Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 6th Jan.,
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Production of Acetylene Gas.
We, WILLIAM HIGGINS, of Norroy Road, Putney, London, S.W., Engineer,
and HARRY SANDILANDS, of The National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place,
London, S.W., Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the generation of
acetylene gas by the action of water on carbide of calcium, and has for objects
to increase the gas producing capacity of the generator without material addition
to its size and to enable the generation of gas to proceed continuously.
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The improved generator of this invention comprises an ordinary bell gas-
holder with which is combined a series of what we term retorts for the
production of acetylene, said retorts consisting of horizontal chambers
(preferably cylindrical) formed in the lower part of the wall of the gas holder
and opening outwardly through the walls of the latter so as to permit of the
introduction into each retort" chamber of a perforated vessel containing a
charge of carbide, said vessel making when so introduced, a gas tight joint with
the mouth of the retort." From an aperture in the side of the well in which
the gas bell floats a small pipe provided with a stop-cock leads to a perforated
pipe or sprinkler fixed within the upper part of each retort chamber, the
handle of the stop-cock being formed by a lever one arm of which is weighted
so as to normally hold the cock closed and thus prevent access of water from
the well to the charge of carbide in the retort." The other arm of the lever
is engaged (when the gas bell sinks below a certain level) by a tappet fixed to
the bell, the descent of the bell thus causing the stop-cock to be opened and
water to be admitted through the sprinkler to the carbide in the "retort"
wherein consequently acetylene gas is generated. The gas thus produced is
conveyed from each retort" into a pipe leading upwards through the water
in the well to the space within the bell where it is stored, the production of
gas being automatically controlled by the bell, as it rises and falls, actuating
the handle of the stop cock.
"
The stop cocks controlling the supply of water to the "retorts are not all simul-
taneously opened by the bell in its descent, the tappets which actuate the cocks
being arranged at different levels so as to effect the opening of the cocks in
succession. Water being thus admitted to (say) only one retort" at a time
the excessive production of acetylene at any given moment is prevented, and
opportunity is afforded for re-charging those retorts " wherein the carbide
has been first exhausted, whilst the other "
retorts" are in use. Means would
be provided for cutting off the supply of water to each retort during the
operation of re-charging.
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"
The pipe by which the acetylene passes from each "retort to the space within
the bell may be provided with a stop cock accessible from outside the apparatus
and the upper end of the pipe has a spring-loaded valve which permits the dis-

page_text: the automatic control of the floating bell, the arrangement being such that
either of the carbide holders can be readily removed on the exhaustion of its
contents, and replaced by a freshly filled holder, without interfering with the
working of the apparatus as a whole. The retorts being surrounded with water
in the bottom of the well are kept constantly cool, and each carbide holder is
sub-divided in such manner as to ensure that water shall be admitted to only one
compartment at a time, the generation of gas being rendered dependent on the
consumption, and excessive productions prevented.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings forming part of this specification, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of
an improved generator having two retorts, Figures 2 and 3 being sectional
elevations of the same on planes perpendicular to one another respectively.
a is an ordinary gas-bell immersed in water in a well 6 wherein it is suitable
guided so as to rise or fall in the water according as the gas accumulates or is
withdrawn from within the bell. In the lower part of the well b are fixed one
or more horizontal retorts cc (two are shewn in the drawings) preferably
cylindrical in form and extending across the well side by side with their mouths
opening outside the wall of the well. Each retort is provided with a door d
adapted to be closed gastight by usual means such as a screw e rotated by a
handle and working through a nut in a removable yoke bar g so as to bear
against the outside of the door and force the latter against its seat.
Each retort contains a removable carbide holder h fitting loosely in the retort
and adapted to be inserted therein, or withdrawn, through the doorway at front.
The holder is divided into a series of compartments h³, h2, h3, h4, by means of
transverse partitions, 2, 3, which are made of gradually increasing heights
from front to back of the holder, so that the water supply which as hereafter
described is admitted to the foremost compartment will be confined to that
compartment until the latter is filled, whereupon any further supply of water
will overflow from compartment h¹ into the next compartment 2 until that is
filled, and so on.
The gas generated within each retort is conveyed by a separate pipe j or j
rising from the upper part of the retort through the water in the well and
opening into the bell a above the highest level reached by the water, the gas
being prevented from returning by a check valve k or k resting on and normally
closing the upper end of the pipe and prevented from rising farther than is
necessary to give passage to the gas ascending from the retort by suitable means
such as a stout wire 7 attached to the pipe and bent over the valve as indicated.
Water is supplied to the retorts c and d by means of external pipes m and m¹
connected to an aperture or apertures 1 in the side of the well 6 below the lowest
level reached by the water, and opening into the respective retorts immediately
over the outer compartment of the carbide holder. Upon the pipe m is a
stop cock n and on the pipe m' a similar cock n placed at a lower level, these
cocks being respectively controlled by levers whereof one arm o or o¹ carries a
weight w or w¹ which normally holds the cock shut whilst the other arm p or pl
is presented in the path of a tappet q carried by the gas bell a.
The levers ppl are downwardly curved as shewn so as to permit the tappet q
in its descent to pass downwards clear of the ends of the levers after the latter
have been depressed so as to open the cocks, and the tappet itself consists of a
knuckle-jointed lever as shewn in Figure 2 so as to yield and permit of the bell
rising again after each descent. The tappet 7 is preferably mounted upon a
vertical tuber attached at top to a bracket r¹ projecting from the upper part of
the bell a, and working as a sleeve over a vertical rod s attached at bottom to
the base of the apparatus so as to constitute a guide for the gas bell, the tappet
being maintained in position to operate upon the lever arms ppl in its descent,
by means of a spring q. a¹ is a stop cock on the summit of the bell a for
enabling the air to be exhausted from within the bell before the generation of
gas is begun.

page_text: gas-holder; a retort placed in the lower part of the well of the holder so as to
be surrounded by the water contained therein, and having a charging door open-
ing externally and normally closed gas-tight; a gas delivery pipe leading from
the retort to the space within the bell and fitted with a non-return valve; a
carbide holder adapted to be inserted within said retort; and means, controlled
by the rise and fall of the bell, for supplying water to the carbide contained in
said holder, substantially as specified.
2. In apparatus for the continuous production of acetylene gas, the com-
more horizontal retorts
bination with a floating bell gas-holder, of two or
contained within the lower part of the well of said holder and each provided
with a charging door opening externally of said well and normally closed gas-
tight; gas delivery pipes leading from the several retorts to the space within
the bell and fitted each with a non-return valve; carbide holders adapted to be
inserted within the retorts and each divided by partitions of graduated height
into a series of compartments adapted to be successively supplied with water; a
water supply pipe for each retort adapted to deliver water into the first of the
series of compartments of the carbide holder contained in the retort; cocks con-
trolling said pipes and provided with counterweighted lever handles; a tappet
or tappets mounted on the gas-bell and adapted to actuate in succession the lever
handles of the several cocks as the bell sinks in the well; and means whereby
said tappet or tappets is or are permitted to freely pass said lever handles during
the ascent of the bell, substantially as specified.
J
1
2011. dow of December 1899
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.