US1597121A - Acetylene-gas generator - Google Patents

Description

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ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR Filed May 29. 1922 port 16.

Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

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FRANK L. THOMPSON AND SAMUEL R. BARGER, 0F INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Application ledMay 29, 1922. Serial No. 564,436.

Our invention relates to apparatus for generating acetylene domestic purposes, andl our objects lare to simplify apparatus of this character by dispensing with the usual floating gas holder employed for controlling the carbid feeding mechanism; to provide a generator having a feeding mechanism capable of supplying the carbid to the water in the generating chamber as required; to provide easy access to clean or repair the feeding mechanism; to provide means for disposing of the sludge formed during the generation of the gas; and to provide safety means for preventing fire from flashing backwardly into the generator from the service pipe which conducts the gas to the point of use.

Tith the above objects in viewv and others which will be detailed during` the course of this description, referenceV will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the tubular portion of the apparatus, taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus.

In carrying out the invention, we employ a tank 2 of suitable capacity in which the generation of gas takes place. Said tank 2 has a bottom 4 and a top 6, which latter is removably secured by bolts 8 to a circumferential flange 10 fixed to the upper end of the tank 2, a gasket 12 being interposed between the top 6 and said flange 10 to provide a gas-tight joint.

14 designates a hopper fixed in the upper portion of the tank 2 lfor holding a supply 0f carbid. Said hopper 14 has a conical bottom portion converging to an outlet port 16 through which the carbid is discharged into the water in the tank 2.

18 designates a valve for controlling the discharge of the carbid through the outlet Said valve 18 is fixed upon one end of a. lever 2O fulcrumed to a bracket 22 and provided at its opposite end with an adjustably mounted counterweight 24, which normally holds said valve 18 in closed position. The valve 18 is automatically opened to supply the carbid to the water as required, through the intermediacy of a. connecting rod 26, ivotally secured at one end to a lug 28 on tie lever 2O and secured at its oppo-l site end to a diaphragm 30 fixed in a oh. rrr

The

gas for commercial and tank 2 by a nipple 33 and communicates with a pressure tank 34 through a pipe connection 36. The pressure tank 34 communicates with the interior upper portion of the tank 2 through a pipe 38 equipped with a needle valve 40, which on beingopened admits gas under pressure to the tank 34v and to one side of the diaphragm 30.

41 designates a hand-hole in the upper portion of thetank 2, so that access may be had to the valve 18 and its control mechanism for the purpose of cleaning and adjusting the same. The cover of the handhole 41 has a stufling box 42 through which a shaft 44 extends from the exterior to the interior of the tank 2, said shaft 44 being provided at its inner end with a fixedlymounted crank 46 and at its outer end with a hand wheel 48 whereby the shaft may be turned to cause the crank 46 to raise the counterweight 34 for the purpose of opening the valve 18 when it is desired to start the generation of gas.

50 designates a flash-back chamber supported adjacent to the exterior upper portion of lthe tank 2 by a pipe 52 leading from the interior upper portion of said tank 2 down to a point adjacent to the bottom of the chamber 50, said pipe 52 being provided with a safety valve 54 for relieving the tank 2 of undue pressure. A service pipe 55 leads the acetylene gas from the chamber 5() to the point of use.

56 designates' an agitator arranged within the tank 2 near its bottom portion -4 and mounted upon a shaft 58 journaled in bearings 60 and extendingvoutvvardly through a stuffing box 62 fixed to the wall of the tank The outer end of the shaft 58 is bent to form a handle 64 whereby it' may be rocked for the purpose of actuating the agitator 56 and causing it to loosen up any sludge in the lower portion ofthe tank 2, so that said sludge may be carried off through an outlet valve 66 towards which the bottom 4 converges.

68 designates a gage connected to the upper portion of the tank 2 for the purpose of indicating the pressure therein.

In practice the hopper 14 is charged with carbid through an opening 70 in the top 6, after which said opening is closed by a screw plug 72. later is then introduced into the 'tank 2 to the height of a filling opening 74, which is then c osed b." f1a screw plug 76. 'Water um iaaaaae; at@ the chamber 50 to `the level of a filling opening 78, which is then closed by a plug 80. To start the generation of gas the needle valve 40 is opened and the hand-wheel 48 is actuated to cause the crank 46 to raise the counterweight 24 and open the valve 18, so 'tha-t a quantity of the carbid may pass from the hopper 14 into the water in the tank 2. After sufcientcarbid has been discharged into the water to raise the pressure to the desired point within the tank 2 and the pressure tank 84 the wheel 48 is rotated to carry the crank 4G downwardly away from the counterweight 24, so that the same may automatically close the valve 18. The valve 40 is then closed to entrap the gas under pressure in the tank 34 and that portion of the chamber 32 at the left of the diaphragm 32, Fig. 1. The diaphragm 32 is held in neutral or balanced position by the entrapped pressure above referred to and the pressure in the tank 2, which ente-rs that portion of the chamber 82 at the right of the diaphragm 30 through the nipple 83. The diaphragm remains in neutral position until sufiicient gas has passed out through the service pipe 55 to lower the pressure in the tank 2. whereupon the greater pressure in the tank 34 forces the diaphragm 30 to the right and causes it through the intermediacy of the connecting rod 26 to open the valve 18 against the action of the counterweight 24 and thus admit more carbid to the tank 2. The gas produced by the additional carbid soon raises the pressure high enough to close the valve with the aid of the counterweight 24. rlhe intermittent opening of the valve 18 continues as long as carbid remains in the hopper 14 and gas is drawn ofi1 through the service pipe 55. lhen it is desired to stop the generation of gas in the tank 2 the valve 40 is fully opened so that the pressure in the tank 34 will diminish with the pressure in the tank 2 caused by the withdrawal of the gas through the service pipe 55. The pressure then being equal on both sides of the diaphragm 30, allows the count-erweight 24 to close the valve 18 and retain it in such closed position until it is again manually opened thro-ugh the operation of the hand-wheel 48 and the crank 46. As the gas flows from the tank 2 and through the tank 5t) the watt-r in the latter performs the dual function of purifying the gas and also preventing any back` Hash which might occur in the service pipe 55, from passing backwardly into the tank 2 and exploding the gas therein.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that we have produced a generator Vembodying the advantages above pointed oult, and While we haveshown and described the preferred construction, combination and arrangement of parts, we reserve the right to make such changes as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we cla-im and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An acetylene generator consisting of a main tank lfor holding water, a carbid holder having an outlet through which the carbid is fed into the water to generate acetylene gas, a valve to control said outlet, a counterweight for closing said valve, a pressure tank com! municating with sai-d main tank to receive therefrom a portion of the gas., a valve to close communication between the main tank and said pressure tank to entrap the gas admitted to the latter from the fermer, a chamber communicating with the main tank and the pressure t-ank, a diaphragm dividing said chamber and responsive to the pressure of the gas in the main and pressure tanks, and a connection between said diaphragm and the valve controlling the carbid outlet whereby said valve is controlled by the diaphragm.

2. An acetylene generator consisting of a main tank for holding water, a carbid holder having an outlet through which the carbid is fed into the water to generate acetylene gas, a valve to control said outlet, a lever pivotally mounted on the carbid holder and whereby said valve is carried, a counterweight on said lever to normally hold the valve in closed position, a pressure tank communicating with said main tank to receive therefrom a portion of the gas, a valve to close communication between the main tank and said pressure tank to entra-p the gas admitted to the latter from the former, a chamber communieating with the m-ain tank and the pressure tank, a diaphragm dividing said chamber and responsive to the pressure of the gas in the main and pressure tanks, and a con-,

nection between said diaphragm and the valve controlling the carbid outlet whereby said valve is opened by the diaphragm when the pressure in the main tank falls below that in the pressure tank.

In testimony whereof we afx our signatures.

F RANK L. THOMPSON. SAMUEL R. BAR-GER.

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