A New or Improved Arrangement of Apparatus for Lighting by Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 28th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1896--Accepted, 9th Jan. 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Arrangement of Apparatus for Lighting by
Acetylene Gas.
We, STANISLAS DOMINIQUE GILLET, and GEORGES FOREST, Mechanical
Engineers, and JEAN EMMANUEL OLIVIER BOCANDÉ Engineer, all of
32 Boulevard Henri IV, Paris in the Republic of France, 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 :-
The invention forming the subject of the present application relates to a new
or improved arrangement of acetylene apparatus in which the production is
automatically regulated.
This apparatus will be well understood by the following description and by
referring to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 represents in a diagrammatical view the acetylene producer.
Fig. 2 shows the same producer applied in the body of a lamp.
Fig. 3 shows our producer combined with a projector so as to form an acetylene
projector.
Fig. 4 shows the same projector in plan drawn on the line E F of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 represents the projector in vertical section drawn on the line A B of
Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 shows the projector in horizontal section drawn on the line C D of
Fig. 3.
Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the acetylene generator properly so-called,
drawn on the line R S of Fig. 8.
Fig. 8 shows a horizontal section of the same generator drawn on the line M N
of Fig. 7.
In these various figures, the same letters of reference indicate the same parts.
As shown in the drawing Fig. 1, the apparatus is composed of a generator a
properly so-called in which the carbide of calcium placed in a vessel b receives by
the nozzles drop by drop, the water necessary for its decomposition. This water
is taken from the acetylene reservoir at a certain level fregulated as will be
explained hereafter.
The gas produced is sent by the conduit g to the reservoir e where it accumulates
and forces the water into another higher reservoir h by the intermediary of the
plunger tube i.
When putting the apparatus in operation, the reservoir e is filled with water;
the cocks of the conduit d being open, the water enters by the tube f, goes to the
generator after traversing a filter m and flows drop by drop through the nozzles c.

page_text: The gas thus produced by the decomposition of the carbide collecting in the
reservoir e will lower the level of the water; as the height of water above the
level f, and consequently of the nozzles e diminishes the flow of the water into
the generator will lessen and the production of gas diminish proportionately.
When the level has fallen below f, the water will no longer pass into the
generator and the production of gas will cease. In practice when the carbide is
nearly completely decomposed, the lime has absorbed a certain quantity of water
which little by little unites with the carbide of calcium not decomposed to again
produce acetylene, so that the level of the water will fall below f.
The height of the level f is calculated for each type of apparatus so that the
quantity of supplementary gas is not greater than the volume comprised between
this level and the bottom of the reservoir, for without that, the gas in excess
would escape in pure loss by the conduit and from there to the exterior by the
air outlet n. At the moment of delivery, the water of the reservoir à descending
by the conduit à into the reservoir e will force the gas by the tubej to the gas
burners after traversing the purifier k and the pressure regulator . At this
moment the level of the water in the reservoir e will again rise and when it has
attained and passed the level, the water will again return into the generator and
the production will recommence. In reality in regular working the level takes a
medium position which establishes the equilibrium between the production and the
consumption.
The generator a is a movable receiver with a gas tight cover as shown in Fig. 7;
it is furnished with cocks for the entrance of water and the outflow of gas, cocks
provided with unions enabling them to be connected to the reservoir by the flexible
tubes of the corresponding water and gas tubes.
When the carbide is completely decomposed and it is desired to again charge the
apparatus, it is only necessary to take care to close the four corresponding cocks, to
unscrew the flexible tubes aud to proceed with the charging of the apparatus, which
may be done by transporting this generator into any suitable place.
During this time the consumption may continue by the aid of the gas storel in
the reservoir.
Fig. 2 represents a generator of the same principle on a small scale forming a
portable lamp, but in which the generator a is placed in the interior of the
reservoir e.
To charge the generator, the lower part p is unscrewed so as to cuable the vessel b
to be removed to clean it and to again charge it.
In the acetylene projector represented in Figures 3 to 6, the generator and the
accessories are enclosed in a special compartment arranged in the reservoirs, so as
to shelter them and to give to the whole of the projector a more graceful appearance
and to render the apparatus more practical.
The principle of its working is the same as the preceding one.
We would have it understood that we can give to our producing apparatus all
the forms, dimensions and arrangements of details, necessary in view of its application
to all portable or other lighting apparatuses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A system of apparatus for lighting by acetylene gas which comprises a
generator a properly so called enclosing a vessel b containing carbide of calcium
above which the water, after having traversed the filter m is caused by the nozzles
to fall drop by drop on the carbide of calcium. The gas thus produced is conveyed
by the conduit g into a reservoir e first filled with water, where it accumulates and
drives the water into another higher reservoir & by the intermediary of the plunger
tube, so that the gas in substituting itself for the water in the reservoir e causes
the height of this water above the outlet f to diminish so that the flow of the water
diminishes also, in order to regulate automatically the production of gas. This

page_text: apparatus comprises, in addition, tubes j, purifiers k and a pressure regulator 1, the
whole as above described with reference to the specimen drawing annexed and
constituting, either a lamp, or a large apparatus, such as a projector etc.
2. The new or improved arrangement of apparatus for lighting by acetylene gas
substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In apparatus for lighting by acetylene gas the arrangement and combination
of apparatus whereby the production of acetylene gas is automatically regulated
substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated November 28th 1896
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.