Improvements in Electrical Governors for Water Wheels.
Year: 1894

page_text: United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 21st July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Governors for Water Wheels.
I CARL SCHURZ ENGLISH, of the Village of Lowell, in the County of Kent,
and State of Michigan, United States of America, Electrician, 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 :-
The invention has for its object to provide novel mechanism for automatically
regulating the supply of water to a water wheel. that is utilized to generate power
for an electric dynamo, in such manner that the amount of water supplied to the
wheel, and consequently the power developed by the wheel, shall be increased and
diminished in proportion to the amount of work required to be performed by
the dynamo, and to this end my invention consists in the novel construction
arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and afterwards
definitely pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had
to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this Specification.
In the drawings I bave shown, in elevation, a portion of the conductors used
in connection with a dynamo, together with suitable mechanism for controlling
secondary currents generated by means of a battery or other suitable electrical
power, together with connecting mechanism for operating upon the shaft which
controls the gate that allows the water to flow upon the water wheel or water-
motor.
I have not illustrated the dynamo nor the water wheel, for the reason that
I make no claim to the form or shape of the dynamo or water-wheel, it being
well understood that any form of gate or gates may be used for the purpose.
I have also shown my preferred form of applying power, but it will be evident
that various changes of form may be used without departing from the spirit of the
invention.
In the drawings Z represents a coil composed of a coarse wire and a fine wire,
the coarser coil wire being shown by S and the finer one by n. The object of
using the coarse and fine wire is for the purpose of obtaining a more accurate
adjustment as hereinafter more fully described. i represents the needle or arm
which is acted upon by the magnetic influence of the coil Z. The arm i is pivoted
at 2 and is provided with projections 3 and 4 which projections are adapted to
come in contact with the contact points C1 and C2, in order to connect the electric
circuit, as hereinafter described. By winding the needle i, with a suitable wire
coil, it is made an electro magnet, and the current of electricity in coil S, will
greatly increase the force or influence upon needle i, when so wound, either to
repel or retract the same, depending upon the manner of winding the coil, as is
well understood. L' is a swinging lever or arm which may also be pivoted at 2.
C is a cable or flexible connection which attaches the lower end of the lever L³, to
the axle or hub of the wheel P² and also projects over the wheel 11 and supports
the weight W.

page_text: B represents an electric battery, or any well known means for generating a
current of electricity. B' is a conductor connecting the arm or needle i, to the
junction 5; being the junction between the coils of the electro-magnets M
and M 6 is a return wire from the electro magnet M', and 7 is a return wire
from the electro magnet M. M and M¹ represent electromagnets, each wound
with coils, as shown. These electro magnets may be constructed in any well
known form. 8 is a shaft for the friction gear wheel F. The friction wheel F is
provided with two friction surfaces or discs 9 and 10, and the friction wheel Fis
supported upon-the shaft 8 by means of a key or spline which will allow F to have
a longitudinal movement upon the shaft 8, but compel it always to revolve with
the shaft.
G and G¹ are gearings whereby the movement of the shaft 8 is conveyed to the
shaft a.
The shaft a extends downward and is connected in any suitable manner
with the gate, so that the revolution of the shaft a in one direction opens the gate
and a counter revolution shuts the gate. Any suitable attachment for opening and
shutting the gate may be applied to the lower end of the shaft a. H is a hand-
wheel by means of which the shaft a may be operated by hand should the user ever
so desire to operate it. The hand wheel H may be dispensed with however
without interfering with the operation of my invention.
6 is a belt connecting shaft a to belt pulley P2 which belt pulley is provided with
a hub 15 upon which the flexible connection C is adapted to wind as hereinafter
described. 6 is the journal of the band wheel P2 which journal may be supported
in any suitable bearings. It is immaterial whether the journal 6' revolves with the
band pulley, or whether the band pulley revolves upon the journal.
In the drawings I have shown a belt operated directly from the shaft a but it
is evident that the band wheel may be applied upon the shaft a if desired.
W is a counter weight adapted to return the lever L' to its normal position as
the flexible connection C is unwound from the hub 15.
P is a pulley upon a suitable shaft which is revolved by any suitable machinery.
Upon the same shaft is also the friction pulley P. P and P¹ are rigid with the
same shaft and when P¹ is brought in contact with the friction surface 9 it revolves
the friction wheel F in one direction and when brought in contact with the friction
surface 10, it revolves the wheel F in another direction. The shifting of the
wheel F however brings the friction surfaces alternately into contact with the
pulley P, the pulley P₁ having no shifting movement.
L is a lever armature adapted to turn upon the pivot O as a fulcrum.
What is
shown to be the upper end of the lever L engages with the circular groove 14 in
the hub F, while the lower end of L acts as an armature for magnets M and M'.
Wis an adjusting weight placed upon an arm and preferably raised above the
pivotal attaching point of the arm i. This weight W₁is provided with a set screw
so that it may be raised and lowered and attached at any required point.
W2 is an adjusting weight upon the arm i which may be adjusted by means of a
set screw or otherwise to any required point. 12 represents the point of attach-
ment for the flexible connection C, to the lower end of the lever L'.
I have described a connection between the arm i and the operating parts which
raise and lower the water gate by means of a secondary battery B, and electro-
magnets M¹ and M which connection I deem to be the preferable form, but I do
not wish to limit my invention to this form of connection, for the reason that the
connection may be made directly between the arm i and the mechanism which
operates the shaft a, which shaft a may properly be termed the gate stem, in which
case the secondary battery B and magnets might be dispensed with and the power
derived from the electro magnetic iufluence of the coil Z be made to operate the
opening and closing of the gate.
In the example of my invention, shown and described in the drawings, the
operation is as follows.
When the electric current from the dynamo passes through the coil S, the arm i
is drawn into the coil S until the projection 3 comes in contact with the tangent

page_text: point C. This allows the electric current from the battery B to flow through the
junction 5 through the coil wound around the magnet M¹ and thence back through
the connection 6, across the contacts and back through B' to the battery, thus
energizing the magnet M' and moving the armature or lower end of the lever L
towards its contact point with the magnet M. L turning upon the pivot as a
fulcrum moves the friction wheel F on its shaft 8 until friction surface 10 comes
in contact with P¹, the pulley P¹ revolving then gives a revolving motion to F and
also conveys that revolution through gear wheels G and G' to the shaft a and the
shaft a being connected to the water wheel gate raises the gate increasing the flow
of water and thereby the amount of electricity generated by the dynamo up to
the required amount. The belt 6 revolves the pulley P₁ winding up the flexible
connection C¹, its axle 15 drawing the lower end of the lever L' toward shaft a
thereby breaking the contact between C¹ and the projection 3.
This will check the further opening of the gate at the point where the water,
admitted upon the wheel or motor, is just sufficient to carry the required load or to
impart the required energy to the dynamo. The breaking point should be where
the arm or needle i balances with relation to the coil S. If the current through
the coil S becomes too much weakened, the arm i will swing back and projection 4
will come in contact with C2, which will cause the electric current from the
battery B to circulate through the coil of magnet M, connecting conductor 7,
thereby connecting points and 4, and connecting conductor B' back to the
battery B. This will draw the armature L toward the electro-magnet M, turning
the armature lever L' on its fulcrum O, moving the friction wheel F until friction
surface 9 comes in contact with P'; P' revolving, as above described, will give a
reverse action to the friction wheel F, and consequently through F to shaft 8,
gears G and G¹ and the shaft a, thereby reversing all the operating parts and
shutting off the water from the water-wheel or motor, so that only a proper amount
of water will flow upon the wheel in order to carry the required load. It will be
understood that the winding may be such that the action will be reversed, and the
connection such that the reverse action will open the gate. Thus, the water supply
for the wheel is always perfectly gauged by means of the magnetic energy exerted
through the coil Z to the swinging arm or needle i.
In case a heavy load is put upon the circuit suddenly, a slight lagging of speed
sometimes happens, thus lowering the voltage of the current and lessening the
amount of current which flows through the coil n. This allows the arm or needle i
to go further into the coil or to swing farther towards the attracting point, and thus
opening the gate a little farther before the contacts break. This brings the speed
quickly back to its normal position, and corrects the voltage of the current. This
is found desirable for the reason that water does not move as quickly or readily as
steam or air, it having greater specific gravity and greater momentum.
If the current is in large volume thrown off, a slight increase in speed and
voltage may occur, thus increasing the current in coil n, thereby allowing the arm
or needle i to withdraw farther out of the coil than it would normally, thus closing
the gate more than it would normally, and thereby lowering the voltage to the
proper point. In case the needle i is so wound as to be repelled the repulsion or
reverse action of i will produce the result last above described.
I have shown what I deem to be the most preferable method of applying the
electro-magnetic force, generated by the electric current passing through the
connections from the dynamo, but any other suitable form may be applied, it being
well known that a current of electricity passing through any conductor will
produce this electro-magnetic power, which power I desire to utilize for the
purpose hereinafter specified.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
I
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page_text: .
conductor having a coil S, a pivoted arm or needle carrying two contacts, a pivoted
oscillating arm carrying contacts adapted to engage the contacts carried by said
arm or needle, suitable connections between said oscillating arm and the water-
wheel gate, a circuit breaking device actuated by the movement of the gate
mechanism, and means for actuating the gate operating mechanism, substantially
as described.
2. The combination of the coil S, and the coil n, a needle i suitable connections
between said needle and the gate of the water-wheel whereby the flow of water is
automatically controlled through the magnetic energy exerted from the dynamo
connections, substantially as described.
3. The combination of the coils S and n, the needle i, the swinging lever L, the
flexible connection C, pulley P² with its hub 15, the weight W, a battery, electro-
magnets, conductors connecting said magnets and battery, circuit closing devices
actuated by the needle for closing the circuit through either of said magnets, an
armature actuated by said magnets, and gearing for actuating a water gate
controlled by said armature, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the coil S and n, the needle provided with contact points
for opening and closing the electric current, the battery B, the electro-magnets M¹
and M, suitable coils thereon, connections between such coils and battery, an
armature as 11, shifting device as F, provided with friction discs 9 and 10,
revolving pulley P', and suitable mechanism connecting the shaft of F to the
water-wheel, substantially as described.
5. The combination of the coil of the dynamo, a needle turning upon a pivot
having contact points adapted to open and close an electric current, a battery as B,
electro-magnets as M and M', suitable conductors extending from said electro-
magnets to said battery, whereby the current may be directed through either one
or the other of said electro-magnets at pleasure, a lever armature as 11, a shifting
mechanism as F, operated by means of a pulley as P, suitable mechanism con-
necting said shifting mechanism F, with the gate of the water-wheel, a band as b,
pulley P, lever L, flexible connection C and weight W, all constructed substantially
as and for the purpose described.
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.