US603397A - Acetylene-gas generator - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.) I 1 Q T. A. BRYAN 8v J. H. COUPER.

AGBTYLENB GAS GENERATOR.

P Ltented May 3, 1898.

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T. A. BRYAN & J. H. OOUPER. AGETYLBNE GAS' GBNERATUR.

No. 603,397. Patented May s, 1898.

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T. BRYAN 8v J. H.COUPER. AETYLENB GAS GENERATOR.

No. 603,397. Patented May 3, 1898.

(No Model.)

wiTNEssEs INVENTORQ/ v I Y WVATTOMIIaYSI/ 4 sheets-sheet (No Model.) v Y 'T. A. BRYAN 8v J COUPE-:Rg .v .'AGBTYLENE GAS GENERATOR. f y v `N0. 603,397.l A Patented May 3,1898.V l

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l UNITED STATES PATENT' Ormea.

THOMAS A. BRYAN AND-JAMES n. CO,UPER F BALTiMoRE, MARYLAND.

AcETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR'.

srnoirren'rron forming part of Letters Paeeneivo. 603,397, dated may 3,1898.

' i. Application led January 6, 1898. `Serial No. 665,730. (No modela) To ZZ whom it may corto-.eral- Beit known that we, T HoMAs A.BRYAN and -J AMES H. COUPER, citizens ofthe United States of America, and residents of Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to a machine for generating acetylene gas by the union of calcium carbid withwater, and has for its object the A making of a compact, inexpensive, and effil cient apparatus which can be practically used by personswithout much mechanical skill for the generation of acetylene gas for .use in houses. l 1 i L In the drawings similar numbers represent the same parts in* the various iigures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, .partly in vertical section, of the gen erating apparatus and the gasometer. Fig, 2 is a plan of the machine. Fig. 3 is-an enlarged planof .the generator. Fig. 4 is 'a vertical elevation of the generator, a portion of the bell thereof be-4 ing cut away to show the interior apparatus 4in full elevation and partly in section. Fig. 5 is a plan of the ratchet, showing the indicater. Fig. 6 is a plan ofthe carbid-receptacle. Fig. 7 is a vertical section ofthe same. Fig. 8 is a plan of thegrating-support for the carbid-receptacle. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the same on` the line m' of Fig. 8.

tween these two cylinders or cans is water- Referring tothe drawings, 1 is the permanent casing or can of the generator. 2 is an interiorcylinder secured to the same bottom as the can or casing 1, and the interspace betight to receive oil` or Water to water-seal the generator.l

3 isa water-can provided with a bail 4 and f adapted to stand inside of the cylinder 2 and to be filled with water for the purpose of gen erating gas. It is important in an apparatus f' of this .character that the carbid should be v the gas capable ofbeing given oi. by itshould plunged suddenly intoy the water, and all of be given off immediately. Experiment has demonstrated that this action produces the most satisfactory result.

o; x 5 is the bell ofthe generator, closed at' the ij top and open at the bottom. 1t is suspended "'abo'vc.. thecans 1, 2, and, inclosirig cans `3 and 2 and sliding inside of the can 1 and into the water or oil contained between the cans 1 and 2. In the upper end of this cylinder is arranged the apparatus for delivering carbid to the water for the purpose-of generatdetailhereinafter, and consists generally of a revolving pan or carrier divided into eight sections, seven of which are charged with carbid, and at proper intervals this carbid is dropped from the said receptacle into the can 3 and into the water for the generation of gas.

6 is afunnel arranged upon the interior of the bell or cylinder 5,' secured to its interior immediately over the can 3, so as to direct and deliver both water and carbid into the can.

7 isa funnel for the reception of water to charge the can 4. The interior end of the pipe connected to the funnel 7 projects into the funnel 6. This pipe in practice will be provided'with a stop-cock to close it, and if the machine is placed in a permanent position it will probably be desirable to connect the pipe supplying water to the funnel 6 with a permanent Water-supply.

Sisabail secured-to the exterior' of the bell lor cylinder and adapted to be connected with a suitable hoisting device, such as 9, for the'purpose of raising the bell 5 out of the may be done by simply7 raising the cylinder 5,

means of the block and fall 9, and swinging it o of the can 1. vided for the purpose of receiving the bell 5 when it is lifted out of the can 1, and has a iiange around its edge and is so connected may drain -the can 1. When the bell 5 is removed from th'e can 1, the can 3 may then be removed by the same block and fall by means of the bail 4, emptied, and replaced.

10 is the gast-pipe, the open end of which projects into the gas-space within the bell 5 and-above the level of the Water or oil in the cani, and thence proceeds into the gas-space of the gasometegb 11 is arvalve in said pipe `between the generator and gasometer.

The platform l is pro-- ing gas. This apparatus will be described in surface, and the contracted mouth standing 8" which vis suspended from a suitable crane by .D

with thecan 1 that whatever water or oil olf of the bell 5 will vrun back into roo 12 is .the upturned end of the same ppe,delivering gas into the gasometer. The gasometer consists of three parts similar to the generator.

13 is an exterior cylinder, 14 an interior cylinder, both stationary, the interspace between them being filled with oil or water.

15 is a bell or cylinder closed at the top and open at the bottom, which enters the interspace between cylinders 13 and 14 and is sealed by the water or oil contained therein.

16 is the gas-escape pipe, which has anexit from the gasometer at the bottom, but which rises nearly to the top and is open at the other end. 17 is a valve in said pipe upon the exterior of the gasometer to control the outfiowing gas.

18 and 19 are two support-rods connected to the pipes 10 and 16 on each side of the gasometer and stayed to the upper end of the can 13 and connected together at the top by means of a yoke 20. The guide 19 is onlya guide, while the guide 18 serves the additional function of a safety-valve pipe. It is connected at its lower end to the pipe 16, and at the upper end it is provided with agsafetyvalve 18a. 18b is a valve stem and handle for said safety-valve, which projects over the bell of the gasometer and into its path and will be struck by the gasometer when it rises to the upper extremity of its path` of motion. Thus if an unusual generation of gas should take place sufficient to rupture the apparatus or to force the fiuid out of the gasometer the bell 15 will rise and strike the valve-handle 18h, open the valve, and permit the gas to escape.

21 21 are guide-rollers secured in brackets upon the top of the bell of the gasometer and traveling upon the guide-rods 18 and 19.

22 is a pipe secured into the top of the bell 15 and dropping therefrom down into the bell v and closed at the bottom. This pipe is shown in the drawings partly full andrpartly in section and serves as a pocket and guide for the weight 24.

23 is a cord which passes throughthe eyelet 31 in the center of the top of the bell 15 and to the extremity of which is secured the weight 24, which slides up and down in the pipe 22 as the bell rises and falls.

25, 26, 27, and 28 are pulleys over which the rope 23 passes, and 29 is another weight, heavier than 24, secured to the other extremity of the rope 23.

30 is a stop secured `upon the rope 23 at a desired point and serving to hold the rope in a stationary position against the pull of .the weight 29, which is heavier than the weight 24.

The pulley 25 is mounted in a bracket upon the top and center of the yoke 20. The pulley 26 is mounted in a bracket upon the top of the guide-rod 19. The pulley 27is mounted upon a bracket secured to t-he side of the bell 5, and the pulley 28 is similarly mounted in a bracket upon thc opposite side of the bell 5.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, 32 is a vertical shaft which passes through the center of the top 31 of the bell 5 and through the stufng-box 44 therein for the purpose of maintaining a gas-tight joint at that point.

34 is a grating-partition which is secured to the interior walls of the bell 5 and is provided with suitable openings for the purposes which will be hereinafter described. In the center of this grating is a step 33, into which the foot of the shaft 32 fits and upon which it rests.

35 is a hand-wheel secured tothe upper end of the shaft. 36 is a lever or arm journaled .upon said shaftand provided on its extremity with an arc 37, the exterior surface of which has two grooves 38 and 39. The rope 23 is divided and one end of it lies in one of said grooves and is secured to one end of said are, while the other end lies in the other groove and is secured tothe other end of said are. This arrangement permits the lever 36 to be turned by the rope 23 while at the same time maintaining the rope always tangent to the are 37. On the opposite side of the shaft 32 from the lever 36 is a counterbalanceweight 40, and upon the side of this counterbalance-weight is secured a pawl 41, pivoted upon a boss 42.

43 is a ratchet-wheel secured to the shaft 32 immediately below the lever 36 and which is engaged by the pawl 41, so as to be turned by it. A plan view of this ratchet-wheel is shown in Fig; 5, and numbers are placed upon the surface'of the wheel, so as to indicate arbitrarily the position of the buckets or boxes within the bell 5 when the apparatus is closed.

43a is a pointer, mounted upon the top 31, which cooperates with the numbersabove r'- ferred to for the purpose specified.

45 is the pan or carbid-carrier. It is shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 7 and consists of'a circular shallow pan divided into eight compartments by radial partitions. The divisions of the carrier are marked 46 46 46, dce., and 47. Each of the compartments 46 46 is provided with a bottom, which is hinged to the radial partition at one side and provided on itsexterior with a roller 49 upon theopp'osite edge. The section 47 is permanently closed. The car- IOO IIO

rier 45 is secu red to the shaft 32 by means of Y a set-screw passing through a boss surrounding the shaft, and the carrier is revolved by means of the shaft. The grating 34 lies immediately below the carrier45 and is provided with a circular track 50 immediately below the rollers 49, which rests upon it. The track 50 has one removable section 51 in the Space 66, which is capable of being raised or lowered into or out of position bythe action of a lever mechanism. When raised, the track 50 is continuous. When lowered, a section of the track will be vacant. The section 51 is securedto a rock-shaft 52 by means of a collar and set-screw 53. The rock-shaft 52 is journaled in a hole 54, drilled in one of the anges of the grating 34, and in a stuffing-box 55,located in the side wall of the bell 5,through which it passes and by which a gas-tight joint is made. Upon the extremity ot' the rockshaft 52 is secured a lever 56, to the extremity of which is fasteneda pitman-rod 57,the otherl end ofwhich is secured. to a lever 5 8, fastened upon the rock-shaft 59. Said rock-shaft forms the pin ofthe hinge of the cover 60-of the carbid-inletorchargingfhole 62. The cover 60 is. rigid-ly secured to the shaft 59 by means ofv the lsetscrew 61 and is adapted when raised to rock the shaft 59, turn the levers 58 and 5 6 by the pitman 57, turn the rock-shaft 52, and raise the section of track 51 into position, so

' as to make the track 50 continuous.

62fis the charging-hole, through which the boxes or sections of the carrier 45 are.y charged I with carbid. It consists of a cylinder bolted to the top 31l of the bell 5 and having the cover 60 fitted thereto and provided with a gasket to make a gastight joint.

63 is a yoke pivoted to the sides of the cylinder 62 and provided with a screw and handvwheel 64, the screw threaded into the center of the yoke, by which -pressure may be-ap plied to the'top of the cover 60 to force it down uponthe gasket and make a gas-tight joint.

The operation of the device is as follows:

' The can 3 is irst'lled with water to the desired. level, the cover 60 removed from the charging-hole 62, the pan '45 turned around bymeans of the hand-wheel 35, the pawl 41 having been raised out of engagement with the ratchet 43 until the first box-,46, which on the dial-plate upon the ratchet registers 5,

- continuous.

stands under the charging-hole 62. The rais in g of the cover 60.has meanwhile restored the movable, section 51 and, made the track 50 A suitable quantity of carbid :y is then charged into the box 46, and the re-4 maining b oxes numbered 46 are each in sucr cession charged with a suitable quantity of carbid. When the lastv box47, which is a dummy-f-that is to say, a box which is in'operative and has a solid bottom-comes under the charging-hole, the cover 60 may be lowered and secured in place.

The lowering of the cover drops the movable section 51' of the track 50, and if the box 47 had a hinged bottom carbid would be thus du'mped into the water and gas generated before the cover 'The cover 60 may then be securely fastened\ into place. and thehand-wheel turned, rotating'the carbid-carrier and the ratchet-wheel from the position 'indicated by O "opposite the pointer to thepositionindicated by 51 opposite the pointer. 'In this position, the secv tion of track 51 being down and the space 66' l too much gas is generated, the be l1 15 will strike the safety-valve handlev and allow some.

being open, thebottom of the rstbox 46'will fall andrdump its contents of carbid into the v water. The pawl may thenbe placed in-"en-v gagement with the ratchet, gas willbei geni' erated, and the gasometer filled until the.v bell 15 rises-to the'top 4of'fit's path of motions- .If

of it to escape. As the gas is consumed thel Y bell`15 will descend, and when it reaches the -position shown in-Fig. l of, the drawings, near the'bottom ofjits path ofmotion, theeyelet 31a will strike upon the top of the weight 24 and draw the weightand the cord 23 down against'the pull of the counterbalance-weight it-that is to say, another box-to be brought Over the opening 66 in the grating 34, when the bottom of that section will fall, and a fresh charge of carbid will`be delivered to the water. upon the rope 23 in relationto the position of the bell 15 that. as the bell 15 descends a sufiicient motion will be given to the rope 23 to turn the carbid-receptacle one-eighth of a revolution, and thereby bring another box over the open space 66 in the grating- 34. This is all arranged bythe adjustment of the stop 30 and the weight 29. When the gas is generated and the bell 15 rises, the weight 29 will v'draw'the weight 24 up and cause the lever 36 to turn; but they pawl 41 will slip over the ratchet 43 and not move it until it assumes a new position ready to move the carbid-receptacle again. It will thus be seen that by this apparatus the carbidis subdivided into s even vdierent portions, each held distinctly independent and delivered'into the waterin suitable quantities by a sudden plunge as it is needed and automatically.

It will be readily observed by a mechanic skilled in the art'of making apparatus like that herein described that the generatingzdef vice might be mounted upon the top of the gasometer andthe water-'cantor the reception of the Icarbid placed withinthe gasometer. It would then only be amatter of mechanical adjustment to arrange the cord 23, so as to be. operated by the rise and fallof The weight v24 is'of coursev so located` IOO IIO

the bell 15, to produce a result identical with with a gasometer; the carbid-receptacle having means through which it may be charged or lled and being divided into compartments, all' except one, which is permanetly closed,

vhaving'hinged bottomswhich rest upon a Isupport provided with an open lsection so lo cated as to permit the hinged bottomsot the 'i compartments to fall anddurnp their contents into the tank as they pass over it, means forglosing this open section' inthe support so arrnged and connected with the means .forl

.charging/or filling the carbidfreceptacle that whenfthe meansfor charging'or filling the jcarbid-receptacle is open oractive lthe opening in the support below the carrier will be closed, and vice versa,substantially as shown.

2. In an ace tylene-gas generator the combination, of a water-tank and a carbid-receptacle, with a gasometer, the carbid-receptacle consisting of a carrier divided into compartments, each having a hinged bottom, except one which is solid, said bottoms being pro-` vided With rollers, a permanent 'support beloW the carrier provided with a track upon which the rollers of the bottoms rest, and by which they are supported, the support and track having a movable section which, when open will permit the bottom of one of the said compartments to fall as it passes over said section and dump its contents of carbid into the Water, the cl1a1gingl1oleinthe top of the gasometer fr, r charging carbid into the recep-v tacle provided with a cover, means for connecting the cover with the movable section of' track of the support adapted to maintain the movable section of track in place and support the' bottoms of all of the compartments when the cover of the charging-hole is open and to drop the section of track and leave the open section for dumping when the cover, of the charging-hole is closed, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas generator the combination, of a Water-tank and a carbid-receptacle, with a gasometer, the carbid-receptacle consisting of a carrier, divided into compart-A journaled upon the shaft and carrying a pawl which engages and operates the ratchet, said lever being connected at its extremity to a cord which passes ovei a series of pulleys,

and each end of which is provided with a Weight, one being heavier than the other, a stop upon the cord to limit its motion under the influence of the heavier Weight and means connecting the other engl of the cord'with the bell of the gasometer whereby as the said bell descends it will pull the cord and operate it and the lever and carrier against the pull of the heavier Weight.

4. In an asctylene-gas generator the combination of a gasometer, having an opening through which the carbid for charging the generator is supplied, said opening having a removable cap, a carbid -carrier contained Within the gasometer, and a support under the carrier, said support having a movable section connected to the cap in such a way that the act of opening the cap closes the movable section of the support, and thc act of closing the cap opens the movable section of the support.

L 5. In an acetylene-gas generator,tl1e combination of a gasometer having an4 opening inI the top through which the carbid for charging the generator is supplied, said opening having a removable ca p, a carbid-carrier coutained within the gasometer, said carrier being divided into a number of compartments having hinged bottoms except one which is permanently closed, rollers attached to the bottoms, and a Support under the carrier having a track upon which the rollers rest, a scc tion o f the track being hinged and connected by a system of levers to the removable cap on the top of the gasometer, so that the act of removing the cap closes the track, and the act of closing the can opens the track, all arranged and constructed substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed by us at Baltimore, Maryland, this 3d day of January, 1898.

THOMAS A. BRYAN. JAMES II. COUPER.

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