Improvements in Speed Recorders or Indicators for Steam and other Engines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 25th May, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Recorders or Indicators for Steam and
other Engines.
I, EDGAR CONISTON MILLS of No. 49, Victoria Buildings Manchester in the
county of Lancaster, Mechanical Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The first portion of my invention relates to the recording apparatus or the
mechanism for traversing the diagram paper and producing the diagram and is
applicable to Recorders in which the motion of the pencil or marker is obtained by
any of the known means.
The second portion of my invention relates to improvements in the method of
actuating the pencil or marker and is applicable to pneumatic Recorders of the Class
for which Letters Patent were granted to James Adams and Archibald Baird
No. 2378 of the year 1879 and to Henry Hall No. 10,797 of the year 1884.
To carry the diagram paper I use a circular drum revolving by clockwork on a
vertical axis.
The paper is divided longitudinally by lines into a number of bands each to repre-
sent a day of 24 or 12 hours. The number of bands may be any desired number
such as six, seven or fourteen.
In addition to the revolution of the Drum, mechanism is provided whereby it is
caused to rise vertically a distance equal to the width of one band at the completion
of each revolution.
The drum is placed in the upper part of the Recorder case which is preferably
circular and provided with glass around the whole of the part into which the Drum
rises so that at the end of a week or given period the whole of the readings for that
period may be observed without opening the instrument.
The Cover of the case may be of glass or not but it is formed to lift off, or open by
a hinge so as to remove the Drum or refix the paper. The Drum is so held that it
can at once be lifted out, this being preferably accomplished by allowing it simply to
rest upon a pivot centre its rotary motion being given by a driver arm or pillar, long
enough to reach and drive it when at full working height.
I prefer to carry the said pivot centre on the upper end of a non-revolving-spindle

page_text: but which is free to slide vertically. Instead of the pivot centre I may employ ball
or roller bearings. To the lower portion of the non-revolving spindle I attach a cord
or chain or cords or chains which, passing over pulleys have a weight.or weights
attached to their other ends. These weights are sufficient to more than counterbalance
the weight of the Drum and spindle and other attached parts and hence the Drum
always has an upward tendency. Instead of the weights I may employ one or more
springs in tension or compression or the weights may be attached to levers with links
or quadrants to lift the spindle.
In order to retain the Drum in the desired positions vertically and to release it
when desired, I employ a barrel cam or cam sleeve which is free to revolve on a
vertical axis and is carried in bearings adjacent to the central spindle.
This cam may be a shell or solid cylinder but its surface is recessed in the form of
steps corresponding in number with the desired number of times the Drum is to rise
and their vertical measurement is equal is to the desired vertical rise of the Drum. Pro-
jecting into this recess is a peg rigidly fixed to the non-revolving spindle. This peg by
abutting against the under side of the recessed steps prevents the rise of the Drum
but by revolving the cam the peg is released and the Drum rises until the peg comes
in contact with the next step. The sides of the steps may be sloped so that the rising
of the peg assists the revolution of the cam. A star wheel mounted on the axle of
the cam is operated by a peg fixed on the large wheel by means of which the clock
drives the Drum. The number of arms on the star wheel corresponds with the
number of steps on the cam and as the peg operates the star wheel once in each
revolution of the Drum the desired result is obtained.
-I-may-operate-the-large-wheel-to-which-the-driver is fixed. which drives the Drum.
by any convenient train of wheels from the Clock giving of course the desired speed
but I have found it convenient to form the large wheel as a crown wheel driving
it by a pinion on the same shaft which actuates the hour and minute hands of the
Clock and driving this shaft from the Clock mechanism by either a vertical shaft and
_ bevil_gear or by a train of spur gearing....
The crown wheel is carried on bearings concentric with the drum and spindle
before referred to but quite independent thereof. Its bearings 1 may form with
antifriction rollers or balls.
In some cases I place the clock face either vertically or horizontally on the top of
the case of the instrument in which case I take the motion for the hour and minute
hands from the upper part of the driver or pillar before mentioned which projects
above or through the Drum, and so arrange the connection as to allow for the lifting
or opening of the top of the case as before mentioned.
In some cases instead of using a pencil or ink marker I uso a dry roller with a
sharp edge and transparent paper while underneath the said paper is a coating of
carbonic black or other suitable substance which by the pressure of the sharp roller
will transfer itself to the underside of the transparent paper.
The paper used for the diagram is divided by vertical lines into spaces representing
time-such as five minutes and an hour, and the total periphery when wrapped on the
Drum will represent twenty-four or twelve hours as desired.
In order conveniently to fix the paper and not to present an inequality at the point
of junction I provide a very narrow vertical slit in the drum through which both ends
of the paper are passed and the said slit is so formed that its depth forms a sharp
angle with the periphery of the Drum so that one end of the paper is bent at a sharp
acute angle and the other at a blunt obtuse angle. The acute angle "leads" in the
revolving motion of the Drum so that the pencil or roller will pass freely over the
point of juncture.
I may use a fresh or separate length of paper for each period the full Drum is
arranged to cover, or I may provide a store of continuous paper rolled on a Cylinder
within the Drum so that to renew the paper it is only necessary to draw out a sufficient
length through the slit and cut off the used portion fastening the new end as before.
In this case I use a spring or detent attached to the storage Cylinder to keep the
paper tight on the Drum.

page_text: The second part of my invention is as follows:-
In connection with pneumatic Recorders in which a partial vacuum is set up by the
blast of a Fan it is customary to induce the said vacuum by means of an ejector
nozzle fixed in the centre of a pipe conveying the said blast. My improvement
consists of the employment of more than one connection to the small vacuum chamber
between the two cones of the said ejector nozzle and I prefer to use three such connecting
pipes radiating from the said vacuum chamber to an annular vessel or ring pipe from
which one connection of larger area is formed by the usual pipe with the vacuum
float vessel as described in the Specifications of the Patents referred to.
The object of the increase in number of the connections is to ensure greater
sensitiveness and to obviate all risk of "wire-drawing" in the passages. I also make
use of the radiating tubes to support the central nozzle.
The annular pipe or vessel before described I prefer to make with flat sides and to
introduce it between two flanges of the blast pipe. This is for convenience of
construction and for facilitating the removal of the nozzle.
I use a small Fan for producing the blast and to obviate the use of very large
driving pulleys and long rapidly moving bands, I provide a second motion shaft self-
contained on the same fixing as the Fan, driving its small pulley by belt or cord from
the Engine or other suitable shaft, and driving the Fan by belt or cord or cords from
a larger pulley on the said second motion shaft. I prefer to employ cords and keenly
grooved pulleys and for driving the Fan 1 employ two sinall cords so that the Fan
shall not stop in case of breakage of one cord. I provide for tightening the driving
cords so as to avoid "slip" by moving the position of the bracket carrying the second
motion shaft or by providing a special "idle" pulley which can be adjustable
or which can be pressed against the cord with a constant pressure by a spring or
weight.
To economise space I sometimes place the blast pipe and Fan outlet in a vertical
position.
To compensate for variations in the partial vacuum or in the level of the fluid in
the vacuum float vessel due to barometric variations I sometimes carry the fulcrum of
the lever which operates the pencil arm upon a floating bracket or upon a lever
connected with a floating bracket so arranged that the rise and fall shall be propor-
tionate to the rise and fall in the vacuum float vessel in the required ratio of the
lengths of the lever arms. The said floating bracket floats upon one arin of a similar
vacuum vessel to the one which actuates the pencil but contains a sealed permanent
barometric partial vacuum.
Dated this 31st day of May 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Recorders or Indicators for Steam and
other Engines.
I, EDGAR CONISTON MILLS of No. 49, Victoria Buildings Manchester in the
county of Lancaster, Mechanical Consulting 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:-
The first portion of my invention relates to the recording apparatus or the
mechanism for traversing the diagram paper and producing the diagram and is
applicable to Recorders in which the motion of the pencil or marker is obtained by
any of the known means.
.
The second portion of my invention relates to improvements in the method of
actuating the. pencil or marker, and is applicable to pneumatic Recorders in which a 1
Fan is employed to produce motion in a column of fluid either by varying excess
. above atmospheric pressure or varying partial vacuum in accordance with the
varying speeds of the Engine or other machine whose motions are to be¯
recorded.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. I. is a cross-section of my Recorder.
Fig. II. is a partial sectional elevation of the same.
Fig. III. is a plan view of the Drum.
Fig. IV. is an enlarged defached sectional plan view of the same.
Fig. V. is a detached view shewing developinent of Cam sleeve.
Fig. VI. is a cross section of the nozzle for producing vacuum.
Fig. VII. is a longitudinal section of the same.
Fig. VIII. is an elevation of the apparatus for driving the Fan.
In all Figs. the same letters of reference refer to the same parts.
The Drum a carries the diagram paper or record sheet which is divided by horizontal :
lines into spaces representing each a given period of time preferably twenty four or
it may be twelve hours and by vertical lines into spaces representing hours or parts
of hours as shown in Fig. II.
The Drum is caused to revolve once in the desired period by clockwork. The
centre pivot pin b, fixed in the centre of upper framework of the Drum rests upon a
sunk centre in the top of vertical slide pillar c. The lower part of framework of the
Drum fits upon the said pillar but is free to revolve thereon.
The wheeld is caused by suitable gearing with Clock e to revolve once in the
desired period. The boss d¹ of the said wheel revolves freely upon the vertical
journal bracket e. In the case of this bearing as also of the top pivot b and lower a
bearing of the Drum 1 may use ball or roller bearings to obviate friction. The
vertical driver f, attached to the wheel d by bracket f¹ passes through the lower frame
of the Drum a which is free to slide vertically upon it. The weight g attached to
cord g¹ passing over pulleys gl and wound around a small drum don boss d of
wheel d'assists the rotation of the wheel d and Drum a.

page_text: For causing and controlling the vertical periodical rising movement of the Drum
I use the mechanism now to be described.
The pillar c slides freely in the guides formed upon the main bracket. It
is prevented from rotating by a feather key land koy-groove or other suitable means.
Rigidly secured to the pillar by screw is the boss i having projections or trunnions"
and rigidly attached to i is the projecting peg k. To the projections ¹¹ the cords n n
are attached. They pass over free pulleys oo carried by bracket d and to their ends
the weights p p are attached. These weights are more than sufficient to counter-
balance the combined weights of the Drum a, pillar c and all parts attached thereto,
and hence the Drum has always an upward tendency.
Instead of the weights I may use springs with or without the intervention of the
cords n, or the weights or springs instead of being attached to cords may operate
levers or quadrants whereby the pillar c is moved upwards. The stopped barrel-cam
or sleeve m is mounted in bearings and ¹¹¹ or the lower end may be carried on a
pivot centre as shewn in Fig. 1. It is free to revolve and may be a shell or solid.
Its surface is recessed in the form of steps corresponding in number with the desired
number of times the Drum a rises and their vertical measurement is equal to that of
the desired vertical rise of the Drum a.
Rigidly fixed to the upper continuation of the spindle m¹ of the barrel-cam m is the
star-wheel I the number of whose arms corresponds with the number of steps in the
barrel-cam m.
to
A peg fixed to the underside of wheel d oporates the star-wheel once in each
revolution. As the rising of the peg and hence of Drum a is only prevented by the
contact of peg k with the steps of barrel-cam m, it is obvious that when the latter is
partially revolved by the contact of the peg r with an arm of the star-wheel q the
Drum will rise until the peg k comes into contact with the next step. I prefer to
make the sides of the steps somewhat inclined as shewn in Fig. V. so that when once
released the rising of the peg & shall cause the barrel-cam m and star-wheel
complete that portion of a revolution necessary to clear the peg from further contact
with the said arm of the star-wheel. Fig. V. shews a development of the periphery
of the cum-barrel m upon an equal scale. y represents the circumference and a
the total rise of the peg and Drum a. The dotted lines in Fig. II. shew the
position of the Drun a when in its uppermost position, and it is then surrounded
by the cylindrical glass cases so that the whole of the completed record for a week
or other pre-determined period or portion thereof can be read without the necessity
of opening the case or removing the paper.
The lid is preferably hinged and the top aperture is sufficiently large for the
Drum a to be easily lifted out.
The said Drum is in no way fastened and requires merely to be grasped and
lifted to remove it.
Figs. 1II. and IV. in conjunction with the section of the Drun a as shown in
Fig. I. illustrate my method of securing the paper on the Drum and providing for
tightening the same, as also my method of carrying a store of paper within the
Drum a.
The Drum rotates in the direction of the arrows in Figs. III. and IV. and at a
suitable position in the circumference of the Drum a narrow vertical slit is
formed the leading edge of which forms an acute angle as shewn enlarged at u,
Fig. IV.
The other edge forms an obtuse angle u¹ and inside the Drum the curved piece w
is hinged as shewn and pressed into closed position by spring A.
20
The paper which is formed in a continuous piece with a blank space between each
set of Markings is coiled upon the small internal store Drum B Figs. 1. and III.
The hinge piece w being opened as shewn to dotted position the free end of the record
paper is passed through the slit and round the Drum, being again passed inwards
through the slit, bent back over acute edge u and fastened with a row of pins v.
The paper is now tightened by turning the store Drum backwards when it is held
in position by the detent c which is centred upon the boss of Main Drum a, taking

page_text: into the teeth of internal Ratchet wheel D. Or the binding screw E, Fig. I. may be
used for the same purpose.
The Marker G passes freely over the slit owing to the acute and obtuse angles u
and u¹.
In Fig. VI. and VII. are shown my improvements in the nozzle or ejector for
producing partial vacuum for operating the marking pencil through the usual medium
of syphon vessel H and float I, Fig. I. K is the tube through which the current
of air from the Fan driven by the Engine or machine whose motions are to be
recorded is caused to pass, and L is the ejector nozzle. I use two or more (preferably
three) radiating pipes as shewn and marked M. These pipes form the connection
from the low pressure chamber N see Fig. VII. to the annular vessel O. Connection
is formed with the syphon vessel H by means of flexible or other tube attached to
the branches P and Q Fig. I.
"first
I employ a small Fan R Fig. VIII. and mounted on the same bedplate, a
motion pulley and bracket S, capable of being moved nearer to or further from the
Fan R for the purpose of tightening the driving cord or belt T. V is the belt driving
the "first motion" small pulley W₁ from a suitable pulley on the Engine or Machine
to be recorded. This arrangement also enables me to drive the Fan without the use
of an objectionably large pulley upon the Engine.
In some cases I use the Fan to produce a varying pressure above instead of below
atmospheric pressure and in such cases I dispense with the nozzle K and attach a
plain cone W with outlet pipe as shewn in Fig. VIII. The fluid levels in vessel H
Fig. I are shewn in correspondence with this and in this case I use the marker as
shewn dotted at Finstead of F..
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
I. The revolving Drum for record paper having also a vertical periodical rising
movement substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
II. The cylindrical glass case or cover surrounding the Drum substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
III. The long driver-arm or pillar for revolving the Drum substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
as to be
IV. The revolving Drum resting freely and guided as described so
lifted out of the case without having to be in any way unfastened substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
V. The star-wheel operated by the Drum or Drum wheel periodically as desired
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
VI. The stepped Cylinder or barrel-cam to allow the Drum to rise periodically,
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
VII. The counterbalancing weight or weights or spring or springs to cause the
Drum to rise, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
VIII. The central pillar free to rise vertically but prevented from rotating and
*having the projecting peg abutting against the steps of the barrel-cam, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
IX. Ball or roller bearings for the paper Drum and wheel substantially as and` for
the purposes herein before described.
✗. The internal store of diagram paper carried within the main Drum substantially

page_text: as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
XI. The spring and detent in connection with the store Drum substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
XII. The acute angled slit in the Drum through which to pass the paper and
method of fastening the paper substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
XIII. The radiating tubes in number two or more in connection with the nozzle
for producing a vacuum substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
XIV. The annular vessel in connection with the nozzle for producing a vacuum
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
XV. The second motion shaft for driving the Fan with provision for tightening the
bands or belts, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 07th da of 1000