An Automatic Governor for Regulating the Steam Pressure on Marine Engines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 5th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Governor for Regulating the Steam Pressure on
Marine Engines.
We, the undersigned THOMAS BARNFATHER of No. 13 Phillipsburg Avenue,
Fairview, in the County of Dublin, Ireland, and CHARLES KÜBLER of Windsor
House, Fairview, in the County of Dublin, Ireland, Brushmaker do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
--
This invention is intended to be used as a governor or regulator of the steam
supply to marine engines in such a manner, that, when the pressure on the
propeller is decreased the engines will not start racing, as they do at present under
certain circumstances.
We propose to regulate the steam supply by means of connecting the propeller.
directly with the throttle valve of the engines.
We detach the last section of the propeller-shaft i.e.: the section nearest the-
propeller, by forming the coupling connecting that section with the one to which it
is bolted at present, into a link coupling. This will give the detached section, on
which is the propeller, liberty to slide forward and backward with each rising and
falling of the propeller.
An apparatus is now formed by means of sliding bars resting on a bedplate; on
these bars run slide blocks attached to a combined thrust-bearing and crosshead
block. The thrust bearing is on the detached section of the propeller shaft close
behind the link coupling.
On each side of the bedplate an ☐ shaped lever is fixed by a circular stud in its
centre.
The short arm of the lever is connected with and works on the crosshead, which,
as it slides, moves the lever and causes the long arm to rise and fall. To the long
arm we attach rods running directly to the throttle valve of the engines and as the
lever rises and falls the valve is shut and re-opened by each motion of the stern of
the vessel as she rises out of and falls back into the water.
The foregoing relates to the forward motion only.
For the motion astern we fix studs or round pins to the front part of the link
coupling, corresponding with holes in its back portion. As the coupling requires
to be firmly closed, we affix levers to the bedplate and attach to them rods
leading to the enginehouse from which they are worked by hand or machine
power. The sliding gear does not operate when the coupling is closed.
By this means would be established a perfectly natural regulator or governor
of the steam pressure on the engines, working swiftly and surely, requiring ro
aid from human hands to save the engines from racing. The propeller, rising
and falling with each pitching of the stern of the vessel, would shut off the
pressure of the steam on the engines at the exact moment when this pressure
requires checking and thereby prevent the threatened danger.
Dated this 16th day of January 1894.
THOS. BARNFATHER.
CHS. KÜBLER.

page_text: An Automatic Governor for Regulating the Steam Pressure on.
Marine Engines.
We, THOMAS BARNFATHER, Engineer, of 13 Philipsburgh Avenue, Fairview,
and CHARLES KÜBLER, Brushmaker, of Windsor House, Fairview, in the County
of Dublin, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention is intended to be used as a governor or regulator of the steam
supplied to marine engines in such a manner that when the pressure on the
propeller is decreased the engines will not start "racing" as they do at present
under certain circumstances.
It will be seen that our object or purpose is to prevent or reduce to a minimum
what is commonly called "racing" in the engines of screw-propelled ships; such
"racing" resulting from a sudden diminution in the resistance opposed by the
blades of the screw-propeller to the motion of the engines.
This sudden diminution occurs every time that the whole or a portion of the
propeller is lifted out of the water by the pitching of the vessel or from any other
cause, since the resisting pressure of the air against the blades of the propeller is
infinitely smaller than the resisting pressure of the water.
"
We carry out or effect this object or purpose by connecting the propeller with
the throttle-valve of the engines in such a manner that the least decrease of
pressure upon the propeller blades causes the throttle valve to shut off the supply of
steam to the engines in exact proportion to such decrease before any "racing"
commences; thus affording an effective means of governing which is very superior
to ordinary methods, in which the actual increase in speed of the engines is
depended upon to shut off the steam supply.
In order to secure this intimate connection between the propeller and the
throttle-valve we so arrange the last section of the propeller shaft that it, with its
rigidly attached propeller, may slide longitudinally backward and forward; and, in
order that it may slide backward when the resistance against the propeller blades
diminishes we attach it to the next adjacent length of the propeller shaft by means
of a linked coupling so constructed, that the links by reason of their shape and the
angle at which they are arranged push backward the propeller and its attached
length of shaft immediately the resistance against the propeller blades diminishes
by reason of their working wholly or partially in the air. When the resistance is
increased through the blades being submerged the pressure pushes forward the
sliding length of shaft so that the coupling is closed, the shape and angle of the
links being such as to secure this action.
In the accompanying drawings in which like letters denote similar parts, or parts
fulfilling similar functions:
Fig. 1. is an elevation of an automatic governing apparatus according to our
invention.
Fig. 2. is a plan partly in section, of the same.
Fig. 3. is a section of thrust-bearing from the propeller end.
Fig. 4. is an elevation of the apparatus by means of which the governor is
prevented from acting, when going astern or in still water.
Fig. 5. is an elevation of a coupling and links with the casing removed.
Fig. 6. is a view of a link.
Fig. 7. is an elevation of propeller side of coupling.
Fig. 8. is an elevation of engine side of coupling.

page_text: A indicates the last length of the propeller shaft which has rigidly attached to
it the propeller (not shewn) and which is free to slide backward and forward
through a short distance. B is the engine end of the shaft which is prevented
from sliding longitudinally by the usual thrust-bearing and to which is attached
rigidly one half C of the coupling, the other half D being rigidly attached to the
sliding length A of the propeller shaft. The seperate halves C and D of the
coupling are covered by the casings C₁ and D¹ respectively, and each of these.
casings being formed in halves the half casings are bolted or screwed together.
through the ears or flanges c and d. The part of the shaft A which is nearest to
the coupling has collars formed upon it and these collars work in and engage with
corresponding grooves in the thrust-bearing E and its cover E' and consequently
the thrust-bearing is compelled to slide with the shaft A when it moves longi-.
tudinally. Formed integrally with or rigidly attached to the thrust-bearing are
two arms or rods F and blocks f which project through and slide in the slidings
bars or slides G and covers G₁ which are attached to the bed plate or baseplate H..
Each of the outer ends of the arms or rods F enters a slightly elongated hole
in the short arm ; of the lever J, which lever is pivoted at and has a long-
arm which rises and falls in an approximately vertical direction, while the
short arm moves nearly horizontally. To the outer end of the long arm is
connected a rod or links which moves the throttle-valve either directly or by
means of other intervening rods, links or bell-cranks in such manner that the
depression of the long arm and rod ♬ shuts off the steam while the rising
opens the throttle-valve.
Each of halves C and D of the coupling has cut in its periphery five deep.
slots K (as shewn in Figs. 5, 7, and 8), and these are so shaped as to loosely
contain the links L in such manner as to enable the halves of the coupling to
slide apart or close together, while at the same time the ends fit so closely to
the ends of slots K that the movement of rotation of the half-coupling C compels.
the like movement of the half-coupling D and consequently of the shaft A and
propeller. The links L and the slots Kare disposed at such an angle that when
the propeller is working in water and the resistance is great the half-coupling D is
forced close up against the half-coupling C; but when the propeller emerges from
the water the resistance diminishes and the links by reason of their shape and
angle of thrust force the half-couplings apart together with the thrust-bearing É,
and arms F. As herein before stated the forcing outward of the arms F moves the
short arm of the lever J and consequently the long arm j¹ descends taking with it
the rod or link and clesing or partly closing the throttle-valve.
The distance through which the shaft A and the thrust-bearing.E can slide is
normally limited by the length of the slide bars or slides G, but this distance can
be still further diminished or the movement entirely prevented by the use of
the mechanism shewn seperately in Fig. 4. and which is controlable at will from the-
engine-room or other convenient, position by means of the rod O which slides the
crossbar M and rods N longitudinally backward or forward as desired. The ends m
of these rods engage with and move the lower ends p of locking levers P which are
pivoted at p¹ to the base plate or a projection therefrom. The upper ends p³ pass
through a slot in sliding blocks R which work backward and forward, being
supported and guided by means of rods r and r¹ one of which slides in a boss and
the other in one end of the slides G to come into contact with the blocks f, and
when by the movement of the rod O, crossbar M and rods N towards the stern the
lever P forces these blocks forward, the thrust-bearing E and the shaft A are fixed
in a position which closes the balf-coupling D against the half-coupling C. The
rod O is moved by means of a lever or other mechanism in the engine-room or
other convenient position for the operator and is brought into requisition only
when going astern or when the vessel is going forward in smooth water, when no-
governing is necessary.
When the engine is reversed the links L as shewn, working in slots K would be-
unsuitable for connecting the two half-couplings together, so we provide bolts or

page_text: pins S which fit tightly in holes in the half-coupling C, but the corresponding
holes in the half coupling D are slightly elongated as shewn at s in Fig. 7. This
elongation is for the purpose of allowing one half-coupling to rotate relatively to
the other through a small arc while sliding when the governor is in action and the
links form the connection between the two half-couplings.
The links L, one of which is shewn in Fig. 6, are preferably given a slight
helical twist, so as to fit loosely in slots K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :
1. An automatic governor for marine screw engines in which, when the propeller
emerges either wholly or partially from the water, the propeller and its rigidly
attached length of screw shaft slides backwards or aft, and by such sliding shuts off
wholly or partially the supply of steam to the cylinders.
2. In an automatic governor for marine screw engines a coupling, the two
halves of which are so connected by links or their equivalents that normally they
are closed together, but open as soon as the resistance against the propeller blades
is reduced by reason of the propeller emerging from the water.
3. In a marine screw engine governing the supply of steam to the cylinders, by
means of mechanism operated by the longitudinal sliding of the propeller and its
attached length of shaft.
4. In an automatic governor for marine screw engines the combination of a
sliding length of screw shaft having the propeller attached thereto, with lever or
other equivalent mechanism operated by such sliding for the purpose of regulating
the supply of steam to the cylinders, substantially as described and shewn.
5. An automatic governor for marine screw engines substantially as described
and shown.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106, Priory Park Road, Kilburn, N.W., Agent for the Applicants.