IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES."-A
communication from abroad by Junius Judson, Manufacturer, and
William Archibald Cogswell, Machinist, both of Rochester, New
York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Haseltine at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 9th December 1874, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE'
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS,
IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
.

page_text: The Drawing exhibits what is known as the "Judson governor."
A is the revolving governor head or frame, B is the regulating valve or
piston attached to the rod C. This rod extends up through the governor
and is connected with the balls D, D, through the medium of the
pivoted arms F, F. As the balls rise or fall the rod C and valve B are
correspondingly moved, thereby admitting or cutting off the steam.
E, E, are cranks attached fast to the arms and turning with them as
the balls rise or fall. G, G, are the springs, of which two are preferably
used on a side. One end of each spring is attached to the crank pin b,
and the opposite end to a pin c attached to the ball. The springs thus
cross each other as shown, and when the balls are lowered their lengths
lic below the pivots a, a, of the same.
The action is as follows:-The springs lying below the pivots a, a, as
described hold the balls down to the extent of their tension or power.
It will therefore require a higher revolving velocity of the governor to
start the rising of the balls than in ordinary governors where no springs
are used, since both the gravity of the balls and the power of the springs
must be overcome.
When the balls rise under the accelerated motion the springs rise
with them, and as they approach nearer and nearer in line with the
pivots a, a, they gradually lose their power and draw less and less
downward upon the balls. If carried in full line with the pivots a, a,
they would lose, their whole power upon the balls, since the springs and
arms would then be in coincidence their whole length from point to
point of attachment. This releasing of the power of the springs allows
the balls to rise higher in a single revolution under the accelerated
motion than they would do at a lower rate of speed; hence the whole
vertical range of the balls is attained with fewer revolutions, and the
governor is thereby made more sensitive in action. The object is to
retard the rising movement till an increased revolving velocity is
attained, and then to gradually release the power of the springs upón
the balls as they risc. A slight increase of engine speed will raise tho
balls through their whole range and close the valve. In the falling of
the balls the reverse action takes place, the springs assisting the weight
of the balls in quickly opening the valve.
In addition to the rising of the balls the raising of the cranks serves
to elevate the springs as the balls go up, thereby assisting the action
above described.

page_text: The number of springs used is not essential, nor their use on more
than one side of the governor. They can also be connected in a
different way and produce the same result.
•
In Figure 8 a spring G is
shown attached at one end to a fixed standard 9, and at the other to the
outer end of a pair of toggle levers h, i, pivoted to fulcrums k, l. The
inner lever connects with the valve rod C by an open socket m. As the
rod is thrown down by the raising of the balls the toggle is correspond-
ingly straightened more or less in line with the springs, thereby varying
the power as above described.
The springs may be of any desired construction, the one shown being
a coiled spring, which may be taken up or let out at pleasure by screws
and nuts or other devices. Adjustment in the length of the springs is
necessary to adapt them to the different weights of fly wheels or the
condition of the machinery to be driven. In heavy fly wheels or quick
running machinery the valve can be adjusted to throw over the whole
opening by one per cent. increase of engine speed, but where the fly
wheel is much lighter in proportion the action of the governor would be
too sensitive, and it would feel the unequal impulses of the piston which
a large fly wheel would neutralize. In the latter case the springs have
to be let out and the governor thereby made less sensitive, and a greater
range of engine speed is naturally 'necessary to produce steadiness of the
governors' action.
The driving pulley J is fitted to turn loosely on its shaft H, and with
it is combined a spring I, one end of which is fast to the pulley and the
other to the shaft. The connection of the spring is such that under
ordinary action motion will be given by the pulley to the shaft through
the medium of the connecting spring, but if any quick impulse or jerk
occurs the spring will allow the pulley to turn freely on the shaft, and
in advance of the shaft, to the full extent of the spring. By this means
the impulse is all expended upon the pulley and is not carried to the
shaft, and hence such impulse cannot reach the governor balls which
are allowed to revolve steadily and undisturbed in their proper plane;
nor can sudden jerks of the engine be imparted to the regulating valve
which is connected with the governor balls. The action of the regulating
valve in admitting steam to the cylinder is therefore uniform, notwith-
standing the motion of the engine itself may have sudden perturbations.
This regularity and steadiness of the valve in admitting steam to the
cylinder obviates in a great degree the irregularity of the engine and

page_text: prevents the concussion and strain upon the engine and its supporting
parts which occur from overcharging the cylinder with extra steam by
reason of the vibration or oscillations of the balls. The fly wheels in
many engines are too light to equalize the variations in power and the
impulses or jerks of the fly wheel such as to create much irregularity in
the vibrations of the balls. This Invention, by preventing such impulses
being carried to the balls, obviates in a great degree the difficulty.
The spring I may be combined with the driving pulley and shaft in
various ways with the same result. In Figure 3 a coiled spring is shown
resting in an annular groove of a collar K keyed to the shaft. One end
d is connected with the pulley, and the other end d¹ with the collar.
The spring acts by torsion. In Figure 7 a simple coiled spring is shown
resting within the housing of the pulley and connected at one end to
the shaft and at the other to the rim of the pulley by a link connection
which allows freedom of motion. To make a right or left pulley it is
simply slipped from the shaft and put on the reverse way.
The collar K (Figure 3) has an interior bearing f which rests on the
shaft. At the end of this, located inside the spring and resting around
the shaft, is a loose ring e, which completes the length of the bearing f.
This ring, while it prevents the contact of the spring with the shaft,
allows the spring to turn under torsion and the ring rolls with it upon the
shaft to a certain extent, thereby insuring free and casy action of the
spring and obviating the binding which would occur if the spring came
directly in contact with the shaft.
At one end of the pulley is a sleeve L made fast to the shaft. This
sleeve has a stop p, and the pulley has a corresponding pin projecting
from its side which strikes the stop when turned. The object is to make
an engagement between the pulley and shaft if the spring should break,
and thereby preserve the motion of the governor and prevent the opening
of the regulating valve. The spring when intact does not allow the
contact of the pin and stop but preserves the engagement of the pulley
and shaft by its own connection.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
1st. The combination with the governor of a spring or springs G so
connected with the governor balls or valve rod as to resist the rising of

page_text: the balls until an accelerated revolving movement is obtained, and then
to gradually release their power as the balls rise, for the purpose
specified.
2nd. The combination with the shaft H and driving pulley J fitting
loosely thereon of the spring I, so connecting the said parts as to allow
a free movement of the pulley on the shaft, thereby preventing impulses
of the engine from being transmitted to the governor, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
HY. JAS. NOONE, ·
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)