Improvements in Devices for Producing Acetylene Light, more especially Intended for Use in Oyole, Carriage, and Hand Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Producing Acetylene Light, more
especially Intended for Use in Oyole, Carriage, and Hand Lamps.
THOMAS HENRY LEWIS, of 51, Lime Street, London, England, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
The object of the present invention is to provide a case (or cartridge) for use in
un acetylene or similar lamp with such an internal arrangement of structure as
will ensure an oven omission of gas at the top orifice when the foot or baso
of the cartridge is immersed in water and further as will provide on the lower
orifice a gas tight joint by means of a packing ring and a valve for the regular
admission of moisture without permitting the escape of gas thereby.
One main feature of my invention consists in the employment as a medium for
preventing the escape of gas at the foot or base of the cartridge of a pad and
packing ring constructed as hereinafter described. Another feature of my inven-
tion is the employment as a medium for introducing moisture into the cartridge
and distributing it to the generating salt in a regular and uniform manner, and
also as an appliance for providing room for the expansion that takes place on the
generating salt being decomposed of a wick or permeable frame constructed as
hereinafter described.
To make my invention more clearly understood I will refer to the accompary-
ing drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 is a transverse section showing general arrangement of cartridge.
Fig. 2 is a plan from top of outer case showing recess formed in bottom of
case,
Fig. 3 is a plan of corrugated absorbent wick or frame for distributing water.
Fig. 4 is a side view of above.
Fig. 5 gives enlarged views of the parts contained by the recess aforesaid.
Fig. 6 is a detail showing how ends of corrugated material are connected.
Fig. 7 is section of Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a section of non-conducting core.
Fig. 9 is a plan view of same.
Fig. 10 shows an alternative device when moisture is to be admitted to the
wick in two places.
In all the figures the same letters refer to the same parts.
The arrangement of structure that I adopt is as follows:-I provide a non-
absorbent receptacle of suitable dimensions. I find a box, a, (with a lid & and a
dished bottom c) about 24 inches diameter by about one inch in depth (according
to lamp to be used the dimensions would of course vary) suits my purpose. On
one side of this box at what is to be its base when in use I provide a recess c
one inch in diamotor by about of an inch deep. The part of the box forming
this recesse has a hole in the bottom having an area of say a quarter of a square
inch. It is necessary to have a hole of the above dimensions, and of course
varying with the candle power of light required, in order that the absorbent
material hereinafter described may be kept in proper communication with the
water so as to allow free access of the moisture to the interior of the box. The

page_text: top of the recess is provided with a ledge or shoulder and on this ledge or
shoulder I place a dise or piece of metal g to fit snugly. The disc or piece of
metal is provided with a slit, hole or opening for the insertion of tonguo
pieces hereinafter mentioned.
I take a strip of absorbent material such as blotting paper of the necessary
stiffness in width not more than half the diameter of the box and in length
about twice the circumference of the box. I bring together the two ends of
this strip and secure them with a small band of tagger tinned plate leaving
about an inch of each end of the strip outside the band to form the tongue
pieces k. 1 then take the strip so formed and fold it into corrugations running
transversely across the strip. I then Hatten the strip, so corrugated, as shown
in Figs. 3 and 4 by compressing the folds of the strip together on one edge and
allowing them to open out in the other edge. In this way the compressed edge
upproximates to the centre and the expanded edge becomes the circumferenco
of a circular discoidal figure with radiating corrugations into which the strip
falls which fits snugly within the said box a.
I find it may be desirable to provent the points where the corrugations nearly
meet from actually contacting and in order the better to insure this I may
provide, either loose or attached to the inside part of the box a a non-conducting
core m which may be a boss of tin corrugated to fit the corrugations of the strip.
I pass the tongue pieces formed as before mentioned through the slit of the disc
of metal g and bend each end of the tongue piece back against the underneath
side of the metal disc or piece. 1 place a pad of blotting paper or other absorbent
material over the hole at the bottom of recess e and on this pad I place a cork
packing ring which ou becoming moistened expands and forms a gas tight
joint between the pad and the edges of recess e. When the above devices are
in position 1 fill calcium carbide between the uppermost corrugations formed in
the strip placed in the box until it is quite full, the corrugations on the reverse
side providing the space needed for expansion of the generating salt as and when
it is decomposed.
One, or if desired two, swall holes in the lid b are provided to serve as a burner
at the top of the box a beneath which a suitable pad serves to filter the gas and
prevent the said hole or holes from choking with dust during action. The lid is
then fixed on to the box and sealed in any suitable manner.
On placing the base of the charged receptacle in water gas will be generated
and give a steady flame throughout the life of the charge.
When it is desired to admit the moisture to the wick in the box at two places
instead of one so as to decompose the generating salt more rapidly the recess e is
enlarged so as to admit of the metal piece or disc g and the absorbeut pad i
being enlarged as shown in (Fig. 10) the metal piece being then provided with
two slita instead of one and such metal piece may be attached to the shoulder in
recess in any convenient manner to assist in forming with the cork ring
gas tight joint.
the
The corrugated strip is then provided with two joints and pairs of tongue pieces
instead of one, and these pass through the slits provided in the metal disc or
piece g. The outer hole fin recess e will feed both tongue pieces. This alter-
native method is more clearly shown by reference to Figure 10.
It will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to the form and
dimensions which I have in this description assigned to the various parts of
my improved cartridge as the same may be varied in many ways to suit the
particular requirements of various lamps, and that my invention may be used
with generating compounds other than the simple carbide of calcium.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this iuven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a cartridge for use in an acetylene or similar lamp the employment of a

page_text: strip of absorbent material (with, if necessary, a central boss) so convoluted as
to serve the purpose of a confining and dividing frame for the charge within the
cartridge and to provide necessary room for the expansion of the generating
salt on decomposition, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
2. In a cartridge for use in an acetylene or similar lamp the employment of
a valve for the admission of water constructed and arranged as shown in Figs. 1,
2, 4 and 5 and as hereinbefore described.
3. In a cartridge for use in an acetylene or similar lamp a valve for the
admission of water comprising a metal disc or piece with a slit or slits for tongue
pieces, a cork packing ring and an absorbent pad as particularly described and
shown in Figs. 5 and 10.
4. In a cartridge for use in a acetylene or similar lamp the use of a cork
packing ring and absorbent pad in connection with the valve for the admission
of water as herein before described and shown.
5. The hereinbefore described cartridge for use in an acetylene or similar lamp
constructed and arranged as shown in Figures 1 to 10 hereof.
THEO. MCKENNA,
17 and 18, Basinghall Street, London, E.C.,
Applicant's Agent.