IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR. REGULATING THE ACTION OF STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS
Year: 1878

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LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Gilmour, of Kilcattan, in the County of Bute,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR.
REGULATING THE ACTION OF STEAM ENGINES AND BOILERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Gilmour at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th September 1878.
THOMAS GILMOUR, of Kilcattan, in the County of Bute, North Britain.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE ACTION OF STEAM ENGINES.
AND BOILERS."
0
This Invention has for its object to render more sensitive and otherwise improve
apparatus used for regulating the action of steam engines and boilers.
In carrying out the first part of the Invention any suitable known kind of speed
governor is employed, but instead of arranging such governor to act directly on the
throttle or other steam regulating valve of the engine, it is made to act on a small
valve controlling the passage of steam to a drum or cylindrical cap which acts
directly on the throttle or regulating valve. The cylindrical cap is inverted and is
shaped to fit on a fixed cylindrical pedestal on which it works with the least
possible friction, but so as to be nearly steam-tight and without packing of any
kind. The passage controlled by the small valve communicates with an opening in
the top of the pedestal; and on the small valve being opened by the action of the
speed governor, the steam getting access to the inside of the cap lifts it up and
makes it act on the throttle or regulating valve. The pedestal is made hollow and
is in constant communication by a pipe or passage with the main steam supply, so
that it is always hot enough to avoid condensation of the steam which acts upon
the cap. The valve controlling the passage of the steam to the cap may be arranged
so as to be fully opened in the event of the belt or gear driving the governor, .
giving way so as to cause the complete closing of the throttle or regulating valve.

page_text: The second part of the Invention consists in connecting an inverted cap arranged
as herein-before described by rods and levers to the damper of the boiler flue; and
in this case the small valve giving the steam access to the cap is loaded to whatever
pressure is desired. When the steam in the boiler exceeds this pressure, the valve
opens, and the cap is acted upon so as to close the flue damper and thereby diminish
the production of steam.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions, of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Gilmour in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th March
1879.
THOMAS GILMOUR, of Kilcattan, in the County of Bute, North Britain.
**IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE ACTION OF STEAM ENGINES
AND BOILERS."
My said Invention has for its object to render more sensitive and otherwise
improve apparatus used for regulating the action of steam engines and boilers.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention any suitable known kind of speed
governor is employed, but instead of arranging such governor to act directly on the
throttle valve or other steam-regulating valve of the engine, it is made to act on a
small valve controlling the passage of steam to a drum or cylindrical cap which acts
directly on the throttle or regulating valve. The cap serves the purpose of a piston,
but it is fitted without packing, and is not liable to stick or get out of order, and
although not a steam-tight fit.its area is sufficient for the steam to act on it
effectively, notwithstanding a slight leakage. The valve controlling the passage of
steam to the cap may be arranged so as to be opened in the event of the belt or
gear driving the governor giving way, so as then to cause the complete closing of
the throttle or regulating valve. My improved governing arrangement is specially
well adapted for screw propeller engines for preventing racing.
My Invention also comprises the application of a valve and cap similar to that
herein-before described for regulating the action of a steam boiler. In one case the
cap is arranged for acting on the flue damper on the steam pressure becoming too
high, and in another case the cap is arranged for opening the feed water inlet valve
whenever the water level in the boiler gets below a certain point.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood, I hereunto append two Sheets of explanatory Drawings
to be herein-after referred to and representing examples of my improved apparatus.
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings, is an elevation showing an
ordinary centrifugal governor as combined with my improved valve and cap for
acting on the throttle valve of a steam engine. Figures 2 and 3 are vertical and
horizontal sections. On the steam pipe 1 there is fixed a casting 2 formed with a
passage 3, having at the top of it a valve 4 which is loaded by a spring 5 to with-

page_text: stand the steam pressure. The casting 2 is formed with a cylinder 6, into which is
screwed an inner cylinder 7, the latter containing the valve seat; the valve 4 and
the spring 5, which last is held down by a gland 8 screwed into the top of the inner
cylinder 7, and fixed by a jam nut. The spindle 9 of the valve passes through the
gland 8, and has a ring or collar 10 fixed on its upper end. A double lever 11
centered at one side can act on the under side of the collar 10 so as to lift the valve,
and this lever is at the other side jointed to a rod 12 passing down through a bore
in the cylinder 6, and fitted with a gab at the bottom to be acted on by a pin on a
lever 13 on a rocking shaft 14 carried in suitable bearings. The rocking shaft 14
has also on it a double lever 15, 16, one end 15 of which is connected by a pin and
slot to a link 17 jointed to the governor lever 18; the arrangement being such that
when the speed becomes too great, the valve 4 is lifted. Over the cylinder 6 there
is fitted to work loosely a cap or inverted cylindrical cup 19, and when the valve 4
is opened the steam has access through the inner cylinder 7, and through one or
more small bores at its top into the interior of the cap 19 which is consequently
raised. The cap 19 has jointed to it a pair of links 20 which are jointed to a pair
of levers 21 on the throttle valve spindle 22, and when the cap 19 rises, it entirely
or partly closes the throttle valve. In some cases the connection between the cap
19 and the throttle valve may be by a rod or rods connected to the top of the cap.
The cap 19 rises against the resistance of a spring 23 held between its top, and a
plate 24 secured to the casting 2 by rods 25. The valve 4 is made with a body
entering down into the passage 3, and shallow tapering flutes or recesses are
formed on the sides of the body so that the steam passes through to a greater or
less extent accordingly as the valve is more or less raised. The spring 23 serves to
move the cap 19 down again and to re-open the throttle valve 22 whenever the
speed becomes too much reduced. The steam has always access by small passages
to the space between the inner and outer cylinders 7, 6, so that the parts are kept
always sufficiently hot to avoid the condensation of steam inside of the cap 19.
In order to cause the closing of the throttle valve in the event of the governor
ceasing to be driven, there is jointed to the governor lever 18 a second link 26
formed with a hook at its lower end to engage with a pin on the lever 16, so as to
cause the opening of the valve 4 whenever the lever 18 is sufficiently raised in
consequence of the dropping of the governor balls. The link 26 is formed with a
slot into which there enters a pin on a rod 27 that can be moved by hand for
taking the link 26 out of gear when starting the engine or at other times.
Figure 4, on Sheet 2 of the accompanying Drawings, is a vertical section showing
the casting 2 with the cap 19 (the internal details being the same as shown in
Figures 2 and 3 herein-before described), the casting being fixed on a boiler, and
the cap 19 connected to a bell-crank lever 28. The other end of the lever 28 is
connected by a chain to a small pulley 29 made in one piece with a larger pulley
30 connected to the flue damper 31. In this application the valve (4) is loaded by
the spring (5) to the desired boiler pressure, and whenever this pressure is exceeded,
the valve (4) is opened, and the steam gets access to the cap 19 which it raises, and
thereby causes the closing of the flue damper 31. The rod 12 which is retained
can at any time be moved by hand to make sure that the valve (4) is not sticking.
Figure 5 is a vertical section showing the application of the cap 19 and parts
connected therewith for opening the feed water inlet valve 32 of a steam boiler.
This valve 32 is connected by a rod passing through a stuffing box to a suitably
loaded lever 33, which is connected by a link 34 to the cap 19. The valve (4) is
made with a feathered stein projecting down inside the boiler, so that it can be
acted on by a lever 35 connected to a float 30. A weight 37 balances the float,
but the pressure of steam on the valve (4) is by preference balanced by the spring
(5) above it. An open casing 38 is fixed round the float to keep the water steady
near the float. The valve (4) can at any time be opened by hand by means of the
rod 12.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details

page_text: herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original
and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The employment of a loose cap or inverted cup (19) for acting on the throttle
valve of a steam engine, any suitable speed governor being arranged to open a valve
admitting steam to the cap on the speed becoming too great, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. The providing of connections between the governor and the valve supplying
steam to the cap (19) for opening such valve on the governor ceasing to move, as
herein-before described.
3. The combination of the cap (19) and its loaded valve (4) with the flue damper
(29), the parts being arranged, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
4. The combination of the cap (19) and its valve (4) with the float (35) and
feed water inlet valve (30), substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Gilmour, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
THOMAS GILMOUR. (L.S.)