US686585A - Acetylene-gas generator. - Google Patents

Description

No. 686,585. Patented Nov. I2, 1901.

' T. A. BRYAN.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Apr. 3, 1901.)

2 Sheets- Sheet I.

(No Model.)

q v/lll/rllvl lll m layer/ 02? 0T0 L ma. WASHINCYQ No. 686,585. Patented Nov. l2, l90l.

' T. A. BRYAN.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Applicationflled Apr. 3, 1901.)

2 Sheets$heet 2.

(N0 Model.)

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. BRYAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

\ SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 686,585, dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed April 3, 1901 I Serial No. 54,203. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. BRYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have in- Vented new and useful Improvements in Generating Apparatus for Acetylene-Gas Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in generating apparatus IQ for acetylene-gas lamps in the use of which quantities of carbid are intermittently discharged into the water of a generating-chamber in amounts and at intervals determined by the consumption of the gas at the burner. In the construction adopted herein I employ the positive or forced-feed apparatus forming the subject-matter of a separate application for patent, Serial No. 52,985, filed March 26, 1901; and the invention consists in the combination, with such apparatus, of a novel arrangement of mechanism actuated by the pressure of the gas for automatically preventing the feed of carbid and for closing communication between the generating 2 5 chamber and the carbid-feed to prevent accidental access of water to the carbid and of mechanism actuated by the valve-plug of the burner when turning off the gas to positively lock the feed apparatus in an inoperative 0 position, so that carbid cannot fall therefrom, and at the same time to close communi cation between the carbid-feed and the generating-chamber for the purpose just mentioned.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a lamp constructed ac- 4o cording to my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through the'casing inclosing and supporting the generating apparatus. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken at right'angles to that of Fig. 2. Fig. {i is a detail sectional view illustrating the locked position of the feed apparatus. Fig; 5 is a similar view' illustrating the position'of the parts when the weighted 'arm operating the feed apparatus has fallen to a position below the normal, and Fig. 6 is seetional view illustrating a modified construction of the means for closing the casing of" the feed apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a lamp-body of any preferred design, the interior of which affords a gas-tight generatingchamber. Access to such chamber is had through the medium of a screw-capped filling-spout 2 for supplying water to the gen-.

crating-chamber and a similar spout 3 for removing refuse therefrom. In the top of the lamp-body is removably secured in any suitable gas-tight manner, as by screwing therein, a semispherical metal casing 4, which supports and incloses the various parts comprising the generating apparatus, the construction, arrangement, and operation of which will now be described.

5 indicates a carbid-receptacle secured to the interior of the casing in any suitable manner, as by soldering, and closed by means of a screw-plug 6. The lower end of this receptacle terminates in a spout 7, and on this spout is mounted the feed apparatus comprising the chute 8, curved plate 9, having lip 10, weighted apron ll, arm 12, having shoulder 13, stud 14, projection 15, and weighted arm 16, all as described in my pending application, and the construction and operation of which parts will not be recited herein in detail, except in so far as may be necessary to describe the operation of the apparatus. The feed apparatus proper, comprising the parts just named, is inclosedin a housing 17, I

which also incloses the spout 7 and is soldered or otherwise secured to the lower portion of the receptacle 5. The housing 17 has depending from it an open-ended tube 18 for guiding the carbid in its fall.

19 indicates a rod which is pivotally connected at one end to the weighted rod 16, adjacent to its point of connection with the chute 8, as indicated at 20, and at its other end to the apex of a cone-shaped plug 21, as

indicated at 22. Extending from side to side of the casing 17 and journaled therein is a shaft 23, having one end projecting through a suitable stuffing-box.

On this projecting end of the shaft is secured a crank 24, to the outer end of which is pivotally connected one' end of a rod 25. The opposite end of the rod 25 is suitably secured to the center of a flexible diaphragm 26, of rubber, leather, or other suitable material. The diaphragm 26 is secured in a gas-tight manner aroundits edge to an annular abutment 27, formed on the interior of the casing 4, by means of screws 28 and a clamping-ring 29. Any preferred means of securing this diaphragm in position, however, may be employed. Secured to the shaft 23 intermediate its ends is a lever-arm 30, which is normally in engagement with the under side of the weighted arm '16 and is adapted to be turned by the shaft 23 to lift said weighted arm.

31 indicates a valve-casing mounted on the top of the casing 4 and communicating by means of a passage 32, extending through it, with the interior of said casing. Mounted in the valve-casing 31 is a valve 33, having a transverse passage 34 and a key 35 for turning it. By turning this Valve the passage 34 may be brought into and turned out of engagement with the passage 32 to open and close communication, respectively, from the interior of the casing 4 through said last-named passage, as will be understood. The top of the valve-casing 31 is suitably formedsay screw-threadedas at 35, to receive a gas-tip 36,adapted for burning acetylene gas,and supports holders 37 forashade 38. Secured atone end to the valveplug 33 and extending at right angles thereto is a short crank-arm 39, to the outer end of which is secured one end of a rod 40. The rod 40 is provided intermediate its ends with a link connection 41, and after passing through a stuffing-box 42 in the top of the casing 7 is enlarged at its lower end and provided with an elongated slot 43, through which the weighted arm 16 extends. The valve-casing 31 is provided with a recess 44 in its lower portion to permit of the movement of the crank-arm 39 as the valve-plug is turned. Au air-vent 45 is provided in the wall of easing 4 in the space inclosed by the diaphragm 26.

The operation is as follows: The valve-plug 33 is first turned to close communication from the generator to the burner. As the Valveplug is so turned the bottom of the slot 43 will engage the under side of the weighted arm 16 and raise said arm, and thereby the forward or feed side of the chute 8, so that said chute will occupy snbstantiallyahorizon tal position,and the apron 11 will rest against the forward edge of the chute, and the possibility of any carbid falling from the chute be thereby prevented. The screw-plug 6 is now removed and the receptacle 5 filled with carbid, which will fall down upon and be supported by the plate 9 and the portion of the bottom of the chute 8 projecting beyond the forward edge of said plate. The plug 6 is replaced and the valveplug 33 turned to open communication through the passage 34 in said valve-plug and the passage 32 from the generator to the burner. In this movement of the valve-plug the rod 40 will be pressed down by thecrankarm 39, carrying the bottom of the slot 43 away from the weighted arm 16 and allowing said arm to fall. As said arm falls the the forward side of the chute 8 is carried downward, the shoulder 13 engaging the stud 14 to stop the fall of the apron 11 and provide a space between said apron and the front edge of the bottom of the chute for the fall of the carbid therethrough. As said forward edge of the chute is in this movement carried toward the lip 10 the carbid on the bottom of the chute between said lip and the apron 11 will accordingly be crowded or forced off and will fall through the tube 18 into the water in the generator or lamp-body 1. As gas is generated the pressure thereof will force the diaphragm 26 outward, which movement of the diaphragm through the medium of the rod 25 and crank 24 will turn the lever-arm upward, and thereby raise the weighted arm 16, and with it the chute, and stop the feed of the carbid. As the gas is consumed at the burner the pressure is removed gradually from the diaphragm, which will permit the weighted arm 16 to fall, turning the lever-arm 3O downward and causing a further feed of carbid, when the weighted arm 16 will again be raised, as above described. Thus the weighted arm 16 will be raised and lowered in more or less rapid succession, depending upon the rate of consumption of the gas, and as the movement of this arm causes the feed of the carbid the generation of gas will be in substantially exact proportion to its consumption.

In the upward movement of the arm 16, caused either by turning the Valve-plug 33 or by the outward movement of the diaphragm, both as above described, the plug 21 will be raised by the rod 19 into engagement with the lower open end of the tube 18 to close the same, and in the downward movement of the arm 16 said plug will be forced away from the end of said tube to permit the fall of the carbid therethrough into the generator. When the tube 18 is closed by the plug 21, no moisture can pass up through said tube to the carbid, and in the event of the lamp being overturned no water can reach the carbid, as the casing 17 hermetically incloses the feed apparatus. This construction insures that there shall be no after generation when the flow of gas has been turned off at the burner, as no moisture can possibly reach the carbid, and the plug will also prevent any accidental fall of carbid into the generator, as will be apparent. As the tube 18 will be closed by the action of the diaphragm almost immediately after each discharge of carbid, very little, if any, gas will ever pass up through said tube into the carbid-receptacle. It will be understood, of course, that after the apparatus has once been placed in operation by turning the valve-plug 33 the slot 43 offers no resistance or obstruction to the free movement of the arm 16 under the action of the diaphragm 26. It will also be understood that when the gas is turned off at the burner the apparatus will be securely locked against operation until the valve-plug is again turned to permit the weighted arm 16 to fall.

As shown in Fig. 5, should the weighted arm 16 from any cause fall to far the projection will engage the under side of the arm 12 and lift its shoulder 13 out of engagement with the stud 14, thereby permitting the weighted apron 11 to fall and securely close the feed-opening of the chute.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification in the construction of the parts for closing the tube 18. In this arrangement arubber sleeve 46 is slipped over the lower end of the tube 18, the lower end of said sleeve extending below the lower end of said tube and being inwardly beveled, as indicated at 47, to provide a seat for aball-valve 18.v The operation is the same as with the construction first described. The rubber tube or sleeve 46, however, can be more securely closed and with less pressure than is the case with the metal tube 18. It will be obvious that the metaltube 18 may have its lower end beveled to, afford a valve-seat in the same manner as the rubber sleeve 46, and a ball-valve could be used in lieu of the conical plug 21.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. Inanacetylene-gaslamp,incombination with a generating-chamber, a carbid-hopper and a feed apparatus therefor, comprising a hinged tilting support, a burner, a valve in said burner, means operatively connecting the said valve and support, whereby the support will be raised to and locked in an inoperative position when the valve is turned off, and means actuated by variations in the pressure of the gas generated for operating said support when the same is unlocked and thereby controlling the supply of carbid to the gencrating-chamber.

2. In an acetylene-gas lamp, in combination with a generating-chamber, a burner-valve communicating with said chamber, a carbidhopper and a feed apparatus therefor, a connection between said apparatus and said generating-chamber, means for opening and closing said connection, and means connecting said opening and closing means with the burner-valve, whereby when said valve is closed, the connection between the carbidfeed apparatus and the generating-chamber is also closed.

3. In an acetylene-gas lamp, in combination with a generating-chamber, a burner-valve, a carbid-h opper and a feed apparatus therefor, a connection between said apparatus and said generating-chamber, means for opening and closing said connection, and means operatively connecting said valve and the feed apparatus and said opening and closing means, whereby to lock the feed apparatus in an inoperative position and to close communication from the generating-chamber of the lamp to said feed apparatus when said valve is turned ofl.

4. In an acetylene-gas lamp, in combination with a generating-chamber, a carbid-hopper and a feed apparatus therefor, a connection between the' generating-chamber and said feed apparatus, a flexible diaphragm operatively connected to said feed apparatus and exposed to the gas-pressure in the lamp, means for opening and closing said connection, and means connecting said opening and closing means with the diaphragm, whereby to close communication from the generating-chamber of the lamp to the feed apparatus in the outward or expanding movement of the diaphragm.

5. In an acetylene-gas lamp, in combination with a burner-valve, a feed apparatus, a casing inclosing said feed apparatus and having an opening, a closing device for said opening, and means operatively connecting said closing device and valve, substantially as described.

6. In an acetylene-gas lamp, in combination with a generating-chamber, a feed apparatus, a casing inclosing said feed apparatus and having an opening communicating with said generating-chamber, a closing device for said opening,a flexible diaphragm operatively connected to said feed apparatus, and means operatively connecting said closing device and diaphragm, whereby to close communication from the generating-chamber of the lamp to the feed apparatus in the outward or expanding movement of the diaphragm,substantially as described;

7. In an acetylene-gas lamp, in combination with a burner-valve, a feed apparatus, a casing inclosing said feed apparatus and having an opening, a closing device for said opening, a flexible diaphragm operatively connected to said feed apparatus, and means operatively connecting said closing device with said valve and said diaphragm, substantially as described.

8. In an acetylene-gas lamp, a feed apparatus comprising a pivoted support having a weighted arm, a burner-valve, and a rod having a crank connection with said burnervalve and a slotted connection with said weighted arm, substantially as described.

9. In an acetylene-gas lamp, a feed apparatus comprising a pivotedsupport having a weighted arm, a burner-valve, a rod having a crank connection with said burner-valve and a slotted connection with said weighted arm and a flexible diaphragm having an operative connection with said feed apparatus.

10. In an acetylene-gas lamp, a feed apparatus comprising a pivoted support having a weighted arm, a casing inclosingsaid feed apparatus and having an opening, a closing device for said opening, a burner-valve, a rod having a crank connection with -said burnervalve and a slotted connection with said weighted arm and a connection betweensaid weighted arm and said closing device.

11. In an acetylene-gas lamp, a feed appa-' ratus comprisinga pivoted support having a weighted arm, a casing inclosing said feed IIO 10 weighted arm, a flexible diaphragm and a connection between said diaphragm and said crank, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS A. BRYAN.

Witnesses:

HOWARD R. PYLE, CHAS. L. SKINNER.

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