IMPROVEMENTS ON MARINE ENGINE GOVERNORS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Warren Fowle, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk,
and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS ON MARINE ENGINE GOVERNORS."
Scaled the 20th October 1877, and dated the 23rd June 1877.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Joseph Warren Fowle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June 1877.
JOSEPH WARREN FOWLE, of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of
Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS ON
MARINE ENGINE GOVERNORS."
My Invention relates to improvements on marine engine governors for the purpose
of automatically regulating the speed of the propeller or other driving wheel, as
well as that of the engine, when the vessel is exposed to rough seas in which the
propelling wheel or wheels are oftentimes raised partly or wholly out of the water.
When this occurs on steam vessels not provided with proper automatic governors
the speed of the engine is dangerously increased, if not checked in time by the
engineer in charge, causing serious damages to both engine and driving wheels or
propeller. This my Invention is designed to obviate this difficulty, and, unlike
most governors for this purpose, it anticipates the movements of the engine, and
does not by any possible means allow the engine to "run away" with the propeller
or driving wheels when raised wholly or partially out of the water, and prevents
the breaking off of the blades of the propelling wheel or wheels, or the breaking of
the shaft when the wheel or wheels again descend suddenly into the water.
alone does this governor regulate the speed of the engine and its driving wheel or
wheels when the latter are raised wholly or partially out of the water, but as the
density of the water increases from the surface downwards, and in consequence the
propelling wheel or wheels meet with greater resistance, the more they are sub-
merged in the water, so this my improved governor will automatically regulate the
slightest rise or fall of the vessel, even if the driving wheel or wheels are not raised
out of the water at all, as only a few inches rise or fall of the vessel will be sufficient
for the proper action of the governor.
Not

page_text: My Invention is constructed as follows: A float is movable in a suitable box,
open in its upper and lower ends, so as to allow free access of the sea to the upper
and under side of the float, by which the said float will move in the box upwards
and downwards as the propeller is lowered and raised, or more properly the float
remains stationary in the water during the rise and fall of the open-mouthed box.
The latter is provided in its upper and lower ends with an annular flange or stop,
so as to prevent the float from ever getting entirely out of its box. To the float is
secured an upward projecting rod that passes through a pipe or stuffing box, and is
jointed in its upper end to a knee lever movable around a fulerum. The other end
of said knee lever is jointed to a valve rod that actuates a valve in connection with
a small intermediate steam cylinder, the forward end of the piston rod of which is
jointed to the ordinary throttle lever (or directly to the throttle valve rod if quicker
action is desired), which lever is jointed to a throttle valve governing the adinission
of the steam from the main steam pipe to the ordinary valve chest of the steam
cylinder of the engine.
The small intermediate steam cylinder receives its steam through a pipe leading
from the boiler or main steam pipe, and is regulated by a suitable cut-off; or the
piston of said cylinder may be actuated by air or gas pressure without departing
from the spirit of my Invention.
A small steam pipe, governed by a suitable valve or cut-off, leads around the
throttle valve chest from the main steam pipe to the ordinary steam cylinder supply
pipe, so as to allow at all times, even if the throttle valve is entirely closed, a small
supply of steam to the main cylinder, by which arrangement the engine is prevented
from stopping on its centre.
The arrangement and combination, as above described, would in many cases be
sufficient; but to prevent a too sudden opening and closing of the throttle valve by
the fall and rise of the float I employ in connection with the intermediate steam
cylinder aforesaid a pump cylinder, the piston rod of which forms an extension of
the piston rod of the former, and is movable through stuffing boxes in the usual
way. From each end of the said pump cylinder leads a pipe to a water tank con-
taining water or suitable liquid, in each of which pipes is arranged a self-acting
valve in such a manner that each of the said valves will open automatically to let
the liquid into the cylinder, but will close of their own accord when the liquid is
forced out from the said cylinder. To allow the liquid to escape gradually from
the cylinder I locate around each of the said valves a small pipe having a suitable
valve or cut-off, by which the exit area of the liquid can be effectually controlled
and regulated, by which the action of the piston of the intermediate steam cylinder
is retarded by the liquid in the pump cylinder that is gradually forced out through
the small regulating pipe, and is cut off around the inlet valves on the pipes leading
to the tank or receptacle.
The liquid in the tank is used over and over again to pass in and out of the
pump cylinder, and only very little thereof is wasted by leakage and evaporation.
The accompanying Drawing represents a longitudinal section of my Invention.
A represents the main steam cylinder of the engine on which B is the valve chest ;
C, the piston rod; D, the cross head; E, E, the guides; F, the connecting rod; G, the
crauk; H, the shaft; and I, the propelling wheel in the usual manner; J is the
throttle chest or box; and K is the throttle valve to the main cylinder A; I, is the
main steam pipe from the boiler to the throttle chest; M is the supply pipe leading
from the throttle valve to the valve chest B; N is the small steam pipe with its
valve or cut-off N' leading from the main steam pipe L to the supply pipe M; K¹ is
the throttle valve rod, jointed to the throttle lever O, as shown; P is a small inter-
mediate steam cylinder in the usual manner, having a piston Q and piston rod Q¹,
jointed in its forward end to the throttle lever O. The cylinder P is provided with
a steam chest P₁, passages P1, P1, and valve R., provided with the valve rod R¹,
jointed in its rear end to the lower portion of the knee lever S, movable around the
fulcrum S¹, as shown; T is a small supply pipe leading from the main pipe L to the
valve chest P¹, which supply pipe is provided with a valve or cut-off T', as shown.

page_text: The rear end of the knee lever S is jointed to the upper end of the float rod U,
guided through a suitable or stuffing box U, and having in its lower end,
below the water line, secured a suitable float V, as shown; this float is freely
movable in a box or receptacle W open at top and bottom, where it is provided
with annular inner projections W', W", as and for the purpose set forth.
a is the pump cylinder in which b is the piston and Qu the piston rod, the latter
being a rear extension of the piston rod Q belonging to the cylinder P and piston Q;
c, c¹, represent pipes leading from each end of the cylinder a to the tank or
receptacle d; each of said pipes c, c¹, is provided with a self-acting valve or cut-
off e, e', as shown; f, f¹, represent small pipes leading from each end of the cylinder a
respectively to the pipes c, c¹, and in such a manner as to pass around the self-closing
valves, e, el; each of the pipes f, f', is provided with a suitable valve or cut off y,
as shown, by which the amount of escape from the cylinder ends to the cistern or
receptacle is easily regulated, according to the time in which it is desired automa-
tically to close the throttle valve after the float is acted upon by the rise or fall of
the vessel.
The operation of this Invention is as follows:-As the propeller rises upwards
more or less the float V remains still till it reaches the lower projection W" of the
open box W, which latter moves upwards with the vessel and its wheel or propeller,
and in so doing the rod U is moved downwards, by which the knee lever S is turned
around its fulcrum S', and thus, pushing the valve R and its valve rod R¹ forwards,
lets the steam into the back end of the steam cylinder P by which the piston and
piston rod Qare moved forwards, and as the latter is connected to the throttle
lever O, it will be seen that the steam is automatically cut off from the main
cylinder A by the throttle valve K, leaving the cylinder A only supplied by the
small pipe N. just enough to keep the propeller in a slow motion without letting it
stop on its center. Now when the piston Q and its rod Q¹ moves forward, as
described, the pump piston must also move forward at the same time, as it is
connected to the former by the continuous rod Q, and the water in the cylinder a,
that is before the piston b, can be expelled therefrom only as fast as it can pass
through the small pipe f and its valve or cut-off g, as it cannot go out through the
larger pipe c on account of the self-closing valve e being on its seat, and thus it will
be seen that the speed of closing the throttle valve K is easily regulated by opening
or closing the valves or cut-offs g, g¹, more or less, as may be desired.
When the propeller commences to go downwards the reverse of the operation
takes place, and the throttle valve is as gradually opened as it was closed by the
previous operation.
Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my
Invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim,―
1st. The small steam supply pipe N, leading from the main pipe L to the main
cylinder A, around the throttle valve K, as and for the purpose set forth and
described.
2nd. The receptacle W, with its float or piston V, below the water line, in
connection with the valve R in the cylinder P, and connecting mechanism thereto,
or directly to the throttle valve K, as and for the purpose specified.
3rd. In combination with the cylinder P of the pump cylinder a, its pipes c, c',
valves e, e', pipes, f, f, and cut-offs g, g', for the operations of the throttle valve K,
as and for the purpose set forth and described.
4th. In combination with the pump cylinder a and its pipes and valves or cut-
offs, as described, of the tank or receptacle d, as set forth and for the purpose
specified.
In witness thereof, I, the said Joseph Warren Fowle, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, 1877. A.D.
JOSEPH WARREN FOWLE. (L.S.)