which dips into the water; from effect of pressure in the gasholder and
generator the water always rises in this pipe to some centimetres above the level
of the water in the condenser-filter; if this level rises too much, the water escapes

page_text: through the upper opening pipe 9 so that the space reserved for passage of the
gas is always sufficient.
The gasholder comprises a tank G and a bell G₁ to which a contrivance is
adapted which causes its weight to vary according as it descends or rises in its
holder so that this bell may be of less weight than the charge of water on the
exit orifice of pipe e in the generator, when in its low position and of greater
weight than this charge' when in its high position.
In Figure 1 this contrivance is shewn as consisting of a vessel or water tight
compartment r fixed to the interior and at the centre of the bell dipping into the
water of the holder when the bell is low and clear of the water when the bell is
high.
"
In Figure 6 this contrivance is shewn as vessel formed of an annular com-
partment 7 which fulfils exactly the same function as the vessel r.
In Figure 7, the bell G¹ on rising to a certain height strikes, and carries away,
by means of plate 8, a movable mass, maintained at rest by a frame 10 connected
with the holder G. The bell then suddenly increases in weight when it passes
beyond a certain position in its upward movement, in descending the bell G
deposits the mass 9 on its supports and is suddenly lightened.
Mass 9 can be replaced by small weights 11 see (Figure 8) which the bell
catches simultaneously or successively, in its ascent, and deposits on the fixed
support 10 m its descent.
I can also lighten the bell in its descent by means of a spiral spring 12, fixed
to the bell at one end and at the other to frame 10' and working by expansion.
This spring will be in position of equilibrium when the bell is high and its
tension will be greater as the bell descends lower (Figure 9).
Spring 12 can be replaced by spiral springs 13 (Figure 10) fixed to the frame
by one end and with which the bell catches by the other end when it rises above
a certain point. The weight of the bell increases then according as it rises and
decreases when it descends. Instead of these various devices a metal chain may
be employed hooked on the top of frame 10 and hanging over the bell which is
ascended would be weighted by the chain and in descending relieved. Or again
weights can be placed on the bottom of the tank G said weights being connected
with the bell by chains of such a length that the bell would raise the said weights
as soon as it passed beyond a certain height.
The apparatus comprises, further, the keys of cocks e¹ and ¹ fitted on the water
inlet and gas exit pipes of the generator.
!
Each is provided with a rod 2 or 12 bent in such a way that it rests above
the lid of the generator when the corresponding cock is open (Figures 1 and 5). The
object of this device is to prevent the generator from being opened on leaving the
cocks open; so that it is necessary, in order to remove the lid, to move the
rods e2 and 2 to the position as illustrated in Figure and consequently to close
cocks e and 11:
Moreover a safety pipe u runs from a point of the generator and joins the water
inlet pipe e in such a way that if by chance the cocks e¹ and are shut during
working of the apparatus the acetylene produced in the generator may find an
outlet escape in the air without fear of the generator exploding.
Anyone of the generators represented in either Figures 1, 3, Figure 4 or Figure 5
can be employed at will, and likewise anyone of the devices of Figures 6 to 10
may be applied to the gasholder instead of the design given in Figure 1 without
any change in the working of the apparatus.
It remains only to describe the working of this apparatus with reference to
Figure 1.
The water falls from the tank a into the basin b through the bent pipe of small
section e; air takes the place of water in the tank a rising in the pipe d which
ascends to the top of the said tank a and the lower end of which is a little
below the edge of the basin b. When the water level in basin 6 reaches a
certain height the orifice of the pipe d is closed; air no longer being able to enter
"

page_text: the vessel a by pipe d' the fall of water through pipe c is checked, for the
U shape of this last pipe prevents air from rising in the said pipe.
The water contained in basin b flows to the generator A by the pipe d and
soaks the carbide, the water level then falls in the basin; the lower orifice of
pipe d is uncovered, the air rushes in and the water again begins to fall from the
tank a into basin band so on; consequently the water level in basin 6 varies
very little.
is
The height of this level above the horizontal plane y passing by the orifice of
the pipe e, in the generator, represents the charge of feed-water. The pipe
bent towards the base to prevent, under increased pressure, caused by sudden
evolution of acetylene gas, the water from being driven back sufficiently far for
gas to escape by the said pipe e.
In fact, if the pressure increases in the generator the water level of the side
of the generator descends, for example from y. to z, and then the weight of the
column of water which prevents the exit of gas is equal to the height x y
increased by that y z, therefore according as pressure increases in the generator
the height of the column of water which prevents exit of gas likewise increases.
The weight of the bell G¹ of the gas-holder is calculated for the bell to exert
a greater pressure on the gas than the column of water x, y, but the vessel r fixed
to this bell being partially submerged receives an impetus from the liquid which tends
to raise the said bell G. and diminishes its weight so that it weighs less on the
gas than the column of water a y. The water then flows into the generator and
the gas from the generator enters the gas-holder but the bell G' always ascending
owing to the entrance of gas produced in the generator by the action of water on
the calcium carbide, the vessel r gradually emerges from the water and ceases
to ease the bell. This last then exerting a greater pressure on the gas than the
column of water av the water ceases to flow and the production of acetylene is
checked.
If the gas is discharged from the bell G¹ by the discharge pipes the bell G¹
descends and the vessel r again immerged, also again eases the said bell, this last
weighing less than the column of water v the water flows into the generator A
and production of gas begins again.
In the devices of Figure 1, and Figures 6 and 9, the bell G₁ has a greater
intrinsic weight than that of the column of water vand the arrangements applied
to it serve to lighten it in descent allowing it to recover its weight during ascent.
In the devices shewn in Figures 7, 8, and 10, on the contrary the intrinsic weight
of the bell is less than that of the column of water xv and the arrangements
applied to it serve to give it extra weight to the bell in ascent allowing it to recover
its weight in descent. In both cases, the result of the flow of water into the
generator is evidently the same. The entire apparatus then is really a balance
in which the weight of the bell is alternately greater or less than that of the feed-
water column according to the high or low position of the bell. It follows that
the water is checked at the entrance of the orifice of pipe c or flows through this
orifice into the generator according as the bell is more or less filled with gas so
that production of gas ceases and the apparatus recommences to work automatically
according to the needs of consumption and without any necessity of supervision.
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. An apparatus for the production of acetylene gas by the action of water or
calcium carbide characterized by a water tank which intermittently empties
itself into a basin from which, the feed-pipe runs to the generator, in such a way
as to maintain a constant level in the basin in combination with the feed-pipe
which forms a elbow about the base between its two orifices in order to prevent
the exit of gas, a column of water the height of which increases with the pressure
of the gas, and in combination with a device to produce automatic and intermittent

page_text: entrance of water into the generator according to the requirements of consumption
comprising a vessel fixed to the bell of the gasholder and which dips into the
water or is clear of the water according to the positions of the bell; or again
weights with which the bell loads itself in ascending to abandon them in descent,
in such a way that the weight of the bell may be alternately less or greater than
the weight of the water in the feed-column and allow the water to flow into the
generator, or checks the water at the entrance of the feed-pipes orifice, all with
the object of assuring regular and automatic working of the apparatus without
necessity of any supervision.
2. In an apparatus for, production of acetylene gas according to Claim 1, a device
for feeding the generator with water under a constant charge, comprising
essentially, a tank a with its two pipes c and d the first of which is bent on the
exterior, and a basin b connected with the generator by the pipe e, the water of
the tank a flowing into the basin b by the pipe cas long as the lower orifice of
the pipe & remains uncovered and the level in the basin 6 remains almost constant
owing to the flow of water from this basin to the generator, but the flow through
the pipe c ceasing as soon as the level rises in basin 6 and stops the lower orifice
of the pipe & preventing air from entering the recipient a.
3. In an apparatus for the production of acetylene gas according to Claim 1,
a device to prevent excessive back-flow of feed water and escape of gas, in case
of sudden evolution of the gas in the generator, consisting of a feed-pipe e con-
necting the water basin 6 and generator A and descending firstly towards the
ground then rising to terminate in the generator about its top part so that
according as the pressure of gas increases in the generator partially driving the
water of pipe e back, the height of the column of water to prevent escape of gas,
likewise increases.
4. In an apparatus for the production of acetylene gas according to Claim 1,
a device to assure the automatic and intermittent entrance of water into the
generator according to the needs of consumption consisting of a vessel or water-
tight spacer fixed to the bell G¹ of the gas holder and easing the bell when it
descends into the tank dipping the vessel partially into the water and putting
extra weight on the bell when it rises drawing the vessel out of the water, in such
a way that the weight of the bell may be alternately less or greater than the
weight of water in the feed-column and allowing the water to flow away into
the generator or check the flow.
5. In an apparatus for the production of acetylene gas according to Claim !,
a gas-generator comprising a cylinder A in which frame supports f f¹ are placed,
divided into floors by horizontal rods g which are fixed to their side and which
receives plates h on which are soldered frames partially open in front and in
which calcium carbide is placed, the plates and corresponding support having
besides, the rigid and fixed rings j through which a rod k is passed to prevent
the plates from falling.
6. In an apparatus for the production of acetylene gas according to Claim 1,
a safety pipe U connecting the generator and the water inlet pipe e so that in
case of accidental closing of the inlet water cocks of the generator and the gas
exit cock during working of the apparatus, the acetylene production in the said
generator would find an outlet thereby preventing explosion.
7. In an apparatus for the production of acetylene gas according to Claim 1,
a condenser filter B placed in the path of the gas between the generator gas
holder and composed of a horizontal cylinder in which are suitably arranged trans-
verse partitions or discs m composed of an open work fibrous material such as
canvas, asbestos, textile materials and the like, said cylinder being half filled
with water and furnished with a cock p to discharge the excess of waters of
condensation, and of a pipe q for the automatic flow of water, in the event of its
level being too high in the condenser..
8. The mode of constructing the generator in which the carbide is placed in
wirework baskets provided with solid movable bottoms, the baskets all being fixed

page_text: on a carriage which can run along the arms of a U shaped iron, inclined and
fixed on the inner side of the receiver vessel and which is extended outside the said
vessel to enable the train of baskets to be removed in order to clean and refill them.
9. The variations modifications of the devices described intended to lighten
the bell of the gas holder when it descends into the tank or vessel or to load it
during its ascent.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents to the Applicant.