US628929A

US628929A - Acetylene-gas generator.

Info

Publication number: US628929A
Application number: US68995298A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hilliary Eldridge; Sylvain Blum
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1898-08-31
Filing date: 1898-08-31
Publication date: 1899-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1916-07-18

Description

No. 628,929. Patented July I8, |899.

\ H. ELDRIDGE &. S. BLUM.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR. (Application filed Aug. 31, 1898.1 ma Model.) 2 Sheets-Smet I.

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llrirrn` l rares- IIILLIARY ELDRIDGE AND SYLVAIN BLUM, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

CETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,929, dated July 18, 1899. Appnmaniednuguasi,1893. samnaeaattn. (naman.)

T0 LZZY whom t may concern:

Be it knownthat We, HILLIARY ELDRIDGE and SYLVAIN BLUM, citizens of the United States, residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Acetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention` is a gas-generator especially adapted for service to generate and supply illu minating-gas to locomotive-headlights; and the primary object of the invention is to provide a compact andsimple apparatus for the generation of acetylene-gas to be supplied to the burner of such headlight. In a generator for this purpose it is necessary that the elements thereof shall be disposed in an eX- ceedingly compact relation, to the end that the generator may be convenientlyy carried on a locomotive, and We have met this condition' by disposing the Water supply, the carbid Vessel, the gas-controlled regulating mechanism, and the purifier in asingle apparatus.

Further objects of the invention are to provide means for automatically controlling the admission of the attacking liquid (Water) according to the gas-pressure in the generator, to provide for the regulation of the admission of Water to the carbid chamber independently of the main-valve mechanism and also to prevent back pressure of the gas on the Watersupply, to automatically vent the gas from the generator should the pressure exceed the desired limit and simultaneously close the Water-admission ports to the gener ator, to purify the gas from moisture as it passes from the generator to the suppl y-pipe of the burner, to provide for access tothe purifier and the carbid-chamber for the renewal of the charges therein without dismantling the apparatus, and to arrange the several parts to attain positive action thereof and maximum efiiciency of the generator.

With these ends in View our invention consists in the novel combination of instrumentalities and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, We have illustra-ted the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisvspeciflcation, and in Which- Figure l is a vertical sectional elevation of our improved locomotive-headlight gas-generator. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similar cross-sectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4; is an enlarged detail View through one of the packed water-ports from the Water-supply chamber to the carbidchamber. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the `main valve which controls the flow of Water to the carbid-chamber and theegress of gas from said carbid-chamber to a purifier. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View representing a modin'ed construction for regulating the flow of Water from the water-tank independently of the main valve. l

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

Theshell of our lmproved generator may be of any desired form in cross-section. lt is indicated by the numeralrlO in the drawings as being of. cylindrical contour, and this shell forms a chamber ll, in Which is contained the Water, Which is admitted in limited volumes through'valve-controlled ports to a carbid vessel adapted to contain a charge of calcium carbid, which is to be attacked by the Wat-er to secure chemical decomposition of the carbid and Water to generate acetylene gas. upper end with a concave or dished top l2, and Within this shell is a central vertical tube This generator-shell is provided at its 13, which is joined to the top l2 to open cen- 'I trally therethrough. The lower end of the generator-shell l0 isy open4 and interiorly screw-threaded, and the foot of the central tube 13 terminates Within this shell l0 and on a plane above the interiorlythreaded length thereof. The lower open end of the generator is closed by a chambered bottom 14, which serves to retain the watersupplied to the chamber l1 and is constructed with ports for the passage of Water from the chamber to the `carbid vessel, the latter being removably secured to the bottom, so that it may be detached from the apparatus for the purpose of removing spent carbid therefrom, cleaning said vessel, and replacing the exhausted carbid with a charge of fresh active carbid, as will herelinafter more fully appear. The bottom 14:

is exteriorly screw-threaded to provide for its application removably to the interiorly,

threaded open lower end of the generator-shell 10, and the lower or under face of this bottom 14 is perfectly flat and level to constitute a valve-seat 15 for the main valve.

v The carbid vessel 1.6 of our generator is preferably of cylindre-conical form, although this is not essential, and its upper open end isinteriorly threaded for the purpose of screwing it to the lower threaded portion of the bottom 14, thereby uniting the carbid vessel detachably to the bottom of the generatorshell.

The generator-shell aud the carbid vessel are supported in a raised or elevated position by means of a tripod, to which the shell 10 is connected; but the carbid vessel does not 'have engagement with this tripod. The carbid vessel is coupled to the bottom of the shell 10 to be suspended therefrom, and said vessel is thus adapted to -be readily detached from the generator because'it does not rest upon a base. The legs 17 of the tripod have the foot-flanges 13, which are fastened by bolts or screws 19 to any suitable supportas, for instance, a base 20and said legs of the tripod sustain the ring or annulus 2l. The lower end of the generator-shell passes through this ring -or annulus of the tripod, and said shell is formed .with a circumferential eXterior iiange 22, which is adapted to rest-upon the ring orannulus 2l of the tripod. Binding-screws 22 are fitted in threaded openings of the tripod-ring to bind against the generator-shell 10, and'thereby firmly support the generator on the tripod.

A sole-flange 23 is formed exteriorly on the lower edge of the generator-shell 10, and a vmatching flange 24 is provided on the upper edge of the carbid vessel 1 6. Between these iianges 23 24 of the generator-shell and carbid vessel, respectively, is interposed a gasket 25, which is adapted to be compressed by and betweensaid flanges when the carbid vessel is screwed to the bottom 14, thereby providing a gas-tight joint between the generator Iand the removable carbid vessel. Within this carbid vessel is an annular supporting-flange 26, on which is adapted to rest a grate or Vscreen 27, which sustains the charge of calcium carbid within the vessel 16, above the 'bottom thereof. To provide for the ready insertion or removal of this grate 27, it is constructed in two or more sections, which are hinged together, as at 23, by an' upwardlyyopening hinge, as shown by Fig. 1, and in removing this grate its sections are drawn together or collapsed, so that the grate may be folded previous to withdrawing it from the vessel 16.

The partition or chamber 14 tothe generator-'shell is provided with a tubular boss 23, which rises centrally from the bottom, and this boss is vof a diameter to fit snugly in the lower open end of the central tube 13 within the generator-shell. A gasket 29 is iitted around this tubular boss and interposed betweenthe lower extremity of the central tube 13 and the bottom 14. By screwing the bottom to its place within the open end of the generator-shell the gasket 29 is compressed between the tube 13 and the bottom 14, and a tight joint is thus secured between the tube 13 and bottom 14 to prevent the water from leaking into the tube 13 or the gas from passing from the tube 13 into the water-chamber of the shell 10. The bottom 14 is furthermore provided with a series of transverse water-ports 30 in the vertical plane of the chamber 11, and each port 30 is enlarged at the lower portion thereof, where itopens through the lower valve-face 15 of the bottom 14. Each port has its enlarged lower portion interiorly screw-threaded to receive the eXteriorly-thigeaded plugs 32, which are screwed into the port, and this plug has a central opening The plug does not entirely ll the enlarged portion 3l of the water-port; but it leaves a small space or chamber adapted to receive a fibrous packing 34, which may be of any suitable material-as sponge, forexample. The fibrous packing is compressed in the water-port by screwing the perforated plug 32 therein, and this packing prevents the rapid passage of water through the'port and prevents the pressure of gas from retarding the flo-w of water from the chamber 11 to the carbid vessel. The water is adapted to percolate or drip through the compressed iibrous packing and escape through the central opening 33 of the plug 32 when the main valve is open, and thus provision is made for regulating the dripl or iiow of water through the port 30 irrespective of the main valve, because the plugs 32 may be adjusted to compress the packings more or less, and thereby vary the quantity of water which may escape through the ports 30.

While we have shown and described perforated .pl ugs and fibrous packings to becompressed by adjusting the plugs in the ports 30, we do not strictly coniine ourselves to the detailed construction herein illustrated, because we are aware that compressible plugs for use in the ports 30 may be employed in lieu of the'nietallic plugs and fibrous packings.

The main valve is in the form of a flat disk arranged horizontally within the partition or bottom 14 for vertical movement therein toward or from the valve-face 15, and this main valve serves to cut off the flow of Water entirely from the ports 30 to the carbidchamber and the passage of gas from said chamber to the central gas-tube 13 of the generator. This cut-off valve 35 is arranged to cover all of the ports 30 and the perforated plugs 32 therein, as well as the lower open end of the central tubular boss 28a on the bottom 14, where said boss opens through said bottom 14. The main cut-off valve, however, is not a solid or imperforate disk; but it is provided with openings or slots 35 to permit ICO IIO

the water from the ports 30 and valve-plugs 32 to trickle over the surface of the valve and pass through said slots upon a distributing spraying-grate, which is supported by the bottom 14 above the carbid vessel, as will presently appear. A gasket 36 is interposed between the valve-seat face 15 of the bottom 14 and the main cut-oit valve 35 for the purpose of securing a gas-tight joint between the bottom 14 and the Valve when the latter is closed, and this valve is rigidly secured to a stem br rod 37, which is connected with a diaphragm-regulator that is exposed to thel pressure of gas and is adapted to raise the rod or stem and the valve when the' gas attainsa certain pressure within the generator. The valve stem or rod 37 passes through the central gas-tube 13 of the generator and through a diaphragm-chamber,and the lower threaded end of this stem or rod 37 extends through a central opening in the cut-oft' valve 35. The valve and its rod are secured tirmly together by the nut 38 and the washers 39 40, said washers being applied to opposite sides ot the valve and thenut being screwed to the threaded extremity of said valve-rod. This valve stem or rod is hollow or tubular, with its lower end opening through the lower face of the valve and the nut 38 thereon, while the upper end of said stem is formed with a seat for the accommodation of a safety or Vent Valve7 which is adapted to beopened automatically on the accumulation of gas within the generator above the desired pressure, and this valverod is thus adapted to operatively connect the diaphragm-regulator and the main cut-oi valve to control the latter from the former and also to serve in connection with a safety-Valve, by which the generator-may be vented when the gas-pressure increases above the desired point. The washer' 40 is tted against the gasket 36 on the upper face of the main cut-oft valve, and this washer serves as a metallic seat fora return or depressing spring4l,which, in connection with the weight of the valve and its stern, tends to move the valve to its open position on a decrease in the pressure of gas in the generator. The spring 41 is housed or contained in the chamber of the tubular boss 28", and one end of this spring is seated against the head 42 of said boss 28. This boss opens through the lower face of the chambered bottom 14, and it extends into the central gastube 13 ot' the generator, so that when the main valve 35 is lowered the gas from the carbid vessel is free to pass through and around the valve 35 into the chamber of the tubular boss 28, and the head 42 of said boss has a plurality of gas-ports 43, which provide for the 'passage of the gas from the boss into the central gas-tube 13.

The generator-shell 10 is provided with an internally threaded {iange 44, which protrudes above the dished top 12, and into this flange is screwed the flanged and threaded cover 45, thus uniting the cover detachably to the generator-shell. The dished top and the cap or cover 45 form between themselves a diapliragxncl1amber 46, in which is contained a leXible diaphragm 47, of rubber fabric, leather, or any other suitable material. This diaphragm has its edge iitted upon a'flat faceof the dished top 12, and on said edge of the diaphragm is fitted a metallic washer or ring 48, upon which bears the flange of the cap or cover 45, whereby the cover is adapted to clamp the ring 48 firmly upon the flexible diaphragm and confine the latter circumferentially within the diaphragm-chamber 46. This diaphragm is exposed to the pressure of the gas which passes through the central tube 13 of the generator and communicates with the chamber 46, and to the diaphragm is attached or fastened the tubular stem or rod 37 of the main valve 35. This stem or rod is threaded exteriorly at two places 49 50 at and near its upper end, leaving an intermediate smooth portion for the guidance of the stem in a guide-nange 53 of the cover 45. On the threaded length 49 of the valve-stem are screwed the nuts 51, arranged on opposite sides of the diaphragm 47and between the nuts and the piaphragm are the washers 52, which engage with the diaphragm and pre- Vent wear thereon by adjustment of the nuts. A regulating-nut 54 is screwed on the threaded length 50 of the valve-stem 37, and this nut is adapted to be rotated to engage with the guide-ange 53 ofthe cover 45. Normally the regulating-nut 54is adjusted on the valvestem to allow thelatter to play vertically with the diaphragm and adjust the main valve without permitting the nut 54 to rest upon the guide-ange 53; but when it is desired to close the valve 35 against the passage of water to the carbid vessel or the How of gas from said vessel to the central tube 13 of the generator the nut 54 may be screwed down against the guide-flange 53 to raise the valve-stem 37 and force the main valve 35 against its seat on the bottom 14, whereby the ports 30 and the lower open end of the tubular boss 28a may be tightly closed.

The upper end of the tubular valve stem or rod 37 is formed with a valve-seat 55, upon which is adapted to iit a conical vent-valve 56, which is housed within a shell 57, screwed on a threaded upper extremity 50 of the valvestem. The vent-valve is normally depressed to rest upon the seat on the tubular valvestem by aA spring 58, which is contained with- IIO in the valve-shell 57, that travels with the Y stem 37, and this shell may be adjusted on the stem to compress the spring and force the valve 56 tightly against the seat. The valve-shell 57 is adjusted to place the spring under a tension sufficient to hold the valve to its seat against the pressure ot the gas within the generator; but when the gas eX- ceeds the pressure to which the spring is adjusted the valve is lifted and the gas is free to escape through the stein 37 and ports 59, which are provided in the shell 57 of the safety-valve. A jam-nut 60 is screwed on als the threaded length 50 of the valve-stem 37 Vto bind against the shell of the vent-valve and hold thelatter against displacement when it is adjusted to close the vent-valve.

The chambered bottom 14 of the generator-shell is provided with the depending arms or extensions 6l, which support the distriblu'tin'g or'spraying screen 62 below the bottom 14 and over the carbid vessel. This screen has a rim 63, provided with openings for the reception of threaded stems 64, which are attached Ito the extensions 61, and on these stems lare yscrewed the nuts G5, which serve to hold the screens 62 removably in place below the valve 35, which is housed within the c'hambered bottom 14.

Awater-inlet nipple 6G is provided on one -side of the generator-shell 10 to communicate with .the water-chamber 11 therein, and this 'nipple is interiorly 1h readed to receive a threaded plug `67, which may be removed whenit is desired to lill the chamber 1l with water. This plug 67 has a vertical port or l'opening 67, which provides for the admis- 'sion of atmospheric air to the water-chamber 1'1, 'and the water in this chamber is thus eX- posed to air-pressure, so as to insure the water passing through v'the ports 30 in the bottom 14. To provide for drainage of water from this chamber 11 a drain-,cock 68 is provided on one side of the generator-shell 10 above the point where ysaid shell is lseated on the ring ofthe tripod, and by opening this cock 68 the water may pass vfrom the Achamber 11 to enable theflatter to be cleaned.

In connection with our generator we employ a puriiieradapted to contain a charge of vcalcium carbid, which by its affinity to water eliminates the moisture which is contained in acetylene gas produced within the generator. The shell 70 of this purifier is mounted on and coupled to the gen erator-shell 10, andv the ends of said purifier-shell are closed by the heads'l, packings 72 being interposed between the heads and the endsof the shell 70 to secure gas-tight joints. Vithin this shell 70 is an annular flange 73, which' `supports a screen or grate 74, on which is placed a charge of calcium carbid. The puriiieris coupled to the generator by the threaded tube 75, which communicates with the-chamber of the vpurifier belowl the grate or screen .74 therein, so that the gas is compelled to travel throughthe carbid on the grate before it find-s its egress from the purifier, whereby .the vgas subsequent to its generation is again subjected to the action of calcium carbid for @the elimination of :moisture from the gas. The purifier is operatively connected with thecentral tube 13 of the generator by a pipe .connection 77, the inner end of which opens Vinto the tube 13, and the outer end thereof is interior-ly threaded for union by the coupling l75 with the purifier. veyed from the purifier to the burner ofthe headlight through a suitable pipe or tube, `(not shown,) adapted to be coupled to the The gas is conpipe connection 78, which is arranged above the screen or grate 74 and is shown as eX- tending from one side of the purifier-shell.

The operation of our apparatus may be described as follows: The several parts of the apparatus having been assembled ont'he generator-shell, it is tted in the supporting-ring of the tripod, and the clamping-screws are adjusted to rml y bind the generator-shell in place. Before filling the chamber 11 of the shell 10 with water the adjusting-nut 54 is operated to lift the valve-stem 37 and force the out-off valve 35 partly against its seat on the bottom 14 to prevent water from dripping fronti the ports 30 and the perforated plugs therein. Water may now be introduced into the chamber 11 through the nipple 66, and t-he plug 67 is then screwed into the nipple to allow `air to pass into the chamber 1l. The charge lof calcium carbid is now introduced into the purifier to rest upon the grate therein, and

'the upper head is replaced to make a'tight joint. The carbid vessel 16 is also charged with a quantity of fresh active carbid, which rests upon thegrate, and the vessel is then screwed to the bottom 14 to make a tight joint vthrough the medium of the gasket with the flange at the lower end of the generator-shell 10. An off-bearing gas pipe or tube -is now coupled to the pipe connection 78, after which.

the regulating-nut 54 is turned to lift it from the guide-[lange 53 of the cover45. The valve 35 now descends owing to its weight and the action of the depressing-spring thereon, and water is thus permitted to pass through the ports 30 and the valve-plugs 32 to trickle over the valve and the distributing grate or screen 62. .As the water yattacks the carbid in the vessel 16 `acetylene gas is at once evolved by the decomposition ot' the wat-er and carbid and the gas flows vfrom the vessel 16 around thevalve and through the tubular boss 28a and its ports into the centra'lgastube 13 of ythe generator. The gas flows through the connection 77 into the purifier below thegrate 74 thereof, and the gas is thus brought in contact with the-second charge of carbid contained within `the purifier, which carbid is adapted to absorb the moisture from the gas,and thereby dehydrate the latter, so that the gas reaches the burner in a drycondition. When the water is dripping on the carbid within the vessel 1G and the genera- -tion of gas is in progress, the pressure to the burner is regulated by the iiexible diaphragm 47, which is exposed to the gas-pressure in the tube 13 and the chamber 46, and an excess of gas-pressure moves the diaphragm in an upward direction, therebylifting the valve 35 to :its seat, whereby the flow of water to the carbid is cut olf and the passageof gas from the vessel 16 to the `puriiier is arrested. Of course a decrease of the pressure in the tube 13 and the diaphragm-chamber, due to the -consumption of the gas at the burners, allows the valve and its stem, assisted by the action of the spring 4l, to descend away from ICO the seat-face ot the bottom 14, thereby opening the passages for the flow of water to the carbid-chamber 1G and. permitting the gas to flow from the generator to the pu ri tier. Should there be an accumulation of gas in the carbid vessel 1G after the inlet of water shall have been arrested by the closing of the valve 35, the gas will pass through the tubular stem or rod 37 and act against the vent-valve 56 to open the latter against the pressure of the spring 5S; but in order to open this ven t-valve the pressure ofthe gas within the carbid-chamber must exceed the pressure of the gas that acts against the diaphragm, which, through the rod, holds the valve 35 to its seat against the bottom 14. In the generation of the gas some of the carbid in the vessel 16 is decomposed, and the charge of carbid in the purifier is also decomposed by the absorption of themoisture from the gas as it passes to the burner. The spent or exhausted carbid in the vessel 16 and the purifier is free to sift through the grates or screens which are contained within the vessel 16 and the purifier, thus presenting the fresh or active carbid to the action of the water which is admitted to the vessel 16 and to the gas as it traverses the puriiier. To arrestthe generation of gas, the nut 54 is screwed on the valve-stem to rest upon the iiange 53 oit' the cover 45, and this adjustment of the nut lifts the stem and main valve to prevent the water from flowing through the ports and the plugs in the bottom 14C.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings we have illustrated a screw-plug 8O to regulate the volume of water which may pass through the port 30 in lieu of using the screw-plug and the fibrous packing. This plug SO has an extended stem 81 to enter the contracted part of the port 30, and it has a longitudinal slot 82, that forms a channel for the flow of water through the plug when it is screwed down to unseat it. To conveniently adjust the plug, the lower face thereof has a notch or niche 83 to receive the end of a screw-driver or other implement.

Changes may be made in the form of some of the parts, while their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention embodied. Hence we do not desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim isl. The combination with a water-chamber and a carbid-chambenot a partition between said eh ambers and provided with water-ports and a gas-port7 a single cut-01T: valve arranged by a single movement to close the Water and gas ports, and a gas-pressure regulator oonnected with said valve to positively seat the latter on an increase of gas-pressure above a certain limit, substantially as described.

2. The combination with awater-chamber and a carbid-chamber, of a partition between said chambers and provided with water-ports and with a gas-port, a gas-passage connected to said partition to communicate with the gas-port, a diaphragm-regulator conned in said gas-passage to be exposed to the pressure of gas therein, a single valve arranged to be seated against the partition for closing the ports therein, and a valve-stem attached to said valve and the regulator, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a water-chamber and a carbid-cham ber, of apartition arranged between said chambers and provided with water and gas ports, a valve arranged to be seated against said partition to open or close the water and gas ports simultaneously, and a pressure-regulater operatively connected with said valve, substantially as described.

Ml. The combinationrwith a water-chamber having water-ports, a gas-passage, and a carbid-chamber, of a single valve arranged to control the admission of water to the carbidchamber and the exit of gas therefrom, a tubular valve-stem connected to said valve for movement therewith, a vent-valve normally seated on said tubular valve-stem to travel with the same and arranged to be opened automatically by gas-pressure in excess of the pressure required to seat the valve, and a regulator operatively connected with said valve to seat the latter when the gas-pressure attains a certain limit below that required to unseat the vent-valve, substantially as described.

5. In an acetylene-gas generator, the com-` bination with a water-chamber and a carbidchamber, of a partition provided with waterports, a gas-passage extending through the Water-chamber and opening through said partition to communicate with the carbid-chamber, a single cut-oft valve arranged below said partition and movable relative thereto for simultaneously closing the gas and water ports, a diaphragm-regulator coniined within said gas-passage, a single rod or stem extending through the gas-passage and connected to IOO IIO

said valve and the diaphragm-regulator, the

upper end of said stem arranged to protrude beyond the regulator-chamber, and a regulating-nut iitted to said protruding end of the valve-stem for adjusting the same and the valve to seat said valve against the partition and close the gas and water ports therein, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a water-chamber and a carbid-chamber, of a partition provided with packed water-ports, a gas-passage eX- tending through the water-chamber and opening centrally through said partition, a Vcut-off valve arranged below the partition to control the admission of water and the outlet of gas therethrough, a tubular stem attached to the valve and extending through the gas-passage, a vent-valve shell movable with the tubular stem, a spring-actuated vent-valve coniined slidably Within said valve-shell and normally seated on the tubular stem, and a diaphragmregulator coniined in the gas-passage and connocted with said valve-stem to close the cu toit valve undera gas-pressure lower than the pressure required to open the vent-valve, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a carbid-chamber and a water-chamber, of a partition arranged between said chambers and provided with water-ports, a eut-oft valve arranged to be seated against said partition, a diaphragmregulator confined within a chamber which is in communication with the carbid-chamber, and avalve-stem attached to the diaphragmregulator and the cut-off valve to operatively connect said parts, substantially as described.

S. The combination of a generator-shell having a water-chamber, a carbid vessel, a partition between said Water-chamber and the carbid vessel and provided with water-ports, a diaphragm-regulator communicating with the gas-chamber of the carbid vessel, a cut-off valve arranged to be seated against the partition to cover the water-ports therein, and a stein or rod attached to the diaphragm-regulator and the cut-oft valve, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a generator-shell having a central gas-tube and a top arranged to form,in connection with a cover, a diaphragmchamber and said shell also provided with a water-chamber, the carbid-receptacle, a partition or bottom between the carbid-receptacle and the water-chamber of the generator-shell and provided with ports for the passage of water, a diaphragm confined within the diaphragm-chamber, a main cut-oli. valve arranged to cover vthe ports in the partition or bottom, a valve-stem connected to the diaphragm and the cut-off valve, and a spring which assists the downward movement of the cut-off valve and its ste'm, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a generator-shell having a water-chamber and a carbid-chamber, of a main cut-oit valve arranged to control the Iiow of water from the generator-shell to the carbid vessel,a tubular valve-stem com- I lnunicating with the carbid vessel and attached to the main valve, a diaphragm attached to the stem or rod and confined within a chamber whichis in communication with the carbid vessel, and a safety-valve mounted on the tubular stem or rod to travel therewith and adapted to be opened by pressure within the carbid-chamber which exceeds the pressure required to close the cut-off valve by action against the diaphragm, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a generator having water-inlet ports and a gas-outlet port, of a cut-off valve to close the ports in said chamber, a tubular valve-stem movable with the cut-'off valve, a pressure-regulator device contained within a chamber which communicates with the carbid vessel and is attached to the stem to control the main cut-off valve, and a safety-valve seated against the tubular valvestem to travel therewith and arranged to be opened by excessive gas-pressure within the carbid-chamber when the main valve is operated by t-he regulator to close communication between the regulator-chamber and the carbid vessel, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a supportingfrom the gas-passage, and a regulator mechanism connected actively with said valve, substantiallyl as described.

13. The combination of a generator-shell having a water-chamber, a partition or bottom secured removably to said generator-shell and provided with ports which' open into the water-chamber, a carbid vessel secured removably to the partition or bottom, a cut-off vvalve arranged to be seated against said partition or bottom, and a pressure-regulator connected operatively with said eut-oit valve, substantially as described.

14:. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with a water-chamber and a carbidchamber, of a partition or bottom provided with water-ports having the packings and the adjustable compression-plugs for obstructing the free Ilow of water therethrough, a cut-off valve arranged to be seated against said partition to close the water-ports therein, a pressure-regulator to force the valve to its seat on anincrease of gas-pressure abovea certain limit, and a depressing-spring seated directly against the valve to normally hold the latter free from its seat on the partition, substantially as described.

15. The combination with a generator-shell and a carbid-receptacle, of a partition or bottom provided with the water-ports, adjustable perforated plugs iitted in said ports,and packings contined within the ports and compressed by said plugs, and a cut-oft valve to open or close said ports and the plugs therein, substantially as described.

16. In agas-generator, a partition between the water-chamber and a carbid vessel and provided with ports for the passage of water from one chamber to the other, and adjustable plugs fitted within said ports and arranged to control the volume of water-chamber pipes through the ports, in combination with a cut-off valve arranged to entirely cut off the flow of water through the ports and the plugs confined therein, substantially as described.

17. The combination with a valve arranged to control thc passage of water from the water-chamber toa carbid-chamber and a diaphragm-regulator, of a tubular valve-stem attached to said valve and the diaphragm-regu- IOO Ito

lator and communicating with the carbidehamber, and a safety-valve having a eut-off mounted on the tubular vaive-stem to travel therewith, and said safety-Valve normally seated against the tubular Valve-stem to close the Vent-port leading therefrom, whereby the tubular stem is adapted to serve as a Vent from the carbid-chamber, substantial] y as described.

18. In a gas-generator, the combination of a shell having a central gas-tube and a Water-chamber which surrounds said tube, a bottom or partition secured to the shell and provided With a tubular boss which fits in the gas-tube and with parts in the bottom of Jthe Water-ehamber, a purier having a