IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Smith, of Hyson Green Works, near
Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR
STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 16th November 1853, and dated the 15th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sydney Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th September 1853.
I, SYDNEY SMITH, of Hyson Green Works, near Nottingham, do
hereby declare that the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES" to be as follows:-
My improvements in governors for regulating the supply of steam to
steam engines apply, first, to the throttle valve, and which I construct
of two parts of equal area; the parts move off the seat in opposite
directions by means of levers. My object is to balance the pressure of
steam. The steam presses the outer ring or valve to its seat while the
inner valve opens by the steam; the ring of the outer valve forms the
seat of inner valve. From the valve box I fix a short tube filled with
water, through which the spindle of the valve passes, and is made tight
at the bottom end by a flexible packing, such as before used in steam

page_text: indicators. For the purpose of acting on throttle valves I employ a
ring of tempered steel on a shaft, with cross arms extending from the
centre of the shaft, and passing thro' the ring. The ring assumes
an oval form by the velocity of two balls moving outwards on the arms,
and I regulate the governor by means of two cones worked by a strap
or band; one cone is fixed to the first moving shaft, and the other
cone is fixed on the governor shaft, causing the governor to increase or
decrease its speed to suit high or low pressure steam, or variation of
machinery put on or taken off the engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Sydney Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
SYDNEY SMITH, of Hyson Green Works, near Nottingham, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Sydney Smith, Her special
licence that I, the said Sydney Smith, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Sydney Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Sydney Smith, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Sydney Smith, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say):
My improvements in governors for regulating the supply of steam to
steam engines apply, first, to the throttle valve, and which I construct
of two parts of equal area; the parts move off the seat in opposite
directions by means of levers. My object is to balance the pressure of
steam. The steam presses the outer ring or valve to its seat while the
inner valve opens by the steam; the ring of the outer valve forms the
seat of inner valve. From the valve box I fix a short tube filled with
water, through which the spindle of the valve passes, and is made tight
at the bottom end by a flexible packing, such as before used in steam
indicators. For the purpose of acting on throttle valves I employ a ring
of tempered steel on a shaft, with cross arms extending from the centre
of the shaft, and passing through the ring. The ring assumes an oval
form by the velocity of two balls moving outwards on the arms, and I
regulate the governor by means of two cones worked by a strap or
band; one cone is fixed to the first moving shaft, and the other cone
is fixed on the governor shaft, causing the governor to increase or
decrease its speed to suit high or low pressure steam, or variation of
machinery put on or taken off the engine.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows a vertical section of a governor and valve arranged
according to my Invention. Figure 2, shows a plan of the valve.
The valve is composed of two parts a, and b; the part a, is fitted into
the outer ring b, and the outer ring b, is fitted into the seat c; hence,
when the steam is pressing on the back of the compound valve it will
have a tendency to open the part a, and to close the part b, and by having
the areas equal the pressure may be balanced, and consequently reduce
the effect which would otherwise be necessary if the valve opened or
closed against the pressure of steam. d, is a bridge which carries the
axes of two levers e, e, which at one end act on the spindles of the

page_text: part 6, of the valve, and at the other of their ends they are connected to
the part of the valve a; hence, when the part a, of the valve is opened
or closed the part b, will be opened or closed. f, is the rod, which being
acted on by the governor regulates the degree to which the valve a, b,
shall at any time be open to admit of steam flowing from the boiler to the
engine. The rod f, passes through a tube g, which is kept full of water,
and this is done by means of an india-rubber or waterproof tube h, fixed
at its lower end at i, and forming a washer at the joint i; the upper end
of the tube is fixed to the rod f; on the interior of the tube h, is a
spring to keep the tube h, distended. The governor is composed of
balls j,j, fixed to springs k; two balls only are shown, but more may be
used, if desired. The upper ends of the springs k, are fixed to the
tube n, which rotates on the fixed tube g; the lower ends of the springs k
are fixed to the socket 7, which can rotate on and slide up the enlarge-
ment m, on the rod f. The balls j, j, slide on the arms, which are
pin jointed at o, to the tube n. The tube n, carries the conical drum p,
which receives motion by a band q, from the conical drum r, which is
moved by the engine. The tube n, and conical drum p, are supported
by the collar s, fixed on the tube g. The rod f, is at its lower end con-
nected by a pin joint to the weighted lever t, which by a rod u, (having
at its upper end two friction rollers) gives motion to the band q, so as
to move it to or from the larger ends of the conical drums, and thus
vary the speeds of the parts. By this arrangement, as the speed of the
engine encreases, it will give encreased rotation to the balls, which flying
off by centrifugal force will cause the socket 1, at the lower end of the
springs to which the balls are attached to rise, and by coming against
the collar m', on the enlargement m, of the rod f, will raise that rod,
and consequently partly close the valve a, b; at the same time the
band 9, will be moved from the smaller towards the larger end of the
conical drum put in motion by the engine, by which the velocity of
rotation of the other conical drum will be encreased, and the valve a, b,
will be. still more closed till the flow of steam is regulated to the
desired degree. It will be understood that the reverse action will take
place when the speed of the engine is falling below its desired speed.
I would remark, that in place of using two conical drums, other
means may be used for giving motion to the parts of the governor. I,

page_text: however, make no claim to the means of giving motion to the governor
by other means. I have, however, shewn another mode by dotted
lines, which may be used in place of the two conical drums. v, is a
drum which receives motion by a band from the engine; this drum is
capable of rotating and sliding on the fixed axis w; the periphery of
part of this drum is covered with leather, and acts against a disc a,
covered with leather on its under side. y, is a rod fixed at one end to
the drum v, and at its other end by a pin joint to the weighted lever t,
before described. The disc a, would be fixed to the outer tube n, to
which the conical drum of the governor is now shown to be applied. By
this arrangement, when the speed of the engine becomes too fast, it
would give motion to the drum v, and from that drum v, to the disce x,
and consequently to the valve rod, and the drum would be moved
towards the centre of the disc, by which the effect of rotation of the
drum will be encreased on the governor and on the valve a, b.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details, nor do I claim any of the parts separately
of which the governor is composed. But what I claim is,-First, the
compound throttle valve and parts connected therewith.
And, secondly, I claim the connecting of governor balls with springs,
and giving motion therefrom to the valve rod, as herein described, and
transmitting motion by drums to governors, as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sydney Smith, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
SYDNEY SMITH. (L.S.)