Improvements in Acetylene Generators or Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Acetylene Generators or Lamps.
JOHN BILBIE, of 80, Queen Victoria Street, in the County of London, Mechanical
Engineer, and HENRI DRIVET, of 364, City Road, in the County of London,
England, Acetylenist, 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:-
Our invention has for its object an acetylene generator or lamp in which the
production of acetylene gas can be promptly stopped and the light extinguished
so soon as such light is no further required; this being effected by the aid of
simple and convenient means and devices which are readily manipulated and act
in such a manner as to increase rather than impair the safety of the lamp.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate our new or improved acetylene
generator or lamp, Fig. 1 is a vertical section and Fig. 2 a horizontal section on
line of Fig. 1; in this latter view the lamp is supposed empty, while the
burner, the refector, and the vent tap are left out for the sake of simplicity.
Our improved generator or lamp consists essentially of a central inner cylinder
or carbide receptacle a the two ends of which may be either screw threaded or
smooth, the upper end receiving a cap c, while the lower end is screwed or forced
into the water reservoir r; an india rubber or other ring i being interposed
between this reservoir r and the lower end of a water jacket b surrounding the
carbide receptacle a, for the purpose of forming as tight a joint as possible.
Another similar india rubber ring i is interposed for packing purposes between
the lower edge of the cap c and the upper rounded end of the same water jacket b;
the latter is moreover provided with a side opening n fitted with a tapped neck
wherein the cap c¹ is screwed. A short acetylene gas supply pipe g is soldered to
the inner side of the cylinder a, its upper end being open while its lower end is
bent at right angles and passes through the cylinders a and b on its way to the
burner o; a screw threaded sleeve being soldered to the tube g and to the outer
side of the cylinder to receive the tapped ring of the reflector R which is of
ordinary construction and to which we lay no claim whatsoever.
The water reservoir r which in the example illustrated has a bulbous shape,
may however assume any other shape according to the use for which the lamp is
intended, being for instance tubular when used for carriages and the like. This
reservoir is as above stated screwed or telescoped over the lower end of the inner
cylinder a and is provided at the top with a horizontal partition h which is
centrally perforated to allow for the passage of the upper end of the wick tube
the lower end of which is freely suspended in the said reservoir. A wick w passes
through this tube and its lower end dips in the water of the reservoir r, while its
upper end conveys the moisture thus imbibed to the carbide of calcium in the
receptacle a through the wire gauze disc S (Fig. 2) secured centrally 'in the
bottom of the same receptacle. is a vent tap fixed preferably to the upper
side of the reservoir while a central opening formed in the bottom of the latter
is closed by a screw cap c², bearing against a packing ring i.

page_text: In some cases we may prefer to arrange the wire gauze disc excentrically in
which case it is obvious that the tube e will have to be correspondingly excentrical.
By turning the reservoir r say from left to right so that the tap shown on the
left hand side in the drawing be moved to the right hand side, the wick ceases to
be in contact with the wire gauze disc S and hence with the carbide or calcium ;
this wick being thus merely withdrawn downwardly from such disc S in the
example illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereas it is withdrawn both
downwardly and sidewise when the wire gauze disc and the wick tube e are
arranged excentrically. Water being poured through the opening n into the
water jacket and through the opening n into the bottom of the reservoir r, after
having first removed the caps c¹² respectively, this reservoir is screwed up tightly
home so that the upper end of the wick w may convey its moisture to the calcium
carbide placed at the bottom of the inner receptacle a and cause acetylene gas to
be evolved and to rise and escape through the burner o whereat it is ignited.
The tube g is preferably filled with cotton wool, metal shavings and the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what we
claim is:-
1. In acetylene gas generators or lamps the combination of an inner carbide of
calcium receptacle closed at the top and furnished with a supply pipe leading to a
burner with a water jacket and a water reservoir provided with a wick tube and a
wpick and fixed to the lower end of such receptacle substantially as herein
described and shown.
2. An acetylene gas generator or lamp consisting of an inner calcium carbide
receptacle closed at the top, provided with a gas supply pipe leading to a burner
and screwed tightly at the bottom within a water reservoir containing a wick
tube, the wick of which conveys moisture to the calcium carbide contained in
the said receptacle through a central or excentric wire gauze or other permeable
disc, inserted in the bottom thereof substantially as herein described and shown.
3. In acetylene gas generators or lamps the means or mechanism whereby the
evolution of acetylene gas is stopped and the lamp extinguished by withdrawing
the moistened wick from contact with the carbide of calcium substantially as
herein described and shown.
4. The improved acetylene generator or lamp arranged, constructed and operating
substantially as herein described and shown.
Dated thin 97th days of Amand 1000
DE KATOW & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.