Automatic water-regulator for gas-producers.

Application filed June 30, 1909. Serial No, 505,250.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, John P. Nawn, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia 5 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Water-Regulators for Gas-Producers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates .to that class of devices wherein water is admitted to a gas producer to enrich the gas by means of the decomposition of water into its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen, the oxygen 15 serving to form incomplete combustion of the carbon of the fuel and the hydrogen being given off as a free gas of a highly explosive nature; the amount of water admitted being dependent upon the demands of 20 consumption from the producer, and my objects are; first, to provide means whereby the amount of water may be automatically regulated to the gas producer dependent upon the demands for gas therefrom; sec25 ond, to provide additional adjustable means which can be operated manually for regulating the amount of water to said producer; third, to provide an auxiliary means for admitting water to the producer air pipe 30 when the demands for water would be abnormal; and fourth, to provide means to prevent the head of water in the water supply pipe to the air pipe from interfering with the automatic regulation of water to 35 the gas producer upon normal demands for gas. .

With.these objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will 40 hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof_; and in which—

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a gas 45 producer air pipe showing a convenient embodiment of my invention as applied thereto; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same ; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation of a water pot and the pressure receptacle connected therewith;

Fig. 4, a plan view of the same, and Fig. 5, a section on line C—D Fig. 3, showing more clearly the means for securing the pressure receptacle to the said water pots.

In the. accompanying drawings, similar numerals of reference refer, to similar parts 55 throughout the several views and in which— designates a flanged elbow of a gas producer air pipe and which is provided with means for operating a valve 2, usually 'found on such devices for admitting and closing 60 air to the gas producer. 3 designates an additional part of the air pipe which is rigidly secured intermediate to the part 1 and the flanged elbow 4, the said, part 4 being rigidly secured to the gas producer 5. Air 65 flows to said gas producer 5 upon the opening of the valve 2 through the parts 1, 3 and 4.

designates a boss on the lower part of the. air pipe 3 and which has rigidly secured 70 to it a water receptacle 6, which is adapted to retain water. Said boss 39 is provided with a plurality of apertures 8 communicating with the water receptacle 6 and to. the inner part of the air pipe 3. The inner 75 edge 9 of the aperture in the boss 39 is disposed lower than the edge 10, and water flows from the receptacle 6 through the apertures 8 and over the edge 9 through the air pipe 3 and 4 to the gas producer where 80 it is vaporized and carried by the incoming air through the incandescent fuel in the gas producer.

designates the water supply pipe which openly terminates into the receptacle 6 below 85 the apertures 8.

designates a by-pass connected to the pipe 12 and the air pipe 3, the function of said pipe 14 being to provide auxiliary outlet for the water in the pipe 12 in case the 90 supply required is greater than can conveniently flow through the apertures 8, and consequently filling of the pipe 12, also to provide additional means for the pressure in the air pipe to act on the pressure recep- 95 taele 24, hereinafter more fully described.

designates an outer water pot and 25 an inner one, integral with the outer pot 17. Said: water pot 17 has a boss 31 extending from the same arid to which is secured, by 100 threaded engagement, the pipe 12.

designates a pressure receptacle provided with an open end which is inverted and immersed a predetermined depth in the water pot 25. Said pressure receptacle is 105 provided with a plurality of wedge shaped ears 30 extending outwardly from same and adapted to engage, upon slight turning, with

066,818 wedge shaped ears 28 and 29 projecting inwardly from the water pot 25. The space between the ears 28 and 29 forms a V-shaped opening which firmly secures the ears 30 5 upon engagement, and thereby rigidly secures the pressure receptacle 24 to the water pot 25, more clearly shown in Fig. 5.

designates a water supply pipe to the water pot 25 and the pressure receptacle 24, 10 and 16 designates an overflow pipe from said water pot 17; water flowing over the edge of the pot 25 to the pot 17 when the demands for water to the producer is less than the amount flowing from the water 15 supply pipe 18.

designates a pipe rigidly secured by threaded engagement to the boss 31 and which carries water from the pressure receptacle 24 to the pipe 12. Said pipe 32 is 20 provided on one side with a slot 33. In telescopic relation with said pipe 32 is an adjustable pipe 22 which is secured in any desired position by a collar 21 secured by the Set screw 20.

23 designates a cap for the pipe 22 and is rigidly secured thereto, by threaded engagement. Said pipe 22 is also provided with a slot 34 on one side and is adapted to aline with the slot 33. By traversing the 30 pipe 22 upon the pipe 32 an adjustment of the opening for water from the pressure receptacle 24 to the pipe 32 is effected.

designates a set screw threaded into the pipe 22, the projecting end of which en35 gages with the slot 33 in the pipe 32 and serves to preserve the alinement of the slots 33 and 34.

designates a casing having an inlet valve at 27 which is controlled by the screw ⁴⁰ valve 19. The amount of air entering the pressure receptacle through the inlet 27 is regulated by the screw 19 adapted to vary the area of the inlet 27. It is obvious that if the water supply was continuous from the ⁴⁵ pipe 18 and that the water pressure receptacle had no atmospheric connection, such as the inlet 27, that upon the flow of water to the pipe 12 due to foe suction of the producer, a si phonic action would be formed ⁵⁰ which would cause a continuous flow of water which would render the device unautomatic and cause a detrimental effect upon the gas supply due to the abnormal flow of water. The inlet 27 relieves this si phoni c effect from ⁵⁵ the supply to the discharge pipe and the water Will consequently rise and fall depending upon the suction of the producer, thereby automatically regulating the quantity of water desired.

⁶⁰ 35 designates a transparent plate which is fitted to the pressure receptacle 24 and through which visual observation may be made as to the height of the water in the pressure· receptacle 24. Said transparent ⁶⁵ plate is rigidly secured to said pressure re ceptacle 24 by means of a band 36 secured to said, pressure receptacle by the screws 37.