US802833A - Acetylene-gas generator. - Google Patents

Description

No. 802,833. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. M. THAYER & J. E. REYNOLDS.

AOETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. l2. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 802,833 i PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. M. THAYER E J. E. REYNOLDS.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.12, 1904.

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srarps PATENT clarion MARTIN THAYER AND JONATHAN E. REYNOLDS, OF VVAREHAM, MASSA- CHUSETTS.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24:, 1905.

Application filed October 12,1904. Serial No. 228,148.

To all whom it nea/y concern:

Be it known that we, MARTIN THAYER and JONATHAN E. REYNOLDS, citizens of the United States, residing in Wareham, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Acetylene-Generators, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

The present invention relates to an acetylens-gas generator, and is mainly embodied in a feed-controlling valve for the carbid, the purpose being to obtain a valve which will l feed regularlyT in accordance with the amount of gas consumed and without the use of any abnormal power, the danger of clogging the valve and preventing a closure thereof being also positively obviated. The valve is also so arranged as to be self-cleaning, so that no deposit can accumulate and interfere with the valve action. The valve is controlled by the action of the upper member of the gasometer, which may be of any usual type, the rising and falling movements of the upper member of the gasometer being imparted to the valve to close and open the same, respectively, so that the carbid is fed into the water to supply additional gas when the gasometer member falls and the feed cut off when the member rises. ln accordance with the invention the valve members are composed of flexible fingers arranged closely enough together to practically prevent the escape of the lumps of carbid between them, the valve preferably having two oppositelydisposed members the vlingers of which are curved downwardly substantially on the are of a valve-actuating member or rock-shaft, so that as the rock-shaft rotates the fingers of one set will be separated from those of the other, thus affording a space between the two for the feed of the carbid. By shaping the fingers as described the movement thereof with relation to the mass of carbid which is supported upon the valve is substantially transverse to the line of gravitation, so that it is not necessary to lift the mass in either movement of the valve. The actuating member for the valve, moreover, is at one side of the hopper, and the lingers are inclined laterally downward toward said actuator, so that the space below the meetingpoint of the valve members is entirely unobstructed, leaving a free space for the fall of the carbid as soon as the valve begins to open. Furthermore, in the closing of the valve if a lump of carbid is caught in the opening between the two valve members the lingers will yield and let the lump of carbid slip between them, and the valve will not be prevented from closing by the interposed lump of carbid, as might be the case if the valve members were solid. ln the construction chosen to illustrate the invention the valve is at the bottom of a hopper to contain carbid, the said hopper being supported over a generating-chamber of the ordinary type, which is in communication with a gasometer consisting, for example, of a water-tank, with an inverted gas-tank floating therein, so as to rise as the gas fills the space between the water and the interior of the inverted tank, and the valve is controlled by the rising and falling movement of the inverted tank, the former movement closing the carbid-controlling valve and the latter movement opening the same. The movable member is operated by means of an actuating member or rockshaft, which projects into the generatingchamber below the hopper through a suitable stuffing-box, the said rock-shaft being at one side of the hopper.

A further feature of the invention consists in means for positively preventing the blowing out of the gas from the gasometer, due to an overfeed of the carbid, thereby obviating the need of providing the gasometer with a safety blow-off, the device being so arranged that the valve will be wholly closed after the gasometer has reached a certain predetermined position, the said gasometer being free, however, to rise further in case of an excess of gas, so that the gas will not blow out of the gasometer, as is the case when the close of the valve prevents further upward movement of the movable gasolneter member. This is accomplished by providing the actuator connected with the gasometer with means for becoming automatically disengaged from the valve-actuating member at a certain predetermined period in the operation, the said member becoming automatically rengaged as the gasometer returns to its lower position, so that the operation may be repeated as often as is necessary.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a generator embodying the invention, a part of the hopper being broken away and shown in section to illustrate the valve. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the hopper, the valve and its actuating parts being mainly shown in plan and Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation looking toward the right of Fig. 1 with the lower portion of the hopper shown in section to illustrate the valve.

The hopper a is supported within the upward extension A2 at the top of the generating-chamber A, said extension having a cover A3, which is removable for the purpose of supplying the hopper with carbid, but arranged to be tightly sealed when the apparatus is in use. The valve, which is located near the bottom of the hopper, consists of a number of substantially parallel exible iingers b, which are shown as wires connected at their lower ends with an actuating member Z22, herein shown as a rock-shaft supported in lugs a2, projecting below the valve at the bottom of the hopper and extending through a stuffing-box A4 in the wall of the extension A2, the arrangement being such that the rotating movement of the rockshaft b2 will open or close the valve. As best shown in Fig. 3, the rock-shaft b2 is at one side of the hopper, and the ngers b project upward and inward from said rock-shaft to a meeting-point in the hopper, from which point they are curved substantially on an arc from the center of the rock-shaft b2 and are vextended through openings a3 in the walls of the hopper. These openings constitute supports for the outer ends of the fingers and also serve to strip or clean olf any accumulation of carbid which may adhere to the fingers, so that in the operation of the valve it is kept clean and free from any substance which might interfere with its proper operation. As herein shown, the valve is provided with two oppositely-disposed sets of fingers, the fingers bm being shown as mounted on the rock-shaft b2", while the rock-shaft b2 is provided with a gear-segment b3, intermeshing with the gearsegment 530 on the rock-shaft 520, so that the movement of the rock-shaft b2 is transmitted to the rock-shaft 520, causing the members and 191 to move toward and from the meeting-point. lt is to be understood, however, that this construction is not essential, since the supply of carbid may be properly controlled by the movement of one valve member only. To open and close the valve automatically in response to the consumption of the gas, the rock-shaft b2 is arranged to be controlled by an operating device c, herein shown as an arm connected with the upper or iioating member C2 of the gasometer C, which may be of any suitable or usual type. For this purpose the rock-shaft b2 is provided with an arm b, having a counterweight b5,

the said arm being engaged by the member c to rock the counter-shaft in response to the vertical movement of the said member. ln order to prevent the gas from blowing out of the gasometer if there is an excess of gas generated after the valve has been closed, the member c is arranged to be automatically disengaged from the rock-shaft at that period in the operation when the valve has become -fully closed. As herein shown, the armb4 is pivoted at b and movable in a guide b7,which is curved at the upper end, so that after the arm b* has risen a certain predetermined distance the arm will be moved by the guide on the pivot b out of the path of the member c, so that the two become automatically disengaged from each other. The member c is shown as made in two parts, the lower of which is provided with a latch member c2 at the end, which permits the said member c to move downward without acting on the arm b4, there being an upper member c3, which is arranged to engage said arm at the top in the downward movement of said member, so as to open the valve as the gas becomes ,discharged from the gasometer. lhile the latch member is normally out of the path of y the arm b4 after it has become disengaged therefrom there is liable to be some lateral movement of the upper member of the gasometer, and in case of such movement the latch permits the member c to travel down without starting to open the valve until the upper member c3 comes into operation. This prevents an immediate feed of carbid upon the first reduction of the quantity of gas in the gasometer, thus giving a certain flexibility of control which would not otherwise be obtainable.

In the operation of the device as the member C2 of the gasometer falls the member c3, acting upon the top of the lever b4, turns the rock-shaft b2 in a direction to separate theY valve members, and thus permits the carbid to feed down between them. As the gasometer fills and its floating member rises the valve members are moved toward their meeting-point, finally reaching the position shown in Fig. 3, thus closing the bottom of the hopper and cutting ofi1 the supply of carbid from the generator. The fingers are close enough together to prevent the escape of the smaller particles of carbid between them and at the same time are sufficiently flexible to admit of the closing of the valve, even if some ofthe larger particles get caught between the valve members. Furthermore, any particles thus caught or any deposit formed upon the valve members will be dislodged or scraped ofl` in the opening movement of the valve, the result being that the valve is kept in perfect condition and is always capable of being closed eifectually when the gasometer is supplied. The shape and flexibility of the fingers, moreover, are

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and without fluctuation.

What we claim is- 1. In an acetylene-gas generator, a hopper for the carbid; a valve consisting of a series of substantially parallel lingers projecting across the outlet from the hopper; and means for producing a longitudinal movement of said lingers in a direction transverse to the vertical axis of the hopper to control the gravityfeed of the carbid from the hopper.

2. In a generator for acetylene gas, the combination with the hopper; of a va ve consisting of a plurality of ileXible fingers connected at one end with a rock-shaft below and at one side of the hopper, the upper portions of said iingers being curved on an arc struck from the axis of said rock-shaft; the rock-shaft aforesaid g and openings in the wall of the hopper for said fingers, as set forth.

I3. ln an acetylene-gas generator, a hopper for the carbid; a valve consisting of flexible lingers projecting across the outlet from the hopper; a gasometer and means connected therewith for producing a longitudinal movernent of said fingers in a direction transverse to the vertical axis of the hopper to close said valve and means for automatically disconnecting said operating means from said valve after said valve has been closed, as set forth.

4. rlhe combination with the hopper; of a valve consisting of flexible `lingers; a rockshaft below and at one side of said hopper connected with said fingers, and projecting from said hopper through a stuffing-box; a pivoted lever connected with said rock-shaft a guide for said lever having a curved portion to produce a movement thereof on its pivot; and an engaging member for said lever having a rectilinear movement, substantially as described.

5. ln a gravity-feed acetylene generator, a valve located in the bottom of the carbidhopper to support the carbid when closed, said valve consisting of a series of substantially parallel flexible 'lingers 3 and means for moving said fingers longitudinally in a direction transverse to the vertical axis of the hopper to control the feed of the carbid, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARTIN THAYER. JONATHAN E. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

MARGARET C. CovENRY, HENRY J. LIVERMORE.

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