US623481A - Acetylene-gas machine - Google Patents

Description

No. 623,48I. Patented Apr. l8, I899. S. D. KOPF.

ACETYLENE GAS MACHINE.

(Afiplication filed Sept. 12, 1898.\ (No Model.) 2 Sheets- -Sheet I.

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Attorney.

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N0. 623,48l. Patented Apr. [8, I399. S. D. KUPF. ACETYLENE GAS MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 12, 189B.)

2 iheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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SIGEL D. KOPF, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

ACETY'LENE '-GAS -MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,481, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed se temtalalses. Serial No. 690,797. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, SIGEL D. KOPF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids,-in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for generating acetylene gas; and its objects are, first, to provide a machine with which each of several generators may be made to work independent of the others; second, to provide for the escape of all gas in the generators before the carbid-tank can be removed; third, to avert the danger of generating a sufficient quantity of gas to raise the lid above the water-line, and, fourth, to provide for thoroughly dampening the entire body of carbid used for the generation of the gas. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichi Figure l is an elevation of my complete machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, showing its internal construction. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the carbid-tank, showing the manner of disbursing water to thoroughly saturate the carbid. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the valve leading from the carbidtanks to the gasometer. Fig. 5 is a detached view of my automatic arrangement for actuating the valves leading from the water-tank to the carbid-tanks. Fig. 6 is a plan of the gasometer with the cover removed to show the distribution of the several conductorpipes, Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the escape pipe and trap. Fig. 8 is a like view of the pipe that conducts the gas to the gasometer; and Fig 9 is a detached view of the valve between the carbid-tanks and the gasometer, showing the arrangement forpreventing the carbid-tank from being removed without first allowing the gas to escape.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the gasometer, and A represents the cover or bell, which is provided with a downwardly-extending rim that passes below the water in the gasometer to form a trap in the usual manner of constructing this portion ofthe machine.

B and 13 represent the carbid-tanks, which I have designated by modified reference-letters for the purpose of facilitating the description of the automatic action of the valves for regulating the flow of water to the carbid, as follows:

The water-tank F is so pported directly above the carbid-tanks and is connected therewith by the conducting-tubes D. These tubes are made U shape to form traps to prevent the gas from escaping-therethrough when the water is exhausted from the tanks. I placea valve d in each of these tubes in substantially the position indicated in Fig. 1 and attach to the stems thereof levers E and E, arranged to be actuated to open and close the valves by the action of the bar J, which is pivoted to the standard J, which in turn is attached to the cover A of the gasometer, so that the rising and falling of the cover will carry the bar J with it, and as the levers stand at an incline from the perpendicular the pivotal connecting-linksj in sliding up and down thereon will give a sufficient swinging motion to the levers, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, to open and close the valves. I/Vhy I do this is that with a continual flow of water upon the carbid too much gas is liable to generate and raise the cover out of the water in the gasometer and allow gas to escape therefrom. YVith my arrangement as soon as the cover orbell has been raised to the proper height the valve is automatically closed, so that no water can enter the carbid-chamber until the gas has been sufficiently exhausted from the gasometer to again open the valve, when it will be again charged so that a governor is in continual operation, holding the gas at a uniform volume and pressure.

It will be noticed that the bar J is placed at an angle and is held to position by a connectin g-rod j, connecting the bar with the top of the standard J, as atj, so that one of the valve-levers is held at a greater incline from the perpendicular than the other. The result of this is that one of the valves will be opened much sooner than the other, and as a consequence but one of the generators will be active at a time, as a sufficient amount of gas will generate in the one, as E, to hold the cover up to a position to prevent the opening of the valve leading to the other tank B, and when the carbid has been fully exhausted from the one tank the cover will settle down sufiiciently to open the valve to the other tank, and thus continue the supply of gas. \Vhen the carbid is exhausted in one tank, as B, the flow of water to the other tank, as B, may be advanced by reversing the position of the bar J, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, so that the valve will be opened sooner and a greater amount of gas will be stored in the gasometer by reason of the earlier opening of the valve.

For properly distributing the water over the carbid I place a convex or conical disk K immediately under the dropping water, so that each drop is broken into numerous smaller drops and strikes the carbid in the form of a fine spray of water covering the entire surface, and to insure the dropping of the water immediately upon the apex of the disk I place a conical wire coil (1 upon the end of the tube D inside of the receiving-cone C.

As the gas is generated in the carbid-tank it passes up into the cone 0 and out through the pipe 1', into and through the valve I, and down through the pipe G into the gasometer. The upper end of the pipe G within the gasometer is provided with an automaticallyadjustable cap g, which must be of a proper weight, so that the buoyancy of the gas will not raise it from contact with the water, so that the gas passing through the pipe will be forced to pass through water to enter the gaschamber in the gasometer, by which means it is to a great extent scourec and rendered available for lighting purposes. This cap is held in its vertical position by a rod 9 which is secured at one end to the inner surface of the top of the cap, and the other end extends down into the pipe G, so that the cap cannot tip and allow gas to escape into the chamber of the gasometer without passing through the water. The upper end of the pipe G must be a sufficient distance above the surface of the water in the gasometer to preclude the possibility of any water ever entering this pipe.

G represents the conductor-pipe leading from the gasometer to the point of consumption, and as it acts exactly similar to all cond uctor-pipes in gas-machines I do not deem it necessary to go further into detail upon this point.

G is designed to act as an escape-pipe for gas in case the valves d to the carbid-tank fail to regulate the production of gas as desired and as hereinbefore explained. The inner end of this pipe passes up into a pipe G, that is suspended from the cover of the gasometer and well down into the water. Some distance from the lower end of this pipe I form an aperture or apertures, as in position to rise above the surface of the water before the rim of the cover reaches it and allow the surplus gas to escape through them and into and through the pipe G. This causes a waste of gas to the amount exhausted; but as its use is almost entirely obviated by the action of the valves (1 but a small amount of gas ever escapes by this means.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a vertical section of the valve 1, which I have invented expressly for use with my machine. This is a compound three-way valve having the two threeway ports t, that are so arranged that when the carbid-tanks are in place and charged gas from either tank will flow therethrough and through the pipe G into the gasometer; but if it is necessary to remove one of the earbid-tanks to replenish the carbid it is necessary to change the ports from the direct channel to the gasometer indicated by the arrows at 7b to the position indicated by the arrows at It, so that any gas that may remain in the carbid-tank will escape therethrough and through the pipe 1 to the escape'pipe G. This result is attained in the following manner: The cover of the tank is secured to the body of the gasometer by means of arms II, and the rim b thereof extends down some distance in the usual manner of constructing these covers to prevent the escape of gas from the carbid-tank by this source. The arms I) (see Figs. 1, G, and 7) are integral with the arms II that support the cover of the carbidtank and project out beyond the periphery of said covers to be engaged by the catches Z), the latter being secured to the periphery of the body 13 of the carbid-tank and projecting up therefrom, so that when the body is placed to position under the cover it may be turned slightly and the catches will engage the arms and support the body. To avert the danger of these catches becoming disconnected from the arms and the tank to drop from position and allow gas to escape without first closing the valve t, I place a latch 71 upon the valve-plugs at right angles with the lever t and in position to stand back of the catch when the tank is in place and the valve is open for the free flow of gas from the tank to the gasometer, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 9, and when it is desired to remove the tank it will be necessary to turn the lever and latch to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 9, when the valve will be closed, so that gas cannot escape therethrough to or from the gasometer, but may escape through the waste-pipe, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4.

a a represent standards that are secured to the base that supports the machine and pass up parallel with the sides ofthe gasometer to some distance above the top, where they are strengthened by across-bar connecting the two. These standards are designed as guideways, upon which arms that project lCO oiit from the cover A (see Fig. 1) travel to guide and support the coverin its vertical reciprocations.

In constructing the carbid-tank I form the tank proper with an outer wall B and an inner wall B for the purpose of forming the water-trap for preventing the escape of gas, and to economize in the consumption of carbid I place the bottom of the carbid-receptacle about one-half of the height of the tank upward 'from the bottom, as at 72 By this means I not only economize the gas and the consumption of carbid, but avert the necessity of having to force an unnecessary amount of air into the gasometer when renewing the carbid in the carbid-tank. I I deem it preferable when constructing the water-tank F to form a partition in it, as at f, so that water may be stored for each carbid-tank separately.

For the purpose of perfectlybalancing the cover or bell A of the gasometer I place a weight L upon the lower end of the pipe G This application of the weight acts a double purpose-first,to hold the cover down to place in the water to insure a perfect trap against the escape of gas, and, second, to form a poise that will cause the cap to always stand perpendicular, no matter how buoyant it may be made by the introduction of gas.

My three-way valve I is constructed withtwo chambers. One of these chambers Iwill designate as the live-chamber, through which the live gas passes, as indicated by the arrows h, through the pipe Gto the gasometer, and the other I will designate as the exhaustchamber, through which the surplus gas in the exhausted carbid-tank may be made to pass to the escape-pipe G by the course indicated by the arrows h. The object of this construction is twofoldfirst, to prevent the escape of gas from the carbid-tank when being removed, as hereinbefore stated, and, second, the turning of the plug to the position shown to the right of Fig. 4 shuts off the passage from thelive-chamber, so that it is impossible for the gas entering this chamber from the left to pass directly through the valve and to the open air through the cover of the carbid-tank that has been removed for the purpose of being refilled or for any other purpose.

I divide the chambers hereinbefore described by placing a solid wall 7L through the valve, as shown, and form ports therethrough, as at Its, in position to register with the ports through the plugs when desired, as and for the purpose hereinbefore stated.

One of the prime objects of reversing the position of the lever J ,hereinbefore described, is to have the one carbid-tank active while and after the other is being filled with carbid. It will be readily understood that if this lever were permanently fixed in the position indicated by the solid lines any water that might remain in the water-tank would drain out of the side where the carbid is first exhausted, even while the tank is removed, and thus when the refilled tank is replaced it will immediately become active and shut off the other, so that the other would simply act as a reserve while the first is exhausted or being refilled with carbid. The dividing of the water-tank is another precautionary measure to avert the danger of water drip-v ping therefrom when the carbid-tank is exhausted or is removed for refilling, each division of the tank being intended to hold just sufficient water to exhaust the carbid in the tank to which it is tributary.

II represents a casing or guard for the gaspipes.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an acetylene-gas machine, a gasometer having a vertically-reciprocating cover or bell, carbid-tanks connected therewith by pipes, water-tanks piped tributary to said carbid-tanks, a wire dropper and a conical sprayer within the carbid-tanks to distribute the water over the carbid in a fine spray, valves in the water-pipes, levers attached to the plugs of said valves and projecting upward at different angles from the perpendicular and slidingly connected with the gasometer cover or bell so that the vertical reciprocations of the cover will actuate the valves to open or close them, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, a gasometer, carbidtanks piped thereto, a water-tank, pipes connecting the water-tank with the carbid-tanks, a rotary valve in each of said water-pipes, a lever attached to each of said valves and projecting upward at different angles from the perpendicular, said levers slidingly connected to an adjustable lever which is pivotally secured to the gasometer-bell, means secured to the bell for adjusting the angle of the lever in such a way that the vertical reciprocations of the bell will open or close one valve in advance of the other so that the valve to the second tank will be opened only when, and as soon as the carbid is exhausted from the first, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the gasometer, carbid-tanks, water-tank, and connecting-pipes of an acetylene-gas machine; a compound three-way valve the plugs of which have, each, a direct port extending through the plug, a lateral port passing from said direct port to the periphery of the, plug, and two chambers in the valve so arranged that the plugs may be turned to communicate with either chamber, or one plug may be made to communicate with one chamber and the other plug with the other chamber, and longitudinal openings to the port-holes in the plugs and lateral openings to the chambers, substantially as and for the .purpose set forth.

4;. In combination with the gasometer,

tanks, and connecting-pipes of an acetylenehanst-chanlber or both, and diseharge-open- 10 gas machine; a compound three-Way valve ingsleading from eachchamber,substantially having two chambers with a gas-proof partias and for the purpose set forth. tion between, revoluble plugs on said valve Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, Septem- 5 provided with direct ports to lead from the her 6, 1898.

inlet-pipes to the live-chamber, and lateral SIGEL D. KOPF. ports leading from said direct ports so that In presence of the plugs may be turned to conduct the in- ITHIEL J. OILLEY, flowing gas to the live-chamber, or to the eX- I G. W. GRIFFITH.

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