US666724A - Acetylene-gas generator. - Google Patents

Description

N06, 666,724. Patented Ian. 29, 1am.

F. s. woun. ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed July 20, 1899.) (N Model.) 2 She'etsSheet l.

In've'nib'r,

F'fimk 514 0001,-

,' m: "cams pzmu co. womuwe" WASHINGTON, n. c. I

No. 666,724. Patented Ian; 29,-l90l.

F. s. 'woon.

AC'ETYLENE GAS- GENERATOR.

(Application filed July 20, 1899.) (No Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Invent) r,

Frank W001i,-

His fit foray NiTE STATES .AT FEQEQ FRANK S. WOOD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,724, dated January 29, 1901.

Application filed July 20, 1899. Serial No. 724,498. No model-J To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. WOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Acetylene-Gas Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention belongs to that class of acetylene-gas machinesin which the carbid of calcium is supported immediately above the surface of a body of water which is caused to re- .cede therefrom or to rise into contact there. with in accordance with the pressure of the gas being generated thereby. In machines of this class I have found it necessary, in order to thoroughly adapt them for ordinary unskilled householders, to provide means whereby the recharging-opening cannot be uncovered without automatically closing the pipe leading to the gasometer. Otherwise if the attempt were made to recharge the generator when any lights were about or other source of combustion the gas would rush back from the gasometer in such volume as to make great danger of an explosion. The device which I have invented for this purpose and a further means by which during the same pe riod any in rush of water to the generator can be also automatically prevented are set forth in the drawings forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my complete machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation, upon a larger scale, of the means for automatically preventing the removal of the cover without a closure of the gas-exit pipe; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same. 1

Turning to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the main body of the machine comprises the tubular section 1, having its top 2 and bottom 3 in the shape of truncated cones. The top is closed by means of the removable cover 5, while the bottom has a valve 30, through which to remove the residual lime. Legs 16 permit of the easy introduction of a pail beneath the said valve for the reception of such residual lime and the water discharging with it.

Fixed about the upper portion of the tubular body 1 is a hollow annulus or annular equilibration-chamber 4, which has no other connection with the interior of the tubular body or generator proper save through the pipe 40.

The carbid is introduced into the generator when the cover 5 is removed and is supported upon the grating 10. The generated gas passes from the generator to the gasometer or elsewhere through the pipe 20, and this pipe is closed when desired by the valve 21.

The cover 5 is held in place upon the flanged edges of the generator-opening 6 by means of the handscrew 50, Whose thrust is maintained by the spider 52. To removably hold said spider, the extremities of its arms are adapted to come beneath the ears 53, rigidly rising from the said flanged edges 54. By giving said spider a slight turn to the right its arm ends come beneath said ears and sustain the thrust of the screw 51, while a slight turn to the left brings said ends out from such engagement and permits both their removal and that of the cover 5.

To provide the means for compelling the closure of the valve 21 before said cover can be thus removed, I rigidly mount upon the valve-stem 22 an arm 23, adapted when the valve is closed to reach closely above the cover 5. In this manner before such cover can be raised this arm must be swung to one side and said valve thereby closed. The elbow 24:, projecting laterally from said arm 23, forces said arm, and hence the valve 21, to be moved far enough to insure absolute closure of the latter before such removal of the cover can be effected.

WVithin the equilibration-chamber 4 is contained the surplus water, which by its oscillation back and forth through the pipe 40 in accordance with the variations in gas-pressure provides the extra moistening of the carbid as required, and thereby renders the generation of the gas in inverse proportion to the pressure in the generator. The instant the cover 5 is raised from the top of the generator, all pressure within the same being removed, the water in the chamber 4: seeks its level in the generator. In doing this whatever carbid is remaining on the grating 10 is immediately flooded and a great outrush and escape of gas is caused. To prevent this by automatically closing the valve 41, which I provide for the pipe 40, whenever the generator is to be recharged, I have said valves 21 41 in substantial alinement and unite the stems thereof by means of the rod passing through a tube 42 in the chamber 4. In this manner the same device that closes the valve 21 similarly closes the valve 41, and hence when the generatoris recharged both the pipe 20 and the pipe 40 are tightly closed, and not only can no gas escape from the gasometer, but no water can flow from the chamber 4 to the generator.

During the same time that the generator is recharged the valve should be opened and the waste products of the generation removed. This removal of course causes all the Water in the generator to pass out therewith. The

proper amount of Water is supplied to the generator after the recharging has been completed, the cover 5 fastened in place, and the arm 23 swung back into its normal position in the following manner: In the first place all the water in the chamber 4 will have flowed down into the generator upon the moment of the opening of its valve 41. The attendant simply lifts up the flap 44 and pours water into the chamber 4 until it begins to escape from the open nozzle 43. The generation of gas will of course have begun the instant the level of the water passing from the chamber 4 through the pipe reaches the carbid, and the pressure of the gas being generated will probably reach its maximum limit at about the time when the water being poured into the chamber 4 begins to escape from the nozzle 43. Hence but little water will be lost through said nozzle; but it is quite immaterial whether much does or does not, the excellence of this feature of the machine consisting in its absolute indifference to the lack of skill or experience on the part of the individual in charge. He cannot get too much water into the generator.

-What I claim as my invention, and for which I desire Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

In an acetylene-gas machine, the combina' tion of the generator, the equilibration-chamber surrounding the upper part thereof, the pipe joining said chamber and generator, the valve in said pipe, the tube reaching verticall; through said chamber in alinement with said valve, the pipe leading from the generator, the valve therefor, the rod joining said valves through said tube and adapted to give them joint action, and means connected with the one of said valves for forcingit to be closed before the generator can be opened.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of July, 1899.

FRANK S.- \VOOD.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM F. ALMY, A. B. UPHAM.

Images