IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SPEED OF MARINE ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander, of 36, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign
Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING THE SPEED OF MARINE ENGINES." A communication from
abroad by Charles Joseph Albert Ziegler, of Paris, in the Republic of France,
Fincinger
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th June 1881.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 30, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and British and Foreign Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SPEED OF MARINE
ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Charles Joseph Albert Ziegler, of
Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer.
This Invention relates to an arrangement of speed regulator for marine engines
governed or actuated by the pitching motion of the ship, independently of the
motion of the engine under its control, the said regulator acting upon the steam
valve in such a manner as to more or less close the same, and thereby prevent the
sudden increase of speed in the engines at those periods when by reason of the
pitching of the ship the propeller is only partially submerged, or is running free.
The essential features of this Invention consist in the employment of two columns
of water held in suspension by atmospheric pressure. The first column being in
direct communication with the sea varies in height with the level of the water
outside the ship at the stern, whilst the height of the second column, which com-
municates with a reservoir inside the ship situate near the point of outlet of the
first column, remains unchanged. These columns are also respectively in com-
munication by suitable pipes with the opposite ends of a cylinder, in which works
a piston, the rod of which acts directly or otherwise upon the steam valve of the
engine, and is operated upon in one direction by a helical spring. When the ship
is in its normal position, the level of the sea being higher than that of the

page_text: reservoir, the piston is maintained by the two columns at or about the centre of
the cylinder (the steam valve being then open), but it is moved in one direction or
the other by the pressure of a column of water equal to the difference between the
two levels. If however by reason of the pitching of the ship the level of the sea
becomes lower than that of the reservoir, the pressure on one side of the piston
diminishes, and the piston is moved by the action of the helical spring, thereby
closing more or less the steam valve and reducing the speed of the engine. The
contrary effect is produced when the level of the sea is higher than the reservoir, in
which case the piston is forced is forced against the spring in the opposite direction,
thereby opening the steam valve. The outlet to the sea of the first column, also the
reservoir connected with the second column, should be situate below the tunnel of
the propeller shaft and at the stern of the ship. The pipe communicating with
the sea should have a double bend therein to prevent the inlet of air in case the
mouth be uncovered by the pitching of the ship. The stuffing box in the cylinder
should by preference be immersed in a water tank formed on the end of the
cylinder to prevent all chance of access of air to the cylinder. A shoulder is formed
on the piston rod, against which bears one end of the helical spring, the end of the
rod acting directly or indirectly upon the steam valve. The compression of the
spring may be adjusted by a nut and hand wheel. The pipe containing
the second column of water descends nearly to the bottom of the reservoir, which
should be about three quarters filled with water. A small pipe or vent places the
upper part of the reservoir in communication with the atmosphere. The piston rod
may either operate direct upon the steam valve or it may operate upon the slide
valve of a steam cylinder, which will itself open the steam valve.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th December 1881.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 30, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer & British and Foreign Patent Agent. "IMPROVE
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SPEED OF MARINE ENGINES."
A communication from abroad by Charles Joseph Albert Ziegler, of Paris, in the
Republic of France, Engineer.
The said Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of speed regulator for
marine engines, such regulator being governed or actuated by the pitching motion
of the ship, independently of the motion of the engines under its control.
The peculiar arrangement of speed regulator, to which I give the name of
pitching-regulator," is intended to obviate the objectionable effects on their progress
resulting from the pitching of steamers.
In this movement the screw is entirely or nearly emerged from the water, and
the engine having only its own resistance to overcome acquires a considerable.
velocity, which often causes serious accidents.
The
"water-column-pitching-regulator," which constitutes the essential fenture
of this Invention, is completely independent of the engine upon which it acts; it is
brought into action by the pitching of the ship, and allows the steam to be
instantaneously shut off at any determined or variable point of immersion of the
screw, and so arranged that the steam shall be shut off automatically before the
engine gains an excessive speed, caused by the screw wholly or partially leaving
the water.
This apparatus has further the advantage of being capable of being placed any-
where above the water line without obstructing or interfering in any way with tho
engineer, whilst it is easily accessible for putting in action.
It requires few repairs, owing to the reduction to a minimum of its parts.
Further, by reason of its fundamental principle, hereinafter described, rolling and
pitching have no action on the motion so long as the conditions of immersion of
the screw do not alter.
The following is the fundamental principle upon which this Invention is
based :-
Suppose a piston placed in a cylinder, one of the extremities of which should be
directly or not in communication with the sea by means of an aperture at the
stern a little below the screw tunnel, whilst the other would be in communication
with a receiver placed in the neighbourhood of the said aperture.
It is evident that in normal or regular motion the level of the sea being above
that of the receiver, the levels seek to establish themselves after the well known
theory of communicating vessels. Now as the piston is situated in the run of
water of the column or communication tube, it results that it is displaced in a
manner under the action of the pressure of a column of water equal to the differenco
between the two levels.
If however, owing to pitching, the level of the receiver is above that of the sea,
the same phenomenon is produced, but in a reverse manner.
It will thus be seen that if either by means of a valve or by a small steam
cylinder the said piston rod is connected with the steam admission apparatus, this
last will be maintained open, or will, be shut more or less or completely, from which
results a modification in the working of the engines.
In this regulator the pressure is only used in one direction, the piston being
forced back by a spring, the pressure of which can be regulated at will.

page_text: The annexed Drawing shows by way of example only the arrangement of an
apparatus based on the above principle, such apparatus having for its essential
object the direct regulation of the motion of marine engines by the use of columns
of water maintained in suspension by atmospheric pressure.
The "pitching-regulator" or speed regulating apparatus, shown in vertical section
in the annexed Drawing, is placed in any convenient part of the engine room above
the water line for condensing engines, and below the water line for non-condensing
engines.
It consists of a cylinder A of suitable metal, in which is placed a piston p, the
rod of which is screw threaded on the exterior, and is connected with the
equilibrium slide valve of a steam cylinder V.
Upon the screwed rod of the piston pacts a spring B, the pressure of which acts
in a reverse direction to that exerted upon the piston, the ends of which spring
bear upon collars. One of these collars is supported by a small screw hand wheel v,
by means of which the tension is regulated, whilst the other collar is maintained
by a pedestal C fixed on the base plate P.
The funnel shaped tubes a and b, and the corresponding nozzles, place each
extremity of the cylinder A in communication with a receiver or reservoir Z
(having two compartments) placed at the stern of the ship and in the tunnel.
At the upper part of the cylinder are placed two small screw valves n and m
shutting vertical passages correspondingly placed at the ends of the cylinder.
These two valves are put in communication by a horizontal pipe i, communicating
on the one part with the condenser by the pipe t, and on the other part with a
chamber cast on the cylinder A and disposed round the stuffing box.
This box is pierced with two holes, placing it in communication with the said
chamber; it is also divided into two compartments by a small hollow perforated
ring.
In this manner if the packing should leak the air which it would allow to pass
is immediately exhausted by the condenser.
The piston rod of the steam cylinder V is connected to a vertical lever L, which
acts on the throttle valve of the engine.
The steam of the cylinder A is taken in advance of the throttle valve, for
otherwise the regulator would not be able to open it again after having shut it, and
the escape would pass into the condenser.
The receiver Z has two compartments x and y in communication through the
pipe, upon which is placed a three way cock. One of the three branches is open
to the air.
The compartment & communicates with the tube b, and the compartment y with
the tube a, this last communicating further with the sea by the pipe Z.
The apparatus above described is supposed to be applied to a condensing engine;
in the exceptional contrary case the upper part of the cylinder A is slightly
modified, the horizontal pipe stops at i, and receives a small compensator filled
with water and closed at tho upper part. In this particular case it would be
better to place the apparatus below the water line, otherwise the small receiver
emptying very quickly would require too much attention on the part of the
engiucer.
I shall now describe the mode of action of the said regulator.
The two compartments x and y of the receiver Z being put in communication,
the valves n and m being lifted, and the horizontal pipe open to the condenser, if
cominunication with the sea be opened the water drawn by the vacuum and forced
by the atmospheric pressure instantly fills the pipes and the cylinder A; this
effected, the valves are shut and the compartment placed in communication with
the atmosphere, intercepting at the same time the communication with the other
compartment y, which remains open to the sea.
The apparatus thus charged, it only remains to direct the steam to the cylinder V
to put in operation.
During the time that the vessel furnished with this apparatus preserves its

page_text: normal immersion it will exert at a upon the piston pa pressure which will
depend upon the difference of level between the compartment and that of the sea.
This pressure being greater than that of the spring maintains the spring compressed,
and maintains the valve of the steam cylinder V in such a position that the piston
of this cylinder shall keep the steam admission valvo open.
When through the action of the sca the screw leaves the water the pressure on
the piston by the water diminishes in proportion as the outer level approaches
that of the compartment, and when this is above the former the pressure becomes
lower than the tension of the spring. Tho valve of the cylinder Vis then displaced
and the steam introduced upon the other face of the piston, which draws with it
the parts that connect it to the valve, and maintains this last closed or nearly
closed so long as the screw has not returned to its normal immersion.
I would here remark,-
1. That the piston p of the cylinder A has no packing, and that the water which
passes from the other side amply suffices to compensate for that exhausted by the
condenser.
2. That the water which may escape through the valve runs into the tunnel,
where it is no inconvenience.
3. That in the case of a non-condensing engine, the regulator being placed below
the water line, the priming or charging is effected under the action of the outer
pressure.
4. That the small steam cylinder V can be replaced by a balance valve of a
reduced stroke.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to bo novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
The peculiar system of "pitching regulator" or speed regulating apparatus,
herein before described, characterised,-
-
1. By the direct action of the regulator on the apparatus for the admission of
steam by means of a small steam cylinder or a balance valve, according to the
dimensions of the engine to bo regulated.
2. By the employment for the working of the said apparatus of two columns of
water maintained in suspension by the pressure of the air, the first varying with
the level of water at the stern of the ship, and the second being of a fixed height
acting in the reverse direction, and having for its chief object the complete
annulling of the influence of rolling and pitching on the working of the apparatus,
the outer level not changing.
This arrangement in effect reduces the action of the water columns to that of
two imaginary columns, always vertical, whatever may be the angle of rolling or
pitching.
I also claim the various arrangements based on the principle of that which is
shown only in the Drawings as an example.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Powley Alexander, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER. (L.S.)