IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SPEED OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1880. A communication
from abroad by Joseph Buzby Sheppard, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE
SPEED OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES." [A communication from abroad by
Joseph Buzby Sheppard, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to provide improved means for ensuring greater
regularity of motion in compound condensing and other engines than is obtained
by the regulating devices heretofore used; and for this purpose I employ more
powerful apparatus for operating the regulating valves than those which are ordinarily
employed, whether the said valves be situated in the exhaust-passage between the
expansion or steam cylinder and the condenser, or in the steam or other supply
pipe, or in both in the same engine.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a diaphragm which is
placed within a case of elliptical form in transverse section. The said diaphragm
is fixed longitudinally within the said case in such a manner that it divides the
latter into two compartments. The diaphragm is made of flexible metal or other
suitable material, and has secured to its centre a rod which extends through
a stuffing box in one side of the case, and is attached outside the latter to the
ordinary throttle valve lever so that any motion of the diaphragm will also be
imparted to the throttle-valve. The diaphragm-case is provided with two ports
communicating with a valve of novel construction, which is designed to control the
supply of steam or air to either one or the other side of the diaphragm as required.
This valve consists in a bollow or tubular cone-shaped vessel, hereinafter called the
cone-valve, which is situated within an outer cylinder or case provided with two
ports in communication with the two ports hereinbefore described. The said cone-
valve is of so much smaller diameter than the interior of the case within which it
works that there is a space between the external surface of the cone-valve and the
internal surface of its case, affording a passage or space for steam or air. This
passage or space does not however extend completely around the cone-valve, as
the latter is provided at one side thereof with a projecting piece designed to cover
and uncover the above-named ports alternately; through the centre of this piece
there is a longitudinal aperture corresponding in dimension and communicating
with the interior of the cone valve, and at the upper part with the ports in the
valve-casing, leading to the corresponding ports in the diaphragm case, that is to

page_text: •
say, the oscillation of the said cone-valve as it partially rotates to and fro causes
the aforesaid aperture in the projecting piece to communicate alternately with the
two ports in the casing, according to the action of the governor of the engine, and
when the said aperture is in communication with the port on one side, the port on
the other side is in communication with the space between the cone-valve and the
interior of its case, and vice versa. The said cone-valve is so fitted within its
casing that it can partially rotate or oscillate therein, that is to say, one end of the
cone-valve is supported by an arm or spindle bearing within and passing through
one end of the outer cylinder or casing, and this spindle has upon its outer end a
lever which is in communication with the engine governor and is actuated thereby.
The opposite end of the cone-valve is supported by a tubular spindle or trunnion
through which steam or air enters the interior of the said cone-valve, whence it
passes to one side or the other of the aforesaid diaphragm according to the
position of the said cone-valve, the latter being operated as above described by the
governor of the engine. On the end of the cylinder or valve-casing adjacent to
the end of the cone-valve through which the steam or air passes to the interior of the
same I provide a boss upon which is coupled a tube leading to either the condenser
or the steam boiler, or to both, and provided with a two-way cock which will afford
communication with either. Or a direct passage may be made through the cone-
valve and diaphragm case from the boiler to the condenser.
The screw or worm
This regulating apparatus may be used in connection with any of the ordinary
forms of governors, but for the purpose of economizing space I prefer to employ,
instead of the governors heretofore used, a novel device or apparatus forming a
part of this Invention, and which is constructed as follows, that is to say :-I
provide a spindle with a spiral worm or thread turned upon it. This form gears
into a driving spur wheel, the teeth of which are cut (or set) at an angle corre-
sponding with that of the thread or worm of the screw.
spindle is rotated by the driving spur-wheel when the latter receives motion from
the engine to be regulated. Upon the spindle or arbor carrying the driving spur
wheel is also firmly fixed a pulley, or. other suitable means for receiving driving
power by the employment of any ordinary means from the engine to be regulated.
One peculiarity in this governor is that the spindle bearing the spiral worm moves
back and forth in its longitudinal direction, and upon it (at or near one end of the
worm) there is a circular slot (such as is used in the sliding sleeve of ordinary
centrifugal governors) that works in the ordinary manner a lever or spanner
connected with the throttle-valve. The spindle is mounted with vanes to resist the
atmosphere, and the extremities of the vanes may be loaded, or a fly-wheel may be
combined with the vanes to ensure an even motion. But should the worm spindle
be used otherwise than in a vertical position a spring or counterweight must be
applied to substitute the force of gravity for opening the throttle-valve, and in
order to neutralize the variable tension of a spring. The vanes should be hinged
excentrically, and connected with a spring in such a manner that it will cause their
collapse when at rest, and, on the other hand, when in motion they will expand by
centrifugal force and form a resistance to the atmosphere in accordance with the
required speed of an engine; to regulate this, means are employed for compressing
or relieving the spring. This worm spindle may be combined with any throttle valve
and form an efficient regulator for stationary engines.
The spindle that bears the regulating vanes may, when used for the regulation
of either marine or stationary engines, be separate from the worm-spindle, the
latter having a long pinion upon it that will still allow it longitudinal motion
when geared into a spur wheel upon the spindle bearing the vanes.