AN IMPROVED METHOD OF REGULATING THE SPEED OF MARINE ENGINES AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Wilden King, of Bedford Leigh, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF REGULATING THE SPEED OF MARINE ENGINES AND
APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Wilden King
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd March 1872.
I, CHARLES WILDEN KING, of Bedford Leigh, near Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF REGULATING THE SPEED OF MARINE
ENGINES, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows:-
When vessels fitted with screw propellers pitch heavily the propeller
is often lifted partly or wholly out of the water, and the engines thus
having the resistance to their motion diminished are apt to run off, and
when under these circumstances the propeller is again immersed the

page_text: engines are exposed to a severe shock in consequence of
being suddenly increased. It is found that the action of governors
usually employed for marine engines is not sufficiently rapid to secure
adequate regulation of speed under these circumstances.
The object of my Invention is to provide means whereby the pitching
of the vessel is caused automatically to govern the speed of marine
engines working propellers, such means being applicable either inde-
pendently of or in addition to the governors ordinarily employed. For this
purpose, according to one arrangement, I suspend by a lever or arm a
weight, free to swing forward by its own gravity when the stern of the
vessel rises in pitching, and I provide stops to prevent it from swinging
backwards beyond a certain point when the stern of the vessel sinks. I
apply the movement of this weight to the working of a throttle valve or
other suitable known form of valve or slide in the steam pipe, by means
of which the forward vibration of the weight is made to check the
supply of steam to the engines. Thus as the stern of the vessel rises
so as to raise the propeller out of the water, the valve or slide is by the
movement of the weight forwards, relatively to the vessel, worked so as to
check or shut off steam, and thereby to counteract, by diminishing the
working power, the tendency of the engines to run off under the
diminished resistance. On the stern of the vessel sinking into the
water the weight in relatively receding from its forward position
reopens the steam supply as the resistance of the propeller increases.
In applying this method of regulating speed I adopt several kinds of
apparatus. The simplest arrangement is to fix the lever or arm by
which the weight is suspended to the spindle of a throttle valve so
adjusted that when the weight is at the hinder extreme of its stroke
against the before mentioned stops there is a full supply of steam,
and the relatively forward movement of the weight turns the throttle
valve so as to check the steam supply.
Instead of suspending the weight directly from the throttle valve
spindle, it may be suspended from a secondary spindle or shaft on which
is fixed a wheel or circular rack gearing into a pinion on the spindle of
the throttle valve. Thus a small movement of the weight may be made
to turn the throttle valve through a considerable part of a revolution.
Or instead of using gearing, the movement of the throttle valve rela-
tively to that of the weight may be magnified by working a short

page_text: crank or arm on the valve spindle by a rod connected to a long crank or
arm on the spindle which carries the weight.
In some marine engines the links coupling the excentrics, by which
the valve or slides are worked, are moved by the pistons of small
auxiliary steam cylinders for the purpose of starting, stopping, reversing,
or changing the expansive working of the main engines. In such cases
I provide the auxiliary cylinders with slides or valves worked by weights
suspended as above described, in such a manner that the relatively
forward vibration of the weights causes steam to be admitted to the
auxiliary cylinders, so that their pistons acting on the links cause the
valves or slides of the main engines to be moved so as to check the
supply of steam. The suspended weights are arranged to work between
side guides so that they are not affected by the rolling of the vessel.
Instead of employing a weight suspended as above described, for
working a throttle or other valve or slide, I also employ apparatus of
the following description:-I provide two vessels or a vessel having
two compartments communicating at bottom, one of the vessels or
compartments being in front of the other. The forward compartment
communicates freely with a cylinder fitted with a piston, and this piston
is connected to the throttle or other valve or slide for checking
the supply of steam. The two vessels or compartments are charged
with water, so that when the vessel is on a level keel the piston in the
cylinder communicating with the forward vessel is at the lowest part of
its stroke, and the valve or slide connected to it gives a full supply of
steam. When the vessel pitches so as to raise its stern, the water tends
to flow by gravity into the forward vessel or compartment, and in
pressing on the piston raises it so as to move the valve or slide, and
thereby to check the supply of steam.
30
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Charles Wilden King in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th September 1872.

page_text: engines working propellers, such means being applicable either inde-
pendently of or in addition to the governors ordinarily employed. For
this purpose, according to one arrangement, I suspend by a lever or arm
a weight free to swing forward by its own gravity when the stern of the
vessel rises in pitching, and I provide stops to prevent it from swinging
backwards beyond a certain point when the stern of the vessel sinks.
I apply the movement of this weight to the working of a throttle valve
or other suitable known form of valve or slide in the steam pipė, by
means of which the forward vibration of the weight is made to check the
supply of steam to the engines. Thus as the stern of the vessel rises so
as to raise the propeller out of the water, the valve or slide is by the
movement of the weight forwards, relatively to the vessel, worked so as
to check or shut off steam, and thereby to counteract by diminishing
the working power the tendency of the engines to run off under the
diminished resistance. On the stern of the vessel sinking into the water
the weight in relatively receding from its forward position reopens the
steam supply as the resistance of the propeller increases.
In applying this method of regulating speed I adopt several kinds of
apparatus. The simplest arrangement is to fix the lever or arm by
which the weight is suspended to the spindle of a throttle valve so
adjusted that when the weight is at the hinder extreme of its stroke
against the before mentioned stops, there is a full supply of steam, and
the relatively forward movement of the weight turns the throttle valve
so as to check the steam supply.
•
Instead of suspending the weight directly from the throttle valve.
spindle, it may be suspended from a secondary spindle or shaft on which
is fixed a wheel or circular rack gearing into a pinion on the spindle of
the throttle valve. Thus a small movement of the weight may be made
to turn the throttle valve through a considerable part of a revolution.
Or instead of using gearing, the movement of the throttle valve relatively
to that of the weight may be magnified by working a short crank or arm
on the valve spindle by a rod connected to a long crank or arm on the
spindle which carries the weight.
In some marine engines the links coupling the excentrics by which the
valves or slides are worked, are moved by the pistons of small auxiliary
steam cylinders for the purpose of starting, stopping, reversing, or
changing the expansive working of the main engines. In such cases I
provide the auxiliary cylinders with slides or valves worked by weights
.

page_text: suspended as above described, in such a manner that the relative forward
vibration of the weights causes steam to be admitted to the auxiliary
cylinders, so that their pistons acting on the links cause the valves or
slides of the main engines to be moved so as to check the supply of
steam. The suspended weights are arranged to work between side guides
so that they are not affected by the rolling of the vessel.
Instead of employing a weight suspended as above described for
working a throttle or other valve or slide. I also employ apparatus of
the following description:-I provide two vessels or a vessel having two
compartments communicating at bottom, one of the vessels or com-
partments being in front of the other. The forward compartment
communicates freely with a cylinder fitted with a piston, and this piston
is connected to the throttle or other valve or slide for checking the
supply of steam. The two vessels or compartments are charged with
water, so that when the vessel is on a level keel, the piston in the
cylinder communicating with the forward vessel is at the lowest part of
its stroke, and the valve or slide connected to it gives a full supply of
steam. When the vessel pitches so as to raise its stern, the water tends
to flow by gravity into the forward vessel or compartment, and in
pressing on the piston raises it so as to move the valve or slide and
thereby to check the supply of steam.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
In Fig. 1, A is a vertical section of part of the steam pipe to a marine
engine, and B is a throttle valve to the end of the spindle of the latter;
outside the steam pipe a weight C is suspended by means of a lever or
arm C¹. Assuming the steam pipe to lie parallel with the keel of the
ship, in the direction with its end X towards the stern of the vessel, it
will be seen that when the vessel is on an even keel, the weight and
arm C, C¹, will keep the throttle valve B full open, thus allowing steam
to pass freely to the engine; if however the stern of the vessel rises in
pitching so as to raise the screw partially or entirely out of the water, then
the steam pipe A, in rising at the end X, will assume the position shewn
in red lines or a position approximating thereto, and as the arm and
weight C, C¹, will always maintain their vertical position, and will thus
keep the throttle valve B in the position shewn, it follows that the
throttle valve will close the steam pipe more or less, when this is in the
inclined position as indicated, and will thus shut off or check the passage
of the steam to the engine. On the stern of the vessel sinking into the

page_text: water, the steam pipe will again assume its former position and the
throttle valve will consequently open and admit steam in proportion as
the resistance of the propeller increases. The closing of the steam pipe
by the throttle valve when the vessel pitches in the contrary direction is
prevented by a stop D, against which the weight C rests. The weighted
arm C, C¹, is by preference made to work between lateral guides, so as to
steady the same against the rolling motion of the vessel, and to prevent
any swinging motion being imparted to the arm during frequent pitching
of the vessel it may either be made to work between the guides with
a certain amount of friction, or a toothed rack may be formed on or
attached to the weight C in gear with one or more fixed pinions which
turn with a certain amount of friction.
Fig. 2 shews a sectional side view, and Fig. 3 shews an end view of
another arrangement. Here the weighted arm C, C¹, is not attached
directly to the throttle valve B, but is suspended on a pin or fulcrum E
separate therefrom. It is provided with a slotted part C' which is
connected to a lever B' on the throttle valve spindle by means of a
link F (shewn in dotted blue lines). By connecting the link F to the
part C² of the arm, at a greater distance from the fulcrum E than the
length of the lever B¹, it will be seen that a small movement of the
weighted arm, relatively to the vessel, will effect the turning of the
throttle valve through a considerable part of a revolution, and thus the
action of the valve in cutting off and admitting steam will be rendered
more sensitive than in the first described arrangement. This effect may
also be produced by connecting the weighted arm to the throttle valve
by toothed gearing such as herein-before described, or by any other
known mechanical device whereby the movement of the throttle valve
relatively to that of the weighted arm may be magnified. The weighted
arm C, C¹, instead of actuating a throttle valve in the steam pipe as
described, may be connected to the slides or valves of auxiliary cylinders
that regulate the link motion of the engine cylinders as herein-before
described, so as by the relative motion of the weighted arm on the
pitching of the vessel to control the action of the slide valves in
admitting and cutting off the steam to the cylinders.
Fig. 4 shews a vertical section of an apparatus operating according
to the second before described part of my Invention. G, G¹, are two
vessels containing water or other fluid and connected at the bottom
by a pipe or channel G2 through which the water can flow from the one

page_text: vessel into the other. The vessel G contains a piston or float H capable
of moving freely up and down therein and connected by a rod H' to
a lever or combination of levers or other suitable gearing to a throttle
valve in the steam pipe to the engines, so that any vertical motion of
the piston relatively to the vessel G will effect the closing or opening of
the throttle valve. Assuming the vessels G, G¹, to lie in a direction
parallel or nearly so with the keel of the ship and that the vessel G is
nearest the stern, then on the stern of the ship, rising in pitching the
water will be caused to flow from the vessel G into the vessel G¹, and
the piston H in falling by its own weight will move the throttle valve
so as to cut off the supply of steam more or less; on the falling of the
stern the water will pass back from the vessel G¹ into the vessel G, and
in raising the piston will cause this to open the throttle valve again.
Stops are provided either above the piston H in the vessel G or at any
convenient point of the connection of the piston to the throttle valve,
whereby when the bow of the ship rises the piston is prevented from
rising beyond the point at which it holds the throttle valve full open.
The vessels G, G', have apertures at top, as shewn, to allow the
air to pass freely into and out of them as the water rises and falls
therein.
I have spoken in the foregoing for facility of description of the piston
moving up and down in the vessel G, but it will be understood that
this motion is only relative, as in reality it is the vessels G, G³, and
the steam pipe that move up and down into inclined positions in
following the pitching motion of the ship, while the piston, the throttle
valve, and the general level of the water in the vessels always maintain
the same position with the exception of course of such motion as is
imparted to them by the ship when rising and falling bodily or when
rolling.
In some cases, more particularly in compound marine engines, I
cause the weighted arm of the first described arrangement, or the
piston in the last described arrangement, to actuate a throttle valve
in the exhaust pipe of the engine in addition to and in the same manner
as the throttle valve in the steam pipe, so that on the rising of the stern
of the ship the exhaust shall be more or less restricted or cut off as
well as the steam supply; or a separate weighted arm or vessel with
water and piston may be employed for actuating the throttle valve in
the exhaust pipe.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I do not limit myself to the precise arrangements for carrying the
same into effect herein-before described, and shewn on the Drawings,
as it will be evident that these may be variously modified without
departing from the nature of my Invention, but what I claim is,—
First. The method substantially as herein described, whereby the
pitching of a screw steam ship at sea is caused automatically to govern.
the speed of the engines through the agency of a suspended weight or
weighted arm or lever.
Second. The method substantially as herein described, whereby the
pitching of a screw steam ship at sea is caused automatically to govern
the speed of the engines through the agency of piston or float
situated in a vessel in which water or other fluid is made to rise and
fall relatively by the pitching of the ship.
Third. The use of a suspended weight or weighted arm or lever
operating in such a manner, in combination with a throttle valve or
other device, for controlling the supply of steam to the engines of
screw steam ships, that on the rising of the stern of the ship the said
weight or lever shall cause the valve or other device to cut off or
restrict the supply of steam to the engines, substantially as herein
described.
Fourth. The use of a vessel containing water or other fluid, and a
piston operating in such manner in combination with a throttle valve or
other device for controlling the supply of steam to the engines of screw
steam ships, that on the rising of the stern of the ship the said piston
shall cause the valve or other device to cut off or restrict the supply of
steam to the engines, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Wilden King, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
CHARLES WILDEN KING. (L.S.)