CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE REGU- LATING OF WATER WHEELS OR SIMILAR MACHINERY
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gray Denison Edmeston, of Salford, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer and Millwright, and Thomas
Edmeston, of Crow Oaks, Pilkington, in the same County, Calen-
derman, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM
ENGINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE REGU-
LATING OF WATER WHEELS OR SIMILAR MACHINERY."
Sealed the 4th May 1853, and dated the 15th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gray Denison
Edmeston and Thomas Edmeston at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 15th
November 1852.
We, GRAY DENISON EDMESTON, of Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer and Millwright, and THOMAS EDMESTON, of
Crow Oaks, Pilkington, in the same County, Calenderman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS

page_text: IN STEAM ENGINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO ΤΗΣ
REGULATING OF WATER-WEELS OR SIMILAR MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
Instead of the usual ball governors to regulate the speed of
Steam-Engines by opening the valve when necessary to allow the
steam to escape, we use a pendulum, which, by means of a pulley
and weight, is kept in a state of continual vibration, and, by a lever
or levers connected to the said pendulum communicating motion to
toothed wheels, opens the valve or valves when necessary, and
prevents irregularity in the speed of the engine, which is a great
desideratum in all engines giving power for manufacturing
purposes.
It is also very evident that this pendulum motion, or regulator,
is equally applicable for regulating the motion or power of water-
wheels, or other similar contrivances used to give or obtain power,
and which may be applied in different ways according to the
construction of the machinery or apparatus used for the purpose.
The particulars or details of this Invention we will more fully
describe in our complete Specification.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Gray Denison Edmeston and Thomas 2
Edmeston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th May
1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
GRAY DENISON EDMESTON, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer and Millwright, and THOMAS EDMESTON, of Crow Oaks, Pil- 2
kington, in the same County, Calenderman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, and
in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and a
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Gray Denison Edmeston
and Thomas Edmeston, Her especial licence that we, the said Gray

page_text: Denison Edmeston and Thomas Edmeston, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Gray Denison
Edmeston and Thomas Edmeston, our 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 ex-
pressed, 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, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM ENGINES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO
THE REGULATING OF WATER WHEELS OR SIMILAR MACHINERY," upon the con-
ditions (amongst others) that we, the said Gray Denison Edmeston
and Thomas Edmeston, should by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of our 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 Gray Denison Edmeston, for
and on behalf of myself and the said Thomas Edmeston, do hereby
declare the nature of our 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):-
Our Invention relates particularly to the machinery or apparatus
generally known by the name or term "governor" and is applied
to steam-engines, water-wheels, or other contrivances for obtaining
motive power. The object of the governor is to regulate the speed
of the engine or machine by which the motive power is obtained, so
that the speed or motion may be equal, and not varied by the action of
a sudden increase of steam, caused by the addition of fuel to the fire,
by continually throwing in and out of gear heavy machinery or other
causes, which irregular action causes irregularities in the manufacture
of the-articles-in-hand; for instance, in spinning, a sudden increase
in the speed or motion of the driving power will cause considerable

page_text: breakage of the threads; in weaving fabrics it will cause both
breakage of threads and unevenness in the cloth; and in turning or
boring metals it will cause uneven surfaces by the jumping of the
tools. To prevent these evils, various kinds of contrivances have
been invented to close the throttle valve when a superfluity of
steam is generated, so as to diminish its escape to the engine; but
all of which fail to produce the uniform steady motion required.
The common ball governor has been hitherto most generally
adopted for the aforesaid purpose, which consists of a vertical spindle
with two spindles working in swivel joints from the top of it, and a
ball or weight at the end of each of them, so that as the said spindles
revolve the balls will expand according to the velocity with which
they revolve; the expansion of the balls closes the throttle valve,
and moderates, to a certain extent, the supply of steam to the engine.
But this governor being merely a centrifugal machine, requiring an
increased velocity to produce a decreased supply of steam or other
motive force, cannot possibly be uniform in its action. Instead of
the above plan we use an oscillating pendulum or pendulumns, which
being the only correct time regulator its application as a governor
naturally suggests itself as being the most perfect in its movements.
We keep the pendulum or pendulums in a state of constant
vibration by means of a pully and weight, communicating motion
to the pendulum by means of levers, connecting rods, or similar
apparatus. The least increase or decrease in the speed of the engine
will act upon the throttle valve instanter, and thus prevent any
irregularity in the speed or motion of the driving power. We find
this motion of the pendulum to be much more regular in its
movements, and more certain in its action, than the ball governor or
any other apparatus hitherto used for the same purpose, the details
of which will be more clearly understood by reference to the
accompanying sheet of drawings, in which the same letters of
reference are used to represent similar parts where different views
or diagrams are shewn. Fig. 1, is a front elevation of our improved
governor, shewing its connection with the throttle valve. Fig. 2, a

page_text: side elevation of the same: and Fig. 3, a view of an improved
apparatus for regulating the power of a water wheel in connection
with our governor; and although this additional apparatus is not
absolutely necessary for the working of our governor, we recommend
it as a great improvement over the present methods. In Figs. 1 and
2, a, represents a bracket to support the governor; b, an internal
spur-wheel worked by the engine; c, an external spur wheel, keyed
on the shaft n, working in conjunction and is regulated by the
pendulums; d, a crank plate, also keyed on the shaft; n, e, two
pendulums suspended from the shaft f, and oscillating freely upon
their journals at f; h, connecting rods from the pendulums to the
crank plate d; i, springs to allow the pendulums a free stroke ;
j, pinions geared into the two wheels b, and c, working loose upon
their axis, upon the stud k, in the arm l, to which is attached
the weight o, by the gravity of which the force is virtually given
to the pendulums, by means of the arm 7, acting upon the pinion
in the manner of a compound lever, which is transferred by the
wheel b, to the pendulums e, by means of the rods h; k is a pin
connected to the rod m, working the throttle valve p; n is a shaft
to sustain the wheels b, and c; g, stands to support the shaft f; q,
stands to support the shaft n. It is obvious that, if the wheel b
moves at the proportionate speed with and in a contrary direction
to the wheel d, the arm / will be perfectly at rest, and any alteration
in the speed of the wheel b, will elevate or depress the arm 1, which
is coupled to the throttle valve by the rod m; thus, any attempt of
the engine to increase or diminish its speed will cause an immediate
corresponding action upon the throttle valve in Fig. 3, which, as
already stated, is an improved gearing in connection with our
governor for regulating the motion or speed of water wheels. a,
represents a shaft drive by the water wheel. b, and c, are cone
pullies keyed fast on the shaft a; d, a cone pulley revolving in the
journals e, and i; g, an endless band, driving_the_pulley_d,-from-the-
pulley b.
h, a cone pulley, revolving in the journals f; and j;.
k, an endless band, driving the pulley h, from the pulley c; l, m,

page_text: and n, are four bearings in which the pulleys h, and d, revolve; o,
a shaft revolving with the pulley d, but having a free horizontal
motion by means of the groove p, in the shaft o, corresponding
to the fast key in the pulley d, or other similar contrivance; q, is
the screwed end of the shaft o, passing through the pulley h,
by means of the female screw chased in the eye of the pulley h; r,
guides attached to the beams; 1, a rod passing through the guides
r, having two band guides u, attached at suitable distances, connected
to the rod m, of the governor, see Fig. 1; v, is a rod connected to the
water sluice; w, a swivel joint, connecting the rod v, to the shaft o.
To illustrate this motion more clearly, suppose the application to be
at work, the shaft a, driven by the water wheel, the bands
and k,
will drive the pullies d, and h, when the velocities of the pulley h,
will be equal, and the shaft o, revolving with the pulley d, will
cause the rod, to be stationary; but any increase or decrease of
the speed of the water wheel will cause a motion of the rod t, and
band guides u, through the governor, and consequently shift the
bands upon the pullies b, c, d, h, causing an inequality in the
revolution of the pullies d, h, and the shaft o, to screw itself into.
or out of the pulley h, which horizontal movement is also given to
the rod, clevating or depressing the water sluice.
I
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our
said Invention, we desire it to be distinctly understood that we do
not confine ourselves to the exact details herein set forth, as such
may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof; but we claim as new, and which, to the best of our knowledge
and belief has not been hitherto used within this realm,―
Firstly, the application and working of an oscillating pendulum
or pendulums as a governor or governors to regulate the speed or
motion of steam engines, water wheels, or other means of obtaining
motive power, with the necessary apparatus for working the same, as
herein described and illustrated; and,
Secondly, the apparatus in connection with the said governor
for regulating the speed or motion of water-wheels, or similar

page_text: machinery, as herein described, and illustrated in Fig. 3, of the
accompanying sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Gray Denison Edmeston and
Thomas Edmeston, or one of us, have hereunto set our hands
and seals, or hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
GRAY DENISON EDMESTON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed and delivered by
one or both of the said parties
hereto, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent, Manchester.