ACETYLENE LIGHTING,

Press, Volume L, Issue 149814, 30 May 1914, Page 6

ACETYLENE LIGHTING,

NEW AUTOMATIC GENERATvK.

PATENTED BY CHKISTCHUEw

IN YEN TDK

X'ountry scttlere and iownships contemplating a system of lighting by means of acetylene- gas will bo keenly interested iv an important ini _ en.«on which has just been macie and satisfactorily perfected by Messrs Taylor and Oakley, of this city. Hitherto, to instal acetylene gas a plant involving thrco different sections —a generator, a, puriiier, and a holder —has been necessary, and has involved a fairly extensive and cumbersome erection. Tho invention now mado effects a wonderful simplification of that system, as all thrco sections are combined in ono compact machine with.'a consequent great reduction in cost and space, and a general improvement in efficiency.

By the system which has been used to instal acetylene ' gas in so many country homes, there was first of all provided a generator which sent the gas in an uncleaned and crude state to another bulky machino called tt"» water washer. After being cleaned in this, gas passed into a holder, in which it was necessary for a certain amount of gas to be always stored in order to give a pressure for liguung whon tuat. was required. The bulkiuess of this arrangement impressed tho whole trade with the necessity of some improvement, and Messrs Taylor and Oakley, with others, soarched long for the solution, ~'iuo idea at length came, and subsequent experiments led to tho construction of what is now to be placed upon the market as the Lion Automatic Generator. Yesterday a full-sized model was shown to a "Press" reporter, and its workings explained to him.

The new patent commands attention at once, for its simplicity and compactness. A circular tank Borne three in height, and with a diameter of about two feet three inches, contains vue whole outfit. Into it from the top aro inserted two cylinders containing carbide, which fit into interior receptacles, into which water is admitted by a very ingenious automatic ...arrangement. Briefly, the system is that the water is admitted to tho carbide through a small hole. Gas is then generated and conducted by means of a tube to tiie bottom of the water-filled tank. Being liberated there, it ascends through tho water (becoming perfectly purified in doing so) to the top, where it is collected or drawn off immediately for nee. In the event of tno gas not being required at the moment, further generation is prevented automatically. As the gas collects under the roof its buoyancy lifts it and the carbido cylinders inserted thorein, until the hole which admits the water in tho latter is raised above the level of the liquid, when, of course, generation at once ceases. When combustion of tho gas is resumed the few cubic feet stored at the top go immediately into consumption, the roof descends, tne water obtains access to the carbiae, and generation is immediately restarted. This clever arrangement entirely does away with the necessity for. bulky storage capacity, and brings consumption into direct relationship with production.It will.be seen that this automatic generator, purifier, and holder requires absolutely no attention. It is self-con-tained and automatic in every way. There are no valves to get out of order, and the necessity for renewing the supply of carbide is reduced to a minimum. Each of the cylinders m the working model holds some 301bs of carbido, and each pound develops fivo foot of gas, which will supply a one-foot burner for five hours. One cylinder can be completely exhausted before mc other need start, and tho number of cylinders can be increased without increasing the size of the tank. Another advantage- presented by tho method of purification is that the gas reaches practically the maximum of purity and so avoids clogging of the burners, which, for acetylene gas, aro extremely tine. '