Improvements in Centrifugal Governors.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1899-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Centrifugal Governors.
I, MATTHEW HENRY PHINEAS RIALL SANKEY, Captain R.E. (retired), of Victoria
Works, Rugby, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
In a centrifugal governor I so arrange the weights or springs which resist
the action of centrifugal force upon the balls, that as the latter diverge the
resistance of the weights or springs may at pleasure be made to increase,-
(1) faster than the centrifugal force increases; or (2) exactly at the same rate
as the centrifugal force increases (in which case the governor is isochronous);
or (3) more slowly than the centrifugal force increases. In the last case a wider
open position of the balls will correspond with a slower speed, or in other words
the governor will have "negative errors" In order to overcome the instability,
and lessen the tendency to "hunt," inherent in cases (2) and (3), I arrange
for a definite but adjustable amount of friction upon some portion of the governor
mechanism, preferably capable of adjustment while the engine is running, and
further I arrange for a dash-pot to be connected with the governor mechanism..
If the governor is arranged to be isochronous or nearly so, or to have a
negative error, it is naturally prone to derangement from small causes, but the
friction constantly maintained, in the manner of a brake, upon some pin or
other convenient part of the mechanism, prevents the balls from changing their
position until the acting cause is considerable say a change of speed amounting
to a substantial fraction of a revolution. The dash pot then acts to prevent rapid
movement, and between the two actions, viz. that of the friction, which pre-
vents movement from too slight a cause, and that of the dash-pot, which steadies
the movement when started, hunting is prevented.
In one form of the apparatus I employ governor balls directly linked together
by springs, so as to minimise the friction on the pins upon which the governor
arms work. The movement of the arms is transmitted through a collar, in the
usual way, to a bell-crank or other device for communicating the movement of
the balls to the throttle-valve or cut-off gear. In connection with such bell-crank
or other device a tension spring is arranged to act in such a way that it aids the
balls to open wider apart, the effect being the same as though it acted to diminish
the pull of the springs which tie the balls together. By means of a tightening
screw the adjusting spring described can be used, in a manner well understood, to
regulate the speed at which any given position of the balls will be assumed.
I do not, however, attach the spring directly to the bell-crank or other moving
part of the governor mechanism, but I connect the latter by a link to an arm on
a weigh-shaft, which carries another arm, to which the adjusting spring is con-
nected. The arms are at such angles to one another, and to the link and to the
line of pull of the spring, that the more the balls separate, the greater will be the
aid which the adjusting spring gives to their separation, thus virtually adding
to their centrifugal force as they open out at a rate nearly as great, or quite as
great, or greater than, the increase in the resistance of the springs which tie

page_text: the balls together. Isochronism, or even negative error, can be thus obtained.
Movement of the weigh-shaft may be resisted by the friction of a small weighted
lever resting upon it (the amount of such friction being adjustable), or by other
equivalent means, and either one of the arms on the weigh-shaft, or any other
convenient part of the mechanism, may be connected with a dash-pot or dash-pots
so arranged as to resist movement in either direction. It is obvious that the
required combination of (1) centrifugal force; (2) resistance varying as desired;
(3) adjustable friction to frequent too easy change of position in the parts;
and (4) the dash-pot to secure steadiness, may be obtained by various other
arrangements of mechanism equivalent to those described. For instance, the bell-
crank or other portion of the gear may be connected with the adjusting spring
by a chain passing over an eccentric pulley, so arranged as to vary the pull of
the spring (in aid of the balls) as the position of the balls (and bell-crank)
varies. The friction required may be applied at the axis of the eccentric pulley.
Dated this 18th day of November 1898.
Improvements In
entrifugal Governors.
I, MATTHEW HENRY PHINEAS RIALL SANKEY, Captain R.E. (retired), of Victoria
Works, Rugby, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In a centrifugal governor I so arrange the weights or springs which resist (or
assist) the action of centrifugal force upon the balls, that as the latter diverge the
resistance of the weights or springs may at pleasure be made to increase,
(1) faster than the centrifugal force increases; or (2) exactly at the same rate
as the centrifugal force increases (in which case the governor is isochronous);
or (3) more slowly than the centrifugal force increases. In the last case a wider
open position of the balls will correspond with a slower speed, or in other words
the governor will have "negative error." In order to overcome the instability,
and lessen the tendency to hunt," inherent in cases (2) and (3), I arrange
for a definite but adjustable amount of friction upon some portion of the governor
mechanism, preferably capable of adjustment while the engine is running, and
further I arrange for a dash-pot to be connected with the governor mechanism.
If the governor is arranged to be isochronous or nearly so, or to have a
negative error, it is naturally prone to derangement from small causes, but the
friction constantly maintained, in the manner of a brake, upon some pin or
other convenient part of the mechanism, prevents the balls from changing their
position until the acting cause is considerable, say a change of speed amounting
to a substantial fraction of a revolution. The dash pot then acts to prevent rapid
movement, and between the two actions, viz.:-that of the friction, which pre-
vents movement from too slight a cause, and that of the dash-pot, which steadies
the movement when started, hunting is prevented.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the arrangement I adopt. Figure 2 is a
similar view of a modification, and Figure 3 is a part plan of the same.
In Figure 1 I employ governor balls a directly linked together by springs b
so as to minimise the friction on the pins a¹ upon which the governor arms work.
The movement of the arms is transmitted through a collar c in the usual way,
to a bell crank d for communicating the movement of the balls by the rod to
the throttle valve or cut-off gear.

page_text: As the springs b are in rotary movement they are not conveniently capable of
control or adjustment and I make the necessary adjustments by means of a
spring e, arranged to act against the springs b and therefore to assist the centri-
fugal action of the balls. By varying the rate of increase in the assistance the
balls receive from el virtually vary the rate of increase in the resistance they
experience from b. I do not, however, attach the spring directly to the bell
crank or other moving part of the governor mechanism but indirectly through
the lever f, the link f¹, and the levers g' and g², carried by the same weigh-
shaft g3. The arms are at such angles to one another and to the link and to
the line of pull of the spring, that the more the balls separate, the greater will
be the aid which the secondary adjusting spring e gives to their separation, thus
virtually adding to their centrifugal force as they open out at a rate nearly as
great, or quite as great, or greater than, the increase in the resistance of the
springs which tie the balls a together. Isochronism, or even negative error, can
be thus obtained. Movement of the spindle or weigh-shaft ³ may be resisted by
the friction of a small weighted lever resting upon it (the amount of such friction
being adjustable), or by other equivalent means, and either one of the arms on
the weigh-shaft, or the lever f, or any other convenient part of the mechanism,
may be connected with a dash pot h, or dash pots, so arranged as to check a
sudden movement in either direction. It is obvious that the required combina-
tion of (1) centrifugal force; (2) resistance (or assistance) varying as desired;
(3) adjustable friction to prevent too easy change of position in the parts; and
(4) the dash-pot to secure steadiness, may be obtained by various other arrange-
ments of mechanism equivalent to those described. For instance as shown in
Figures 2 and 3 the bell crank d may be connected by a link to the arm ; of a
weigh-shaft which is connected with the adjusting spring e by a chain k passing
over an eccentric pulley of such varying radius as to alter the pull of the spring
(in aid of the balls) as the position of the balls (and bell crank) varies. The
friction required may be applied at the axis of the eccentric pulley or it may
be found to be present in sufficient amount in the mechanism itself.
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
1. The combination of a pair of governor balls, a spring, and connections
between the spring and the balls such that the spring tends to separate the balls
with a pull which increases as they separate.
2. The combination of a pair of governor balls, a spring connecting the balls
and tending to draw them together, a second spring, and connections between
the second spring and the balls such that the spring tends to separate the balls
with a pull which increases as they separate.
3. Centrifugal governors substantially as described and illustrated in the
drawings.
Dated this 18th day of August 1899
MATTHEW HENRY PHINEAS RIALL SANKEY.