Improvements in or appertaining to acetylene lamps and acetylene generators

摘要

In acetylene generators of the type comprising a lower carbide container detachably fixed to an upper water container and having valve means for controlling the supply of water to the carbide container, three independent passages or tubes are provided in the closed water container, one of which contains the housing for the water valve and extends through the water container into the carbide container, the second which constitutes the water levelling tube is open at both end and extends from outside the top of the water container down to the desired level of water in the water container, and the third is open at both ends and extends from outside the top of the water container to nearly the bottom of the water container, and is in communication with the first tube below and above the level of the bottom of the second tube to allow water to pass from the water container to the valve housing, and to provide an outlet to the open through the valve for any excess gas generated in the carbide receptacle. The three tubes may be formed by using a central valve tube and enclosing same in or towards the centre of a casing so as to form two side tubes, one of which is the second water levelling tube and the other is the third tube for water admission and gas outlet. The three tubes may be assembled together, or the first and third tubes may be assembled together and the second tube in an independent position. In Fig. 1, the water container 2 is above the carbide receptacle 1. The central valve tube 16 constitutes the valve housing and is fixed in the centre of a casing 19 to form two side passages 17 and 18. Passage 17 is the water levelling tube and extends from outside the top of the water container to the requisite depth inside. Passage 18 extends from outside the water container to near the bottom, therefore to allow water to flow up through the bottom of the passage 18 through orifice 28 into the valve housing 16 and thence into the carbide container. Excess gas generated can pass up through the valve housing 16 and escape through orifice 29 above the bottom of the water levelling tube 17 into passage 18 and thence to the atmosphere. Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive are cross sections of varying arrangements of the three passages.