With a little practice and patience the generator can be burned all right in this manner. This gas is perfectly safe and can be handled with impunity. This method would, of course, be impracticable to use on a job of any size, but I have used it several times where nothing else could be obtained, and have always had very good success with it.
CHAPTER VI.
CONNECTING THE APPARATUS.
We now assume that the generator is charged and the rest of the apparatus is finished and ready for use, so we will proceed to connect it up ready for a trial.
About 30 feet of ¼-inch heavy rubber tubing should be procured. This hose should be heavy enough to allow of its being pulled around without kinking and shutting off the supply of gas. A piece of this hose 5 feet long should be slipped on the gas cock M on the generator, shown in Fig. 1, and then slipped over the gas inlet tube of the scrubbing cup n. One must be sure that this is connected to the gas inlet tube, which is the tube that dips under the water in the scrubbing cup.
With another 5-foot piece of hose connect the gas outlet of scrubbing cup o to the right hand cock on the mixing fork f. Always connect the gas on the same side so as to avoid confusion of cocks. Then with a 10-foot piece of hose connect the air cock on the air holder p or bellows to the remaining cock on the mixing fork g. An 8-foot piece should be connected from the gas outlet on mixing fork e to the blow pipe i.
These tubes must fit tight to prevent any possible leak of gas, and if they do not they should be tightened on with pieces of wire. The remaining piece of hose can be used to connect the air pump C to the air inlet cock s on the air holder, but if the bellows are used this will not be needed.
Now place in the scrubbing cup a half dozen pieces of blue vitriol, or copperas, as it is commonly called. Then pour in clear water until it flows out of the trap screw z. This screw can be made tight by using for packing a piece of wicking which has been saturated with tallow. After preparing the apparatus as above, refer to the cut of the complete apparatus and compare the connections on the cut with those made from the above directions, to make positive that they are right. If they agree, the apparatus is now ready for use.
Testing the Apparatus.
It is necessary to test the generator for leaks, as a small blow hole may sometimes be left in some of the seams or the cocks or cleaning screws become defective.
To do this, first close the gas cock on the top of the gas chamber and make up the cleaning and charging screws, which must be set on a bed of soft putty. Then fill the acid chamber full of hot water, first measuring the water so as to ascertain just how much solution is required in proportion to the amount of water, as it takes the same quantity at all times. Allow it to stand for a few moments, then mark the water line with a pencil or nail, when it should be left standing for an hour. The water should stay at the mark indicated for an indefinite time. If it sinks during this test it shows that there is a leak in the generator and it must be located and repaired.