Improvements in or relating to the Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: Comalato Canni
Date of Application, 16th May, 1898
1000
0
T
1000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Production of Acetylene Gas.
We, WILLIAM WINSTANLEY STRODE, Engineer, and GEORGE HENDRY WHITE,
Clerk, both of 48, Osnaburgh Street, in the County of London, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the production of acetylene gas and has for its object
the construction of apparatus whereby calcium carbide may be regularly and auto-
matically delivered into water.
In carrying out this invention a wheel is provided so formed that it may be
turned by water. This wheel is operatively connected to a carbide feeding device
specially constructed so that it conveys the carbide in any form, either in lumps
or powder, without any tendency to clog or stop the motion. This device may
conveniently comprise a hollow vessel, preferably cone-shaped, part of which is
divided internally into a spiral passage. The carbide is introduced into this vessel
from a hopper or other receptacle the end of which projects some little distance
into the smaller end of the cone in order that the carbide may not come into con-
tact with the junction of the cone and hopper which would cause considerable
friction. The conical shape of the vessel also contributes to this end. As the
vessel revolves under the action of the wheel, the carbide slowly passes along the
spiral passage, until it drops out into water below it.
The apparatus is preferably mounted on the upper portion of a vessel, the lower
part of which serves for holding the water into which the carbide drops. The
water operating the wheel falls into this vessel and thus tends to replace the water
absorbed by the carbide.
In order that the level of water in the vessel, and the pressure of gas may be
readily ascertained an indicator is provided which may conveniently take the form
of a U-shaped tube, one arm of which is closed at the end and communicates with
the gas in the vessel. The other end of the same arm is connected with the lower
part of the vessel, near the bottom, and the end of the other arm leads into an
overflow tank. The level of water in the one arm of the tube will be the same
as that inside the vessel, and the difference of level in the two arms will be pro-
portional to the pressure of the gas in the vessel.
The gas may be led away to any holding or storing device, but it is preferred
to use a holder similar to that described in our previous Letters Patent No. 6658/97.
The water displaced by the holder is used to operate the wheel and thus the
quantity of water, and the quantity of carbide delivered by its means, will be
proportional to the displacement of the holder, which in its turn depends upon the
amount of gas consumed.
The hopper or receptacle for receiving the carbide is preferably made in two.
portions, which communicate with each other, but are so arranged that upon
opening the outer portion for recharging or other purposes, communication.
between the two parts is cut off. This arrangement prevents the access of air
to the vessel containing the gas, and also obviates all danger of gas escaping from
the vessel.

page_text: Instead of the carbide-feeding device above described, the following arrangement
has been found to act very satisfactorily:-
A series of brushes is mounted upon a hub or cylinder which revolves under the
action of the wheel, spaces or pockets are arranged between the brushes, into
which the carbide passes from the hopper, and is dropped into the water as the 5
cylinder revolves. The walls of the pockets, being formed by the brushes, are
yielding and thus the pockets will readily accommodate a lump of carbide which
would otherwise tend to clog the feeding device.
Dated this 16th day of May 1898
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
outs in or relating to the Production of Acetylene Gas.
We, WILLIAM WINSTANLEY STRODE, Engineer, and GEORGE HENDRY WHITE,
Clerk, both of 48, Osnaburgh Street, in the County of London, 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 the production of acetylene gas and has for its object
the construction of apparatus whereby calcium carbide may be regularly and auto-
matically delivered into water.
In carrying out this invention a wheel is provided so formed that it may be
turned by water. This wheel is operatively connected to a carbide-feeding device
specially constructed so that it conveys the carbide in lumps or powder, without
any tendency to become clogged or stopped. This device may conveniently com-
prise a hollow rotatable vessel or chamber preferably cone-shaped, part of which is
divided internally into a spiral passage. The carbide is introduced into this vessel
from the hopper or other receptacle the end of which projects some little distance
into the smaller end of the cone in order that the carbide may, as far as possible,
be kept away from the junction of the cone and hopper, at which point it would
cause considerable friction; the conical shape of the vessel also contributes to
this end. The vessel is revolved by the water-wheel and the carbide slowly passes
along the spiral passage, until it drops out into water below it.
The apparatus is preferably mounted on the upper portion of a vessel, the lower
part of which serves for holding the water into which the carbide drops. The
water operating the wheel falls into this vessel and thus tends to replace the water
absorbed by the carbide.
In order that the level of water and the pressure of gas in the vessel may be
readily ascertained an indicator may be provided which may conveniently take the
form of a U-shaped tube, one arm of which communicates at its upper end with
the gas and at its lower end with the water, while the upper end of the other arm
leads into an overflow tank. The level of water in the one arm of the tube will
be the same as that inside the vessel, and the difference of level in the two arms
will be proportional to the pressure of the gas in the vessel; any other well-known
form of indicator or gauge may be used.
The gas may be led away to any holding or storing device, but it is preferred
to use a holder similar to that described in our previous Letters Patent 6658/97.
The water displaced by the holder is used to operate the wheel and thus the
quantity of water, and the quantity of carbide delivered by its means, will be
proportional to the displacement of the holder, which in its turn depends upon the
amount of gas consumed.

page_text: The hopper or receptacle for receiving the carbide is preferably made in two
portions one inside and the other outside the vessel aforesaid; the two portions
communicate with each other, but are so arranged that upon opening the outer
portion for recharging or other purposes, communication between the two parts
is cut off. This arrangement prevents the access of air to the vessel containing
the gas, and also obviates all danger of gas escaping from the vessel.
Instead of the carbide-feeding device above described the following arrangement
has been found to act very satisfactorily:-
A series of brushes is mounted upon a hub or cylinder which revolves under the
action of the wheel, spaces or pockets are arranged between the brushes, into
which the carbide passes from the hopper, and is dropped into the water as the
cylinder revolves. The walls of the pockets, being formed by the brushes, are
yielding and thus the pockets will readily accommodate a lump of carbide which
would otherwise tend to clog the feeding device.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of one construction of apparatus accord-
ing to this invention, some of the parts being in elevation;
Figure 2 shows diagrammatically, the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 together
with apparatus for storing the acetylene, and
Figures 3 and 4 are elevations at right angles to each other of another form of
carbide-feeding device according to this invention, parts being removed for the
sake of clearness.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1 and 2, A is a vessel in which the acetylene is
generated, the lower part of it contains water into which the carbide drops.
Brackets A¹ are fixed to the inside of the generator A to support a frame B carry-
ing pivots B' between which a shaft C is mounted free to rotate. The shaft C
carries a wheel I having blades D¹ constructed in any convenient manner so that
water falling upon it from a pipe E will cause it to revolve. A carbide-feeding
device F is also mounted upon the shaft C; it comprises a conical vessel F" which
is divided internally for a portion of its length into a spiral passage F² by means
of a worm F3 which encircles the shaft C. The larger end of the conical vessel FI
is open, but the smaller end is provided with a plate F having a circular open-
ing 15 in the form of a knife-edge.
G is a hopper having a cover G secured as at G2; it is mounted upon a plate A³
which forms the top of the generator A, and communicates through a valve G³
with a second hopper G. The valve G³ is provided in order that communication
with the lower hopper G may be cut off while the upper hopper G is replenished
with carbide. The lower end or outlet G5 of this second hopper G extends through
the circular opening F into the interior of the conical vessel F in order that car-
bide passing from the hopper G may enter the conical vessel F1 at a point in
advance of the plate F and thus obviate the danger of causing friction between
the knife edge of the circular opening F5 and the hopper outlet G³. The knife
edge of the opening F5 does not bear upon the outlet G5, there is a slight clearance
between them. If any pieces of carbide should get near the circular opening F³
which is extremely unlikely, they would fall back into the conical vessel F owing
to the tapered shape of the exterior of the outlet G5, any dust or very fine pieces
would on the other hand be cut by the revolving knife-edge of the opening F and
would not set up friction, as would be the case if the adjoining parts of the hopper
and carbide feeder were not specially shaped. The shaft C passes through the
lower part of the hopper G.
Carbide is placed in the hoppers G and G and passes from the latter through
the outlet G into the carbide feeding device F; the carbide is loosened and
helped in its passage to the outlet G³ by the rotation of the shaft C which passes
through it. Water is admitted through the pipe E and drops upon the wheel D
causing it to revolve and consequently to rotate the shaft C and carbide-feeding
device F. As the latter revolves the carbide in it gradually moves forward along

page_text: the spiral passage F2 and some of it drops out at the larger end of the conical
vessel F into the water beneath. . Acetylene is then generated which may be led
off for consumption or storage through a pipe E' which opens into the generator A.
It will be seen that the water which actuates the wheel D falls into the
generator A and thus tends to replace the water which is absorbed by the carbide.
An outlet As is provided in the generator A in order that the residue from the
carbide may be removed.
Figure 2 shows the apparatus hereinbefore described in conjunction with a gas-
holder H similar to that described in our previous Letters Patent No. 6658/97.
This gas-holder comprises a cylinder H' having a jacket H which is filled with
water. A gas-reservoir or displacer H³ is placed over the cylinder H' so that its
open end is sealed by the water in the jacket of the said cylinder. The walls H
of the displacer H³ are not of uniform thickness but gradually increase in size
towards the top in order that as it descends the amount of water displaced by any
given length of the displacer increases. That is to say when the gas-holder H is
nearly empty a slight fall of the displacer H³ will raise the level of the water in
the jacket H much more than a similar fall when the gas-holder is comparatively
full.
The water displaced by the displacer H3 passes from the jacket H2 through a
pipe E having a water seal E³ on to the wheel ]), which it turns as before described.
The gas generated in the generator A passes through the pipe E¹ to a condenser K
and from thence through a pipe E³ into the gas-holder H. From the gas-holder H
the gas passes out by means of a pipe L to the place where it is to be consumed.
Water may be laid on to the condenser K and pass from it by a pipe K¹ to the
generator A and from thence to an overflow tank.
A valve E is provided in the pipe E: it is preferably a two-way valve so
arranged that when desired say, for instance, when starting the generation of
gas communication between the generator A and the gas-holder H may be cut off,
and the air contained in the generator A driven off without passing into the holder.
Water may be supplied to the jacket H³ in any convenient manner.
The arrangement illustrated in Figure 2 is only by way of example, the water
necessary for operating the wheel D may be supplied in any desired manner, for
instance if a large supply of gas is to be stored the water may be arranged to dis-
charge slowly upon the wheel D from a cistern, the generated gas passing to a
suitable holder.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate an alternative form of carbide feeding device, which
may
be used instead of the feeding device F. Upon the shaft C, which is operated
by the water wheel D is a hub L carrying brushes L' arranged so that there are
spaces L between them. These brushes L₁ revolve in a hood G which forms the
outlet for the hopper G. Carbide drops from the hopper G into the spaces L³ and
is carried round until it drops out into the water beneath.
It will be seen that the apparatus according to this invention does not merely
feed water on to a quantity of carbide, or supply carbide to a body of water but
feeds both water and carbide to the generator.
The amount of water and of carbide supplied will in the arrangement illustrated
in Figure 2 depend upon the amount of gas consumed from the holder H.
If desired the carbide feeding device F, (Figure 1) or L, L' (Figure 3) may be
operated by means other than the water wheel C.
Further the conical vessel F1 may be stationary in which case the carbide is
forced through it by the action of the worm F3 which rotates with the shaft C
inside the stationary vessel F¹
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In apparatus for producing acetylene gas a carbide-feeding device operated
by water,

page_text: 2. In apparatus for producing acetylene gas operating a carbide-feeding device
by water which is used for generating the gas.
3. In apparatus for producing acetylene gas the combination with a carbide-
feeding device operated by water of a device for automatically supplying the
water in proportion to the demand for gas.
4. In apparatus for producing acetylene gas the combination with a carbide-
feeding device of a water-wheel for driving it.
5. In apparatus for producing acetylene gas the combination of a rotary conical
chamber having a worm therein and a hopper with a tapering outlet which extends
into the conical chamber through a knife edged opening for the purpose described.
6. In apparatus for producing acetylene gas the combination of a carbide-feed-
ing device operated by water and a gas-holder having a tapered or other displacer.
for the purpose described.
7. The apparatus for use in the production of acetylene gas substantially as
described or illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 or Figures 3 and 4 of the accom-
|panying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of July 1898.
W. W. STRODE,
GEO. H. WHITE.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.