Year: 1889

page_text: I ARTHUR GEORGE BROWN of the Globe Iron Works, Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster Engineer 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 :-
The object of this invention is to construct an automatic governor for regulating the
speed of a Steam Engine in which the parts subjected to centrifugal effort-i.e. the
governor weights and springs shall not be effected by the to and fro or reciprocating
strains and whereby a more even speed can be maintained in the engine under control
with lighter weights and weaker springs than has hitherto been practicable.
The special feature of this my improved Governor consists in the peculiar arrange-
ment of mechanism whereby the movement of the weights regulating the cut-off is
conveyed to the main eccentric through the intervention of a supplementary eccentric,
and whereby the governor weights are relieved of all strains imposed by the working
of the valve-so allowing such weights to take their true position due to the speed
without reference to the effort required to move the valve and its connections―a
point of great importance which no other governor possesses in the same degree. In
practice it is found that my improved Governor is nearly isochronal, the speed of the
engine being regulated to such nicety that a variation of from one to two per cent.
only takes place between no load and full load and which per centage can be still
further reduced if desirable for any special purpose.
On the accompanying drawing I illustrate my improved automatic Governor in two
positions upon the driving shaft of an Engine.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent a front and side view respectively of the Governor with the
parts in the position for effecting the latest cut-off and Figs. 3 and 4 represent the
same views with the parts in the position for effecting the earliest cut-off.
In all the views a represents the driving shaft of the engine to be regulated and b
a face plate forming one piece with such shaft or secured thereto. Upon studs or
fulcra cc (projecting from this plate 6) are mounted a pair of weighted levers d d con-
nected at their front extremities by connecting links e e to the face of the supple-
mentary eccentric f. These weighted levers d d are each connected to one extremity
of a strong spiral spring g the other extremity thereof being adjustably affixed to
a set-screw passing through a bracket h¹ upon the face of the plate b-the
segmental slots d are designed to limit the throw of the weighted levers by coming
in contact with the fixed studs d².

page_text: Immediately in front of the supplementary eccentric ƒ is mounted the main
eccentric but in such a manner that the same is capable of sliding to and fro along
a guide-bracket j secured to the shaft a. The strap of this supplementary eccentric
is connected to the inner face of the main eccentric by means of a double-stud-
a side view of which is illustrated separately in Fig. 5 one of these studs being
riveted into the main eccentric and the other stud m set-off the desired distance as
illustrated and connected to the strap of the supplementary eccentric.
The principle and operation of my improved governor may be described as
follows:-
In adjusting the Governor to the speed required I impart a sufficient degree of
tension to the spiral springs g g by screwing up their adjusting set-screws h h so as to
balance the centrifugal effort of the weighted levers d d whilst in their innermost
position (as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2) and running at their regular speed. Should
the speed now increase however slightly the centrifugal effort of the weights over
balances the restraining action of the springs g g and the weighted levers dd
accordingly fly outwards-approaching more or less to the position shewn in Figs. 3
and 4 so carrying the supplementary eccentric / round the shaft a, whilst its eccentric
strap in turn causes the main eccentric i to traverse the guide brackets j in the direc-
tion of the arrow (see Fig. 1.) and thus approach more nearly to the centre of the
shaft and so shortening the cut-off. The reverse action takes place upon any
decreasing of the speed below the normal speed of the engine.
The particular method of connecting the springs g g to the weighted levers d d at
one end and to the adjusting screws.h hat the other end consists in each case of a
boss o illustrated separately in the one case by Fig. 6 and in the other by a front and
side view in Figs. 7 and 8. Upon the outside of these bosses o aspiral grooves p is
formed corresponding in diameter and pitch with the hollow interior of the coiled
springs g g and so that when such bosses are screwed into their respective ends of such
coiled springs a simple and effective connection is obtained which only becomes.
tighter as the spring becomes more distended or clongated..
This mode of connection enables me to effect a more steady and reliable joining of
the springs to their levers than would be possible by turning up or forming a hook or
loop upon the end of the springs as usually practised with this class of spring seeing
that it affords a broad bearing surface to the connecting ear or link. Another important
advantage is that by screwing in the bosses o at the extremities of the coiled springs gg
as aforesaid, the effective strength of such springs is increased and thus a ready means
is afforded of regulating the tension of the coiled springs to the greatest nicety.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
1 claim is
:
1st. The improved combination of parts constituting my improved automatic
Governor for steam engines substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
2nd. In the construction of an automatic Governor the cumployment of a supple-
mentary eccentric connected to the main eccentric and operating substantially as
herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
3rd. The improved mode of securing the coiled springs to the weighted levers and
adjusting set screws of an automatic Governor substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing,
Dated this Sth day of February 1889
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office,
55, Market Street, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.