AN IMPROVED GOVERNOR FOR STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltinc,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED GOVERNOR FOR STEAM ENGINES."-A
communication from abroad by Matthew Muchin, of Riga, in the
Empire of Russia.
Sealed the 29th December 1874, and dated the 28th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th October 1874.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED GOVERNOR FOR STEAM
ENGINES," a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a steam engine governor of the class known
as centrifugal governors. The said governor has a vertical shaft con-
nected by bevil gear wheels with the crank shaft of the engine, or with
a horizontal shaft which receives rotary motion from the said crank
shaft. The vertical shaft is supported in suitable bearings at its upper

page_text: and lower ends. The said shaft carries a lever with a ball at each end,
the said lever being so pivotted or fulcrumed by a horizontal pin on the
shaft that during the rotation of the said shaft the centrifugal force of
the balls will tend to bring the lover at a right angle to the same.
A small rod connects the said lever with a sleeve which slides but does
not turn upon the said vertical shaft, so that when the ball lever
oscillates on its pivot or pin the said sleeve slides on the shaft. The
external periphery of this sleeve is formed with circular collars and
grooves which acts as teeth upon a toothed segment secured on the axis
or spindle of the throttle valve. This spindle also carries an index hand
which has a weight tending always to restore it to a vertical position
when it is moved out of the same, and this index hand is so arranged in
relation to the ball lever that the latter is restored to its original
oblique position by the return of the said index hand to its vertical
position.
When the said lever is put in an oblique position corresponding with
its normal number of revolutions and the apparatus is properly adjusted,
the centrifugal force of the balls moving rapidly will tend to bring the
said lever into a horizontal position. The sleeve is thereby raised and
the throttle valve partially closed. As soon as the speed diminishes the
weight on the index hand causes the sleeve to descend and restore
the ball lever to its former position, thereby opening the throttle
valve.
I may modify this Invention to adapt it to a horizontal governor
without greatly changing its construction. The governor shaft in this
casc is horizontal instead of vertical, and the index hand is not parallel
with the said shaft, and the latter may receive its motion directly from
the crank shaft of the engine. The said shaft may be supported in
bearings or between centres.

page_text: of
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the
year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at 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 "AN IMPROVED
GOVERNOR FOR STEAM ENGINES," a communication to me from abroad
by Matthew Muchin, of Riga, in the Empire of Russia, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors or administrators, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
This Invention relates to a steam engine governor of the class known

page_text: .
e may also be the crank shaft itself. On the shaft a, which at the top
and foot is conveniently supported, I place the lever e with the two
balls at the ends in such a manner that being fixed on a turning pin
the said lever will during the rotation of the shaft a by the centrifugal
power of the balls tend to assume its normal position towards the
shaft a. The small rod / connects the lever e with the sleevc g, which
will slide but not turn on the shaft a, so that when the lever e is turning
round its horizontal pin the sleeve g is sliding. On the external surface
of this sleeve are teeth geared with the toothed segment i, which being
placed on the axle w of the throttle valve acts on the latter. The
weight mapplied to the lower part of the hand ≈ tends always to
restore this hand to its vertical position as soon as it leaves the
same, and thus pushes the lever e back to its original oblique
position.
When the lever e is put in a certain oblique position for the normal
number of rotations, and the apparatus adjusted, the centrifugal power
of the balls turning rapidly will tend to put the lever e in a horizontal
position. Therefore the sleeve g is raised and the throttle valve further
closed. As soon as the speed of the revolutions diminishes, the weight m
fixed to the lower end of the hand, which was in an oblique position,
will push down the sleeve g and by means of the rod / restore the lever e
with the balls to their former position, whereby the throttle valve is
further opened.
The horizontal governor shown in Figure 2 has substantially the same
parts of construction as the vertical governor; the corresponding parts.
are marked with the same letters. The difference consists in the
position of the governor shaft a, which instead of being vertical is
horizontal; in consequence whereof the hand is not parallel with the
shaft and the shaft a may receive its motion directly from the crank
shaft of the engine by means of gearing or belts, rendering the
shaft c superfluous. The shaft a may be placed in cushions or between
centres.
a,
The most important details of the governor are shown in Figures 3,
4, 5, and 6.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim, the swinging lever e

page_text: .
with the balls k in a governor combined with the toothed slecve g,
the toothed segment i, and the weight m or spring, as above set
forth.
In witness witness whercof, I, the said William Robert Lake,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
Witness,
JA'. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)