US1011436A - Acetylene generator and torch. - Google Patents

Description

ALEXANDER F.YJ. JOHNSON (NOW BY lJUDICIAL CHANGE OF 'NAME ALEXANDER F. JENKINS). ACETYEENE GENERATOR AND'TORCH. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2o. 1907.

1,011,436, Patented Dec.-12,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ALEXANDER P. J. JOHNSON (NOW BYl JUDICIAL CHANGE 0F NAME ALEXANDER F. JENKNS). AGBTYLENB GENERATOR AND TORCH.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

.APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

s2/Vim enea UNITED sIATEs PATENT oEEIoE. l

ALEXANDER F. J. JOHNSON; `(Now EY JUDICIAL CHANGE Aor NAME ALEXAia-EEE.r.

JENKINS,) 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNR TO ALEXANDER MILBUBLN COM-l PANY, 0F BALTIMORE/MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

AACE'rYLruiiE GENEEATOE AND Tonen.

eaten-tea Dee. 1 2, 1911.

Applicationled November 294y 1907. Serial No. 404,307.

generators and torches of the portable type intended for use by contractors, engineering concerns and the like to carry on construction or other work by night and in darkplaces. 'l

The invention has for one of its objects to'improve and simplify the construction and operation of apparatus of this character so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, designed to stand yrough usage in the hands of unskilled per'- sons, and readily manipulated.

A further object of the invention-is to provide a generator in which the generating element has combinedtherewith a washer through which the gas is. conducted for purifying .before it passes to the point of consumption, the said element and washer constituting a unitary vstructure on unit,

which can be sold to the trade withpr with-- A out an outer water containing casing or tank.` as no special kind of tankl will be required, and in fact an ordinary barrel may be employed to receive the unit and the water in which the latter is submerged.

Another object of the invention is to arf range the washer on the-generator and 'to provide a simple means for conducting the gas from the generator to and through the washer, and to the torch or burner, which may be mounted directly on thegenerator by means of a standard, or connected theref with by a hose orV the :like for supplying one or lmore burners located at a distance from the generator.

hereinafter and set forth with particularity .Viththese, and other objects in view, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described in .the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a Central veitical section of.l

the complete' apparatus, with portions nin` elevation; Figs. 2, 3 and 4C views of various modifications of the invention. 'Fig 'is a detail view of the spring lock for holding the' inner and outer cylinders ofthe gen'- erator together. Fig. 6 is a' detail sectional view on line .6nd, Fig. 1.

to designate corresponding parts in the several views.

the tank or casing for the generator, and it may be of any preferred construction, and a barrel or other available receptacle may be employed. The tank is adapted to holdV `water and submerged therein is the generator B, which is readily removable for recharging with carbid or for other purposes.

Referring to the drawings, Adesignates Similar referencecharactcrs are employed',

` The generator comprises an outer cylinder i l which is open at its bottom and closedat its top, ,and 'housed therein is an inner -`cylinder 2 which is open 'at its top and closed at its bot-toni. The inner cylinder is inserted and removed through the open bottom Aof the outer cylinder, and the two arevlocked together so that they can be removed from or` placed in the tank A at one time. The locks ing device employed for this purpose con# sists of a stiff leaf spring 3 secured to the outside of the cylindrical wall of thepart 2,.

and the lower end of the spring isadapted to enter anotch 4 in the top edge of an internal band 5k secured to the outer cylinder at the bottom thereof. In assembling the outer over the inner cylinder, the spring will 'be pressed inwardly by the band 5 coming' int-o contact therewith 'and as the band passes beyond the lower end of the spring, the latter will fly voutwardly and engaged over the top of the band. If the spring does not Venter the notch 4 at once, the outercylind'er is turned back or forth until the spring snaps in to the notch, and wheny this occurs the spring will'beopposite an open-y ing 6 in the outer cylinder', which opening permits of the insertion of a linger for releasing the spring when it is desired to Adisconnect the cylinders. i'

' eThe inner cylinder 21isy of somewhat less ldiameter than the outerv so that water can enter betweenthe two cylinders and water-v feedsfinto the inner one through the inlet openings 7 which are provided in the'wall of the cylinder 2 at diierent heights, so that Awhen the demand forwater is light it willi pass through only the lowermost opening,

and as the demand increases the water will pass also through one or more of the other openings. The water is` directed downwardly to the bottom of the inner cylinder bya shield 8 suitably secured to the latter,

and water then flows to the carbid. A gas pressure will now be produced which has the` effect of. holding back the flow of water to the 'carbid' and should the valve be closed the back pressure of the gas will entirely stop the water feed. But as long as gas is consumed by the burner water will feed lin just suiiicentI quantity to generate the desil-ed gas. The holders C are in the form of trays fittedin and resting one on anotherl the cylinder 2, and if desired. the trays maybe divided into carbid holding compartments by partitions 9, the water entering the compartments to act on the carbid through openings 10 arranged at different levels, so that water will enter the compartments of the several trays successively and when the carbid is consumed the water lwill have reached the level shown. The generated gas passes upwardly and flows out from the generator by way, of an outlet pipe "l1 which has its lower end secured to the top of the outer cylinder and communieating with the latter through an opening in the said top.

The gas, before being conducted away to the point of consumption, is passed through a washer to be puriiied. For this purpose a washer D is arranged on the generator and forms therewith a unitary structure. As shown in Fig. 1, it consistsof a frusto-conical receptacle 12 resting on and secured tothe top of the generator, and the bottom of the receptacle is formed by the top of the cylinder 1. In the washer and surrounding the outlet pipe 11 is another pipe 13 which is closed at its upper end so as to receive the gas from the inner pipe and conduct it downwardly to the apertures 14, which latter admit the gas to the washer. The gas passes through the water 15 to be cleansed and then rises to the top of the washer from which it is conducted away to be consumed. Surrounding the nupper end 0f the pipe 13 is a tube that communicates with and rests on the washer and carried by the u per end of this tube is a burner standard having a swinging ction 16 which is equipped with a burne 17 of any approved form, the supply of gas to the burner 4"being controlled Vby the valve 18. It will thus be seen that the generator, washer and burner constitute a self-contained structure which is entirely separate from the tank and no piping or connectings between the .generator and washer and the tank are required. The washer is filled by means of an opening 19 which is normally closed by a plug 20. The washer is emptied thrqugh this opening and also the level of the4 water determined. p

When the generator is furnished with a tank, a locking device is employed for holding the generator in place so that it will not be inadvertently removed by a person attempting to transportthe apparatus from place to place by taking hold of the burner standard. This device comprises in the present instance a` leaf-spring 25 which has its upper end secured to the tank and its lower end disposed to engage over the top of the generator.

In order to determine the amount of unconsumed carbid in the generator at any time, a level indicator'F is mounted in the tank. When the generator is fully charged and before any of the carbid is acted on by the water the level of the latter will be even with the upper division of the indicator or scale. As the carbid is consumed the water level changes and by suitable divisions on the scale the fraction of unconsumed carbid i can be quickly ascertained.

One of thevimportant advantages result- ,ing from locating the washer on the .generator, resides in the fact that the weight of the water in the washer tends to hold the generator submerged, as for instance, when the generator is used in an ordinary barrel or the'like without the lock 25. It may be V `has its outlet end submerged in the water in the washer. In this instance the washed gas is conducted away from the washer by a hose 22which may supply one or more burnerslocated remotely to the generator. In Fig. 3, the washer D is shown set partially into the generator-and the inverted U- shaped pipe 23 extends through the side of the washer, while in the form shown in Fig. 4, the pipe 24 leads into the top of the washer and conducts gas to the latter from the generator. y

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing the advantages of the construction and- -getherrwith theapparatus` which I now consid,er-to be the bestl embodiment thereof,... I desire ,tobaye itnnderstood that the appara- .:,tus@shownisfmerely illustrative, and that the invention canfbe carried out in other Ways, Within-the Scope of theclaims. lVhatIclaiIn as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. portable Aacetylene generator consisting of separable inner and outer drums, the outer drum being open at its bottom and assembled over the top vofthe inner drum, the inner drum being open at its top, means for holding carbid in the inner drum, a gasoutlet pipe vhaving its lower end anchored on the top of the outer-drum and vopen at both ends to permit gas to discharge therethrough from the outer drum, a pipe of larger diameterl surrounding` the first-mentioned pipe and closed-in its top, a washer disposed on the top `of the outer drum and surrounding the lower end ofthe said pipe, a gas discharging means rising from the top of the washer and forming a'handle rigidly connected with the generator,'a burner connected with the said discharging means, in

combination with a water-containing tank of such vdepth that the generator is sub- ,mergedI therein with the said discharge means extending out of the tank to be gripped in inserting ory removing the gen erator. j

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a generator comprising an inner drum open at its top and closed at its bottom, an outer drum closed at its top and openat its bottom for assembling over the top'of the inner drum and being of larger diameter than the latter to form an annular water space in which water can rise to enter the inner drum, and means for holding carbid in the inner drum, a locking device for holding the drums in assembled relation during insertion and removal of the generator, and means carried entirely bythe generator for conducting gas away'from the latter; with ,a water-containi'nga tank Vin which the generator is submerged and removably held in place, the generator being so disposed that the bottom of the annular water space thereof is in free communication with the space surrounding the generator to permit water to freely enter the generator 'from the tank.

In an apparatus of theclass described, the combination of a tank open at the top,

with a generator separate from and remov-y ably submerged in the tank and free at all times to turn about its axis in the tank, an

outlet pipe xed on and movable with the generator and forming a handle for the genator when the latter-'is turned tor'*directing` enerator bein@ ermanentl 1 connected to erator in placing and removing? the llatter 'into-and from the tank, and a'burnen'carrying armv on thepipe 4arranged to swinjgon a horizontal axis rand kto move wlth'the' generthelame in any direction.

4. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination yof a tank, with a 'generator removably mounted therein, said generator comprising an inner drum, a spring secured to the outside thereof with its lower end free and standing away from the drum, an outerdrum surrounding the inner drum, an

yinternal `reinforcing .band secured tol and extending entirely around the outer drum so and arranged to be engaged bythe lower end of the spring to lockthe inner and outer fdrums together, and means vfor holding carbid in the inner drum..y l i 5. In an apparatus of the lclass described, the combination of a generator, a washer mounted on the top thereof and provided with a filling and emptying opening, said opening serving to determine the level of the water in the washer, a stopper for the opening, and a' burner carrying conduit connected with the washer, with a tankcontaining the said generator and out of which the said conduit rises to form a handlewhereby the generator can be inserted or removed, and a locking device for normally locking the geneator in the tank.

G. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a generator composed of an outer closed top drum and an opentop carbid-holding inner drum, a washer onthe top of and fixed to the outer drum, means for conducting gas from the top of the generator to the bottom of the washer, said washer and form a unitary structure, an outletconduit connected with the top of the washer and formingy a burner support, with a tank in which the generator is submerged and out of which the outlet conduit rises, said generator being' capableot' turning in the tank for throwing the ila-me in a horizontal plane.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a tank, a generator sub `merged therein, anda water'level indicator 115 attached to and arranged wholly within the tank to be submerged in the water therein for determining the amount of carbid in the generator at any time.

8. A portable generator and torch com- 12,0 prising a water-containing tank having an opening at the top; and a gas generating, washing and burning unit entirely separate from the tank and insertible into and removable rom the latter through the open top, said unit consisting of the following; thev first drum having anopen bottom resting on the bottom of the tank and'of suchheight as to be submerged in the latter, a closed bottom and open top carbid-holding drum" remov- 1,30

ably mounted in the outer drum, a Washer abot'e the first drum and having its bottom formed by the top thereof, means for conducting gas from the top of the first drum to the Washer, a discharge means leading from the Washer and forming a handle rising out of the tank for thesaid unit, and a burner connected with the discharge means.

9. A portable generator and torch including a Water-containing tank'open at the top, a generator normally Within and entirely separate frogm the tank and removable from the top thereof, an upwardly extending gas-conducting pipe on the top of the .generator serving as a handle to be grasped 15 ythe generator and to snap over and engage 20 the latter for preventing lifting thereof.

In testimony whereof I alx my signature l in presence of two Witnesses.

ALEXANDER F. J. JOHNSON.

lVitnesses:

CHATTIN BRoDWAY, A. BmrLAWsm.

Images