Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-03-16
VALUABLE IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM
= ENGINERY

VALUABLE IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM
ENGINERY. @
Below we publish areport made by Messrs. Hunt,
Whipple and Stewart. Of the United States Navy
Mr.. Sargent is young man from Columbus, Ohio,
twenty three years of age He has labored for
eighty years to perfect this invention, and has it
patented in France England and the United States.
At the request of friend, the Secretary of the
Navy summoned committee of engineers to test it
at the hayward; and though it was met by all the
prejudice universally encountered by innovations"
after full and fair trial it has triumphed over all
obstacles and elected the following report. The
inventor is, of course, poor, and we anxious to
help him, and to introduce his invention into gener
al use, as it deserves. We accordingly present the
report to the public. s
. NAVY YARD, WASHINGTON,
February 26, 1859.
SIR: In compliance with your order of the 10th
inst, We have examined the performance Of "Sar-
gents Marine Regulator" by attaching it to an en-
CINE in this yard and carefully noting its operation
1t is governor, or an instrument for regulating
the speed Of engines, by admitting more or less
steam at the required moment but, unlike all other
instruments which have been contrived for that
purpose does not depend upon the centrifugal force
OF gravity of revolving balls. III
The popularity of Mr.. Sargents regulator, and
wherein its chief efficiency consists, is the using of
two revolving Metallic discs, with inclined wedg
ed-shaped surfaces arranged that the least vari
alton in the velocity Of either opens or shuts the
throttle valve
These discs reyolve in the same direction, and in
contact with each other but by independent mo-
tions-the one by small oscllating cylinder and
the other by belt from the shaft Of the main en-
CINE.
When the engine is working at regular speed
both discs revolve with the same velocity; but
should sudden load or greater resistance be sud-
denly thrown on the engine, the speed OF the disc
driven by the belt will be checked for an instant
but it will be instantaneously driven out the
incline plane against the throttle valve STEM thereby
opening the throttle valve in the least possible
ure of time; so, also, when the load is suddenly ia
ken off the engine the discs instantly assume the
relative positions necessary to maintain the regular
speed.
1t was tried on the saw-mill engine, where we had
the chance of suddenly throwing and off the load
of two saw gates, and so quick was the governor in
its operation that there perceptble check or
increase in the speed of the engine, which is con-
dition we have never been able to obtain from the
best ball governor ever used in this yard.
Theoretically considered, the change is much
quicker than possibly he obtained by bali gov
ernor. Suppose the engine regulated to make forty
revolutions per minute, and the two discs, which
are eighteen inches in circumference, revoive one
hundred times per minute; suppose load sudden
ly thrown on the engine which would have reduced
the revolutions to 20 per minute the velocity of the
disc driven by the belt is instantly reduced onehaf
but only require change of one inch in the
relative positions of the two discs to open the throt
tie valve; and as both discs had been revolving
1900 inches per minute and one suddenly reduced
to 900 inches per minute there is for an instant
difference of 900 inches per minute in their relative
velocities. which is equal to fifteen inches per sec
ond, but, only required movement of one
nch the valve is therefore opened far enough in one
fifteenth of second
In practice We found it so quick that no check
could be perceived by the eye.
So certain was the governor in its operation that
the engine could be worked at any desired speed,
rery slow which required the throttle valve to
be nearly closed when the load suddenly thrown
on and off without any pcrceptble difference; under
the same circumstances, with ball governor, the
engine would have stopped on the centre.
An engine supplied with Mr.. Sargcnts governor
can be easily and quickly regulated to any desired
speed by simply opening or shutting small valve
which admits steam to the oscillating cylinder
For an engine of 1000 horse power valve not
over threeq quarters of an inch or inch in dame
ter would be sufficient, and can be opened or shut
with the thumb and finger easily shutting off
gas light; indeed so sensitive is the instrument
closing this small valve.
The governor operates on a balanced valve, which
admits steam to the main engine, and the same valve
is also conveniently arranged steam stop valve,
being detached from the governor.
1t can be applied to any engine where any other
governor can, and we think it better adapted for
marine engines than any other with which we are
acquainted
We have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
Your ob't. serv'ts.,
H. HUNT,
JOHN p WHIPPLE,
HENRY Fl. STEWART,
Chief Engineers U. S. Navy.
Forwarded February %, 1859, by
JOHN RUDD, Commander.
Hon. ISAAC ToucEY, Secretary of the Navy.
Mr. Bolts, in his speech the other day before
the Virginia Wing State convention-and like all
Mr.. Bolts speeches. it was frank and manly de-
clar,tion of his opinions the subjects under dis
cusson-said in substance, that if the Republicans
should nominate "Crittenden, or Bell, or Bates OF
Missouri" for President, in 1860, the Southern
| Wings and Americans would support the candidate.
The sentiments of Mr.. Crittenden and Of MIR. Bell,
on the great questions of the day, are well known
| to the public but Judge Bates having been less
prominent in political life from having devoted him
self for years to his judicial duties it is proper to
state that he was formerly Henry Clay Wing, and,
,,n1,