Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Acetylene.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Acetylene.
We, WILLIAM WINSTANLEY STRODE, Engineer, and GEORGE HENDRY WHITE, both
of 48, Osnaburgh Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to the manufacture of acetylene its object being the
construction of apparatus in which the gas is generated automatically from calcium
carbide by water in a manner well understood.
The principal feature of this invention is the provision of means to enable the supply
of water to the calcium carbide to be automatically controlled and regulated in
proportion to the consumption of gas, provision also being made to enable the supply
of water to the calcium carbide to be automatically increased during the process of
exhaustion of the holder, to neutralize any absorption of the water by the slaked slime
formed in the retort.
The holder itself may serve to displace water from the vessel in which it works
(which is preferably made in the form of a double, or jacketted cylinder) the thickness
of the sides of the holder being such that the amount of water displaced as the gas
leaves the holder, by reason of the holder falling, bears a desired ratio to the volume
gas withdrawn.
of
The sides of the holder can be tapered, or thickened towards the top, so that if the
displacement of water by the working of the holder when fully charged with gas is
not sufficient to generate enough gas to equal the demand then a greater proportion
of water can be supplied to the retort.
The apparatus comprises also a regulating tank in connection with a water supply
pipe, provided with ball cock or other automatic valve and over flow, to maintain the
water at a constant level.
To this regulating tank is connected a feed tank in such a manner that whenever
the level of water in this feed tank falls a fresh supply will be delivered from the
regulating tank to restore the level in the feed tank. A ball cock non-return valve,
or other device is provided to prevent any return of water from the feed tank to the
regulating tank.
An overflow above the level of water in the feed tank is connected with the retort
by a feed pipe, arranged so that gas cannot pass from the retort through this pipe,
though water will flow through the same into the retort.
The lower part of the feed tank is in connection with the vessel in which the holder
operates, and the feed tank should be of such dimensions, that in the event of the
water supply failing, sufficient water will always remain, even after the maximum
displacement, to constitute a seal to the gas in the holder.
Assuming that the retort has been charged with fresh calcium carbide and that
water has been delivered upon the latter, the gas holder will become charged with
gas and will consequently be raised in the water which will primarily be lowered in
the feed tank and immediately afterwards restored to the normal level by the flow of
water from the regulating tank. The holder being now fully charged and the
water in the feed tank being at the normal level if some of the contents of the holder

page_text: be used it will descend until it causes an overflow into the retort and a fresh genera-
tion of gas which will partly restore the previous condition of the holder.
If there is a sluggishness in generation of gas on account of the water being
absorbed by slaked slime formed in the retort, or from any other cause, so that the
production of gas is not equal to the consumption, then the holder will be lowered
still further and being tapered or thickened, will displace more water in proportion.
Should an excess of gas over and above the regular proportion be formed, then this
excess will only serve to raise the holder to its full extent, as the holder, as before
described falls some distance before any water is forced into the retort, and as the
water first displaced will not be sufficient to restore the holder to its full extent a
reserve for such contingency will always be available.
There may be more than one retort, in which case automatic appliances may be
provided to direct the water into the different retorts in turn.
When more than one retort is used, one may conveniently be cleansed while the
others are in use. Valves may be provided on the several pipe connections of each
retort and connected with or controlled by apparatus combined with the retort lid or
door, in such a manner that it will be impossible for a careless attendant to open any
retort for recharging until the valves on its pipe connections are closed.
If desired the overflow from the regulating tank need not be led directly to the
retort, but may be delivered into a cataract or other appliance in which it will
accumulate to a certain limit at which it will be discharged at once into the retort.
This mode of working is not preferred.
Instead of the holder itself serving as displacer the gas within it will be employed
to operate a displacer in a separate vessel, if desired.
We, WILLIAM WINSTANLEY STRODE, Engineer, and GEORGE HENDRY WHITE, Clerk,
both of 48, Osnaburgh Street, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to the manufacture of acetylene its object being the
construction of apparatus in which the gas is generated automatically from calcium
carbide by water in a manner well understood.
The principal feature of this invention is the provision of means to enable the
supply of water to the calcium carbide to be automatically controlled and regulated
in proportion to the consumption of gas, provision also being made to enable
the supply of water to the calcium carbide to be automatically increased during the
process of exhaustion of the holder, to neutralize any absorption of the water by the
slaked lime formed in the retort.
The holder itself may serve to displace water from the vessel in which it works
(which is preferably made in the form of a double, or jacketted cylinder) the
thickness of the sides of the holder being such that the amount of water displaced
as the gas leaves the holder, by reason of the holder falling, bears a desired ratio to
the volume of gas withdrawn.
The sides of the holder can be tapered, or thickened towards the top, so that if the
displacement of water by the working of the holder when fully charged with gas is

page_text: not sufficient to generate enough gas to equal the demand then a greater proportion
of water can be supplied to the retort.
The apparatus comprises also a feed tank in connection with a water supply pipe,
provided with ball-cock or other automatic valve, and over flow, to maintain the
water at a constant level.
To this feed tank is connected a regulating tank in such a manner that whenever
the level of water in this regulating tank falls a fresh supply will be delivered from
the feed tank to restore the level in the said regulating tank. A ball-cock non-return
valve or other device is provided to prevent any return of water from the regulating
tank to the feed tank.
The lower part of the regulating tank is in connection with the vessel in which the
gas-holder operates, and the regulating tank should be of such dimensions, that in
the event of the water supply failing, sufficient water will always remain, even after
the maximum displacement, to constitute a seal to the gas in the holder.
An overflow pipe is fitted above the normal level of the water in the regulating
tank or in the vessel in which the gas-holder operates. This pipe is connected to
the retort in such a manner that water may flow through it into the retort, but gas
cannot pass back through it from the retort.
Assuming that the retort has been charged with fresh calcium carbide and that
water has been delivered upon the latter, the gas holder will become charged with
gas and will consequently be raised in the water, the level of which will primarily be
lowered, and immediately afterwards restored to the normal level by the flow of water
from the feed tank. The holder being now fully charged and the water in the
regulating tank being at the normal level if some of the gas in the holder be used,
the latter will descend until it causes an overflow into the retort, and a fresh
generation of gas which will again raise the holder.
Should an excess of gas over and above the regular proportion be formed, then this
excess will only serve to raise the holder to its full extent. As the holder necessarily
falls some distance before any water is forced into the retort, and as it is given
such a displacement that the water first displaced will not generate sufficient gas
to restore the holder to its full extent, a reserve space for such contingency will
always be available.
If there is a sluggishness in generation of gas on account of the water being
absorbed by slaked lime formed in the retort, or from any other cause, so that the
production of gas is not sufficient to replace the amount consuined, then the holder
will be lowered still further and being tapered or thickened will displace more water
in proportion.
There may be more than one retort, in which case automatic appliances may be
provided to direct the water into the different retorts in turn.
When more than one retort is used, one may conveniently be cleansed while the
others are in use. Valves may be provided on the several pipe connections of each
retort and connected with or controlled by apparatus combined with the retort
lid or door, in such a manner that it will be impossible for a careless attendant
to open any retort for recharging until the valves on its pipe connections are
closed.
The gas, after leaving the retort, is preferably passed through a purifier, where,
as hereinafter described, it is cooled and purified before it enters the holder.
If desired the overflow pipe before mentioned need not be led directly to the
retort, but may be delivered into a cataract or other appliance in which it will
accumulate to a certain limit at which it will be discharged at once into the retort.
This mode of working is however not preferred.
Instead of the holder itself serving as displacer the gas within it may be employed
to operate a displacer in a separate vessel, if desired.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one construction of gas manufacturing plant
according to this invention.

page_text: Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the retort.
Figure 4 is a similar view of the purifier.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the carbide trays, to a larger scale
than Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a view also in perspective of the trays which form part of the purifier
to a larger scale than Figure 4.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A is a tank hereinafter called the feed tank communicating with a water supply
through a ball-cock valve B, it is provided with an overflow pipe C which prevents
the water in the tank A rising above a certain level. A tube D leads from the bottom
of the feed tank A to another tank E hereinafter called the regulating tank. The
end of the pipe D which enters the regulating tank E is controlled by a ball cock
non-return valve F. The lower part of the regulating tank E communicates by
means of a pipe G with the space between the walls H₁ of a jacketed cylinder H,
and therefore the water in the three vessels A, E and H will normally be at one level.
A gas-reservoir J is placed over the cylinder H so that its open end is sealed by the
water in the jacket of the said cylinder. The walls J' of the reservoir J are not of
uniform thickness, but gradually increase in section towards the upper or closed end,
for the purpose herein before described.
The top of the reservoir J is fitted with three small pulleys J which work in
vertical guides H affixed to the outer wall H₁ of the jacketed cylinder H. The
guides H² are united at the top by a triangular frame H³.
Pipes J and J* communicate with the interior of the reservoir J and pass out
through the bottom of the cylinder H. One of these pipes (J³) leads into a purifier O,
hereinafter described, and the other (J*) conducts the gas from the reservoir J to the
burners or mains etc. where it is to be used.
Another pipe K fixed above the normal level of the water in the jacket of the
cylinder H, communicates with a retort or retorts L (Figure 1).
In this construction two retorts are shown, each of which is connected by a pipe K¹
to the feed pipe K leading from the water jacket of the cylinder H. A cock K² is
provided at the junction of the pipes K K¹ preferably so arranged that only one
retort can be placed in communication with the water jacket at a time, the other
retort being cut off and thus rendered available for cleaning or other operations. The
pipe K¹ (Figure 3) is preferably bent so as to form a syphon before it enters the
retort L, to prevent the gas passing out by the said pipe and the end K³ inside
the retort may be closed by a cap or plate having perforations in it, in order that the
water may flow gently, and be distributed over the carbide.
The retort comprises an outer cylinder L (Figure 3) closed at the bottom, and
provided with a flange L at the top. It can be tightly closed by means of a
cover L³ and a clamping device LA. The cylinder L' contains another cylinder M and
in this cylinder M, a series of trays M' are placed. Each of the trays M¹ (Figure 6)
comprises an outer rim M2 and a flat portion M³ extending over the greater part of
the area enclosed by the rim M² and terminating in a ledge M' the top of which is
lower than the top of the said rim M². The flat portion M³ is not flush with the
bottom of the rim but is preferably fixed at a point rather more than half way up it.
Each tray is also provided with a curved plate M5 or equivalent, extending from the
lower edge of the rim, underneath the flat portion M', to a point approximately near
the middle of the said flat portion, the object of these curved plates is to facilitate
the escape of gas upwards through the retort.
These trays M' are placed one upon the other in the cylinder M, and are so
arranged that the flat portion M³ is alternately on opposite sides of the cylinder.
The space between the two cylinders Land M may, if desired, be filled with water
for cooling purposes, in which case a drain cock is fitted to the retort.
A pipe N leads from the retort, at a point over the top-most tray to a purifier O.
In the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings the pipes N, coming

page_text: from the retorts L, communicate with a pipe N¹ leading to the purifier O, by means
of a cock N2, so arranged that when one of the retorts is open to the purifier, the other
retort can be cut off.
The purifier (Figure 4) comprises a flanged cylinder O¹ provided with a cover O²
and clamping device 03 similar to those provided in the retort L. The before
mentioned pipe N¹ communicating with the retort, enters the cylinder 0¹ at a point
approximately half-way between the top and bottom thereof.
The pipe J leading from the gas reservoir J enters the purifier near the top. An
internal flange 02 is fitted on the cylinder 0 above the point where the pipe N'
enters. This flange supports a series of trays 0³ the bottoms of which are meshed
or perforated. In Figures 4 and 5 three such trays are shown joined by three wires 04
which meet at a central point over the top tray and form a handle by which all three
trays may be carried.
The lower part of the cylinder 0¹ of the purifier is filled with water through a
pipe 0 which communicates with the water supply through a valve. The level of
water is kept constant by means of a syphon O which carries off the surplus water.
This syphon may if preferred lead to a "seal" tank fitted with an overflow pipe.
The operation of this invention is as follows:-Carbide of calcium is placed upon
the trays M' in the retort; and the trays 03 in the purifier are filled with sawdust,
oxide of iron, and powdered charcoal.
The level of water in the water jacket of the gas-holder is raised, by adding a
suitable quantity either directly to it or to the water in the regulating tank E. A
small quantity of water then passes through the pipe K on to the carbide in the top-
most tray M in the retort. Gas is immediately evolved and passes through the
pipes N and N¹ to the purifier O. Here, any steam or water vapour carried over by
the gas is condensed by the water in the bottom of the cylinder O', and the gas,
traversing the sawdust, oxide of iron, and charcoal, is robbed by these agents of any
sulphuretted or phosphoretted hydrogen that it may contain. The purified gas now
passes into the reservoir J through the pipe J³, and the said reservoir rises, lowering
the water level in the jacket which is however at once restored by water which flows
from the tanks E and A.
Assuming now that the gas reservoir J has been raised; if some of the gas be
withdrawn through the pipe J the reservoir J will at once fall, and raise the level of
water in the jacket. It is to be noted however that no water will pass through the
pipe K to the retort until the level has been raised by an amount greater than the
listance between the normal water level and the point where the pipe K is fixed.
The reservoir J has therefore to fall some distance before there is any fresh generation
of gas. This point is important as partly by this means—as hereinbefore mentioned,
a space is reserved for any sudden excess of gas, which may be generated.
It will be seen that the level of water can only be raised through the gas-
reservoir J falling, for even in the event of either of the ball cock-valves B or F
failing to act, the overflow pipe C will prevent the water level rising beyond its
normal height.
When the water in the top tray of the retort reaches the level of the top of the
ledge M it overflows and drops on to the carbide in the second tray, and so on,
until the carbide in all the trays has been exhausted. It will be seen that the trays
themselves act as baffle plates and tend to prevent any water vapour or steam that
may be formed with or after the generation of the gas from penetrating to the lower
trays of fresh carbide.
By distributing the carbide over several shallow trays which are successively
brought into action, the carbide is prevented from caking, the generation of
gas takes place more evenly and the heat resulting from the action is reduced to a
minimum.
It is obvious that various alterations may be made in the apparatus herein
described without departing from the spirit of this invention. For example:-The
weight of the gas-reservoir J may be counterbalanced to any desired extent by
chains passing over pulleys and having weights attached to them; or again, the

page_text: trays in the purifier may be quite separate from one another as is the case with the
retort trays.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for manufacturing acetylene gas, the combination with a gas
holder of a displacer so constructed or operated that the ratio of its displacement
to its linear movement increases in its descent for the purpose described.
2. In apparatus for manufacturing acetylene gas, the combination with an
annular or other water-vessel H, of a movable reservoir such as J so constructed that
varying displacement of water is obtained substantially as and for the purpose
described.
3. In apparatus for manufacturing acetylene gas, the combination with a gas-
holder such as H, J, of a regulating tank and feed tank substantially as and for the
purpose described.
4. The apparatus for use in the manufacture of gas, substantially as described or
illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.