Improvements in Engine Stopping Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Engine Stopping Machines.
I, FRANK PRATT REYNOLDS, of No. 9 Sigourney Street, Hartford, in the County
of Hartford and State of Connecticut, U.S.A., draughtsman, 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 relates to those machines which are connected with valves that
control the supply of energizing fluid for steam or other engines, and are adapted
to be set in operation from different localities, for closing the valves with which
they are connected, when it is necessary or desirable to quickly stop the engines.
The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and readily
adjustable governing mechanism for a machine of this class.
If the machinery in a factory, mill or works provided with one of these engine
stopping machines, becomes disabled, if an accident occurs, or if for any other
cause, it is desired to quickly stop the engine, the nearest button is pressed to
close an electric circuit connected with the stopping machine. This excites a
magnet, which causes its armature to move and release a trip lever. A pawl is
then pulled from engagement with teeth on a spring barrel so that the spring or
a weight, or both, whichever is employed, will rotate a spindle and through
As the spring barrel
sprocket wheels and a chain close the throttle valve.
rotates with the spindle a train of differential
gears forces a plunger
slowly into a cylinder so as to check the too rapid closing of the throttle
valve and ensure that it shuts gently. The differential gears are arranged
so as to allow the sprocket wheels to be rotated many times, in order that the
throttle valve can be opened a number of turns and successfully closed by a
powerful spring or heavy weight, without necessitating an extended plunger
5 movement which would require the use of a long cylinder, and one of the sprocket
wheels is connected with the spindle of the machine by a friction device which
permits such an adjustment that the tension of the spring can be regulated
according to the number of turns required and force necessary to be exerted in
properly closing the throttle valve.
Of the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan of the machine with the cover
removed. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one side, with the cover removed and the case
in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line aa. Fig. 4 is a vertical section
on line b-b. Fig. 5 is a letail view of the catch mechanism, and Fig. 6 is a face
view of the retarding cylinder.
5 In the views 1 indicates the enclosing case, which is preferably made of metal.
Supported by standards and 3 is a spindle 4. Outside of the case this spindle
bears a sprocket wheel 5 adapted to be connected by a chain with a sprocket
wheel on the spindle of any throttle valve. Inside of the case the spindle is con-
nected with a spring barrel 6. One end of the energizing spring (not shown)
10 may be connected with this barrel and the other end may be connected with an
abor 7 that is clamped to the standard 8 so as to project into the barrel. When

page_text: wound such a spring tends to rotate the barrel and the connected spring that
tears the sprocket wheel. Connected with the sprocket wheel is a drum 9 upon
which a weighted cord may be wound to aid in rotating the sprocket wheel. For
rctating, the sprocket wheel either a spring can be placed in the barrel, or a
weighted cord can be wound on the drum, but preferably both are provided to
ensure certain, positive and quick action. The sprocket wheel 5 and the cord
drum 9 are secured together by bolts and are held connected with the spindle
through a fixed tapering friction collar 36, against the peripheral surface of which
they are forced by a nut that turns on the threaded end of the spindle. When
this nut is loosened, the sprocket wheel and cord drum can be rotated for adjust-
ment on the spindle and then set by again tightening the nut.
Upon the spring barrel there are annular ratchet teeth, and supported by a
bracket 10 is a catch lever 11 with a pawl 12 arranged to normally engage these
teeth. This is preferably a spring pawl with a threaded shank upon which are
a pair of nuts 13 that can be adjusted for regulating the tension of the spring.
Pivoted to the bracket 10 is a trip lever 14. This trip lever at one end is loosely
connected with an arm projecting from the catch lever 11 and at the other end
is provided with a lug 15 arranged to engage a lug 16 on the armature 17 of an
electro-magnet 18. A spring 19 is connected with the catch lever near its handle
in such manner as to normally tend to withdraw the pawl from engagement with
the teeth on the barrel. If the lug on the trip lever is engaged by the lug on
the armature of the magnet, the catch lever cannot move to withdraw the pawl.
When the magnet is excited, as by closing the electric circuit in which it is con-
nected, the armature is so drawn as to release the trip lever and allow the spring
to move the catch lever and draw the pawl from engagement with the teeth, leav-
ing the barrel free to be revolved by the spring it contains, or by the weight con-
nected with the drum. When the magnet is not excited the armature is drawn
back by a spring in the common manner.
For operating the machine directly a spring bolt 21 may be mounted in such
manner that when the bolt is pushed inward its end will engage with and so move
the armature as to release the engaging lugs and free the levers.
The trip device is reset, that is, the lug 15 is engaged by the lug 16 on the
armature of the magnet, by lifting the handle of the catch lever 11.
Mounted upon a stud borne by the spring barrel is a pinion 22. This pinion
meshes with a gear 23 that is immovably secured to the standard 2 and with
a gear 24 that is borne by a sleeve 25 which is loosely held by the
standard 2. These are differential gears, that is, one, preferably 24, has more
teeth than the other, so that when the sprocket wheel, spindle and spring barrel
are rotated the gear 24 will be given a relatively slow rotation.
Secured to the sleeve 25 between the standards 2 and 3 is a pinion 26 and this
pinion meshes with a rack formed on a bar 27 that is movably supported by a
part of the standard 2. The bar 27 is connected with a plunger 28 that is
movably fitted into a cylinder 29. A valve 30 is provided for the free passage
of air into the cylinder when the plunger is drawn outward, and there is a valve 31,
that can be closely regulated, for the very slow escape of air when the plunger
is forced into the cylinder. The cylinder and the plunger could be reversed, if
desired, that is, the movable part could be the cylinder and the stationary part
the piston, without departing from the invention.
The arrangement of differential gears causes the plunger to be forced into the
cylinder with a very slow motion when the spindle and sprocket wheel are rotated
under the impulse of the spring in the spring barrel, or of the weight cord on the
drum, and this allows the sprocket wheel to rotate many times while the plunger
is moving but a short distance.
The act of opening the throttle valve through the sprocket wheels and chain,
causes the spindle to be rotated proportionately and this winds up the spring in
he spring barrel or the weight of the cord on the drum and draws the plunger
outwardly from the cylinder. When the throttle valve is opened sufficiently the

page_text: ng pawl is caused to engage the teeth on the spring
r held by the armature of the magnet. The wires of the magnet are con-
ed with the binding posts 32 and connected with these are wires of a circuit
ling to various places in a mill or factory, which wires may be provided with
tons for closing the circuit at any desired localities.
The binding post 33 may be connected with a circuit wire leading to a bell, and
unted upon one of the posts 32 is a rod 34. One end of this rod rests upon
catch lever 11 while the other end is normally just out of contact with the
ding post 33. When the catch lever is tripped and the pawl withdrawn from
teeth on the spring barrel the rod moves so that its end engages with the
st 33 and closes the circuit through the bell. This causes an alarm to be rung,
en the stopping machine is operated, for attracting the attention of the engineer
attendant. A rotary bolt 35 may be mounted in the case adjacent to the rod 34
that it can be moved to disengage the rod from the post 33 to open the bell
rcuit when the stop is running down, or is to remain run down, and it is not
esired that. the alarm shall sound.
If the spring has not force enough to quite close the throttle valve, or if the
oring is too powerful and the valve closes violently, the nut on the end of the
pindle can be loosened, and the sprocket wheel and cord drum turned in the
roper direction to adjust them with relation to the spring, so that the throttle
alve will close properly.
When the engine stopping machine provided with this governing mechanism
s operated, the throttle valve will be turned rapidly and shut tightly without
iolence, for the plunger, which moves slowly and travels but a short distance,
offers but a slight resistance to the movement of the parts until the throttle valve
is almost closed and the plunger is near the bottom of the cylinder, at which time
the air in the cylinder will offer a cushioning resistance, but the air is allowed to
escape with sufficient rapidity to permit the throttle valve to close tightly, there
being reserved power in the spring or weight for this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An engine stop having a spindle adapted to be connected with the throttle
controlling the engine energizing fluid, means for rotating the spindle, a catch for
temporarily retaining the spindle with the rotating means under tension, a trip.
for moving the catch, mechanisms for releasing the trip, intermeshing differential
gears and pinions that are rotated by the rotation of the spindle, and a retarding
unger and cylinder brought into action by the movement of the gears and
pinions.
2. An engine stop having a spindle adapted to be connected with the throttle
controlling the engine energizing fluid, a spring for rotating the spindle, a pawl
for engaging a part connected with the spring for retaining the spring under
tension, a lever engaging a part connected with the pawl, an armature for hold-
ing the lever, a magnet for moving the armature, a pinion borne by the spring
barrel, a pair of differential gears meshing with the pinion, one of said gears
being stationary and the other mounted upon a sleeve, a pinion borne by the
sleeve, said pinion meshing with a rack, a plunger connected with the rack, and
a cylinder for receiving the plunger.
3. An engine stop having a spindle adapted to be connected with the throttle
50 controlling the engine energizing fluid, a spring for rotating the spindle, a paw
for engaging a part connected with the spring for retaining the spring under
tension, a lever engaging a part connected with the pawl, an armature for holding
the lever, a magnet for moving the armature, circuit wires connected with th
magnet and leading to various localities, circuit wires connected with an alarm
55 a rod adapted to close the alarm circuit when the pawl is tripped, a pinion born
Ly the spring barrel, a pair of differential gears meshing with the pinion, one

page_text: said gears being stationary and the other mounted upon a sleeve, a pinion borne
by the sleeve, said pinion meshing with a rack, a plunger connected with the
rack, and a cylinder for receiving the plunger.
4. An engine stop having a spindle with a sprocket wheel connected to the
spindle by a friction device and adapted to be connected with the throttle control-
ling the engine energizing fluid, means for rotating the spindle, a catch for
temporarily retaining the spindle with the rotating means under tension, a trip
for moving the catch, mechanisms for releasing the trip and gears and pinions
rotated by the rotation of the spindle, and a retarding plunger and cylinder
brought into action by the movement of the gears and pinions.
Dated the 22nd day of May, 1897.
FRANK PRATT REYNOLDS,
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.