Improvements in Apparatus for Producing and Storing Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: being date of first Foreign Application (in 14th Apr., 1896
France)
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 23rd Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1896-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 23rd Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1896-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Producing and Storing
Acetylene Gas.
I, GUSTAVE TROUVÉ of 14, Rue Vivienne, Paris, France, Electrician, 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 improvements in the apparatus for producing and
storing acetylene gas forming the subject of a previous Application for Letters
Patent dated December 7th 1895 No. 23,521 and which was principally
characterized by the combination of one or more generators capable of being easily
charged, repaired and cleaned, with a holder of suitable capacity for the storage of
the gas.
According to the present improvements the generator is constructed entirely of
metal, the stopper for closing the mouth of the bell chamber being dispensed with
while the cage for containing the layers of crystals of calcium carbide is supported
upon a stand in the required position instead of being suspended as described in my
said former application.
In order that the invention may be readily understood I have illustrated an
example of the improved generator in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the apparatus.
Figure 2 shews the cage separately, and Figures 3 and 4 are top and underside
views of the same respectively.
Figure 5 is an elevation and Figure 6 a plan of the receiver for containing
the cage.
Figure 7 is an elevation of the removable bottom detached.
Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view shewing in elevation two gas holders coupled
together and combined with a series of generators.
Figure 9 is an opposite face view of the same.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
As shewn in the drawing the metallic vessel a instead of being closed by an
indiarubber stopper is permanently closed at top by a heavy lead stopper 6 serving
to hold it down upon the bottom of the container c in which it is placed; it is
provided with a removable bottom d which is attached to a by a bayonet or other
suitable fastening. The cage e in which the calcium carbide is placed, either in
superposed layers separated by glass or metal plates or in blocks, instead of being
suspended within the apparatus as before is supported at a suitable distance above

page_text: the bottom d by a stand formed of cross wires which may be attached or not to
the cage so as to support it at the proper height within the vessel a.
The cage e
is provided at top with a cover g pivoted at point i to admit of the introduction of
the carbide of calcium crystals. When the cage has been charged with calcium
carbide crystals, it is placed in vessel a and the bottom cover d is then applied,
after which the vessel a is placed in the vessel c containing water of which the
difference of pressure is always double or treble that of the gas holder. The
generator thus arranged is ready for action, the gas produced passing off by
a pipe to one or more suitable gas holders from which it is delivered for
consumption.
may
In order to supply to the consumer a dry cool gas I have, in my former applica-
tion referred to, stated that a condenser might be used to intercept the aqueous
vapours carried along with the gas and to cool the gas to a certain extent.
however obtain a much more favourable result, as regards cooling, by coupling
together two gas holders which are supplied alternately by one or more generators.
Such an arrangement, which would however vary according to circumstances, is
illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 which shew two coupled gas holders combined with
four generators. Each of the gas holders m and n is provided with pipes o
and p for the admission and exit of gas. The pipes o (each controlled by
a cock 9) are coupled by rubber tubing s with a connecting pipe r having two
cocks each connected with a generator for supplying gas holder m, and
two cocks u also each connected with a generator for supplying holder n. The
gas outlet pipes p from holders m n are each provided with a cock and are
coupled by a connecting pipe XC having a cock y from which leads the consumer's
service pipe.
I have mentioned above that in order to ensure the delivery for consumption
of dry cool acetylene gas I couple together two gas holders. For this purpose I
operate in the following manner :-The generators of gas holders mn having been
charged and all the cocks being closed, on opening cocks t and cock q of holder m
the gas produced in said generators will pass by pipe o into gas holder m and raise
the bell chamber. When the gas holder m is filled the cock q is closed and
cocks u and g of holder n are opened whereupon the gas generated fills the
bell of gas holder n. During the filling of gas holder n by opening cocks v
and y the dry cool gas contained in holder m may be delivered for consumption
and if cock v of said holder m be closed and cock of holder n opened after
it has been filled it may be emptied at same time that holder m is being again
filled, and so on in an alternate and continuous manner.
The intervals of recharging one or other of the gas holders would of course
depend upon their capacity but they are generally such as to allow of the complete
cooling of the stored gas. The opening and closing of the supply cocks of the
two gas holders may be automatically effected either by mechanical or electrical
means. Similarly the extreme positions of the bell chambers of the gas holders
may be signalled by means of an electrical contact operating an electric bell or
other alarm. The bell chamber of the gas holder acts by its own weight which is
regulated by internal lead strips or weights corresponding to the low pressure
of ten centimetres of water.
It will be thus understood from the foregoing that the gas stored in one of two
holders as described is supplied for consumption in a dry cool condition. Moreover
it should be remarked that the gas generating and storing apparatus are arranged
and combined in such manner that the gas produced can only attain an insignificant
pressure (that is to say that corresponding to the pressure of the head of water
employed, say about ten centimetres of water for the gas holders and thirty
centimetres of water for the generators) so that the apparatus is absolutely safe
which is not the case with hermetically closed apparatus.
I may also provide either at the inlet or outlet a condenser having large cooling
surface, formed for example of a spirally wound ribbon or of porous or other
material absorbent of moisture.

page_text: It is to be understood that the number of the generators and arrangement of the
gas holders may be varied as well as the forms, dimensions, details, and materials
employed in the construction of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
A generator for producing acetylene gas, comprising a bell chamber or receiver
closed at top and provided with an outlet pipe and with a removable apertured
bottom and enclosing a cage containing carbide of calcium supported upon a stand
at the proper height within the receiver substantially as described and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1996.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.