IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE SPEED of MARINE ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
" IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING THE SPEED of
MARINE ENGINES." A communication from abroad by Oscar B. Crane,
Thomas M. Platts, and Willis H. Howes, all of the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th April 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR
CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF MARINE ENGINES." [A communication from abroad
by Oscar B. Crane, Thomas M. Platts, and Willis H. Howes, all of the United
States of America.]
This Invention relates to apparatus for the regulation of the motion of marine
engines, the object being to prevent the engine from "racing" or acquiring undue
speed when in a rough sea the propeller of the boat is thrown out of the water
and it consists essentially in providing a gravity governor, working by the motion
of the ship, in combination with compound gearing which together control the
action of the steam on the engine by operating a valve in the steam-pipe.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a pipe through which
steam is supplied to the engine. Transversely in this pipe I place a regulating
valve having therein an aperture which, when the ship is level longitudinally
leaves a free passage for the steam through the said pipe, but as the ship changes
position this valve tends to close the pipe and cut off the steam, the opening in the
pipe changing in relation to the aperture in the valve. But as it is only necessary
to cut off the steam when the stern of the ship carrying the propeller is raised or
thrown out of the water, I provide a stop which prevents the governor from swinging
Price 6d1
;

page_text: but in one direction past the centre. Or it may be made to regulate the motion in
the direction of the stern.
A gravity weight or pendulum for the governor is pivotted to a frame, and has
extending above the pivot a toothed quadrant working in a gear wheel, which
with a smaller gear wheel is on a shaft. The small gear wheel engages with
another gear wheel fixed on another shaft, and on the same shaft is fixed a fourth
gear wheel made to engage with a fifth gear wheel fixed on another shaft, the
whole making a compound gearing to increase the power by lessening the speed.
On the end of the first named shaft is a fixed gear wheel made to work in a
similar gear wheel on a shaft, being the stem of the aforesaid valve performing the
service above named.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th October 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR
CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF MARINE ENGINES." A communication from abroad
by Oscar B. Crane, Thomas M. Platts, and Willis H. Howes, all of the United
States of America.
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for regulating or controlling the
motion or speed of marine engines. The object of the said Invention is to prevent
the engine from "racing" or acquiring undue speed when in a rough sea the
propeller of the ship is thrown out of the water, and it consists essentially in
providing a gravity-governor worked by the motion of the ship in combination
with compound gearing, which together control the action of the steam on the
engine by operating a valve in the steam-pipe.
In the accompany Drawing,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved apparatus, and
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1.
The steam is supplied to the engine through the pipe A. Transversely in this
pipe I place a regulating valve B having therein an aperture or hole C which, when
the ship is level longitudinally leaves a free passage for the steam through the
said pipe, but as the ship changes position this valve tends to close the pipe and
cut off the steam, the opening in the pipe changing in relation to the aperture in
the valve. As it is only necessary to cut off the steam when the stern of the ship
carrying the propeller is raised or thrown out of the water, I provide a stop D
which prevents the governor from swinging except in one direction past the centre.
Or it may be made to regulate the motion in the direction of the stern.
The gravity-weight or pendulum E for the governor is pivotted to the frame F,
and has extending above the pivot a toothed quadrant G, which engages with a
gear wheel H; this wheel H, with the smaller gear wheel I, turns with the shaft K.
The gear wheel I engages with the gear wheel L fixed on the shaft M, and on the
same shaft is fixed the gear wheel N, which is arranged to engage with gear
wheel O fixed on the shaft K, the whole forming a compound gearing to increase
the power by lessening the speed.
On the end of the shaft K is fixed a gear wheel P that engages with a similar
gear wheel Q on the shaft R forming the stem of the valve B.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
In a marine engine governor the pendulum operating by gravity to regulate the
valve in combination with the compound gearing to increase the power and lessen
the speed, substantially as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)