Improvements in Governors and Throttle Valves or Governing Apparatus for Steam and other Engines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 9th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 13th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Governors and Throttle Valves or Governing
Apparatus for Steam and other Engines.
WC, HENRY TATE, the younger of Love Lane, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster Sugar refiner, and JOHN KILLIP the younger of Kirkdale in the said
County of Lancaster Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, to be
as follows:-
This invention is designed chiefly for the purpose of providing a governor for
regulating or controlling the speed of steam engines, which run at a high speed, and
to keep the speed thereof constant with as little variation as possible. This is
particularly of importance in the case of engines employed for the driving of dynamo
machines for the production of electricity for lighting purposes.
It relates to that class of engine governors in which the steam admission valve is
actuated or controlled by means of pendulous arms or balls or other mechanical
contrivance operated by centrifugal force; and it consists essentially of a hollow
cylindrical valve moving longitudinally in a cylindrical seating, and fitted with two
or more ports, preferably of varying widths through which the steam passes, so that
as the valve moves the area of the ports or steam passages is increased or diminished
in a greater ratio than that directly consequent upon the distance travelled by the
valve; of a spindle carried in suitable bearings in which it is free to rotate and held
in normal position by means of a suitable spring and an auxiliary spring connected
to the valve spindle by a lever with tightening screw or tension device by means of
which the pressure acting on the valve to hold it open may be increased or diminished
while at work, and the speed at which the engine is required to run altered at any
time without stopping it or interfering with its working.
In carrying the invention into practice, we construct a valve chest or chamber of
convenient size and shape to hold or accommodate a cylindrical valve and fit therein
a cylindrical valve seating bored internally to fit the valve. The valve seating is
fitted with two or more ports, preferably four of varying width and the valve is
fitted with corresponding ports. These may be rectangular or of other convenient
shape, and as they recede from the point at which the steam enters the valve,
each is preferably narrower or otherwise of less superficial area than the one that
preceded it. These ports may be continued round the entire circumference of the

page_text: valve or round a part of it only, regularly or irregularly, but we prefer to carry
them continuously round it with the exception of strips or bars at intervals which
hold the different sections of the valve together. The valve is supported on a
central spindle so that it does not bear unevenly on any part of its seat. The
spindle at the end which remains in the valve chamber is proportioned in size to
the pressure of steam intended to act against it. With the exception of this spindle
end, the steam is allowed to space all round the valve. If desired to have the valve
more nearly in equilibro the spindle may be carried out through a gland in the
side of the valve chamber. The other end of the valve spindle passes out through
.a gland or stuffing box. This is preferably made of considerable length with a
metallic thimble at each end through which the spindle passes forming a chamber
between them. In this chamber condensed any steam that may pass out through
the first thimble, the water being carried away by a drain pipe. In practice it
will be found that the valve herein described will act much more effectually and
steadily than in the case of one with a single port or with ports of equal size that
would be increased or reduced in area for a given distance of travel of the valve in
any part of its stroke. The valve when the governor balls are down will be full
open, as the balls spread the valve is moved in the direction to close it. When
open the ports in the valve and its seating exactly correspond, as the valve
moves, the steam is at first gradully cut off from all ports. When however the
valve las moved a short distance the narrower port is closed, so that as the valve
moves further, the area of the ports decrease in a less ratio from the distance
travelled by the valve. A second port then closes and so on until the valve is
entirely closed. The reverse action takes place as the valve is opened, the admission
of the steam increasing as the valve moves, but as each successive port is uncovered
or partially so, the area of the ports increases moro quickly and in a greater
ratio than the valve travels. In consequence, the engine will work more steadily
and with less fluctuation. The valve is inoved or controlled by two or more balls
or arms acted upon by centrifugal force pivoted to a rapidly revolving sleeve or
hollow spindle, through which a second spindle has motion in a longitudinal
direction. The hollow rod or spindle is journalled in a suitable bracket in which
it revolves. It is fitted at one end with a collar and at the other with a pulley.
To the collar are pivotted the arms of the balls, these are provided with projecting
pieces to form stops, to limit their travel in either direction. Internally the
revolving sleeve is bored to take the spindle and its spring, having a shoulder
formed against which one end of the spring abuts. At the outer end of this
spindle a sleeve is placed and a couple of nuts by means of which the tension of
the spring is regulated and adjusted. Near the other end a collar is placed against
which the short arms or levers of the ball arms (which are formed in the shape
of bell crank levers) press. In the extremity is inserted a screw, preferably of
hardened steel to form a bearing against which the valve spindle presses. No
coupling is required between the two, as the pressure of the steam on the other
end of the valve spindle is sufficient to keep them always in contact. Pivoted
to the valve casing or in any other convenient position, is a lever connected at
one end to the valve spindle, and at the other to a spring, the tension of which
can be increased or diminished by a thumb screw. This spring assists the spring
on the spindle, and by the movement of the screw, the spring can at any
time be adjusted whilst the engine is at work, and the speed of it increased or
diminished without the necessity of stopping it for any adjustment of the
governor.

page_text: Apparatus for Steam and other Engines.
We, HENRY TATE Jnr. of Love Lane Liverpool Sugar Refiner and JOHN KILLIP
Junior, of Kirkdale both in the County of Lancaster, 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 is designed chiefly for the purpose of providing a governor for
regulating or controlling the speed of steam engines which run at a high speed, and
to keep the speed thereof constant, or with as little variation as possible. This is
particularly of importance in the case of engines employed for the driving of dynamo
machines for the production of electricity for lighting purposes. It is best described
by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation.
Figure 2, elevation at right angles to Figure 1, and Figure 3, a section through valve
and valve box.
A, is the valve spindle carrying the valve B between collar a and nut a¹. This
spindle is carried in bearings V V₁, and T in the valve box D as hereafter described,
and abuts at top against a stud Y, screwed into spindle E, by means of head e¹,
and held in adjustment by check nut e. The spindle A is held up against stud Y
by the steam pressing on its end, and by spring M hereafter described, and is
susceptible of longitudinal, but not of rotary motion. B, is a cylindrical valve on
spindle A, having in the drawing, four ports U, 62, 63, 64, but a greater or less
number can be used according to circumstances. These ports preferably extend
all round the valve, except at equidistant points, where strips or bars are left to
hold the parts of the valve together. The ports are of varying width, 6 being
the widest, and each in succession being narrower than the one next below it.
By this means when the valve is fully open and begins to close, it shuts off four
times the amount of port area that would be due to its actual travel, but after it
has travelled a distance equal to the narrowest port, then it begins to cut off at
the rate of only three times the amount due to its actual travel, and so on. C, is
a cylindrical valve seating secured in valve box D, steam tight at each end, and
having ports c, c³, c², c¹, corresponding in size and shape to those in valve B.
D is a valve box having entry for steam d² and exit d. These two can be reversed
if desired, d², being then exit and d entrance. This valve box carries bearing T
for spindle A, but if desired the spindle can come out through a stuffing box below.
Box D also carries a stuffing box U having two glands V, V₁ and a space between
drained by drainage pipe v. An ordinary stuffing box and packing can be
substituted for this if desired. E, is a second spindle having a collar S at bottom,
against which arms R of the governor hereafter described press. It passes through
sleeve G, having a fixed or solid bearing in the latter at its lower end, and a
movable bearing F at its upper end. G, is a sleeve in bearing I of frame J and
is driven by pulley g. It carries on its lower extremity two jaws Q, in which
the governor arms are pivoted by means of pin q. H spring placed between said

page_text: sleeve and spindle E, and compressed by means of the movable bearing F, bearing
against it and being screwed down by the nuts f. f above it. This spring pressing
against the abutment bearing g' in G, and the adjustable bearing F presses the latter
up, and with it spindle E, till its collar S comes against the arms R. The governor
arms are composed of main arm and ball K, shorter bell crank arm R, and a very
short arm or projection k, used as a stop to come against S, and prevent the arms flying
out too far. When the sleeve G is revolved rapidly by means of pulley g connected
with the engine, the balls fly out in the usual manner, and arms R press on spindle
collar S, pressing the valve spindle and valve down. To partly counterbalance this
pressure, links O are pivoted to the spindle A at ol at one end, and to lever L at the
other end. Lever L in turn is pivoted on lug 4, fixed on the valve box cover, and is
held down at the other end by spring M. Spring M, is held by pin N, and the strain
put upon the spring M is regulated by nuts n', n', on each side of solid abutment j.
This abutment is rigidly fixed to the frame J.
The mode of action is as follows
The engine starting, the full strength of the steam can pass through the four open
ports. As the speed increases, spindle E, spindle A, and the valve are forced down by
bell cranks R as the balls fly out by centrifugal force, shutting off part of the steam
and thus causing the engine to go at a uniform rate. If this rato be too fast or too
slow, the spring M. is slackened or tightened while the engine is going, till a right
speed is reached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. In a governing apparatus, the combination of a valve box having a steam opening
to the inside of the valve and another to the outside of the valve seat and having a
series of rings or partial rings of ports of different width of opening, with a valve
having corresponding ports to those on the valve seat, substantially as described.
2nd. In a governor such as described in combination with the valve spindle A,
a second spindle E, actuated by the governor, and having adjustable pin Y, bearing
upon spindle A, whereby the length of the connection between the governor and the
valve can be adjusted so as to allow of the valve commencing to cut off at any desired
speed.
3rd. The mechanism, by which the centrifugal force of the rotating governor arms,
is carried to and caused to act with an adjustable force upon the non-rotating spindle A,
substantially as described and illustrated.
an
4th. The combination with a governor such as described of an adjustable spring or
weight M connected thereto by levers, links or their equivalent, and exerting
adjustable longitudinal pressure on the valve spindle modifying to that extent the
pressure brought to hear on the valve by the governor, whereby by adjusting the
pressure on the spring, or altering the weight used, the extent of cut off by a given
speed of governor can be exactly regulated within certain limits, while the governor
and engine are running.
5th. In combination with a governing apparatus, substantially as herein described,
the stuffing box U, having two bushes V, V₁ with a vacant space W between, and a
drainage pipe r, to take away the condensed steam, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of November 1887
Dated this 8th day of November 1887
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.