U.S. patent number 3,924,648 [Application Number 05/558,945] was granted by the patent office on 1975-12-09 for method and means for applying additives to industrial gas.
Invention is credited to Berwyn E. Etter.
United States Patent |
3,924,648 |
Etter |
December 9, 1975 |
Method and means for applying additives to industrial gas
Abstract
A device for applying additives to industrial gas comprises a
container, and first, second and third conduits providing
communication from outside the container to the interior thereof.
One of the conduits introduces a fluid gas additive to the interior
of the container and another of the conduits introduces fuel gas
into the interior of the chamber. The gas is introduced into the
container at a point below the level of the fluid gas additive so
that the gas percolates upwardly through the additive, thereby
causing mixing of the additive with the gas. The third conduit
includes an inlet positioned at the upper end of the chamber above
the level of the gas additive. This third conduit receives the
vapor mixture of fuel gas and fuel additive and carries this vapor
mixture to the cutting torch. A valve is associated with the first
conduit so as to limit the level of liquid within the container at
a predetermined height. A safety valve is also associated with the
third conduit to close the third conduit in the event the liquid
level rises higher than the opening of the third conduit.
Inventors: |
Etter; Berwyn E. (Treasure
Island, FL) |
Family
ID: |
26999889 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/558,945 |
Filed: |
March 17, 1975 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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358005 |
May 7, 1973 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
137/3; 261/124;
137/423; 431/4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B23K
7/08 (20130101); Y10T 137/0329 (20150401); Y10T
137/7404 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
B23K
7/08 (20060101); B23K 7/00 (20060101); C10J
001/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;137/3,391,423 ;239/372
;261/122,124 ;431/4 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Cohan; Alan
Assistant Examiner: Michalsky; Gerald A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Zarley, McKee, Thomte &
Voorhees
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 358,005 filed May 7,
1973, now abandoned.
Claims
I claim:
1. A device of the kind described comprising:
a container having a top, a bottom, and sides forming an enclosed
chamber;
a fluid mixture conduit connected to said container and having an
inlet opening in communication with the interior of said chamber
adjacent the top thereof;
an additive conduit providing communication from a source of fluid
gas additive to the interior of said chamber and having an outlet
opening below said inlet opening of said mixture conduit;
automatic control means within said container and associated with
said additive conduit for maintaining said additive at a
predetermined height in said container below said inlet opening of
said mixture conduit;
an industrial gas conduit providing communication from a
pressurized source of fuel gas into the interior of said
chamber;
said gas conduit having first outlet means positioned within said
chamber at a point slightly below said predetermined height of said
gas additive but well above the bottom level of said gas additive
whereby said fuel gas will exist from said outlet means and
percolate upwardly through said additive;
said gas conduit having second outlet means positioned within said
chamber below said first outlet means for permitting venting of gas
overflowing from said first outlet means;
a safety valve associated with said inlet opening of said fluid
mixture conduit and being adapted to close said inlet opening in
response to the rise of said fluid beyond a second predetermined
height above said first mentioned predetermined height.
2. A method for applying additives to industrial gas
comprising:
introducing a liquid additive into an enclosed container until said
additive reaches a predetermined level within said container;
introducing industrial fuel gas under pressure into said container
through a conduit having a first outlet below said predetermined
level and a second outlet below said first outlet whereby said fuel
gas will exit through at least said first outlet and percolate
upwardly through said additive;
drawing off the mixture of additive and fuel gas which percolates
upwardly from the upper surface of said additive,
conveying said mixture away from said container through a fluid
mixture conduit;
sensing the level of additive in said container and automatically
continuously replenishing said container with additive whenever the
level of said additive drops below said predetermined level;
adjusting the ratio of gas and additive in said mixture by varying
the pressure at which gas is introduced into said container,
percolating gas outwardly from both said first and second outlets
when said pressure is at increased pressure rates, and
percolating said gas outwardly from only said first outlet when
said pressure is at reduced pressure rates.
Description
This invention relates to cutting torches and particularly to a
method and means for applying additives to the industrial gas used
for cutting torches.
Conventional cutting torches usually burn a mixture of fuel gas
such as propane or the like, oxygen and industrial gas. It is
highly desirable to mix additives with this mixture in order to
achieve improved cutting efficiency. Many types of additives are
utilized, one of such additives being manufactured and sold by
Flamex Distributors, Inc., Clearwater, Fla., under the registered
trademark "FLAMEX." Mixing the additives with the fuel gas in an
efficient manner has proved to be a somewhat difficult task. In
some previous devices the additive and the fuel gas were placed in
a container and the container placed in communication with the
cutting torch. This procedure required a huge number of containers
or tanks to be employed thereby increasing the inventory costs of
such an operation. Certain improvements to this prior method of
mixing are disclosed in my co-pending applications, Ser. No.
295,133, filed Oct. 5, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,069 and Ser.
No. 312,570, filed Dec. 6, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,819.
The present invention contemplates the use of a container which
permits the propane or fuel gas to percolate upwardly through the
liquid additive, thereby causing the two ingredients to mix and
result in a vapor mixture which is then carried to the cutting
torch. The improvement of the present invention has resulted in a
forty per cent increase in the cutting speed of one inch steel.
Furthermore, during the cutting operation, an increase supply of
oxygen is introduced to the cutting torch initially so as to
preheat the object being cut. The use of the present invention
decreases the oxygen consumption during this preheat stage by
approximately forty per cent. Also, an improved quality of cut has
resulted from the present invention.
Therefore a primary object of the present invention is the
provision of a method and means for applying additives to
industrial gas.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of means
for continuously mixing the additive with the gas so as to
eliminate the necessity for shutting down the cutting torch
periodically.
A further object of the present invention is to increase the
thoroughness and consistency with which the additive is mixed with
the gas so as to improve cutting efficiency of the torch.
A further object of the present invention is to increase the
cutting speed of the torch over that previously obtained.
A further object of the present invention is to improve the quality
of cut which the torch provides.
A further object of the present invention is to reduce the oxygen
consumption of the torch during the preheat stage of the cutting
operation.
A further objection of the present invention is to provide a method
and means which will accomodate a plurality of cutting torches.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a
means which is economical to manufacture and durable in use.
This invention consists in the construction, arrangements and
combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects
contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth,
specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the
container of the present invention. A cutting torch 12 is shown to
be operatively connected to container 10 by means of a mixture
conduit 14. Torch 12 includes a nozzle 16 and a body 18. Connected
to body 18 are mixture conduit 14, an oxygen conduit 20 and an
industrial gas conduit 22.
Container 10 includes cylindrical side walls 24, a bottom wall 26
and a top wall 28 which is detachably secured to the remainder of
cylinder 10 by means of a plurality of bolts 30. Cylindrical side
walls 24, bottom wall 26, and top wall 28 define a substantially
airtight chamber 32, and this airtight characteristic is further
enhanced by virtue of gasket 34 which is interposed between top
wall 28 and the upper edges of side walls 24.
An additive conduit 36 extends through a sealed fitting 38 in top
wall 28 so as to provide communication from the exterior of chamber
32 to the interior thereof. Additive conduit 36 is adapted to be
connected to a pressurized source of fluid additive. The additive
is preferred to be a liquid, but other fluid additives would work
satisfactorily so long as they have a weight which is greater than
air and also greater than the gas with which the additive is to be
mixed. An example of an additive which may be used by the present
invention is the additive sold by Flamex Distributors, Inc.,
Clearwater Fla. under the registered trademark "FLAMEX."
The lower end of additive conduit 36 includes an open end 40
through which the additive may enter into chamber 32. A needle
valve 42 is inserted within open end 40 and is adapted to close
open end 40 in response to upward movement of valve 42. A yolk or
bracket 44 extends downward from the lower end of additive conduit
36. Pivotally mounted to bracket 44 is a float arm 46 having a
float 48 on one end thereof. Arm 46 is adapted to engage needle
valve 42 in response to upwardly swinging movement about its
pivotal axis with respect to bracket 44. Thus, as float 48 is
lifted upwardly by the level of fluid within container 10, it
causes needle valve 42 to be pushed upwardly so as to close the
open end 40 of conduit 36. The effect of this structure is to limit
the level of fluid within container 10 to a predetermined level. As
the fluid recedes from this predetermined level float 48 reopens
valve 42 thereby introducing additional fluid into the
container.
A gas conduit 50 also extends through a sealed fitting 52 in top
wall 28. Gas conduit 50 is adapted to be connected to a source of
industrial gas used for cutting torches. An example of such a gas
would be propane. Conduit 50 extends downwardly into chamber 32 and
includes a horizontal section 54 having two downwardly presented
outlet heads 56 thereon. The height of horizontal section 54 and
outlet heads 56 is such that at least heads 56 are below the
predetermined height of the fluid within container 32. Conduit 50
also includes a lower section 58 having a plurality of openings 60
at the extreme lower end thereof.
Outlet heads 56 each include a plurality of apertures 62 adjacent
the lower surface thereof. While two outlet heads are shown in the
drawings, the number of outlet heads which may be used may vary
according to choice.
Mixture conduit 14 extends through a sealed fitting 64 in top wall
28 and includes an open end 66 on the interior of chamber 32. Open
end 66 is positioned well above the predetermined level of the
fluid within chamber 32 so that the liquid fluid cannot enter into
open end 66. As a further safety precaution against fluid entering
open end 66, a needle valve 68 having a float 70 attached thereto
is inserted within open end 66. In the event that the liquid within
container 32 rises to the proximity of open end 66, float 70 will
also rise thereby causing needle valve 68 to close opening 66.
Thus, float 70 and needle valve 68 provide a safety factor which
will prevent the liquid fluid from being carried to the cutting
torch in its liquid form.
Conduits 14, 36 and 50 are each provided with a manually
controllable valve 71 which permits the selective manual opening
and closing of each conduit, respectively.
In operation the additive fluid is introduced into conduit 36. The
fluid enters chamber 32 through open end 40 of conduit 36 and rises
within chamber 32 until float 48 causes needle valve 42 to close.
Then manual valve 71 of conduit 50 is opened and the industrial gas
is permitted to enter conduit 50 under pressure. The gas exits
through apertures 62 of outlet heads 56 and percolates upwardly
through the liquid within container 10. This percolating or
bubbling action causes the gas and the additive to be mixed
together into a vapor mixture. When the gas exits through the upper
surface of the liquid, it carries certain vaporized particles of
the liquid with it and begins to rise upwardly toward open end 66
of mixture conduit 14. By virtue of the introduction of gas under
pressure into chamber 32, the pressure within chamber 32 is also
increased. Consequently, the vapors within chamber 32 are forced
outwardly through open end 66 of conduit 14 toward cutting torch
12. Outlet opening 60 of conduit 50 provides an overflow for
additional gas which cannot be vented through aperture 62 of outlet
heads 56. Thus, if more than one cutting torch is connected to
container 10, the mixing process can be increased by increasing the
amount of gas which is introduced through conduit 50.
The device provides continuous operation by virtue of the fact that
the level of the fluid is maintained constant by virtue of float 48
and needle valve 42. In previous devices it was necessary to use up
the fluid within the container and then to stop the cutting
operation, open the container and insert new fluid therein. The
present invention permits continuous addition of fluid and gas to
the container.
The present invention is an improvement over present devices
because it permits greater flexibility in total volume going
through device 10, and additionally provides a more accurately
controlled ratio of the compound consumed by vaporization.
Thus it can be seen that the device accomplishes at least all of
its stated objectives.
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