Improvements in Apparatus for Stopping Engines or other Motors from Various Parts of a Building.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES FREEMAN BROWN, of Reading,
Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Stopping Engines or other Motors
from Various Parts of a Building.
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:-
This invention relates to an apparatus or means whereby the operation of a steam
engine or other motor, such as a water wheel, etc., may be quickly stopped from
various parts of the building or establishment in which it is located.
My invention has for its chief object to provide an electrically-controlled
mechanism of such construction that upon the closure (or breaking) of an electric
circuit, said mechanism will be automatically engaged with a moving part of the
engine so as to receive power therefrom, and will first transmit the power received
to the throttle valve, thereby closing the same and stopping the engine, and will
then be automatically reset for another operation and disconnected from the engine,
leaving the throttle valve free to be opened by the engineer when it is desired to
again start the engine. These results I attain by the improved mechanism which I
will now proceed to describe and claim.
Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this Specification:
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the stem of a throttle valve, and con-
trolling mechanism therefor, embodying my invention, said mechanism being shown
in its inoperative position.
Figure 2 represents a similar view of said mechanism, the same being shown in
its operative position, as it appears during the operation of closing the valve.
Figure 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Figure 2, looking toward the left.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
I have shown and hereinafter described my apparatus as controlled by an electric
circuit which is normally open and is made operative when closed, but the operation
may be effected by breaking a normally closed circuit, as will be readily understood
by those skilled in the art.
In the drawings:
a represents the stem of the throttle valve of a steam engine, which valve may
be of any suitable construction adapting it to be closed and opened by rotary
movements of said stem. I do not show the construction of the valve because the
same is well known. Moreover, my invention hereinafter described is not limited
to use in connection with the throttle valve of a steam engine, but may be applied
to the corresponding controlling devices of other motors, such as water wheels,
windmills, etc., the adaptation of my improvements to such motors requiring only
the exercise of ordinary mechanical skill and judgment.
6 represents a short shaft, journalled in fixed bearings cc, and used to com-
municate motion from the motor to the throttle valve by the momentum of the
motor, said shaft being hereinafter called the motor shaft.
Another short shaft 6', hereinafter called the coupling shaft, is journalled in
fixed bearings c', the said coupling shaft being arranged in line with the motor
shaft and adapted to be coupled thereto.
Affixed to one end of the motor shaft is a pulley e, which is rotated by a belt
connecting it with a pulley driven by the engine or motor, said pulley rotating
the motor shaft. Said motor shaft 6 has also affixed to it, at its other end, a
pulley f, forming one part of a friction clutch device hereinafter described.

page_text: To the coupling shaft are affixed a sprocket wheel g and a disk.h, the two
being affixed to a hub h¹ common to both, on the coupling shaft.
ii represent two clutch bands, surrounding the friction pulley on the motor
shaft b, said bands being attached to the disk on the coupling shaft b¹ in a suit-
able manner, hereinafter described. Said bands i have ears projecting
outwardly from their ends. The ear ¹ of one band i is normally slightly separated
from the adjoining ear of the other band i, so that the pulley f on the motor
shaft will run between said bands without rotating the latter or the disk / with
which they are connected. Two levers jj, hereinafter called clutch levers, are
pivoted at to ears on the disk h on the coupling shaft. The shorter arms of
said clutch levers are bifurcated, and pass on to the outer-sides of two adjoining
ears of the clutch bands, the bifurcated ends being preferably joined by an
adjusting screw at the further side of said ears. The screw is adapted to
adjust the bifurcated ends of the levers; so as to compensate for wear of the
ears or of the clutch devices, said bifurcated ends having sufficient play to allow
them to be brought nearer together by said screw j³, thus bringing the ears i
nearer together and tightening the clutch bands. The said clutch levers ; support
the clutch bands ii and form a connection between them and the disk h. A
collar k slides on the coupling shaft, with which the longer arms of the clutch
levers j are connected in any suitable manner, preferably by means of short
links forming a toggle joint. The outer surfaces of the ears i¹ are inclined,
said ears being thinner at the outer end than at the base, so that if the collar k be
moved away from the disk h, or to the left, as viewed in Figure 1, the clutch
levers will be moved so as to press inwardly upon the outer wedge-shaped
surfaces of said ears, thus causing the clutch bands i to tighten upon the pulley f
so that said bands and the disk and sprocket wheel 9 connected therewith, and
the coupling shaft to which said parts are affixed, will all be rotated with said
pulley and the shaft b to which it is affixed. Figure 1 shows the device in the
position it occupies when the bands i are loose upon the pulley f, so that the
shaft 6 is not rotated; while Figure 2 shows the position when said bands are
tightened upon said pulley, thus causing the shaft b' to rotate with the shaft b.
The sprocket wheel is connected by a sprocket chain g¹ with a sprocket
wheel a¹ on the throttle valve stem a.
An arm or lever m, hereinafter called the primary lever, is pivoted to the
supporting-framed and engaged with the collark on the coupling shaft b' by means
of a pin affixed to said lever, running in a groove in said collar. An arm or lever n,
hereinafter called the secondary lever, is also pivoted to the supporting-frame.
The said levers m and n are connected with each other by means of a link m²,
which is pivoted on the primary lever, and has a slot which receives a pin n¹
projecting from the secondary lever n.
The secondary lever n is normally pressed away from the primary lever m, or
toward the left as viewed in Figure 1, by a spring o, as shown. Said secondary
lever n is provided with a pin 2 at its lower end, which moves in a slot p¹ in the
upper end of a lever p, hereinafter called the detent lever, which is pivoted at p²
to the supporting-frame. The lower arm of the detent lever p is engaged, when
the device is " set or ready for use, with a detent 7' on the armature 9 of an
electro-magnet. The form of the slot p' in the detent lever p is such that when
the device is "set," as shown in Figure 1, the secondary lever n is held against
the pressure of its spring o, and cannot move from said position.
"
In the form of the device here described, the electric circuit in which the electro-
magnet is included, is normally broken, and may be closed by a push button at
any desired point or points, or by any other suitable device. When the said
circuit is closed, the magnet rr is energized and the armature
is drawn down-
wardly, thus releasing the detent lever p.
q
It is to be here noted that the form of the detent lever p is such that when the
device is "set" the pin n of the secondary lever n bears on said detent lever p
at a point close to the pivot point thereof, so that the lateral pressure exerted by

page_text: the spring-pressed secondary lever n on the longer end of said detent lever p_and
the detent g' on the armature g is but slight, and, as a consequence, a slight force
is sufficient to draw said armature downwardly and release said lever, as above
stated. This enables a great saving to be made in battery power, and it has been
found in practice that four ordinary cells are ample to energize the electro-magnet
to a degree sufficient to draw down the armature and release the lever.
After the detent lever p is released by the detent g', as above stated, the
spring o moves the secondary lever n to the position shown in Figure 2 and causes
it to pull the primary lever m over to the position shown in said figure, and thus
move the collar k on the coupling shaft 6f so as to cause the clutch bands i to
tighten on the pulley on the motor shaft, and thus cause the coupling shaft 6'
and its sprocket wheel g to rotate with the motor shaft b. The primary lever m
is engaged by a spring catch or detent s, when pulled over by the secondary
lever n, as shown in Figure 2. While in this position, the power of the engine
rotates the coupling shaft and its sprocket wheel g, and, through the chain g¹ and
sprocket wheel al on the valve stem, also rotates the said stem and closes the
throttle valve.
To prevent the positive rotation of the sprocket wheel 9 after the valve is
closed, and to reset the mechanism above described, I provide the following
automatic devices.
The end portion of the coupling shaft 61 farthest from the clutch devices is
screw-threaded, and a nut 6 is placed on said screw-threaded portion. The nut 6³
is prevented from rotating with said shaft by means of an ear or lug 6, shown in
dotted lines in Figure 3, said lug projecting from said nut and having an opening
which receives a pin or guide affixed to the supporting-frame and arranged
parallel with the coupling shaft b', said ear sliding on said pin or guide. The
nut 63 is formed to engage the secondary lever n, and is adapted, when moved to
the end of the screw-threaded portion of the coupling shaft b' nearest said secondary
lever n, to move the same, against the stress of its spring o, back to its "set
position, as shown in Figure 1.
>>
The operation of these devices is as follows: As soon as the magnet rr has
been energized and the detent lever p released, the secondary lever and primary
lever will operate the clutch, and cause the coupling shaft 6 to rotate with the
motor shaft b, as above described. Whenever the coupling shaft b¹ begins to
rotate, the nut 63 thereon is moved by the screw-thread on said shaft toward the
secondary lever n, or to the right as viewed in Figure 2. The said nut 63, as it
moves along, presses the secondary lever n back toward its set position, shown in
Figure 1, the said nut being so adjusted on the coupling shaft 6 that the number
of revolutions of said shaft required to shut the throttle valve will bring the said
nut 6 to the end of its inward movement, by which time said nut has completed
its work of resetting the device. As the secondary lever n is being pressed back
to its "set" position it will approach the primary lever m, the pin and slot con-
nection of the two levers permitting this. As the secondary lever n is pressed
back, as described, it presses the primary lever m in the same direction by means
of a spring n³. The primary lever m is, however, held against pressure in this
direction by its spring catch s. The secondary lever n, as it is pressed back by
the nut 63, also moves the detent lever p back to its "set" position, the end of
the detent lever p riding over the detent q', the rear side of which is bevelled for
this purpose. The secondary lever n is provided with a suitable projection, as n³,
which is adapted to press down the catch s and release the primary lever m, the
latter being immediately forced back to its set position by the pressure of its
spring n. The projection n' and the incline on the catch s with which it coöperates are
so placed that said catch is displaced and will release the primary lever m
immediately after the detent lever p has reached its set position, and has again
become engaged with the detent q', as shown in Figure 1. When the primary
lever m is released and moved back to its "set" position, the clutch device is
made inoperative and the coupling shaft ceases to rotate with the motor shaft b.

page_text: The nut remains in the position shown in full lines in Figure 1 until it is
moved back to its starting position shown in dotted lines in said figure by the
rotation of the coupling shaft in the opposite direction by the opening of
the throttle valve by the engineer or other attendant, the movement of the
valve stem being communicated to the coupling shaft 6 by the sprocket wheels
and chain.
I prefer to provide the supporting bracket & with slots d' d' through which the
screws d² d, which secure the said bracket to a suitable support, pass; the object
of said slots being to enable the bracket d to be moved up or down to compensate
for variations in the length of the sprocket chain g¹ caused by wear or otherwise.
I have also provided a suitable bolt (not shown) passing through the overhanging
top of the bracket d and engaging a suitable nut fixed in a suitable support
above said bracket, for adjusting the latter.
It will be seen that the essential features or groups of elements of the apparatus
are as follows: First, a connection between the throttle valve and a moving part
of the engine, this connection comprising in the present case the sprocket chain
and wheels, the motor shaft, its pulley and the belt that connects said pulley with
a shaft forming a part of or driven by the engine or motor. Said connection
must be separable or of such nature that it can be made alternately operative and
inoperative, so that when operative it enables the momentum of the engine to close
the throttle, and when inoperative the operation of the engine has no effect on the
throttle, this result being accomplished by the two clutch members, one of which is
independently movable. Secondly, means whereby the divisions of said connections
may be connected or made operative to stop the engine, by the act of an operator
or attendant at a distant point. Suitable means for this purpose are here included
in, first, the mechanical coupling device, comprising the compressible or movable
.clutch bands i i, the clutch levers jj and the devices for exerting pressure on said
levers, and, secondly, the electrically controlled detent, adapted to prevent the
engagement of said clutch members when the engine is in operation, excepting
when it is desired to stop the engine.
When the apparatus is constructed to automatically make the connections
between the engine and throttle inoperative after the closing of the throttle, a final
essential feature is a resetting device which restores the coupler to its inoperative
condition, so that the apparatus is again in condition to be operated by an attendant
at a distant point.
I believe that these features or groups of elements have never before been
combined in an organized apparatus, hence I do not limit myself to the particular
devices composing the several features or groups herein shown and described, and
may variously modify the organization and details of each feature or group without
departing from the spirit of the invention.
It will be understood that my use of the term throttle valve is generic, and is
intended to cover any device that controls the admission of the motive power to an
engine or other motor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent it is declared that what is claimed is:
1. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, separable connections between the same and the
engine or motor, through which the power-controlling device may be operated by
the momentum of the engine to shut off the source of power, and means whereby
the said separable connections may be made operative to stop the engine.
2. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, a connection between the same and the engine or
motor, through which the power-controlling device may be operated by the
momentum of the engine to shut off the source of power, said connection being
composed of two normally separated and inoperative parts, and an electrically-

page_text: controlled coupling device whereby said parts may be operatively connected to
stop the engine.
3. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, separable connections between the same and the
engine or motor, through which the power-controlling device may be operated by
the momentum of the engine to shut off the source of power, a mechanical device
or coupler adapted to make the connections between the throttle and engine
operative, means controlled by an attendant whereby the said coupler may be
caused to operate, and a resetting device which sets the coupler in its inoperative
position, as set forth.
4. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, separable connections between the same and the
engine or motor, through which the power-controlling device may be operated by
the momentum of the engine to shut off the source of power, a mechanical device
or coupler which normally makes the connections between the throttle and engine
or motor operative, and an electrically-controlled detent, whereby said coupler
may be prevented from operating, as set forth.
5. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, separable connections between the same and the
engine or motor, through which the power-controlling device may be operated by
the momentum of the engine to shut off the source of power, a mechanical device
or coupler which normally makes the connections between the throttle and engine
or motor operative, an electrically-controlled detent whereby said coupler may be
prevented from operating, and a resetting device which sets the coupler in its
inoperative position and makes the detent operative, as set forth.
6. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, a compound lever adapted, when released, to connect.
a normally inoperative part of the apparatus with a moving part of the engine,
connections between said inoperative part and the power-controlling device whereby
the former will shut the latter when connected with the moving part of the engine,
and means for holding said compound lever in its inoperative position and for
releasing the same through the agency of an electric current, as set forth.
7. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, a motor shaft rotated by the engine, a coupling
shaft in line with said motor shaft and having clutch devices which, when operative,
cause the coupling shaft to rotate with the motor shaft, connections between said
coupling shaft and the power-controlling device whereby the latter is caused to shut
off the power when the former is rotated by the motor shaft, and electrically-
controlled mechanical devices whereby said clutch mechanism is made operative,
as set forth.
8. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, a motor shaft rotated by the engine, a coupling
shaft in line with said motor shaft and having clutch devices which, when operative,
cause the coupling shaft to rotate with the motor shaft, connections between said
coupling shaft and the power-controlling device whereby the latter is caused to
shut off the power when the former is rotated by the motor shaft, electrically-
controlled mechanical devices whereby said clutch mechanism is made operative,
and means whereby said mechanical devices are reset for another engine stopping
operation by the same rotations of the coupling shaft that cause the shutting of
the power-controlling device, as set forth.
9. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, a motor shaft rotated by the engine, a pulley
affixed to said shaft, a coupling shaft in line with the motor shaft, connections
between said coupling shaft and the throttle valve, whereby the rotation of the
former will close the valve, a clutch device on said coupling shaft adapted, when
operative, to act on the motor shaft pulley and cause the coupling shaft to rotate
with the motor shaft, the spring-actuated secondary lever normally adapted to

page_text: render said clutch mechanism operative, the slotted detent lever engaged with the
Becondary lever, the armature having a detent which engages the detent lever and
thus holds the secondary lever in its inoperative position, and an electro-magnet
which, when energized, will attract the armature and cause the release of the detent
lever and secondary lever and thus permit the latter to move to its clutch-operating
position, as set forth.
10. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, a motor shaft rotated by the engine, a pulley
affixed to said motor shaft, a coupling shaft in line with said motor shaft, connections
between said coupling shaft and the power-controlling device, whereby the rotation
of the said shaft will cause the said device to shut off the power of the motor, a
clutch device on said coupling shaft adapted, when operative, to engage the motor
shaft pulley and cause the coupling shaft to rotate with the motor shaft, the spring-
actuated secondary lever normally adapted, through suitable connections, to render
said clutch device operative, the slotted detent lever engaged with the secondary
lever, the armature having a detent which engages the detent lever and thus holds
the secondary lever in its inoperative position, an electro-magnet which, when
energized, will attract the armature and cause the release of the detent lever and
secondary lever and thus permit the latter to move to its clutch operating position,
- a locking device adapted to retain the clutch mechanism in operative position until
the power has been shut off by the power-controlling device, and automatic devices
to reset the apparatus for another engine-stopping operation while the power-
controlling device being operated, and to release the clutch mechanism whenever
the power is shut off and the apparatus reset, as set forth.
11. In an apparatus for stopping an engine or other motor, a power-controlling
device such as a throttle valve, a motor shaft rotated by the engine, a pulley
affixed to said shaft, a coupling shaft in line with the motor shaft, connections
between the coupling shaft and the throttle valve, whereby the rotation of the
shaft will close the valve, a clutch device on said coupling shaft adapted, when
operative, to engage the motor shaft pulley and cause the coupling shaft to rotate
with the motor shaft, the primary lever connected with said clutch device, the
spring-pressed secondary lever connected with the primary lever and adapted to
move the latter so as to render the clutch operative, the connection between the
primary and secondary levers being such that the latter can approach the former,
the slotted detent lever with which the secondary lever is engaged, the armature
having a detent which engages the detent lever and thus holds the secondary lever
in its inoperative position, an electro-magnet which, when energized, will attract
the armature and cause the release of the detent lever and secondary lever and
thus permit said secondary lever to act and move the primary lever to its clutch-
operating position, a catch to lock said primary lever in said clutch-operating
position, a device operated by the rotation of the coupling shaft to return the
secondary lever to its inoperative position and to re-engage the detent lever with
the detent on the armature, and devices to disengage the primary lever from its
catch whenever the detent lever is engaged with the detent and return said primary
lever to its inoperative position, thus releasing the clutch, as set forth.
12. In an apparatus for stopping engines, the combination with a shaft which is
adapted to be rotated by the engine, and the throttle valve of the engine, of a
sprocket wheel on said shaft, another sprocket wheel on the stem of said valve,
and a sprocket chain running on said sprocket wheels and forming a connection
between the said shaft and valve stem whereby the latter is rotated by the rotation
of the former, as set forth.
Dated this 16th day of February A.D. 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.