Improvements in Speed Indicators for Steam Engines and other Moving Bodies, applicable as a Governor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Indicators for Steam Engines and other
Moving Bodies, applicable as a Governor.
I, HENRY WRAY METCALFE of 26 Sunderland Terrace, Bayswater, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer Royal Navy, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention I so connect a time piece by adjustable gearing to the
shaft or other revolving part whose speed of rotation is to be measured that the
time piece can be made to turn at the same speed as its hand but in the opposite
direction whatever may be the speed of the shaft or other part so that the hand
appears stationary-a scale being provided to then show the speed of rotation of the
shaft or other part relatively to that of the time piece. Or if it be desired to drive
the shaft or other part at any given speed the scale is set for that speed and the
indicator at once shows whether the shaft or other part is revolving too fast or
too slow.
The arrangement I adopt is as follows:-
A cone is fixed or geared to the part whose speed of rotation is to be measured
and bearing on the cone is a wheel free to slide along a slotted shaft parallel to
one side of the cone but prevented from turning upon it, by a feather. The shaft
is carried in a pivotted frame pressed towards the coue by a spring so that the edge
of the wheel bears against the cone with a steady pressure and is driven by it.
The wheel can be moved to and fro along the slotted shaft by a fork carried by a
slide free to nove along a rack when actuated by a pinion so that the wheel can
be made to bear against any portion of the cone and can be thereby driven at any
desired speed relatively to that of the cone and of the revolving part whose speed
is to be measured.
The shaft carries a pinion gearing with a spur wheel upon a disc supporting an
ordinary watch having a centre seconds hand.
The rack is graduated in such manner that a mark upon the slide points to
the graduation showing the ratio of the speed of rotation of the watch to that of"
the moving part.
The instrument may also be used for measuring, or regulating the flow of liquids
through a pipe, or conduit, by connecting the cone, or gearing thereto, with a vane
or system of buckets, actuated by the flowing liquid, the blades of the vane, or the
buckets as the case may be, including the whole or part of the liquid flowing.
through the pipe or conduit.
By the introduction of a pair of circuit closers one on each side of the hand so
that when the shaft is moving too fast or too slow the hand comes into contact
with one or other and closes the circuit through one or other of two servo motor
electro magnets which actuate the cut off valve or other governing mechanism, the
instrument might be made to act as a governor, keeping the revolutions of shaft
within certain fixed limits.
Din do of Tune 1801
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Indicators for Steam Engines and other
Moving Bodies, applicable as a Governor.
I, HENRY WRAY METCALFE of 26 Sunderland Terrace, Bayswater, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer Royal Navy, 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:
According to this invention I so connect a time piece by adjustable gearing to
the shaft or other revolving part whose speed of rotation is to be measured that
the time piece can be made to turn at the same speed as its hand but in the
opposite direction whatever may be the speed of the shaft or other part so that the
hand appears stationary, a scale being provided to then show the speed of rotation
of the shaft or other part relatively to that of the time piece. Or if it he desired
to drive the shaft or other part at any given speed the scale is set for that speed
and the indicator at once shows whether the shaft or other part is revolving too
fast or too slow.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 a side elevation partly in section of
the arrangement I adopt.
A cone a is fixed or geared to the part whose speed of rotation is to be
measured and bearing on the cone is a wheel c free to slide along a slotted shaft d
parallel to one side of the cone a but prevented from turning upon it, by a feather.
The shaft d is carried by bearings d' in a frame e pivotted at e¹ and pressed towards
the cone by a spring e² so that the edge of the wheel bears against the cone a
with a steady pressure and is driven by it. The wheel can be moved to and fro
along the slotted shaft d by a fork carried by a slide free to move along a rack g
when actuated by a pinion f so that the wheel can be made to bear against any
portion of the cone a and can be thereby driven at any desired speed relatively to
that of the cone and of the revolving part whose speed is to be measured.
The shaft carries a pinion gearing with a spur wheel upon a disc supporting
an ordinary watch having a centre seconds hand.
points to
The rack g is graduated in such manner that a mark upon the slide
the graduation showing the ratio of the speed of rotation of the watch to that of
the moving part b.
Figures 3 to 6 show a modification in which the indicator is concentric with the
watch. The parts so far as they correspond bear the same letters as in the
instrument described above.
Figure 3 is a plan, Figure 4 a vertical section, Figure 5 a transverse section on
the line a Figure 4 and Figure 6 an underside diagram view of the gearing.
Parallel to the slotted shaft and clear of the rocking frame e is fixed a guide k
bearing the slide and fork embracing the hub of the wheel eat either side, so
that, on moving the slide, along its guide, the wheel will be caused to slide along
its spindle or shaft, and so along the face of the conc, taking any position on the
cone corresponding to the position of the slide on the guide. Outside all this
mechanism is a strong cylindrical casing free to revolve truly about a centre,
being rim bound, or running in a circular groove at the base, but incapable of
longitudinal motion, through being held down by the ends of pins running in a slot,
or similar device. On the inside surface of this cylinder is cut a spiral groove,
into which projects and gears a block m fixed on the slide moving the wheel,
so that, on revolving the outer casing of the instrument, the wheel will be made
to take up any position against the cone, according to the position of the block on
the slide, in the slot, which is governed by the angular position" of the casing.
This position is shewn by an index pointer n attached to the casing, shewing against
56

page_text: a graduated dial face o, placed concentric with the time piece j, but above it, with
the centre cut out, to allow the time piece to be seen.
This dial is fixed to the main body of the instrument, so that it neither turns
with the casing, nor with the time piece.
To facilitate setting the engines, the time piece is connected to the disc hand
wheel carrying it, by a friction head, so that, when setting the instrument for
any speed, the point of the hand of the time piece may-be brought opposite the
index pointer. For turning the time piece thus on its table, a spindle carrying a
pinion p' at each end, is fixed in the body of the machine, and capable of longitu-
dinal as well as revolving motion; the upper pinion on the spindle being forced
up, gears with a set of teeth 2 on the disc h, so that, by turning the spindle, the
watch also will be turned round. A thumb nutq on a short spindle q¹ in the base
of the instrument, actuating a wheel q' gearing into the lower pinion p' of this spindle,
allows the timepiece to be turned round from without the casing, the upper pinion
of the spindle being raised to gearing position by bearing down on the thumb nut
when turning it, its spindle actuating a rocker 73 which in turn forces up the main
spindle.
To allow of this instrument being used for all speeds, from the lowest to the
highest, series of wheel gearing are introduced beneath the base plate of the
instrument, whereby the cone a may be driving at a fixed ratio to the revolutions
of the shaft b.
is a pinion fixed to the shaft which gears with the two wheels and s¹ the
latter in the positious of the parts shown by full lines in Figure 4 being an idle
wheel. The wheels has fixed to it a pinion t gearing with a wheel u upon a
spindle to which an endway movement can be given and which has three
grooves 2 and 3 in it to receive a catch w by which it can be secured in any one
of three positions. The shaft v has fixed to it two pinions a and y the latter being
a long pinion always in gear with a pinion on the cone a. The wheels s and u all
have the same number of teeth as also do the pinions r, t and each wheel having
five times as many as the pinions. When the catch is in the groove v³ as shown
in Figure 4 the speed of rotation of the spindle is one twenty-fifth of that of the
shaft b. When the catch w is in the groove 2 the wheel u is lifted out of gear with
the pinion t and is put into gear with the wheel s' so that the spindle now revolves
at one fifth the speed of the shaft b. When the catch w is in the groove the
wheel is lifted out of gear altogether and the pinion comes into gear with the
wheels so that the spindle v now revolves at the same speed as the shaft .
じ
The instrument may also be used for measuring, or regulating the flow of
liquids through a pipe, or conduit, by connecting the cone, or gearing thereto, with
a vane or system of buckets, actuated by the flowing liquid, the blades of the vane,
or the buckets as the case may be, including the whole or part of the liquid flowing
through the pipe or conduit.
By the introduction of a pair of circuit closers one on each side of the hand so
that when the shaft is moving too fast or too slow the hand comes into contact with
one or other and closes the circuit through one or other of two servo motor electro
magnets which actuate the cut off valve or other governing mechanism, the
instrument might be made to act as a governor, keeping the revolutions of shaft
within certain fixed limits.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. The combination of a time piece free to turn about the pivot of its hand;
adjustable gearing connecting the time piece to the revolving part whose speed is
to be measured and an indicator shewing the relative speeds of rotation of the time
piece and the revolving part substantially as described.
2. The combination of a cone geared to the part whose speed is to be measured

page_text: with a wheel bearing on it geared with a support for a time-piece and moveable
along an axis parallel to one side of the cone substantially as described.
3. Speed indicators substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 27th day of February 1892.
HENRY WRAY METCALFE.