Improvements in Electrically Operated Governors Chiefly Designed for Regulating the Speed of Dynamos or Motors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1900
CUBTLEIE OF ECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JOSIAH BYRAM MILLET, of No. 221, Columbus
Avenue, Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America, Gentleman.]
Improvements in Electrically Operated Governors Chiefly Designed
for Regulating the Speed of Dynamos or Motors.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 invention relates to an electrically operated governor.
The said invention is represented in the drawings as used for automatically
regulating the vibrations of a bell and the speed of a dynamo.
In the said drawings
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a motor dynamo, and the connections of
the dynamo with the governor and bell.
Figure 2 is a view in vertical section upon the dotted line 2-2 of Figure 3
showing the construction and application of the governor.
Figure 3 is an end view, enlarged, of the governor showing also an electrical
resistance coil and a balanced steam valve controlled by the governor through
the medium of an electro magnet.
Figuro 4 is a plan view, enlarged, of the governor showing brushes to which
reference will hereinafter be made.
Figure 5 is a view in vertical cross section, enlarged, upon the line 5-5 of
Figure 4.
In the drawings 10, Figure 1, is a conventional motor, which is mounted upon
the shaft B. 11 is a two phase alternating dynamo mounted upon the said
shaft B and rotated by the motor. 12 is the bell. It is represented in Figure 1
with its mouth exposed so that its two pairs of magnets 13 and 14 and 15
and 16 and their connections may be readily observed. The wires 1, 2 connect
one phase of the dynamo 11 with the pair of magnets 13 and 14 in the series.
Likewise the wires 3, 4, pass from the other phase of the dynamo 11 through
the other pair of magnets 15 and 16 in the series.
There is also mounted upon the shaft 13 of the motor 10 the regulator or
governor I, the object of which is to regulate the speed of the motor and thus
regulate the speed of the dynamo, and to automatically govern or control the
speed of both after it has been once set or adjusted to the speed which it is
desired to obtain.
When used with the bell it serves to govern the speed of the alternating dynamo
so perfectly and continuously that it will communicate to the pairs of bell ring-
ing magnets in alternate order electric pulsatious which shall be in accord with
the rate of the vibration of the bell in producing its dominant tone and the tone
of the bell itself acis as the means whereby the governor is primarily adjusted
or set to produce the speed of the dynamo necessary for causing these pulsations.

page_text: Heretofore all centrifugal governors, whether the object was to open and close
an electric circuit or to move a steam or other valve, were constructed with the
view of moving some intermediate mechanism or device, and this fact made it
necessary to give the centrifugal arm or arms of such governors considerable
weight and this weight made it necessary to overcome considerable inertia every
time either the load or initial power driving the motor was changed. This
inertia in turn made any change necessarily slow so that the motor would have
to change its speed for a perceptible time before the governor would act. This
would cause a series of fluctuations from fast to slow whenever the supply or
load changed, and would not govern closely enough to produce a continuous
tone of any definite pitch. I have overcome that difficulty by using a very light
centrifugal lever, so light that the factor of inertia may be ignored. The electric
current passes through this lever and any movement, even 1-1000 of an inch will
bring into action a power that either checks or accelerates the speed of the motor.
This lever is regulated to operate a motor at any desired speed by a device that
increases or decreases the tension of the light spiral spring that is attached
directly to the lever, and this renders it unnecessary for the lever to overcome
any inertia or friction outside of itself.
The governor will now be described in detail and especially in connection with
Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings.
A, Figure 2, is a base upon which is mounted certain parts of the governor.
C is a metal sleeve or ring which is mounted upon the shaft B and preferably
in a manner to freely slide a limited distance longitudinally upon it. This ring
is revolved with the shaft B with which it is connected by a spline D fastened
to the sleeve and fitted to a slot or groove in the shaft B in a manner to allow
the sleeve to have the sliding or end motion upon the shaft above referred to,
as will be more usually the case, so that the shaft B can slide back and forth
with respect to the sleeve. The shaft has a slot b which is cut entirely through
it and is of any desired width. The sleeve C is also provided with a slot in
extension of the said shaft slot b. The sleeve also has on the opposite side of
the shaft a radial hole large enough to contain the adjusting spring E. It
will be noticed that the slots in the shaft and sleeve are kept in line with each
other by the spline D.
F, Fare rings of vulcanite rubber or other insulating substance secured to
the sleeve C and revolving therewith. G, G' are metal rings that are forced
tightly upon the insulating rings F, F and are insulated thereby from the
sleeve C and with which the electrical brushes H, H' (see Figures 3 and 4)
maintain a contact. (see Figure 2) is an angular lever pivoted at K to the
metal sleeve and one arm of which is contained in the slot of the shaft. L is
an adjusting spindle or device which is curried by a stationary bracket or post N
mounted upon the base A, and which has a threaded section M screwing in a
mut in the post or bracket, and by means of which it is provided with an endwise
movement. It is adapted to be turned by the wheel m and its threaded section M
has an extension L into a hole in the end of the shaft B, and its inner end is
in contact with one arm of the lever 1. The pin is loose in the shaft hole and
does not revolve with the shaft. A metal ring surrounds the sleeve C and
is held in concentric relation thereto by means of the supports or connec-
tion P, P, P. To the inner side of this ring a lever Q (see Figure 5) is pivoted
at its end R, to the lever holder which is insulated from the ring 0. The
lever is represented as having the form of an are. It is connected by the spring E
previously referred to with the lever I and it is adapted to move between the
contact point 8 carried by the ring 0, but insulated from it, and which point
may be radially adjustable in and out with respect to the ring and the point 81
which is mounted upon the sleeve C.
The tension of the spring E is adjusted or regulated by means of the adjusting
spindle or device L which is adapted to be turned to set the spring while the
machine is in operation and which causes the pin or spindle L to move the lever

page_text: in one direction or to permit it to be moved in the reverse direction, thus causing
its end to which the spring is attached to be moved out, or in thus varying the
tension of the spring by increasing or decreasing its length. The lever has
electrical connection by means of a wire q with the insulation ring and the
brush H. The contact point S is electrically connected with the insulated ring G
and the brush H' by the wire which connects the contact point with the
insulated ring G.
When endwise movement resides in the shaft B rather than in the governor
the governor may be held as against endwise movement by the rolls T, T" which
are carried at the ends of the yoke U firmly secured to the base A.
It will be seen that the part called the lever Q is moved outward or in one
direction by centrifugal force of the governor, and inward by the weighing and
balancing spring which is constantly exerting a draft upon it, and that the lever
thus becomes a circuit maker and breaker. The circuit may be established at
the end of its outward movement of the lever as above described, or if desired
at the end of its inward movement, and when it is required to be especially
Bensitive it is desirable that the lever be made very light and relatively long,
that its actuating spring be also very light and that its contact point be at or
near its moving end.
It will be understood that the tension of the spring may be varied while the
holder is in operation, and this I consider to be an important part of the inven-
tion in that I am enabled to balanco the pressure or draft of the spring to the
centrifugal force of the lever while the motor is in operation and to thus accurately
set the lever so that it will operate when any desired rate of rotating is obtained,
and at which rate it will continue to operate.
While I have described the circuit maker and breaker as a lever, I would say
that any other device adapted to be moved by centrifugal force in one direction
and by an adjustable spring or balancing means adapted to be set or adjusted
while the mechanism is rotating, and which device is adapted to make or break
the electric circuit, may be employed. Having described the construction of
the governing apparatus, I will now explain its operation when used to govern
the speed of an electric motor, reference being had to so much of Figure 3 as
represents a resistance coil.
It is well known that the speed of an electric motor will be increased especially
when it is carrying a light load by introducing a resistance in the field circuit.
Also that the speed of the motor will be decreased, other things being equal by
introducing a resistance in the circuit running from the source of power to the
motor. For the purpose of illustration let us consider the first named method,
to wit: the introduction of a resistance in the field circuit.
Referring again to Figure 3 one end of the resistance coil A' is connected
with the brush H by a wire a. The other end is connected with the brush H
by a wire a' and the lever Q when in contact with the contact point S will
complete a circuit through the brushes and lever between one end of the resis-
tance coil and the other, cutting it entirely out of the field circuit. Suppose
for instance that when the resistance coil is thus cut out of the field circuit the
speed of the motor is at the rate of 1700 revolutions per minute, and that when
the resistance coil is in the field circuit that the speed of the motor will be at
the rate of 2500 revolutions per minute, and suppose it is desired to obtain and
maintain in the motor a rate of 2100 revolutions per minule, which with an
alternator of 10 poles would give 350 pulsations per second, the number required
to ring a bell whose dominant tone is about F above middle C, the operation
of regulating the motor to obtain the required speed or rate of rotation would
be as follows:
As heretofore described the governor revolves with the shaft B carried by the
spline D and every change in the rate of rotation of the motor, however alight,
will produce a change in the centrifugal force which is acting upon the lever Q,
and the problem is to cause the tension upon the spring E to exactly balance

page_text: the centrifugal force which is exerted upon the said lever when the shaft of the
motor revolves at the rate of 2100 revolutions per minute, as the lever theo-
retically would then be sustained in an intermediate position between the points S
and S and held in such position by the equal balance of the two opposing forces
acting upon it, one the centrifugal due to the rotation of the lever, and the other
in the nature of a centripetal due to the draft upon the lever by the spring, the
lever thus acting much as a scale beam acts in weighing anything. This
balancing of the two forces to obtain the rate of revolution required is readily
secured by turning the adjusting screw back or forth to change the weight of
the spring and until the desired rate of rotation is secured. If the screw spindle
is moved inward with respect to the shaft its speed is increased, as this movement
increases the tension or weight upon the centrifugal circuit maker and requires
that a greater centrifugal force be attained before the circuit can be established.
If the spindle is moved outward with respect to the shaft (or in the reverse
direction) the tension upon the spring is decreased and the centrifugal circuit
maker will operate at a lower centrifugal force. The adjusting spindle may
have any desired fineness of adjustment imparted to it which may be required
even to the extent of operating it by a micrometer or a worm gear. The rate
of rotation to be attained may be ascertained by any speed indicator, and in
the invention herein described the bell itself furnishes such an indicator, the
sounding of its dominant tone showing that the governor has been set to obtain
the desired rate of rotation of the motor.
When a proper balance between the two forces acting upon the circuit maker
or breaker is secured to produce the rate of rotation in the motor of 2100 per
minute, any tendency of the motor to rotate at a higher rate is immediately
checked by the lever coming into contact with the point S, thus cutting out
the resistance from the field circuit. This check to the power is immediately
felt, and the lever then drops away from its contact point and by so doing again
introduces the resistance into the field. This causes the lever to vibrate rapidly
on and off the point S. Other things being equal the lighter the centrifugal
lever the more sensitive it will be to changes of rotary speed.
In practice it has been found that a lever of an inch and a quarter long by
an eighth of an inch in diameter is sensitive enough to govern an alternating
dynamo sufficiently to give to a bell a sustained tone whose pitch requires
360 vibrations per second. By reducing the weight of the mechanism and
increasing the delicacy of adjustment a motor may be governed with sufficient
accuracy to give a sustained tone whose pitch requires 1000 or more vibrations
per second. Instead of cutting in and out a resistance placed in the circuit of
the field of the motor the resistance may be placed in the feed wire running to
the motor, and thus regulate the speed of the motor by causing changes in the
flow of current to the motor which shall correspond to the changes in the load.
Where it is practicable, however, the first described method is preferred.
I would say that the governor may be used for automatically controlling the
action of an alternating dynamo put to any use or work. In Figure 3 I have
represented it as used to to govern a steam engine. When so employed it will
he desirable to use a balance valve in the steam supply pipe which shall be set
to admit to the engine the requisite amount of steam necessary for causing a
definite number of revolutions per minute of the engine, and any diminution
or excess of such revolutions will cause the governor to actuate the valve in one
direction or the other through the medium of a magnet which is energized or
de-energized, and which operates, through a pivoted armature lever, the valve
connected with the moving end of said arniature lever. This illustration is used
simply for the purpose of showing the range of the invention, and 1 would say
that it may be applied to regulating water power, compressed air motors and
in fact all forms of motor depending on a source of power supply that is irregular.
It will govern equally well in cases where the source of supply is regular and
the load or work done is inconstant, or where the load is constant and the supply

page_text: irregular, or both may be irregular, assuming of course that the source of power
never falls below the point which would give the required speed.
I have shown the governor as mounted upon the motor shaft, but of course
it is not necessary that it should be so mounted so long as it is rotated from it.
I prefer to arrange the circuit maker or breaker Q in line with the direction
of rotation rather than crosswise it, and with its pivot point in advance, as by
so doing it is subjected to the least friction and therefore responds most readily
to very slight variations in centrifugal force.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
(1) The electrically operated governor constructed and arranged substantially
as shown and described.
2. In a device for governing electrically the application or use of power, a
light rotary centrifugal circuit, maker and breaker itself adapted to be adjusted
while in operation and to make or break the controlling circuit through itself
upon the development of a predetermined rate of rotation of power.
reverse
3. In a device for governing electrically the application or use of power, a
rotary circuit maker and breaker adapted to be actuated by centrifugal force in
one direction and by a balancing or weighing spring or device in a
direction, and which forms a part of a controlling circuit and means for balancing
or setting said spring or balancing device during the operation of the machine.
4. In a governor for automatically regulating the rate of rotation of a motor
breaker in the form of an
or dynamo, a light circuit maker and
arm or lever pivoted at one end to an insulated rotary support and connected
with a brush II, a rotary insulated contact point carried by said rotary support
and connected with the brush H a spring attached to said lever or arm for
moving or drawing it from said contact point, a spring tension regulator com-
prising a device like a lever to which the spring is attached and which rotates
therewith, and means which do not rotate with said lever for adjusting it and
the spring while they are rotating.
5. In a governor for automatically regulating the rate of rotation of a motor
or dynamo, two insulated metal conducting rings mounted thereon, a ring
mounted upon said sleeve to be rotated therewith, an insulated holder and an
insulated contact point carried by said ring, one of which is connected with the
metal conducting ring G¹ and the other with the metal conducting ring G, a
light arm or lever pivoted at its forward end to said holder and extending back-
ward therefrom in line with said contact point, and forming a circuit maker
or breaker, a lever mounted upon the sleeve, a spring connecting said circuit
maker and breaker with one arm of said lever, and an adjusting non-rotating
pin or spindle against which another arm of said lever bears, and which pin
or spindle is endwise movable without being rotated to adjust the tension of
said spring, and the brushes H, H¹.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.