Acetylene generation

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ACETYLENE AND SUBSTANTIALLY DRY LIME HYDRATE BY THE REACTION OF CALCIUM CARBIDE AND WATER COMPRISING (1) A GENERATING CHAMBER HAVING PARTITIONS TO FORM MORE THAN TWO COMMUNICATING REACTION ZONES THEREIN, (2) MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING SOLID CALCIUM CARBIDE TO THE FIRST REACTION ZONE OF SAID CHAMBER, (3) MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A FIRST SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE FIRST REACTION ZONE OF SAID CHAMBER THEREBY TO FORM A REACTING CHARGE WITH SAID CARBIDE, (4) AGITATING MEANS TO AGITATE THE CHARGE IN SAID REACTION ZONES CONTINUOUSLY, SAID CARBIDE FEEDING AND AGITATING MEANS SERVING ALSO CONTINUOUSLY TO MOVE THE CHARGE FROM THE FIRST ZONE THROUGH THE SUBSEQUENT ZONES OF THE CHAMBER, (5) A DISCHARGE CONDUIT LEADING FROM SAID CHAMBER TO REMOVE ALL THE GENERATED GAS THEREFROM, (6) SOLID CONTROL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF FEED OF CALCIUM CARBIDE, (7) MEASURING AND TRANSMITTING MEANS ACTING ON SAID SOLID CONTROL MEANS TO PROVIDE A CONTROLLED RATE OF GENERATION OF ACETYLENE, SAID MEASURING AND TRANSMITTING MEANS COMPRISING (A) A PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ELEMENT RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE DROP IN THE FLOW OF ACETYLENE THROUGH A SECTION OF THE DISCHARGE CONDUIT AND (B) AN ELEMENT RESPONSIVE TO THE DEMAND FOR ACETYLENE, (8) FIRST LIQUID CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING AN INSTRUMENT-OPERATED VALVE RESPONSIVE TO THE SAID PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ELEMENT ACTING ON THE SOLID CONTROL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID FIRST SUPPLY OF WATER IN PROPORTION TO THE RATE OF ACETYLENE GENERATION TO BE ACHIEVED, (9) MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A SECOND SUPPLY OF WATER TO A SUBSEQUENT REACTION ZONE OF SAID CHAMBER, (10) SECOND LIQUID CONTROL MEANS FOR REGULATING THE FLOW OF SAID SECOND SUPPLY OF WATER, (1) MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE TEMPERATURE OF THE GENERATED GAS IN SAID DISCHARGE CONDUIT AT A POINT OF DISCHARGE OF THE CUMULATIVE PRODUCT GAS ADAPTED TO ACT ON SAID SECOND LIQUID CONTROL MEANS THEREBY TO FEED THE SECOND SUPPLY OF WATER IN RESPONSE TO THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID GAS, AND (12) MEANS FOR DISCHARGING RESIDUAL LIME HYDRATE FROM THE REACTION ZONE REMOTE FROM THE FIRST REACTION ZONE.