IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR STEAM ENGINES AND WATER WHEELS
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN SCOTT of Willimantic, Conn., U.S.A., do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR
STEAM ENGINES AND WATER WHEELS," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement; and shown in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a front
view in elevation of my invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the same, Figure 3 is
a plan view of a portion of the same, Figure 4 is a side view in elevation of
another part of my invention, Figure 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4, Figure 6 is a side
view of part of my invention, and Figure 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6. In the
different figures like letters designate the same parts.
My invention consists of such improvements in the construction of Governors
for Steam Engines that the rising or falling movement of the governor balls,
caused by changes of velocity of gyration thereof, shall not only cause an opening
or closing movement of the valves or gate, but such opening or closing movement
of the valves shall be an accelerating motion. Thus, if the governor balls drop a
given distance, say one inch, the first half-inch drop taking the same length of time
as the second, the action upon the valves of the second half of the drop shall be
more than that of the first half. Or if the governor balls drop or rise from one
level to another, as from change of steam pressure or load upon the engine, the
action of the governor in opening or closing the valves will not stop at the point
attained when the change of elevation of the balls ceased but it will continue
throwing the valves farther and farther from their original position as long as
the governor remains out of its regular running level; thus insuring an excep-
tionally quick and effective change of the supply of steam or water and
correspondingly quick return to the regular running speed of the engine, which,
by restoring the governor balls to proper level, retains the valves in the new
position proper for such change of steam pressure or load upon the engine as
aforesaid.
For this purpose a ball governor A (Figs. 1, 2, 3, & 4) of the usual form is
provided with a rod a which, by means of the adjustable lever a¹ a³, connects the
same with the rod a' of the throttle or cut-off valves of the engine. The adjustable
lever a' a' is made of two parts, one of which a¹ is connected directly to the
governor by means of the rod a, and the other a being fast to the shaft or axle H,
regulates the valves or the cut-off movement by a'. By the relative position of
the parts al a' of the adjustable lever, the action of the governor upon the valves
is regulated.
The part a' of the lever is supplied with a worm gear or segment a³ which
engages a worm a' carried by the other part a²; the worm a is actuated by means
c

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of a self-adjusting train of gearing aª and shaft a³; the shaft a³ is made to slide
freely through the gear which it rotates, so as to accommodate itself to the
movement of the lever a².
The other end of the shaft a³ is connected by suitable gearing to a differential
bevel gear system B (Figs. 1, 2, & 3) which is driven by means of the conical
pulleys bb and their belt 6' in such a manner that, when the belt b' is on those
parts of the pulleys b b where they are of equal diameter, the movement in one
direction of the gear b' is exactly compensated by the movement in the other
direction of the gear 68 and therefore the gear 6 b* revolve idly between them.
When the belt b¹ is moved from its central position so as to run from the larger
part of one conical pulley to the smaller part of the other, the rate of the movement
in one direction of the gear 68 is different from that of the gear b³ in the other
direction and the gear 64 b4 accommodating themselves to the changed relation
of b² & b³ are carried bodily around, turning the shaft concentric with bª b³ and by
this movement causing the gear on a to revolve and thus change the relative
position of the parts a¹ a³ of the lever as described. This augments and accelerates
the usual or natural action of the governor upon the valves, while the return of the
belt to the position of equal diameters on the cone pulleys b b causes the
differential gear system to become again inoperative and neutral. The position of
the belt b¹ upon the conical pulleys b b is governed by a fork or shipper 6º, lever 66,
and adjustable rod b' which are actuated by the rising and falling movement of
the governor corresponding to any change of its speed. The power to rotate the
conical pulleys bb is supplied by means of a pulley C and belt c (Figs. 1 & 4)
which may be driven by a pulley upon the main shaft or by any other convenient
power; this belt c simply runs continuously, but without affecting the governor or
valves except as the belt 61 is changed in position by the action of the governor as
above described. The adjustable rod b' which operates the lever be and thereby the
fork 65 is actuated by means of a sliding block D provided on the governor. The
rod b' passes through a bracket or leader which is secured to the sliding block D;
the rod has a shoulder or head 6" upon its upper part so arranged that as the
sliding block is lifted by the action of the governor the rod is drawn up and
the lever and fork shift the belt upon the conical pulleys as described.
The rod b' is provided with two nuts d d by the adjustment of which the
effective length of 6', and consequently the elevation at which the balls of the
governor A are carried, may be regulated and thus the regular running speed of
the engine be varied at will, for it is the function and attribute of the governor A
that it will open or close the valves as the case may be until the running speed of
the engine will sustain the governor balls at that level where the rod b causes
the lever 6 and fork 65 to hold the belt b' in its neutral position on the pulleys bb;
thus if the rod b' be lengthened the engine must increase its speed or if the rod b
be shortened the engine must decrease its speed correspondingly. By means of
the nuts d¹d this adjustment may be made for any desired change of speed
without trouble, loss of time, or even stopping the engine. A coverd is secured by
a hinge or sliding joint to the sliding block D and is held in such position as to
overhang the end of the rod 67 when the engine is running so that by means of it
a falling movement of the slide D will depress the rod 67 and cause a corresponding
action of the lever 6e and fork 68. Thús, whichever way the speed of the governor
is varied, it will have a corresponding effect through the rod 67 and its connections,
including the gear systems and lever a¹ a², upon the valves; and when the speed of
the governor returns to its proper rate it at the same time restores the belt b¹ to its
neutral position.
When the engine is stopped, the governor balls will drop carrying the slide
block D far below the limits of its working positions. This motion, if transmitted
by the rod 67, lever 66, and fork b³, would displace the belt 6' from the pulleys bb;
to prevent this and permit the slide D to fall without moving the belt b¹ more than
is desirable, a double wedge or cam E is secured to the stationary frame of the

page_text: governor. A in such a position that the slide D, in passing it, causes a roll d³ upon
the cover d to come in contact with the cam E and the cover d to be thereby
thrown off from over the end of the rod 67, when the slide D may continue to fall
leaving the rod 67 and its connections in working position; while an adjustable
collar or cam e is provided upon the rod a which in the falling movement of the
governor balls strikes the end of the lever 6º and causes the fork 65 to hold the
belt 6 upon that portion of the cone pulleys where they are of equal diameters so
that the differential gear system will be inoperative while the engine is stopping.
When the sliding block D is again raised above the cam E, the cover d is returned
over the rod 6' ready for work. The cover d is also provided with a bandle d' by
means of which it can be operated by hand and the action of the cam E dispensed
with.
In some cases, I substitute for the levers a' a' with their worm gear a lever a³ .
(Fig. 4) and, cutting a screw thread upon the lower end of the rod a, connect the
rod a and the lever a8 by means of a nut a³ which is secured to as by a flexible or
swivel joint al in such a manner that it can be freely turned and its position
upon a adjusted without preventing the freedom of action of the lever a. Thus
the lever connects the valve rods a to the rod a and by means of the nut a the
relation of the governor to the valves may be regulated as by the levers a' a³.
A pulley all is provided upon the nut and by means of a belt a¹ and pulley a¹³ the
nut a is brought under the control of the differential gear system described.
Leading pulleys a a" are placed near the axis of the lever as which permit the
belt as to be kept at a proper degree of tension without regard to the movement
of the lever a³.
Also, in some cases, I substitute for the differential gear system B with the
conical pullies b b and their connections b¹, 65, and 6º, the mechanism hereinafter
described to regulate the adjustment of the levers a a³, or the position of the
nut a. Thus a bracket G (Figs. 6 & 7) is secured to the frame of the governor A ;
in this bracket G, is a shaft g which by means of the gear a or pulley a¹³ connects
with and actuates the worm of the levers at a², or the nut aº, as the case may be.—
This shaft g is provided with a double-acting ratchet g' actuated by pawls g² g³
which are carried by an arm g³; the arm g³ is caused to vibrate to and fro, carrying
the pawls over the ratchet with a continuous movement by means of an eccentric
or cam g' which is secured to a shaft g³ and actuated by the pulley C and belt cas
described; a rod g¹ transmits the motion from the eccentric g' to the pawl arm ġ³.
A shield or cover g is so placed as to swing between the ratchet g¹ and pawls g³ g*,
thus rendering the pawls inoperative and the ratchet motionless while so protected;
but when by any means the shield go is swung to the one side or the other the
corresponding pawl will engage with the ratchet and drive the same farther and
farther with each revolution of the eccentric g', thus actuating the pulley a¹³ or
gear shaft a; and such movement will continue until the shield go is again inter-
posed between the ratchet g' and pawls g* g* when the ratchet again remains
motionless. The position of the shield g is regulated by the rising and falling of
the balls of the governor A by means of the sliding block D and adjustable rod b
which by means of a swivel nut g¹ is made to actuate a lever and rock shaft g' and
connection rod g³, permitting the pawls to rotate the ratchet, or holding them above
it, so as to affect the relation of the governor to the valves of an engine as described.
In some cases also the cover d and cam E are dispensed with and their function
performed by means of a spring d and adjustable collar d' so placed upon the
rod b' as to permit the descent of D when the engine stops or to actuate the rod b
when at work, as shown. Upon the lever g7 is provided a lug g³ which, resting
upon an adjustable stop 910, prevents the lever g from being carried too low by
the action of the rod 67 when the governor falls as the engine stops, thus performing
in this case the function of the collar e as described.
"
Each of the various methods above described has its advantages according to the
degree of nicety required in regulating, or the expense of construction allowable in
Any particular case.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
for Improvements in Steam-Engine Governors and in what manner the same is to
be performed, I declare that what I claim is
1st. In a Governor for Steam Engines, the combination of the differential
gear b², 63, 64, 6, the conical pulleys bb, belt b', shipper 65, lever 66, and rod 6' with
the governor A, gear aº, shaft as, lever a¹ a' carrying the segment worm. gear a³,
and worm a' and the rod a, when constructed and operated substantially as and
'for the purposes herein shown and set forth.
2nd. In a Governor for Steam Engines, the lever a¹ having a worm gear a³ and
arm a having a worin a' by means of which the relative angular position of a¹
and a² may be changed and held, in combination with the rod a of the governor
and the valve connection a7, substantially as herein shown and described.
་
3rd. In a Governor for Steam Engines, the rod 67, lever 66, and shipper b* in
combination with the sliding-block Ď and cover d, substantially as and for the
purposes herein shown and set forth.
4th. In a Governor for Steam Engines the rod 67, lever 66, sliding-block D, and
hinged cover d in combination with the cam E, adjustable collar e, and rod a,
constructed and operated substantially as herein shown and set forth.
5th. In a Governor for Steam Engines the rod b' in combination with the
nuts d¹ d¹, lever 66, shipper 68, and the governor having a sliding-block D and
cover d, substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and set forth.
6th. In a Governor for Steam Engines, the combination of the governor A, rod a,
nut a³, lever a³, and valve connection a7 with the pulleys a, a, and a" and the
belt a¹, when the belt a¹ is caused to turn the nut a by power or mechanism
that is put in action and controlled by the change of elevation of the governor A,
substantially as herein shown and set forth.
7th. In a Governor for Steam Engines, the nut aº, pulleys all and a¹³, and
belt a", in combination with and actuated by the ratchet wheel g¹, arm g³,
pawls g³ g², eccentric rod g¹¹, eccentric g', pulley C and belt c, when the action
of the pawls g 92 is limited and controlled by mechanism' directly connected with
and operated by the governor A, rod connection 98, lever g7, swivel nut g¹, rod b',
and shield 9º, as herein shown and described.
8th. In a Governor for Steam Engines, the rod 67 having a head 68 and spring d
and adjustable stop d³, in combination with the governor A, lug g³, and adjustable
stop go, when constructed and operated substantially as and for the purposes
berein shown and set forth.
9th. In a Governor for Steam Engines, the nut a turned and controlled by
mechanism regulated by the governor, in combination with the rod a operated
by the governor, lever, a³, and valve connection a, substantially as and for the
purposes herein shown and set forth.
10th. In a Governor for Steam Engines, the combination of the differential
gear system B with the belt a¹³, pulleys all and a¹³, lever a³, nut a³, and rod a,
substantially as herein shown and described.
11th. In a Governor for Steam Engines, the ratchet g' with the pawls g³ g² and
shield g, in combination with the lever a¹ a having the worm segment a³ and
worm a', and rod a, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 20th day of