IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR REGULATING THE VELOCITY OF STEAM AND OTHER. ENGINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Hartley, of Romiley, near Stockport, in the
County of Chester, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR REGULATING THE VELOCITY OF STEAM AND OTHER. ENGINES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hartley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
July 1859.
I, JOSEPH HARTLEY, of Romiley, near Stockport, in the County of Chester,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR REGULATING THE VELOCITY OF STEAM AND OTHER.
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in connecting the usual ball or other:
governor of the steam or other engine, whose velocity has to be regulated, to a
double lever, to which are attached guides for two catches, these catches are
jointed to another double lever which receives a vibrating' motion from the
crank shaft or other convenient part of the engine. The supply pipe has a
valve, to the spindle of which are fixed two ratchet wheels with their teeth in
contrary directions. While the engine revolves at its proper velocity both
the catches move clear of the ratchet wheels, but as soon as the velocity
increases one of the catches is brought into action with one of the ratchet
wheels, in order to reduce the supply of steam or other fluid to work the

page_text: engine. When the velocity of the engine diminishes the other catch is
brought into action with the other ratchet wheel to admit more steam or
other fluid.
Another part of my Invention consists in the application of a catch lever,
which when the engine attains too great a velocity, is liberated by the double
lever acted upon by the governor, and brings the shutting-off catch into action,
thereby retarding the motion of or stopping the engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Hartley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HARTLEY, of Romiley, near Stockport, in the County of Chester, Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Hartloy, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Hartley, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Hartley, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR REGULATING THE VELOCITY OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Hartley, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six-
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Hartley, do. hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement (that is to say):-

page_text: The nature of my Invention of "Improvements in Machinery for Regu-
lating the Velocity of Steam and other Engines," consists in connecting the
usual ball or other governor of the steam or other engine, whose velocity has
to be regulated, to a double lever, to which are attached guides for two
catches; these catches are jointed to another double lever, which receives a
vibrating motion from the crank shaft or other convenient part of the engine;
the supply pipe has a valve, to the spindle of which are fixed two ratchet
wheels with their teeth in contrary directions, or the shaft with the ratchet
wheels may be connected by gearing or otherwise to the spindle of the supply
valve. While the engine revolves at its proper velocity, both the catches move
clear of the ratchet wheels, but as soon as the velocity increases one of the
catches is brought into action with one of the ratchet wheels, in order to
reduce the supply of steam or other fluid employed to work the engine.
When the velocity of the engine diminishes, the other catch is brought into
action with the other ratchet wheel to admit more steam or other fluid.
Another part of my Invention consists in the application of a catch lever,
or of two additional catches and ratchet wheels, which (when the velocity of
the engine has been greatly accelerated or retarded) are brought into action
by the governor, thereby rapidly shutting off or letting on the steam or
other fluid.
.
But in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon.
.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 is a side elevation, of my
improvements as applied to an ordinary beam steam engine. In Figure 1, a
is the rod which is moved to-and-fro horizontally by the usual ball governor
of the steam engine. This rod is connected in the usual manner to the lever b
on the spindle c of the throttle valve; to the spindle c is fixed the lever b¹,
which is connected by the link to the elbow lever d, whose fulcrum is at d²,
the elbow lever d is in communication with the double lever e by the link d²;
to the lever e are fixed the guides f, f, which pass under and act upon the
catches g, g', jointed to the double lever h, which receives a slight vibrating
motion thro' the link i from the side link of the parallel motion, or from
any other convenient part of the engine. The valve through which the steam
is admitted to the engine is contained in the boxj, the spindle k of this valve.
is screwed and passes through a nut formed in the bevel pinion l, which works
into the bevel wheel P, fixed. to the shaft m, to which are fixed the two ratchet
wheels n and n', the teeth of which are in contrary directions. The pitch of:

page_text: the screw k is so calculated that nearly one revolution of the ratchet-wheel n
shuts the supply valve, and nearly one revolution of the ratchet wheel n' in
the contrary direction opens it to the full extent. Each ratchet wheel is made
with a blank space of about three teeth for the catch to play upon, when the
valve is completely shut or fully open. To the shaft m aro also fixed the small.
ratchet wheel n³.and n³, furnished with catches g² and g³, and guides f and f*;
these parts are only brought into operation when it is requisite to retard the
motion of or stop the engine rapidly, or when it is requisite to, admit the
steam or other fluid rapidly. The mode of operation is as follows:-While
the engine revolves at its proper velocity the lever e remains nearly horizontal,
and the guides f,f,f, and f³, hold, all the catches 9, 91, 9² and 9³, .out of
contact with the ratchet wheels n, n³, n³ and n³, consequently as the lever.h
vibrates on its fulcrum all the catches 9, 91, 9% and 9³, move clear of the
ratchet wheels, but as soon as the velocity of the engine increases beyond its
proper limits, the left hand end of the lever e being influenced by the governor,
drops, and the guide f descends beyond the reach of the catch g, which falls.on
the ratchet wheel n, as shewn in Figure 1; the lever h, in raising the catch g
imparts motion to the ratchet wheel n, in the direction of the arrow, and. the
screw k, in turning round partly closes the valve in the box j, and diminishes
the supply of steam until the engine regains its proper velocity. When the
velocity of the engine is diminished beyond its proper limits, the contrary
action takes place, that is to say, the catch g¹ is allowed to drop on the
ratchet wheel n', and when the right hand end of the lever h rises the spindle k
is turned round in the other direction, thereby admitting more steam. The
action of the catches 9 and 9', as above described, is sufficient to regulate the
velocity of the engine while working under ordinary circumstances; but if,
owing to the breaking of a main shaft, or from any other cause; the speed of
the engine should be suddenly increased to a considerable extent, then the
left, hand end of the lever e descends sufficiently... to cause the guide f³ to
liberate the catch g³, which then falls on the small ratchet wheel n², conse
quently, the lever, h, in raising the catch 9%, imparts motion to. the ratchet
wheel n, and as this ratchet wheel is only about one half of the diameter
of the ratchet wheel n, the supply of steam is rapidly shut off until the motion
of the engine is sufficiently retarded or entirely stopped. In like manner
when the speed of the engine has been greatly retarded the lever e is moved
by the governor in the contrary direction, and the catch g³, then comes in gear
with the ratchet wheel n³, thereby admitting the steam rapidly until the proper
velocity is attained. The hand wheel m', shewn in Figure 2, is used. in.
starting or stopping the engine.

page_text: In the above description and plan I have shewn my improvements acting in
combination with a throttle valve, but I wish to remark that in some cases
the throttle valve may be dispensed with. I would also remark, that instead
of fixing the ratchet wheels on a separate shaft connected by gearing. or
otherwise to the valve spindle, it may sometimes be preferable to fix them to
a continuation of the valve spindle. The improved machinery may also be
applied direct to the cut off or expansion valves, or to valves worked by the
link motion. It will also be apparent that these improvements are applicable
to regulate the velocity of water wheels or other first movers, or to water
wheels and steam engines combined. When applied to regulate water wheels
it may be desirable to use more than two additional ratchet wheels for acting
more rapidly on the valves, or other agents, by which the water is admitted
or shut off.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim the improved combination of
machinery described, and particularly the ratchet wheels with teeth in opposite
directions, or any modification thereof when used for regulating the velocity
of steam and other engines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Hartley, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
JOSEPH HARTLEY. (L.S.)