IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES AND OTHER MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Paddock at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 18th July 1876.
WILLIAM PADDOCK, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES AND OTHER MOTIVE-POWER
ENGINES."
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts herein-after
described of governors for regulating the speed of steam engines and other motive-
power engines, the said governors being specially fitted to be driven at a high
speed.
Governors constructed according to my Invention are very sensitive in action,
simple in construction, and very durable."
My improved governor is constructed substantially as follows:-I place the
working parts within a hollow case, made preferably of a spherical figure, and in
two parts or halves. The said hollow spherical case serves by its weight as a
counterpoise to the centrifugal action of two weighted levers (herein-after described),
and the said case also serves as a covering to the working parts. The said case
revolves with the spindle of the governor, and is also capable of a sliding motion,
as herein-after described.. Around the spindle of the governor is a tube screwed
for a short distance at each end and to the screwed parts; the halves or parts of the
spherical case are connected by screw nuts, the said tube being capable of both
rotating and sliding upon the spindle. This tube is slotted for a portion of its
length at opposite points, and a corresponding slot or opening is made through the
spindle of the same width, but of less length than the slots in the tube. A steel
gib" or fastening piece is passed through the spindle and tube, and made to embrace
the spindle. This "gib" serves to connect the sliding tube to the spindle, so that
as the spindle revolves it carries the tube and spherical case with it, but the slots in
the tube being longer than the slot in the spindle, the said tube, the case, and the
working parts within the case, can slide upon the spindle; the said "gib" rests
upon the bottom of the slot in the spindle, and its upper face forms a stationary
bearing and fulcrum path for the ends or faces of the curved lever arms, herein-
after described, to bear upon. Around the slotted part of the tube is a cylindrical
collar having projecting ears on opposite sides, to which two short weighted levers
are jointed. This collar has a cross slot in it corresponding in width with the
slots in the spindle and tube, and it also has two vertical slots on opposite sides for
eceiving the ends of the steel "gib." The vertical slots in the collar slide upon
he ends of the steel gib when the governor is in action, and as the said slots are
[Price 2d1

page_text: longer than the distance through which the governor casing rises or falls the ends
of the "gib" do not leave the said slots. The said collar is thus free to move
upwards or downwards and to revolve with the tube carrying the globular case.
The upper end of the said collar bears upon the interior of the spherical case, so
that when the collar rises the said case which constitutes the counterbalance
weight is also lifted. The upper arms of the weighted suspended levers are bent
nearly at right angles to the lower weighted arms, the said upper arms passing
through the slots described in the spindle and tube, and are situated side by side.
The under sides of the upper arms of the weighted levers rest upon the steel
"gib" fixed to the governor spindle, and the said under sides are of such a
curvature that the distance of their acting parts from the centres on which they
turn increases in the same ratio as the centrifugal force of the weighted levers
increases. The connection from the governor spindle to the valve of the engine
is made by a universal joint coupling attached to one of the screw nuts upon the
slotted tube; or the connection may be effected by levers and collars in the usual
way. When a rapid rotatory motion is given to the spindle of the governor a like
motion is communicated to the slotted tube, spherical case, and collar carrying the
weighted levers and the lower arms of the weighted levers, which when at rest
hang vertically, rise by centrifugal force and take a more or less inclined position.
The curved upper arms of the said weighted levers are thereby made to bear upon
the "gib" of the spindle and raise the collar to which the weighted levers are
jointed. The case resting on the top of the said collar is thereby lifted, and the
two opposing forces, namely, the centrifugal force of the weighted arms and the
weight of the case, are thus opposed to and balance one another. The rising of
the cage is made to act upon the steam valve or other regulating mechanism
of the steam engine or prime mover.
A roller or rollers may be used in place of the steel gib inserted in the spindle
for the ends of the weighted levers to act upon, or rollers may be inserted within
the arms, which rollers act upon the bottom of a slot in the spindle. Or instead of
the upper arms of the weighted levers projecting through or into the slots in the
spindle and tube, as described, the said arms may be turned in the opposite direc-
tion, and their upper curved surfaces be made to act against a path or flange or
collar within the interior and at the upper side of the casing.
In this modification the collar to which the weighted levers are suspended is fixed
to the spindle instead of rising and falling, as before described, and the tube carry-
ing the case is made to slide vertically through the interior of the collar.