IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF GOVERNING STEAM ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Knowles of Bolton in the County of Lancaster,
Cotton Spinner for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
GOVERNING STEAM ENGINES AND IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE SAME"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Knowles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th February 1883.
WILLIAM KNOWLES of Bolton in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF GOVERNING STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS
FOR EFFECTING THE SAME."
My invention relates to an improved mode of governing steam engines, and in
apparatus connected therewith, for the purpose of maintaining as near as possible
a uniform speed; thereby reducing to a minimum the variations that occur through
the increase or decrease in the pressure of the steam, as well as that of the load
being driven.
I accomplish this by operating automatically the adjusting coupling, placed
conveniently on one of the rods connecting the ordinary governor to the cut-off or
expansion gear. This coupling is provided as usual with the ordinary right and
left hand screws or threads, used for the purpose of lengthening or shortening the
governor rod; thus effecting the cut-off sooner or later as required. It is to this
part that my improvements relate principally, which I effect by providing the
adjusting coupling with a suitable pulley or pullies round or on the outside, the
same being driven by either belts, bands or other equivalents.
For the purpose of operating the adjusting coupling automatically, I provide a
supplementary governor, placed in a convenient position; on the spindle of which
I place a flat metallic friction disc or discs, mounted in a convenient manner on a
bush, working or sliding on the governor spindle. Immediately above and below
this disc or discs, I place corresponding flat discs, provided with suitable bearings
working in journals prepared for them on the end of the bearings I place suitable

page_text: rope or band pullies, the same being connected to the pullies on the adjusting
coupling by ropes or bands, the same being open or crossed to meet the requirements
of the motion desired.
When the engine is running at its normal speed, the friction disc or discs do not
operate the corresponding friction discs, consequently the adjusting coupling is
stationary. When the engine increases or decreases in speed; the friction disc or
discs on the sliding bush on governor spindle rise or fall in contact with the
corresponding discs, causing the same to be turned in the same direction; thus
operating the adjusting coupling through the bands or ropes; causing the governor
rod to be lengthened or shortened as desired, thus effecting almost a uniformity of
speed. As both of the friction discs rotate in the same direction by the action of
the operating disc on governor bush, I operate the adjusting coupling either way
as desired by placing one of the connecting bands open and the other crossed.
It is a well-known fact, that when an engine increases or decreases in speed, the
plane of revolution of the governor is altered, and does not attain its normal
-position until such times as the full load is attained for which it was originally
set. By this improvement the governor rod is altered in length, consequently the
governor drops to its original plane of revolution, with the variation in the load,
and thus keeps the engine approximately to the intended speed.
In-some cases by operating direct from the governor to the adjusting coupling,
it might be found to act too quickly when only a small alteration takes place in
the speed of the engine and thus cause irregular turning. To overcome this I
provide a carrier or counter shaft fitted with rope pullies of varying diameters to
reduce the speed and effect the operation over a longer period. On the carrier or
counter shaft I place a suitable rope or strap pulley, working by the means of
ropes or belts the adjusting coupling as before stated. When I use a strap or bult
between the carrier or counter shaft and the adjusting coupling, I make the pulley
on the latter sufficiently long to allow of the motion imparted to it by the
governors, when effecting the cut off.
I make the friction disc or discs on the governor bush of any required diameter
according to the size of engine to which they may be fixed; the entire surface
bearing against the loose discs, which can be covered with leather or other suitable
substance on the contact side, thus obtaining great frictional surface, with a
corresponding increase in the power of the same. In another arrangement I make
the friction discs on the contact side in a corrugated form, thus increasing the
frictional surface and power, without increasing the diameter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Knowles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th August 1883.
WILLIAM KNOWLES of Bolton in the County of Lancaster Cotton Spinner
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF GOVERNING STEAM ENGINES, AND IN APPARATUS
FOR EFFECTING THE SAME'
"
My invention relates to an improved mode of governing steam engines, and in
apparatus connected therewith, for the purpose of maintaining as near as possible
a uniform speed; thereby reducing to a minimum the variations that occur through
the increase or decrease in the pressure of the steam, as well as that of the load
being driven.
.I accomplish this by operating automatically the adjusting coupling, placed
conveniently on one of the rods connecting the ordinary governor to the cut off or
expansion-gear. This coupling is provided as usual with the ordinary right and
left hand screws or threads, used for the purpose of lengthening or shortening the
governor rod, thus effecting the cut off sooner or later as required. It is to this part
that my improvements relate principally, which I effect by providing the adjusting
coupling with a suitable pulley or pullies round or on the outside, the same being
driven by, either belts, bands or other equivalents
For the purpose of operating the adjusting coupling automatically, I provide a
supplementary governor, placed in a convenient position, on the spindle of which
I place a flat metallic friction dise or discs mounted in a convenient manner on a
bush, working or sliding on the governor spindle. Immediately above and below
this disc or discs, I place corresponding flat discs, provided with suitable bearings
working in journals prepared for them: On the end of the bearings I place suitable
rope or band pullies, the same being connected to the pullies on the adjusting
coupling by ropes or bands, the same being open or crossed to meet the require-
ments of the motion desired
When the engine is running at its normal speed the friction disc or discs do not
operate the corresponding friction discs, consequently the adjusting coupling is
stationary. When the engine increases or decreases in speed, the friction disc or
discs on the sliding bush on governor spindle rise or fall in contact with the corre-
sponding discs, causing the same to be turned in the same direction; thus operating
the adjusting coupling through the bands or ropes, causing the governor rod to be
lengthened or shortened as desired, thus effecting almost a uniformity of speed.
As both of the friction discs rotate in the same direction by the action of the
operating disc on governor bush, I operate the adjusting coupling either way as
desired by placing one of the connecting bands open and the other crossed.
It is a well known fact that when an engine increases or decreases in speed, the
plane of revolution of the governor is altered, and does not attain its normal
position until such times as the full load is attained for which it was originally
set-By this improvement the governor rod is altered in length, consequently the
governor drops to its original plane of revolution, with the variation in the load,
and thus keeps the engine approximately to the intended speed.
In some cases by operating direct from the governor to the adjusting coupling,
it might be found to act too quickly when only a small alteration takes place in
the speed of the engine and thus cause irregular turning. To overcome this
I provide a carrier or counter shaft fitted with rope pullies of varying diameters to
reduce the speed and effect the operation over a longer period. On the carrier or
counter shaft I place a suitable rope or strap pulley, working by the means of

page_text: ropes or belts the adjusting coupling as before stated. When I use a strap or belt
between the carrier or counter shaft and the adjusting coupling I make the pulley
on the latter sufficiently long to allow of the motion imparted to it by the
governors, when effecting the cut off.
I make the friction dise or discs on the governor bush of any required diameter
according to the size of engine to which they may be fixed, the entire surface
bearing against the loose discs which can be covered with leather or other suitable
substance on the contact side thus obtaining great frictional surface, with a corre-
sponding increase in the power of the same-In another arrangement I make the
friction discs on the contact side in a corrugated form, thus increasing the frictional
surface and power without increasing the diameter.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe the Drawings upon the sheets hereunto annexed, the same letters of
reference being used throughout all the Figures, to indicate the same or corre-
sponding parts of my invention. Fig. 1. A is the ordinary governor connected in
any convenient way by the shafts and levers B. and the rods Cand D; on the
rod DI place the adjusting coupling E, in which are the right and left hand
threads for receiving and connecting the screwed ends of the rod D. On the
coupling E is the strap pulley F made sufficiently long to allow of the motion of
the rod D when actuated by the ordinary governors A.-G is the supplementary
governor driven from any convenient position from the engine-H is the governor
spindle on which the sliding bush I works with the friction plate or disc K, the
same being raised or lowered according to the speed of the engine-When the
engine attains too great a speed the friction disc K is brought into contact with
the disc Land causes it to revolve and communicate motion to the pulley M on the
counter or carrier shaft N, by means of the pulley O and band P-on the carrier
or counter shaft N I place the strap pulley R which works by the belt R. the
strap pulley Fon the adjusting coupling E, thus working the right and left hand
screws outwardly, which gives an earlier effect to the cut off. When-the-engine is
at its normal speed the disc K, does not operate the discs L and S, the same
working clear of both as shown in position in drawing; if the speed of the engine
is retarded the governors drop and the friction disc K works the disc S, the action
of the coupling E being reversed, by means of the pulley T, band U, and pulley V,
on the counter shaft N.
Fig. 2 shows another arrangement wherein I place the friction discs K above
and below the discs L and S, which enables the rope pullies O and T to be placed
near the centre, the same operating direct upon the coupling E and groove pulley F,
by the bands P and U. The action of the friction discs K, L and S on the governor
in this case being exactly similar to Fig. 1. The contact sides of the friction discs
are covered with leather or other suitable substance as at K¹ or on the corresponding
discs, as desired.
Fig. 3. shews an arrangement for enabling the frictional power of the discs K, L,
and S, to be increased, without increasing the diameter of same-On the contact
sides of these dises I provide the circular V grooves or corrugations W, which
increase the frictional surface; hence the increased power-The adjusting coupling E
is provided top and bottom or nearly so, with the rope pullies F, directly opposite
the groove pullies O and T, being worked by the bands P and U as in Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is an arrangement shewing my improvements applied to a horizontal
steam engine, fitted with valve-gear on the most improved "Corliss" principle.
A is the ordinary governor supported on the framing of the engine which is provided
expressly for the purpose of actuating the cut-off gear. This is effected by
operating the levers B and rods C and D, the latter being connected direct to the
valve gear. It is to the movement of this latter rod that my improvements
relate, which do not in any way hinder the full effect of the ordinary governors A.
In any convenient position I place on the framing of the engine, the supple-
mentary governor G, provided with the discs K, L and S, and the rope pullies O
and T, as previously described in Fig. 1. In this case the shaft N is placed at

page_text: right angles to the perpendicular line of the governor; or otherwise being
conveniently fixed to the side of the governor stand, thus being self-contained-On
the shaft N, I provide the double grooved rope pulley M, which is operated by the
bands P and U from the pullies O and T on the governor, being guided by the
pullies X working on the centres Y, secured to the fixing Z, the latter being
supported from the top of Governor pillar, or any other convenient position. On
the shaft N is placed the strap pulley R which communicates motion to the pulley F
on the coupling E, by the strap R'.
The coupling E is made as previously described, with a right and left hand screw,
the strap pulley F being made sufficiently long, to enable the governor A to movo
the rod D in any required position to operate the cut off without hindrance, at
the same time maintaining the strap R' in its correct position for working, thus
dispensing with any unnecessary strain on the rod D, which might be caused by
the angular position of the strap at times, through the oscillation of the rod D
from the governor A. The supplementary governor is in this case driven from the
cam or valve shaft a, on which is fixed the strap pulley b, which gives motion to
the pulley d, by the strap c. This governor can be driven in any convenient way,
according to the class of engine to which it is fixed.
I do not confine myself to this simple arrangement in this class of engine,
as the governor G can be arranged as shown in Figs, 2 and 3, with the bands P
and U working over the guido pullies X, direct onto the pulley F, on coupling E,
thus dispensing with the counter shaft N and its connection. In such case the
coupling E is provided with a double grooved rope pulley, as in Figs. 2 and 3, in
lieu of the strap pulley F.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the mode of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details or configuration of the parts, I have shewn and described, as
the same may be varied or modified without departing from the principle of my
invention, according to the class of engine to which it may be applied, but what I
claim and desire to be secured to me by Letters Patent is :-
First. The construction and use of the friction discs K, L and S, in friction
governors, and the corrugations W, or any mere modification thereof, for the purpose
herein set forth, substantially as described and as shown on the drawings in
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Second. The respective combinations of parts forming my improved modifica-
tions of apparatus in friction Governors; the whole being constructed and operating
substantially in the manner described, and as shewn on the drawings in Figs. 1, 2, 3
and 4, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof I the said William Knowles have hereunto set my hand
and seal this second day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
Signed, Sealed, and delivered by the
within named William Knowles
in the presence of
EDMUND CHADWICK
(Agent for the petitioner)
30 Arrowsmith Terrace.
Bolton.
WILLIAM KNOWLES (L.S.)