US2244419A - Acetylene generator - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 1941. J DIKEN 2,244,419

ACETYLENE GENERATOR Filed Oct. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l James CDichens INVENTOR. BY A @mu ATTORNEYfi June 3, 1941. Q mcKENs 2,244,419

ACETYLENE GENERATOR Filed Oct. 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dameaC. Die/(ens INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 3, 1941 AC'ETYLENE GENERATOR James C. Dickens, Kilgore, Tex., assignor of onehalf to W. H. Taylor, Kilgore, Tex.

Application October 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,717

Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for generating acetylene installations which are intended for either home or public use.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this general character having im-. proved means for closing the carbide chamber entirely from the liquid chamber.

It is another object of the invention to provide an efficient means for preventing damage from back-firing during the operation of the device.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for eliminating the accumulations of material in the lower portion of the liquid container.

Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient means for preventing a dangerous accumulation of gas in the carbide container.

Referring to the drawings herewith,

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a tank or receptacle and illustrating my improved construction therein.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of one portion of the container.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical section showing the means for preventing accumulation of material in the lower portion of the tank.

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Devices of the general character of that which constitutes the subject of this invention are common. Many of them have automatic means for controlling the feed of carbide into the water tank. The present invention consists in improvements upon the general structure of the control devices employed in devices of this kind.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a tank or container l which forms a general housing for the complete device. The lower end of the container has an irregular concaved bottom wall 2 closing the lower end of the container except for an outlet pipe 3 having therein a hand-operated valve 4. Toward the upper end of the container above the water level the walls of the container are tapered upwardly and the upper end is closed by a cap or cover member 4. Said cover member is provided with a flange connection at 5 with the main body of the tank. The upper end of said cover has an opening therein closed by the threaded plug 6.

which is clamped between the flanges of the housing and the cover members, as shown at 5, and it will be understood that a fluid tight seal is formed at this point. Toward the lower end of the hopper I provide a cylindrical outlet passage 9 for the carbide.

The outlet passage is adapted to be closed by means of a compound valve including an upper tapered valve member l0 and a lower compressible valve member II, the two members being connected by a stem l2. The upper tapered valve member is of such diameter as to move into the passage 9 and close off the exit of carbide therefrom. The compressible valve member I l is approximately spherical in shape and is preferably made of a comparatively soft rubber. However, it will be understood that any desired compressible material may be employed.

The valve member II is of larger diameter than the passage 9 and may be moved to a sealing position with the lower rim of said passage.

The valve is operated both automatically and manually. The automatic operation is accomplished through means of a bellows member [3. This bellows comprises a plate presented inwardly to the tank and hinged at M to swing on said hinge as an axis. I provide a bellows l5 between the plate I3 and the wall of the housing to form an inner chamber it, which has air at atmospheric pressure therein. The side wall I 3 is held'inwardly to extended position of the bellows member by means of a spring I! fitting over a pin upon the plate l3 and against the head l8 of an adjusting screw l9. Said adjusting screw works through a threaded head 20 upon a laterally extending boss 2! in the plate 22 which closes an opening in the side wall of the housing. It will be understood that the spring I! may be adjusted to hold the plate l3 0f the bellows member inwardly to a predetermined position.

Toward the lower end of the plate [3 is a laterally extending ear 23 which has an opening therein to receive the rod 24. Said rod is extended laterally and inwardly to connect at 25 with a bell crank lever 28. Said bell crank lever is pivoted within an eyelet 21 upon a bracket 28 fixed upon the side wall of the hopper. Said lever is extended across to the opposite side of the hopper and forwardly to connect at 29 with a link 30. Said link is extended downwardly and connected at 3| with a plate 32 which is hinged at 33 adjacent the side wall of the hous- The pivot member 33 is connectedto a shaped support member 34, said support. is in the form of a rod which is extended around the wall of the passage 9 from the hopper and secured thereto by welding. or otherwise. It furnishes the support for the pivot 33 and also for a U-shape yoke 35, which depends downwardly below the plate 32 and furnishes a support for a. hand-operated crank rod 36. Said crank rod is extended laterally through the wall of the housing, as shown particularly in Fig. 3, and has on its end a crank arm 31. Between the two arms of the U-shaped support 35 the rod is provided with a crank arm 38, which, when the rod is rotated in a bearing 39 in the wall of the container, may be moved upwardly to engage the lower side of the plate 32, and move the same upwardly. When the crank arm is in its lower positionaway from the plate 32 it engages with a hook member 49 on the lower side of the plate 32.

It will be seen from the construction thus described that when gas pressure within the upper end of the container l becomes high enough to compress the bellows member and move the plate l3 outwardly this will exert a pull through the rod 24 on the bell crank lever 26 and raise the arm 29 and through the connecting link 39 move the plate 32 with the valve thereon upwardly. In the normal operation in this manner the tapered valve member I will move upwardly into the cylindrical passage 9 and close off the feeding of any further carbide into the container. This will be suificient to prevent the formation of any further amount of gas within the container. However, when it is desired to close off the device when no further gas is desired the operator will move the crank arm 31 to throw the plate 32 further upwardly into position so that the compressible ball valve member It is clamped tightly against the lower rim of the cylindrical passage 9. This absolutely seals the lower end of the passage and prevents any possibility of gas being generated when the device is out of commission.

Gas formed within the upper portion of the container will find an outlet for consumption through a pipe 4! which terminates at a level toward the upper end of the container above the water level. This pipe extends downwardly and through the lower wall of the container to conmeet at its lower end with a manifold 52. The outlet end of this manifold is through an upwardly extending pipe 53 which passes upwardly to a point above the water level and then is curved and extended downwardly into a chamber 44. Said chamber is separate from the interior of the main container but is formed against the inner wall of the main chamber. The lower portion of the chamber 44 has liquid therein indicated at 45 which stands in the chamber to a predetermined level. The pipe 43 extends to a point near the bottom of the chamber M and allows the passage of gas from the lower end thereof and upwardly to an outlet 46 leading to a place of consumption of gas. A hand-operated valve 41 is shown in this line.

Further down in the chamber M is a lateral outlet pipe so which may be closed by a cap member 39. This outlet pipe will be left open when the device is in operation and forms a safety outlet for the water 45 in the chamber in case of backfiring. It will be obvious that when there is a backward surge in the line 16 due to back firin the pressure on the upper face of the liquid 5 will be relieved by a discharge of said liquid through the outlet 48. It will be noted that the upper end of the pipe 43 is above the normal liquid level. This safety provision is a material improvement.

I also provide a vent for any gas which may be formed and accumulated in the upper chamber 50 above the carbide. This outlet is through a pipe 5| having therein a check valve 52, said pipe being extended inwardly through the upper wall of the housing and downwardly through the lower wall of the housing to connect at 53 with the manifold 42. Gas from the upper chamber 50 may thus pass out of the container through the gas feeding pipe 43.

In the norm-a1 operation of the device the carbide which is fed from the hopper 1 will pass into the liquid,and gas will be generated. However, the solid particles of the carbide will sink down to the bottom of the container and engage upon the lower wall 2 of the container. As seen in Fig. -5 this lower wall has two of its sides indicated at 54 and 54' sloping downwardly to join with the lower plate 55, which forms part of the semi-circular bottom of the container, The solid portion of the carbide will hence accumulate along the curved portion 55 and can be drawn off through the pipe 3. It is found, however, that when attempt is made to draw off the solid particles upon the bottom that they will not circulate out through the drain pipe 3. I therefore provide an agitator so formed that the arms thereof may be worked through the packed solid material on the bottom. This agitator comprises a cross shaft 56 mounted in the side walls of the container and having radially extending arms 57 thereon midway between the ends of the shaft. An outer crank arm 58 is formed upon the shaft so that said shaft may be rotated when its operation is desired.

As will be seen from Fig. 4, a plurality of arms 5'! may be formed on the shaft 55 and upon each of these arms is an agitating member 59. Said agitating member is made up of a plate of flat sheet metal which is formed into V-shape with the angle of the V formed into a cylindrical hearing member 69 fitting upon the arm 51 between an inner stop flange 6| and an outer flange or head 62. One end of the V-shaped plate 59 is beveled oif, as shown at 64, to avoid contact with the bottom of the receptacle. This attachment between the agitating plate 64 and the arm 51 upon which it is mounted allows a free swinging of the plate upon the arm. As the plate is approximately V-shape in end view it will be seen that when it is advanced by the rotation of the shaft 56 into the material packed upon the bottom the angle of the V- haped plate will precede the body thereof so that I have a wedge thus formed which when moved through the packed material will force it laterally away from the arm and cause it to be mixed with the liquid in such manner that it will be carried off through the outlet. The shaft 56 may be rotated back and forth, if desired, and it will be obvious that when the arms 51 are moved to the left of their position in Fig. 4 the plates 59 will turn on the arms 51 so that the small angle of the plate will be upon the advancing side of the arm. I am thus enabled to penetrate the packed material upon the bottom and stir it up in a most effective manner so that the container may be cleared of the packed carbide upon the bottom.

The operation of the device has already been described. The customary operation of the valve to close ed the generation of further gas in the container will be accomplished automatically as described by the movement of the tapered valve member l0 into the passage 9. However, the lower end of the passage may be hermetically sealed by the operator through the rotation of the shaft or rod 36 which engages the plate 32 and moves the large valve member ll into tight sealing engagement with the lower end of the passage 9. Thus the operator can close off the valve at any time in case the device is not to be used and he will be assured that there is no possibility of the generation of further gas by leakage of carbide into the liquid in the tank.

The provision also of a means to prevent damage to the receptacle or explosion of gas therein through back firing is effectively accomplished without any shock to the device because of the pressure vent through the outlet 48 as described. As shown in Fig. 2, I have provided safety valve 65 in the dome of the receptacle, the said valve closing an opening 66 in the receptacle and held in closed position by a spring 61 with a predetermined force. When, however, the pressure within the container exceeds this force the valve will be unseated and gas may escape. I have also shown a hand-operated lever 68 by means of which this valve may be moved. This is no part of the present invention.

The device thus provided is simple in construction and is adapted to be positively operated and controlled so as to be safe in use.

What is claimed is:

1. In an acetylene generator, a closed container, the lower end of which forms a water receptacle, a carbide hopper in the upper end of said container, having a cylindrical lower outlet therein, a compound valve device adapted to close the lower end of said outlet including an upwardly tapered valve member to move into said passage, and a compressible, approximately spherical member of larger diameter than that of said passage below said valve member, fluid pressure operated means to move said tapered valve member into position in said passage to close off the passage of carbide therethrough and manually operated means to thereafter move said spherical member to close said passage below said tapered member.

2. In an acetylene generator, a closed container, the lower end of which forms a water receptacle, a carbide hopper in the upper end of said container, having a cylindrical lower outlet therein, a compound valve device adapted to close the lower end of said outlet including an upwardly tapered valve member to move into said passage, a valve stem thereon, a valve of larger diameter on said stem below said tapered valve member, a hinged plate upon which said larger valve and said stem are mounted, means operating in response to a predetermined gas pressure in said container to move said plate sufficiently to force said tapered valve into said passage, and hand operated means to move said plate further and force said larger valve into sealing engagement with the lower end of said passage, said hand operated means holding said valve in closed position.

3. In an acetylene generator, a container to hold liquid and gas, means at the upper end of said container to feed carbide into said liquid, a gas outlet pipe having an inlet opening in said container above the liquid level, a separate discharge chamber having liquid partly filling the same, an outlet end on said gas outlet pipe below said liquid level in said chamber, said chamber having a discharge opening adjacent its upper end, and an opening relief pipe from said chamber connecting with said chamber below the liquid level therein, and having its discharge end above said liquid level.

4. In an acetylene generator, a tank adapted to be partly filled with water, a carbide hopper adjacent the upper end of said tank, means to control the feed of carbide from said hopper into said water, a drain conduit at the lower end of said tank, an agitator adjacent said lower end including a rotatable shaft, an arm thereon in said tank, a sleeve rotatable on said arm, and two rearwardly inclined plates on said sleeve adapted to be moved by the rotation of said shaft to agitate material tending to clog said conduit.

5. In an acetylene generator, a tank, adapted to be partly filled with water, a carbide hopper including a funnel shaped wall having a sealing support at its outer margin on said tank, a carbide outlet at the lower end of said hopper, means to control the feed of carbide from said hopper into said Water, a manifold below said tank, a gas conducting pipe from within said tank below said hopper to said manifold, a vent pipe from the upper end of said hopper to said manifold, a discharge pipe from said manifold, a gas outlet chamber having liquid therein to a desired level, the lower end of said discharge pipe terminating below the liquid in said chamber, a gas discharge line leading from said chamber, and a normally open vent pipe from said chamber.

JAMES C. DICKENS.

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