US552101A - William c - Google Patents

Description

No. 552,101. Patented D's-0.31 1895.

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\VILLIAM C. CLARKE, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND SUPPLYING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,101, dated December 31, 1895.

Application filed August 24, 1895. Serial No. 560,383. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, W LLIAM C. CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Supplying Illuminating-Gas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus of limited capacity used in supplying gas in small local plants, as in country houses, and is more especiallyintended to be used in connection with the production of gas by means of metallic carbides, such as calcium carbide, which, as is well known, upon being brought in contact with water is decomposed, together with the water, giving as the result of decomposition acetylene gas. A considerable amount of residue of decomposition in the shape of wet lime remains and has to be periodically removed from the generator, and the object of my improvements is to provide an apparatus in which this can be done and a fresh charge of carbide inserted without interrupting the flow of gas to the burners, and which shall be economical in construction and simple in its mode of operation. To this end I provide a series of expansible gasholders, each of which is connected with the delivery gas-pipe leading to the burners. The number and size of these is determined by the length of time it is desired the apparatus shall run without recharging.

The gas is generated directly in the holders, each holder being provided for this purpose with an opening in the top thereof, having a removable cover which is tightly sealed when in place on the opening. To this cover is attached a vessel or chamber for containing the carbide to be employed, which when the cover is in place projects downward into the holder, and, when the holder is not raised by gas-pressure, into the water with which the lower part of the holder is filled.

Each holder of the series is so weighted that the gas from it will be delivered from it to the main gas-pipe under a pressure different from that under which the gas from any other holder of the series will be delivered, and a pressure-regulator is interposed between the series of holders and the burners, so that the pressure of gas at the burners will be uniform. By means of this difference in the pressure upon the different holders the gas is not fed to the delivery-pipe from all the holders simultaneously, but from each separately, that holder which is under the greatest weight being first emptied, then that which is next lower in the series in point of weight, and so on until all the holders are emptied. \Vhen one or more of the holders have delivered their supply of gas they may be cut off from the delivery-pipe by cocks provided for the purpose and the residue of decomposition removed and fresh charges of carbide inserted without interfering with the delivery of gas from those still in operation, while at the same time the gas will always be delivered to the burners under a uniform pressure.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a vertical elevation of 'a series of holders, one of which is in section to show its internal construction.

A A A indicate the external shells of the gas-holders, within which are the bells or holders proper B B B. The shells A A A are kept filled with Water to such a level that when the holders B B 13 contain no gas their tops will rest on the surface of the water, or nearly so. From a point within each of the holders B B B and above the surface of the water a pipe 0, in which is a cook or valve V, leads to the main supply-pipe D, leading to the burners. In the top of each of the holders B B B is an opening E, closed with a cover F, which is supplied with a liquid seal G,of water, glycerine, or other suitable liquid. The weight of the cover F and the depth of the liquid seal are such that the seal will not be broken when the holder is raised by the pressure of the gas within it. To the cover F is removably attached a vessel or chamber I-I, adapted to receive the carbide to be used. The vessel H, when the cover F is in place, projects downward into the holder and is, with the carbide, wholly or partially immersed in the water within the holder when the holder is down. The sides of vessel H are perforated, so that when it is in place the water in the holder can come in contact with its contents.

The holders A A A are so arranged that the gas in each is subjected to a different pressure from that in any other holder of the series. This may be done by making the holders themselves of different weights or by applying a different weight, as V \V W, to each of the holders, as shown in the drawing, or by subjecting the several holders to different pressures in. other ways that will readily occur to those skilled in the art, so that while the gas in one of the holders is subjected to a pressure of, say, two inches that in the next will be subjected to a less pressure, as an inch and three quarters, and the third to a pressure still lower, as an inch and a half, and so on throughout the series.

A pressure-regulator R in the main delivery-pipe D regulates the pressure of the gas as delivered at the burners.

In using the apparatus the several holders are first charged with gas by placing in position the covers F, having attached thereto the vessels containing carbide, upon contact of which with the water the gas is developed. The holders being thus all charged with gas, when gas is consumed at the burners it will not be drawn from all the holders, though all are open to the delivery-pipe, but only from that which is subjected to the greatest pressure, the others remaining inactive until its supply of gas is exhausted. When the gas has all been drawn from that holder which is subjected to the greatest pressure, that which is next in the series in point of pressure will begin to deliver its charge, and so on with all of the holders in succession until all are empty. WVhen the gas in one or more of the holders is exhausted, such holders may be cut off from the main delivery-pipe by means of the valves V, so as to prevent a backflow of gas from the holders still in operation, and by removing the covers F and Withdrawing the residue of decomposition and inserting fresh charges of carbide such holders are again charged With gas and ready for operation. It will be evident that the operation of recharging the spent holders will not interfere with the delivery of gas from the holder in operation at the time, the delivery of gas to the burners being continuous.

In case of an accidental overcharge of carbide to any one of the holders in recharging, the excess of gas developed over the capacity of such holder will be taken up by the partlyemptied holder in operation at the time, and thus an excess of pressure is prevented.

In effect the series of holders constitute a sectional holder, the capacity of which is the combined capacity of the series, and each section of which receives its gas independently of the others and delivers its gas only when those sections in which the gas is under greater pressure are exhausted.

I do not claim herein the means described for effecting the generation of gas within the holder, as I have made this the subject of another application for Letters Patent, filed March 21, 1895, Serial No. 542,585.

WVhat I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a series of expansible gas holders independently connected to a common delivery pipe and so arranged that the gas from each holder is delivered into such pipe under a pressure different from that under which the gas from any other holder of the series is delivered, a pressure regulator in the delivery pipe, and means for generating gas in such holders, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of a series of expansible gas holders independently connected to a common delivery pipe, a pressure regulator in such pipe, and means whereby the gas from each of such holders is delivered to said pipe under a pressure different from that under which the gas from any other holder of the series is delivered, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

- 3. The combination of a series of expansible gas holders independently connected to a common delivery pipe and means whereby the gas from each of said holders is caused to be delivered to said pipe under a different pressure and at a different time from the gas from any other holder of the series, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 2d day of August, A. D. 1895.

\VM. 0. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

E. A. OLENDORF, CLARKsoN A. COLLINs.

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