Improvements in Governing Apparatus for Steam Engines, to Prevent Racing or Overrunning.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Governing Apparatus for Steam Engines, to
Prevent Racing or Overrunning.
I, SOMERVILLE DEAR, of Hope Foundry, Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to prevent steam engines from running faster
than their regular speed, more particularly marine engines racing or acquiring an
injurious speed when the propeller or paddles are raised more or less out of the
water by the pitching of the vessel or otherwise.
For this purpose I place a steam chest or cylinder close to the engine and so
arrange that the steam passes through it in its way from the boiler to the engines.
In the steam chest and between the inlet and the outlet two discs are interposed ;
the steam passes to the engines through apertures formed in the discs.
run.
The discs are mounted face to face at the ends of two shafts which are truly
aligned; the shafts enter the steam chest or cylinder at opposite ends by suitable
glauds and the arrangements are such that the discs are close together although not
in actual contact or only pressing lightly the one against the other. One of the
shafts is driven by the main engines and the other by a small engine capable of
being easily regulated to the speed at which it is desired the main engines should
So long as both shafts go at the same speed and the same way round, the
steam will pass freely through both discs but if the shaft driven by the main engine
goes a little faster than the other one disc moves round on the other and so closes
or partially closes the openings and shuts off the steam. These discs are formed
with lugs to catch each other so that they can only travel on each other a suitable
distance. It will be advisable to have a good many openings in the discs as they
will close and check the engine sooner.
This invention will not only stop racing
but will act as a governor as well, as the slower or faster the small engine goes the
main engine will have to follow.
Dated thin 8th dor of Annil 1893
COME LEID DIMOLTIVATION.
Improvements in Governing Apparatus for Steam Engines, to
Prevent Racing or Overrunning.
I, SOMERVILLE DEAR, of Hope Foundry, Leeds, in the County of York,
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 has for its object to prevent steam engines from running faster
than their regular speed, more particularly marine engines racing or acquiring an
injurious speed when the propellor or paddles are raised more or less out of the
water by the pitching of the vessel or otherwise.
:
:
For this purpose I place a steam chest or cylinder close to the engine and so.
arrange that the steam passes through it in its way from the boiler to the engines.
In the steam chest and between the inlet and the outlet two discs are interposed;
the steam passes to the engines through apertures formed in the discs.

page_text: The discs are mounted face to face at the ends of two shafts which are truly
aligned; the shafts enter the steam chest or cylinder at opposite ends by suitable
glands and the arrangements are such that the discs are close together although not
in actual contact or only pressing lightly the one against the other. One of the
shafts is driven by the main engines and the other by a small engine capable of
being easily regulated to the speed at which it is desired the main engines should
run. So long as both shafts go at the same speed and the same way round, the
steam will pass freely through both discs but if the shaft driven by the main engine
goes a little faster than the other, one disc moves round on the other and so closes
or partially closes the openings and shuts off the steam. These discs are formed
with lugs to catch each other so that they can only travel on each other a suitable
distance. It will be advisable to have a good many openings in the discs as they
will close and check the engine sooner.
In order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same may be
properly understood I will proceed to describe the drawings annexed.
The
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the apparatus. AA is the circular
chamber or chest, B is the inlet of the steam from the boiler and C is the outlet to
the engine, D and E are the discs through openings in which the steam passes, F is
the shaft to which the disc E is fixed, it is driven by the main engine, G is the
shaft to which the disc D is fixed, this is driven by the constant speed motor.
piston H is intended to balance the steam pressure on the disc D; it carries a
gland I through which the shaft G passes steam tight. An appropriate stop
prevents endwise movement of the shaft through the gland. The shaft F also
passes through a gland I¹.
Figure 2 is an underside view of the discs showing the openings through both
and the lugs to limit the distance one disc can turn on the other as the apertures
are opened or closed. Now it will be seen that so long as both shafts and discs go
round together, and at the same speed, the steam will pass through always with
the same freedom, but should the main engine run faster, the apertures in the discs
would close and shut the steam off or partly so. When on the other hand the
constant speed motor overtakes the main engine the apertures open and more steam
is given. The faster the discs revolve and the greater number of openings in the
discs, the quicker will be the action of the governor. With eight openings it only
requires the main engine to gain one sixteenth of a revolution to cut the steam off.
Figure 3 is in part the same as Figure 1 only the shaft G passes through a fixed
gland, the piston H being dispensed with. In this case as will be seen the shaft G
carries a second disc D' in a chest N. The top disc in the lower or N chest, and
the.bottom.disc in the top or A chest are driven by the small engine or constant
motor. Also in chest N there is a disc E' fixed to a shaft J, and this and the top
shaft F are driven at the same speed by the main engine.
In the chest N I place a piston K with seatings for the discs to run round in,
and a flange to hold the discs to each other; this flange is screwed fast to the
piston which can turn round in the chest with the discs, or the discs can turn
round in the piston. L is the entrance of exhaust steam from cylinder, and M the
connection with the condenser. The discs D' E' being much larger than the
discs D, E the vacuum acting on the latter and upon the piston will nearly.
counteract the pressure of steam on the top discs, and will also allow for expansion
and contraction in the shafts.
In this arrangement if the main engine overruns, it will close both the steam and
exhaust passages.
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. Governing apparatus for a steam engine consisting of two discs or surfaces
with apertures so arranged in a passage by which the steam passes so that the
steam flows freely when the apertures coincide. but otherwise is checked in its flow;

page_text: such discs or surfaces being driven the one by the engine to be controlled and the
other at an uniform speed by a suitable motor.
2. Governing apparatus substantially as herein described and illustrated by the
annexed drawings.
Dated this 0th day of Januar 1804
SOMERVILLE DEAR.