US644861A - Acetylene-gas apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 644,86l.

' Patented Mar. 6, i900. F. S. HUTOHINSON. AGETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 644,86l. Patented Mar. 6, I900.

F. s. HUTCHINSON.

ACETYLENE GAS APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

2 Shoets8haet 2.

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Nl'llED rnrns ATENT trio.

FRANK S. HUTOHINSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AC ETYLEN E-GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,861, dated March 6, 1900.

Application filed November 10, 1898. Serial No. 696,005. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. HUTOHIN SON, of New York, (Flushing,) in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene- Gas Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to gas apparatus or machines, but more particularly to apparatus for generating and controlling acetylene gas.

The primary object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means whereby the carbid may be automatically supplied in proper quantities to the water and the gas generated thereby automatically controlled and conducted to the main or supply pipe at the desired pressure.

A further object is to provide means for automatically relieving any excess of pressure in the gasometer beyond a predetermined point and to conduct such excess of gas to a place of safety or into a suitable receptacle provided therefor.

Other objects of the invention are to provide means whereby the lime or sediment from the carbid may be quickly' removed without emptying or cleaning the entire generator, to provide simple and efficient automatically-actuated mechanism for feeding the carbid to the water, and to provide means whereby the gas may be filtered before reaching the supply pipe or main.

The invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference designate similar parts, Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the parts as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3' is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of the generator.

Fig. 4is a vertical section of the trap or pressure regulator. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the filter. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line VI VI of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is an elevation, ona larger, scale of the carbid-feeding mechanism removed from the casing or generator, the feed-belt not being shown. Fig. 8 is a plan View of the feeding mechanism, showing a portion of the generat'or in section; and Fig. 9 is a vertical section, on a larger scale, taken on the line IX IX of Fig. 7.

The generator 10 may be of any desired form and is provided with a plate 11, which divides the casing into two compartments or chambers 12 and 13, the latter having .a suitable spout or opening 14, through which the chamber13 may be filled withwatcr, and under the spout may be arranged a deflector or chute 15, which is adapted to prevent the generated gas from escaping through the spout, though instead of a single casing being divided into two compartments or chambers two separate receptacles may be provided which are adapted to communicate with each other. In the upper chamber 12 is a suitable hopper 16, adapted to contain the carbid, and above the hopper is a suitable cover 17, which fits over the upper end of the generator. The hopper has a back' plate 18 and side plates or guides 18 which fit over and upon a feed-belt 19, so as to prevent the carbid from leaving the belt except at the forward portion thereof. This feed belt passes around a pulley 20, secured to a shaft 21, and a pulley orroller 22, secured to the shaft 23, sothat when one of the shafts is rotated, as hereinafter described, the proper quantity of carbid will be carried forward and dropped through the chute2at onto the deflecting-trough 25. The water forms a seal for the lower end of the chute 24, while the deflector or trough 25 carries the carbid, which is usually coated with a suitable substance to prevent immediate generation of gas to one side of the chute to prevent the gas when generated from escaping therethrough.

provided with "an opening over which is arranged a perforated plate or cap 27, upon which the carbid may rest and through which the liquid and sediment or lime may pass. The end 26 has an outlet-pipe 28 secured thereto, in which is a suitable valve, as a gatevalve' 29, and beneath the valve 29 and secured to the pipe 28 is a sediment-tank 30. This tank has a cover 31, removably secured to which is the casing 82, which latter is pro vided with cars 33, to which are pivoted bolts 34, adapted to engage the slots in the cap or cover, so that by tightening the nuts on their too upper ends the two parts will be rigidly held together, while by loosening the nuts sufficiently the bolts may be swung on their pivots, so as to permit the casing 32 to be removed. The tank may be differently arranged than shown and may be attached to the generator in any suitable manner. By means of the tank the sediment may be quickly removed without the necessity for emptying the entire generator, as is usually the case.

As the gas is generated it will pass through the water and collect above the surface of the same, where it will escape through the pipe 35 into a trap or pressure-regulator 36. The trap has its casing formed of two box-like telescopic members 37 and 38, in which is kept a suit-able quantity of water or other liquid. A plate 39 extends some distance into the liquid and divides the space above the liquid into two chambers or divisions, so that ordinarily the gas will flow through the pipe 35 and .into the space above the water or liquid on the same side of the plate, where it will escape through the pipe 40 to a suitable gasometer41. In case of excess of pressure beyond a certain point in the gasometer the gas will exert a pressure on the liquid and will force the same below the lower end of the plate 39, so as to permit the gas to pass by said plate and escape through the pipe 42 to the atmosphere or a receptacle provided therefor. The liquid in the trap is always kept at a fixed height, according to the pressure, and as a ready means to secure this a pipe 43 passes through the bottom of the member 37 of the casing to the height of the liquid and is bent or extended on the outside of the trap to a similar or greater height. The outer upper end of the pipe 43 may have a funnel 44- for filling purposes and an overflow connection, as shown, to permit any excess of water to flow from the trap.

The pipe 40 from the trap 36 passes through the tank 45 of the gasometer to a pointabove the water-line, and in the tank is a float 46, which is adapted to rise and fall with the varying quantity of gas within the gasometer. The gasometer may be of the usual construc tion, and on the float are arranged pulleys or runners 47, which rest against the guides or uprights 48, which also serve to support the tank, so as to center the float during its rise and fall.

For the purpose of automatically and intermittingly feeding a quantity or charge of carbid to the water to permit the float to have sufficient rise to actuate the mechanism I 0011- nect one end of a chain 49 or other flexible connection to the float and pass the same over pulleys 50 and 51, located on a cross-bar 52, which is supported by the guides 48, and connect the other end of the chain to a lever 53. This lever is loosely hung on a stud 53, projecting from the casing of the generator, and has a spring-pressed pawl 54 pivoted thereto, which is adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 55. The ratchet-wheel 55 is loosely journaled on the stud 53 and rotates with a cam-wheel 56, which latter has a series of cams or teeth which are adapted to successively engage the end 58 of a weighted lever 59. The end 58 is adjustably held by a set-screw 60 to the main portion of the lever, so as to permit the movement of the lever to be increased or diminished, the lever being arranged to rock on the shaft 61 and provided with a weight 62 or other means to return it to its normal position. A stop, as 62, limits the movement of the lever 59 in one direction, and on the lever is a springpressed pawl 63, which engages the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 64, so as to rotate the shaft 61. On the shaft 61 and within the generator is a gear 65, which meshes with a gear 66, that is secured to the feed-belt shaft 23, so that when the float of the gasometer falls the lever 53 through its pawl 54 will operate the cam-wheel 56 and through it the lever 59, which when released will, by means of the weight 62, cause the pawl 63 and ratchetwheel 64 to rotate the shaft 61 and gears 65 and 66, thus feeding at one time the proper quantity of carbid. The ends of the cams or teeth of the cam-wheel are rounded, so as to prevent the lever 62 from leaving it too suddenly when the lever is at the end of its throw, thus preventing the shifting to the float of the gasometer a weight equivalent to the force required to operate the lever 59, which would or might cause the lights to flicker. It will thus be seen that by feeding a fixed quantity or charge of carbid each time the float, owing to the quantity of gas generated, will have sufficient rise and fall to operate the mechanism, which is not the case with the continuous or gradual feed as ordinarily constructed.

A pipe 67 leads from the gasometer from the space above the water to a filter 68. This filter may be variously constructed. As shown, it comprises a bottom having two concentric upright walls, between which is adapted to fit the open end of a cap or cover 70. The parts are removably held together, and between the concentric walls there is a liquid to form a seal and prevent escape of the gas. Projecting upward from the bottom is a plate 71, which divides the casing into two communicating compartments or chambers, one of which, as 72, is adapted to contain charcoal to dry the gas and the other, 73, cotton to remove from the gas any lime that may be carried along therewith. The gas passes from the gasometer through the pipe 67, the chamber 72, over the upper end of plate 71, through chamber 73, and out through supply pipe or main 74.

The invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Assuming that a supply of carbid has been dropped into the water, the gas generated will pass through the water to the pipe 35 and into the trap 36 on one side of the plate 39 and out of the pipe 40 into the gasometer beneath the float 46, so as to cause the latter to rise. As the latter rises the lever 52 will lower of its own weight; but as soon as the float be gins to fall the chain 49 will raise the outer end of the lever and through the pawl 54 will rotate the ratchet-wheel 55 and cam-wheel 56. This rotary movement of the cam-wheel will throw the weighted end of the lever 59 upward, and should the float continue to lower, as it will if the gas is being used, the end of the lever will be released, which will cause the pawl 63 to rotate the ratchet-wheel 64, shaft 61, gears 65 and 66,and through the shaft 23 and pulley 22 the feed-belt 19, thus depositing at one time the desired quantity of carbid through the chute 24 into the water in the chamber 13, which operation is repeated with the rise and fall of the float of the gasometer. The gas passes from the gasometer through the pipe 67, the charcoal-chamber 72 of the filter, cotton-chamber 73, and out through the main '74, any excess of pressure in the gasometer being relieved by the trap 36, as hereinbefore explained. I thus provide simple and efficient means whereby the carbid may be intermittingly and automatically supplied in proper quantities to the water and the gas thus generated automatically controlled and supplied to the main at the desired pressure and atthe same time provide means whereby the gas may be filtered and any sediment in the generator quickly and easily removed without interfering with the operation of the machine.

It will be understood that the general arrangement of the parts may be varied and that the feed mechanism may be varied somewhat or some of the parts dispensed with or others substituted therefor without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a generator, a gasometer, automatically-operated means for feeding carbid to the water in the generator, a trap for relieving any excess of pressure in the gasometer, said trap being adapted to contain liquid and having a plate dividing the same into two compartments above the liquid, an inlet and an outlet pipe connecting one chamber of the trap with the generator and the gasometer, an escape-pipe connecting with the other chamber, and a filter for drying and cleansing the gas, substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a feed mechanism comprising a movable body adapted tocarry the carbid, a lever, means operated by the lever for imparting motion to the movable body, a second lever, and means operated by the second lever for intermittingly operating the first-mentioned lever, substantially as described.

3. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a feed mechanism comprising a movable belt, a

weighted lever, means operated by the lever for imparting motion to the belt in one direction, a cam-wheel for moving the weighted lever in one direction, a second lever, and means operated by the second lever for rotating the cam-wheel,substantially as described.

4. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, a feed mechanism comprising a movable belt, pulleys around which the belt passes, a shaft, gears connecting the shaft with one of the pulleys so as to operate in unison, a ratchetwheel secured to the shaft, a weighted lever carrying a pawl adapted to rock on said shaft and rotate the ratchet-wheel, a cam-wheel, a

second ratchet-wheel rotating with the camwheel, and a second lever carrying a pawl adapted when moved in one direction to operate the cam-wheel,substantially as described.

5. In an acetylene gas apparatus, the combination with a generator having means for holding carbid, a movable body arranged underthe carbid-holding means, a lever having one end thereof adjustable, means operated by the lever for imparting motion to the movable body, a cam-wheel having a series of teeth with rounded ends adapted to engage the adjustable end of the lever, and means for operating the cam-wheel, substantially as described.

6. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with a generator having two compartments or chambers, a hopper arranged in one chamber adapted to hold the carbid, a movable belt arranged under the hopper, said hopper being provided with sides or guides, which rest on the belt, a tilting lever operatively connected with the belt to move it, a second lever operatively connected to the first lever to move it, means for operating the second lever, a chute connecting the two chambers, and a deflector or trough arranged below the chute, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the character de scribed,the combination with a gas-generator, of a gasometer, and a trap connected with the generator and the gasometer, said trap containinga liquid and having its body portion of two telescopic members, a plate depending from the top of the casing dividing the space above the liquid into two chambers, and extending some distance below the surface of the liquid, an escape-pipe connected with one chamber, and inlet and outlet pipes connecting the other chamber with the gasometer and the generator, the pipe fromthe generator extending below the surface of the liquid, and a pipe for filling and keeping the liquid in the trap at a fixed height, substantially as described.

FRANK S. HUTOHINSDN.

Witnesses:

' W. B. HUTOHINSON,

O. S. COWLEY.

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