Improvements in and relating to Acetylene Lamps for Lighting and Heating.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Acetylene Lamps for Lighting
and Heating.
I, ABEL ERNEST ARMAND POULET DE LIMELLE, of 73, Avenue de Saxe, Lyons,
in the French Republic, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
-
This invention relates to an acetylene lamp or burner for lighting and heating,
which has the shape or appearance of a candle.
This burner is of a simple and economical construction and may be applied,
with the greatest facility, as an ordinary candle to all brackets, pendants, and
other receptacles or supports now used, such as torches, candle-sticks, taper
stands, lamp-posts, lanterns, chandeliers, lustres etc. which need not be changed
and the use of which allows of benefiting, without greatly increased cost, by
a method of lighting having numerous advantages from an economical and illumi-
nating point of view.
The construction of this burner or acetylene-candle is described in the following:
The candle in one form of my invention consists of an outer casing or an
envelope; of a removable receiver for the calcium carbide; and of a water
container.
The casing is formed of a metallic tube, one of the ends of which is provided
with a cap having a central hole within which is passed a flanged socket to
which latter is screwed or otherwise secured a burner of any known or suitable
construction, whilst the other end of the metal tube is furnished with a ferrule
to which is screwed the corresponding ferrule of the liquid container.
The exterior of this casing and of its cap can be nickelled, varnished or
enamelled white or other shade or colour so as to give the appearance of a wax
candle.
The calcium carbide receiver is formed of a tin or other suitable tube, of thin
substance and perforated over the whole of its length, to the ends of which tube
are secured covers or caps of the same metal or material. In this container,
and before the closing of the second e.g. the lower end, I introduce calcium
carbide or other similar and suitable substance, in fragments or in cartridges,
and through this mass of carbide and along the axis of the same I pass a wick
of ligneous, fibrous or tubular material, or of vegetable, animal, or mineral sub-
stance which by capillary action will act in the desired way. When the bottom
plate is closed after having passed this wick through a central hole therein, the
projecting portion of the wick depends from the same, and for any desired length.
It will be remarked that, the wick closes the central hole and that the carbide is
thereby protected from all alteration or decomposition. The receiver can be
divided internally by one or more transverse portions which will each be provided
with a hole for the passage of the wick.

page_text: The liquid container has the form of a cup; it is provided with the aforesaid
ferrule which allows it to be secured to the base of the casing and also with one
or several hooks or catches which are prolonged beyond the end of the ferrule;
it may be furnished with a sponge or other similar substance which will hold the
liquid, water for example, placed therein. This container is arranged in such
a manner as to fix the candle in the sconce or socket of a torch or candlestick, a
lustre or other support, in imitation of an ordinary wax candle.
When the container is separated from the envelope by the unscrewing of the
aforesaid ferrules, I introduce into the said casing the carbide receiver previously
described, taking care to allow the wick to project exteriorly, then, having filled
the container with water or other suitable liquid, the ferrules are screwed together
so as to join the container and the casing.
As will be seen therefore, the carbide receiver is enclosed within the casing
and is secured in position by catches whilst the outer projecting portion of the
wick is plunged into the liquid of the container. In this state the candle is
ready for working, and this is what takes place.
The wick plays the same role as in an ordinary oil lamp; it conveys, by
capillary attraction, liquid from the container which thus arrives in contact
with the carbide of calcium and sets up the decomposition of the latter com-
mencing at the bottom; this decomposition spreads, little by little,. to the top
until the whole of the carbide is attacked.
The acetylene gas produced, escapes through the perforations of the receiver
across the protecting casing, rises into the annular space between this receiver
and the envelope, to escape by the burner where it is burned.
It should be noted; that the residue (lime) from the decomposition of the
carbide remains in the upper receiver and that its increase is felt by the wick
which is more or less compressed; that by varying the thickness and the com-
position of this wick, the attacking of the carbide will be greater or less; and
that, by pinching or gripping the projecting part of the wick by means of any
suitable instrument, the evolution of the acetylene is checked or suspended.
In every case, the decomposition of the carbide proceeds regularly and the
gas produced escapes without jolt or jar and continuously. When the carbide
of the receiver is used up, it is sufficient to replace the used receiver by another
fresh one and to renew if necessary, the water in the receiver. The operation is
quickly performed. A number of charged receivers may be kept in reserve and
be used as needed.
As a modification of the candle above described, it will be evident that the
removable receiver can be dispensed with, the charge of calcium being then
effected directly into the casing to which the wick is attached by a perforated
disc or covering extending across the casing.
A closing disc is in this case fixed to the lower part of the casing so as to
retain the carbide within the latter, the said closing disc being pierced with
a central hole for the passage of the exterior projecting part of the wick. To
the envelope is fixed the liquid container as above described.
The various parts of the acetylene-candle can be made in any desired sizes and
of any suitable materials. The casing and receiver may be of circular or poly-
gonal section and the protective coating which exteriorly covers this latter may
be replaced by a sheet of oiled paper or other suitable envelope.
1000
ch 1888.
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Acetylene Lamps for Lighting
and Heating.
I, ABEL ERNEST ARMAND POULET DE LIMELLE, of 73, Avenue de Saxe, Lyons,
in the French Republic, 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:
66
-
This invention relates to an acetylene lamp or burner for lighting and heating,
which has the shape or appearance of a candle.
This lamp, which I may designate an
economical construction and may be applied with the greatest facility, as an
acetylene candle" is of simple and
ordinary candle to all brackets, pendants and other receptacles or supports now
used, such as torches, candle-sticks, taper stands, lamp posts, lanterns, chandeliers,
lustres etc. which need not be changed for this purpose, and the use of which
acetylene candle allows of benefiting, without greatly increased cost, by a method
of lighting having numerous advantages from an economical and illuminating
point of view.
I will now describe the construction of this burner or acetylene-candle; the
annexed drawing shews an example of the acetylene-candle.
Figure 1 of this drawing is a vertical longitudinal section of a complete
acetylene-candle.
Figure 2 shews a side elevation and a longitudinal section of a removable
receiver intended to receive or contain the calcium carbide.
Figure 3 is a section of a modification of the candle in which the removable
receiver is dispensed with.
The candle shewn on Figure 1 consists of an outer casing or an envelope A;
of a removable receiver B for the. calcium carbide; and of a water container C.
The casing A is formed of a metallic tube, one of the ends of which is provided
with a cap a having a central hole within which is passed a flanged socket d to
which latter is screwed or otherwise secured a burner D of any known or suitable
construction, whilst the other end of the metal tube is furnished with a ferrule a¹
to which is screwed the corresponding ferrule c of the liquid container C.
The exterior of this casing A and of its cap a can be nickelled, varnished or
enamelled white or other shade or colour, so as to give the appearance of a wax
andle.
The calcium carbide receiver B is formed, Figure 2, of a tin or other suitable
ube, of thin substance and perforated over the whole of its length, to the ends
f which tube are secured covers or caps of the same metal or material. Into
his container, and before the closing of the second end, b¹ for instance, I intro-
uce calcium carbide or other similar and suitable substance, in the form of
ragments or cartridges, and through this mass of carbide x, and along the axis
f the same I pass a wick m of ligneous, fibrous or tubular material, or of vege-
able, animal or mineral substance, which by capillary action, will act in the
esired way. When the bottom plate b¹ is closed after having passed this wick
rough a central hole 68 therein, the projecting portion of the wick m derends
om the same, and for any desired length. It will be remarked that the wick m
oses the central hole 6 and that the carbide is thereby protected from all altera-
on or decomposition. The receiver B can be divided internally by one or more
ansverse portions which will each be provided with a hole for the passage of
e wick m.

page_text: The liquid container C has the form of a cup; it is provided with the aforesaid
ferrule c which allows it to be secured to the base of the casing A and also with
one or several hooks or catches c which are prolonged beyond the end of
ferrule c; it may be furnished with a sponge or other similar substance which will
hold the liquid, water for example, placed therein. This container C is arranged
in such a manner as to fix the candle in the sconce or socket of a torch or candle-
stick, a lustre or other support in imitation of an ordinary wax candle.
When the container C is separated from the envelope A by the unscrewing
of the aforesaid ferrules a¹ and e, I introduce into the said casing A the carbide
receiver B previously described, taking care to allow the wick to project exteriorly,
then, having filled the container C with water or other suitable liquid, the
ferrules a and c are screwed together so as to join the container C and the
casing A.
As will be seen therefore, the carbide receiver B is enclosed within the casing A
and is secured in position by the catches whilst the outer projecting portion of
the wick m is plunged into the liquid of the container C. In this state the candle
is ready for working, and this is what takes place.
The wick m plays the same role as in an ordinary oil lamp; it conveys, by
capillary attraction, liquid from the container C which thus arrives in contact
with the carbide of calcium and sets up the decomposition of the latter com-
mencing at the bottom; this decomposition spreads, little by little, to the top
until the whole of the carbide is attacked.
The acetylene gas produced, escapes through the perforations of the receiver B
across the protecting casing, rises into the annular space between this receiver
and the envelope A to escape by the burner D where it is burned.
It should be noted; that the residue (lime) from the decomposition of the
carbide remains in the upper receiver B and that its increase is felt by the wick m
which is more or less compressed; that, by varying the thickness and the com-
position of this wick m, the attacking of the carbide will be greater or less; and
that, by pinching or gripping the projecting part of the wick m by means of
any suitable instrument, the evolution of the acetylene is checked or suspended.
In every case, the decomposition of the carbide proceeds regularly and the gas
produced escapes without jolt or jar and continuously. When the carbide of
the receiver B is used up, it is sufficient to replace the used receiver by another
fresh one and to renew if necessary, the water in the receiver C. The operation
is quickly performed. A number of charged receivers may be kept in reserve
and be used as needed.
As a modification of the candle above described, it will be evident that the
removable receiver B can be dispensed with, the charge of calcium being then
effected directly into the casing A to which the wick m is attached by a perforated
disc e or covering extending across the casing.
A closing disc f is in this case fixed to the lower part of the casing so as to
retain the carbide within the latter, the said closing disc f being pierced with
a central hole for the passage of the exterior projecting part of the wick m. To
the envelope A is fixed the liquid container C as above described.
The various parts of the acetylene-candle can be made in any desired sizes
and of any suitable materials. The casing A and receiver B may be of circular
or polygonal section and the protective coating which exteriorly covers this latter
may be replaced by a sheet of oiled paper or other suitable envelone.
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. In acetylene generating apparatus, the combination with the calcium carbide
receiver, of a wick passing through the mass of carbide and having an outwardly
projecting portion, which being plunged or dipping into the liquid of the liquid
container, causes the said liquid to rise by capillary attraction, into the mass

page_text: of carbide with a view to acting on the latter and to causing its decomposition,
as above described.
2. In acetylene generating apparatus, the combination of a perforated receiver,
partitioned or not, intended to contain calcium carbide, with a wick placed
centrally within the mass of carbide in said receiver and of one of the ends of
which wick projects outwardly of said receiver, with a view to forming an inde-
pendent part capable of being used in any apparatus generating acetylene gas,
as above described.
3. In acetylene generating apparatus, the combination of a perforated receiver B,
partitioned or not, and containing carbide and, at the centre of the latter, a
wick m one end of which projects outwardly, with a casing A provided at one
of its extremities with a burner D and at the other end with a container C for
holding a liquid to act on the carbide into which liquid dips the projecting portion
of the wick m of the receiver B, as above described.
"
4. An acetylene-candle" comprising, in its whole, a carbide receiver at the
centre of which is a wick one of whose ends projects outwardly, a casing in which
the said carbide receiver is placed and whose upper part is provided with a
burner, and a liquid-container secured to the casing of the carbide-receiver and
into the liquid in which the projecting portion of the wick dips, the said liquid-
container serving at the same time for the fixing of the candle in the sconce or
socket of any suitable support, as above described.
Dated this 24th day of Novom hon 1000
Dated this 24th day of Novom hon 1000
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
Chartered Patent Agents.
60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.