Improvements in Governors for Steam Engines.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Governors for Steam Engines.
:
:
I, JAMES WRIGHT MACFARLANE of 98 Dundas Street Kingston, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
This invention which has for its object improvements in governors for steam
engines relates to a new or improved construction of such governors whereby the
employment of stuffing boxes and levers, rods, or like connections between the
centrifugal parts and the throttle valve is obviated and friction thereby minimised,
the said centrifugal parts being situated within the steam way or pipe or in a
suitable steam chest and connected direct to the throttle valve. Under the
invention the throttle valve has a movable seat which may be formed in one piece
with the stop valve when such is employed and which is capable of adjustment to
regulate the speed of the engine, ports in the valve and seat being so arranged
that in the event of the governor being stopped by the belt breaking or through
other cause the steam is shut off and the engine prevented from racing while the
stop valve remains open.
The apparatus constituting the invention consists of a chamber or casing placed
in and connected to the steam pipe by flanges, the part of the pipe attached to one
flange being in communication with the boiler and the part attached to the other
flange in connection with the engine. Communication between these parts is
made or cut off as desired by a stop valve seated in the casing and operated by
a hand wheel or its equivalent, secured on a screwed spindle connected to the stop
valve and packed steam tight by a stuffing box and gland. To show the position
of the stop valve an indicator or pointer screwed into or otherwise connected to
the casing, is or may be provided in conjunction with the hand wheel, the said
indicator being graded on the face or side next the wheel.
The stop valve which when open admits steam into an interior chamber has a
cylindrical or sleeved part extending backwards from the valve proper and working
easily in a guide seating or sleeve. The rearwardly projecting part is formed with
ports, and at the interior of it the throttle valve is contained the said valve which
is also formed with ports being carried on or connected to one end of a spindle
whose other end passes into a sleeve or hollow portion made in one end of another
spindle passing out through a stuffing box and having a belt pulley or other means
D

page_text: of driving on its outer end. In some cases the stuffing box may be dispensed with
as the pressure of steam acting on the inner end of the driving spindle forces a
shoulder or collar on it against a liner with sufficient pressure to cause it to work
steam tight. The liner is capable of adjustment to take up the wear of the parts
in contact and it may also be used to adjust the throttle valve relatively with its
Beat by moving the whole centrifugal parts inwards or outwarda.
The part of the interior spindle contained within the hollow part of the driving
spindle is surrounded by a helical spring, the tendency or action of which is to
force the throttle valve against its seat and the balls or centrifugal parts of the
governor are formed with bell crank levers centred on pins carried in lugs or
brackets projecting from the lower part of the driving spindle, the said part and
also the interior spindle being slotted to enable an arm of each of the bell crank
levers to pass into the interior spindle.
"
To lubricate the interior spindle the driving spindle is bored and a suitable
lubricator screwed into its outer end and to lubricate the steam passing to the
engine a lubricator may also be screwed into the lower part of the casing.
The supply of steam to the engine is regulated according to the load by the
combined centrifugal action of the governor balls and of the helical spring so
moving the throttle valve as to cover or uncover a greater port area in the valve
seating; and in the event of the governor stopping through the breaking or
shifting of the belt or through any other cause whatever, the action of the helical
spring forces the throttle valve to its seat, thereby cutting off the steam supply
although the stop valve may still remain open. When it is considered desirable
to adjust the helical governor spring this can be done by passing an adjusting
screw in through the hollow driving spindle..
In arranging the invention for use in conjunction with marine engines in
addition to the check provided by the throttle valve itself the adjustable throttle
valve seat is or may be acted upon by the rise and fall of the water at the stern
of the vessel near the screw propeller to prevent the engine racing when the propeller
is out of the water.
Dated this Nineteenth day of June 1885

page_text: Improvements in Governors for Steam Engines.
I, JAMES WRIGHT MACFARLANE of 98 Dundas Street, Kingston, Glasgow in the
County of Lanark, Engineer, 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:—
This invention, which has for its object improvements in governors for steam
engines relates to a new or improved construction of such governors wherby the
employment of stuffing boxes and levers, rods or like connections between the
centrifugal parts and the throttle valve is obviated and friction thereby minimised,
the said centrifugal parts being situated within the steam way or pipe, or in a
suitable steam chest and connected direct to the throttle valve. Under the
invention the throttle valve has a movable seat which constitutes or may con-
stitute the stop valve and which is capable of adjustment to regulate the speed of
the engine, ports in the valve and seat being so arranged that in the event of the
governor being stopped by the belt breaking or slipping off, or through other
cause the steam is shut off and the engine prevented from racing although the
stop valve remains open.
"
The invention is illustrated under two slightly differing modifications by the
several figures on sheets 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings the same lettirs
indicating like parts in both cases. On sheet 1, figure 1 is a side elevation and
figure 2 a longitudinal vertical section of the improved governor, figures 3 and 4
being cross sections on the lines a a, b b, respectively figure 2, whilst figures 5, 6,
and 7 illustrate relative positions hereinafter referred to of the throttle and
stop valves.
As seen by these figures the apparatus constituting the invention consists of a
centrifugal governor contained in a steam chest or casing A, having a flanged
branch B, connected to the steam pipe from the boiler and a flanged branch C
connected to branch pipe on steam engine cylinder or steam pipe leading thereto.
Communication between these parts is made or cut off as desired by a stop
valve D, seated in the right hand part of the chest A, and operated by a hand
wheel or its equivalent E secured on a screwed spindle F connected to the stop
valve D, by the screwed collar G and packed steam tight by the stuffing box and
gland Gas indicated. To show the position of the stop valve an indicator or
pointer H screwed into or otherwise connected to the end of the steam chest A,
is or may be provided in conjunction with the hand wheel E, the said indicator
being graded on the face or side next the wheel to the same pitch as the screw of
the spindle F.
.The stop valve D, which, when open, admits steam into the annular space I is.
provided with a valve seat c and guide liner c¹ through which latter the cylindrical
or sleeved part extending backwards from the valve proper slides easily. The said

page_text: cylindrical part of the valve is formed with circumferential rows of port holes i,
and in the interior of it the throttle valve J is contained, the said throttle valve
which is also formed with circumferential ports j, being in the arrangement shown
at figure 2, connected to one end of a sliding block K whose other end passes into
a sleeve or hollow portion made in one end of a spindle L.
Horizontal motion is communicated from the hemispherical pendulums e, of the
governor to the throttle valve J by means of the bell-crank levers centred on
pins carried in a cross head g, made on the spindle L, the levers actuating the
sliding block K to which the throttle valve is connected. Rotary motion is
communicated to the pendulums e, from a driving pulley N, secured on the
spindle L which passes through a stuffing box M into the steam chest A. The
spindle L, turns in liners M¹ and stuffing gland M³ and in the hollow part of
the said spindle a helical spring d, is so placed as to press against the sliding
block K and thereby counteract the centrifugal force of the pendulums e.
The whole of the working parts of the governor are carried by the cover A¹ of
the steam chest A, the cover being attached by means of bolts or screws so that the
said working parts may be easily removed for examination without breaking the
joints at B, C.
To lubricate the block K the driving spindle L may be bored and a lubricator N¹
screwed into its outer end and to lubricate the steam passing to the engine a
lubricator O may also be screwed into the right hand part of the steam chest A
as indicated at figure 1 sheet 1.
..
:
Under the modification illustrated by the several figures 1; 2, 3 and 4, sheet 2
of the drawings one lubricator X only is employed to lubricate both the working
parts of the governor and the steam cylinders of the engine. With that arrange-
ment a spindle m passing through the bore of the driving spindle L is or may be
employed to adjust the pressure of the helical spring d on the throttle valve J.
The spindle m has a screw and jamb nut at its outer end and at its inner end it
has a cup piece or collar m¹ for the spring to press against. In lieu of pinning the
throttle valve J, to the block K direct as shown at figure 2, sheet 1, it is preferred
to attach the valve to the right hand end of a spindle n, passing out through a
bore made in the block K as seen at figure 2, sheet 2, the interior spindle n having
a ruff o upon it and being held in position by a ring or liner p screwed into the
outer part of the bore in the block K. With this arrangement the arms of
the bell crank levers f do not pass into the block K but are connected to it one
on each side.
When the stop valve D, and the throttle valve J are in the relative positions
shown by figures 2 and 5 sheet 1, the supply of steam is cut off. When the stop
valve is in the position shown at figure 6 sheet 1, steam is passing into the annular
chamber I and thence through the ports of the stop and throttle valves to the
engine, the supply of steam being regulated according to the load by the combined
centrifugal action of the governor pendulums e and of the helical spring d so
moving the throttle valve J, as to cover or uncover a greater port area in the stop
valve D. In the event of the governor stopping through the belt breaking or
slipping off or through any other cause whatever the action of the helical spring d,
forces the throttle valve J, into the position shown at figure 7, sheet 1, thereby
cutting off the steam supply although the stop valve may still remain open.
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 general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
governor for steam engines hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings
annexed.
2. In a steam engine governor the arrangement of the centrifugal portion within
the steam way or passage whereby a stuffing box or other steam tight contrivance,

page_text: between the centrifugal parts and the throttle valve is dispensed with substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying drawings.
3. In a steam engine governor an adjustable seat for the throttle valve formed
in the stop valve substantially as described with reference to the appended
drawings.
4. In a steam engine governor the combination of a throttle valve and adjustable
seat having ports so arranged relatively with each other that the steam supply is
shut off should the governor stop working although the stop valve remains open
substantially as described with reference to the drawings appended hereto.
5. In a steam engine governor the combination of a throttle valve seat with
mechanism for adjusting it substantially as described with reference to the
drawings annexed,