Apparatus for Regulating or Controlling the Transmission of Power by Gearing.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Regulating or Controlling the Transmission of
Power by Gearing.
I JAMES FRASER 150 Cromwell Road South Kensington Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows: —
In transmitting energy according to my invention, the shaft or other means
conveying such energy is made to operate an apparatus such as a pump, drawing
its fluid from a reservoir attached & returning its discharge therein so that the
same quantity of fluid may serve indefinitely. The body of the pump is made free
to rotate, say, round the axis of the shaft conveying the energy; and, at a con-
venient point of the discharge passage has intercepted a valve which by suitable
gearing can be manipulated so as to contract or enlarge said passage at that point.
By this means the turning moment of the pump increases or diminishes according as
the area of foresaid passage is diminished or increased. The dependent machine or
part receiving the energy, receives its motion from the rotation of said pump; and,
as this rotation, as has been shown, is controlled by the valve foresaid, there is thus
an arrangement by which any degree of energy or velocity may be transmitted.
The valve aforesaid can be further automatically controlled so, as under varying
conditions of load, to keep the speed of rotation constant.
In order to prevent the fluid from escaping at the bearings, advantage is taken of
the principle that in a pipe conveying a fluid the lateral pressure diminishes in
proportion to the square of the velocity. Thus if a pipe is connected to a suitable
part of the bearing, having an annular space round the shaft, and communicating by
such pipe with that point of the discharge passage at which the velocity of the fluid
is greatest, any escaping through the bearing flows back and circulates with the rest
of the fluid.
Dated this 18th day of February 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Regulating or Controlling the Transmission of
Power by Gearing.
JAMES FRASER 150 Cromwell Road South Kensington Engineer, 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:-
In transmitting energy or power according to this invention the driving shaft or
other means used to impart power is so arranged or constructed that it operates an
apparatus resembling, or essentially, a pump; and, in so doing, forces into circula-
tion a fluid contained therein in a suitable reservoir. In the discharge passage by
which this fluid circulates is intercepted a valve, which, with the aid of suitable
gearing can be manipulated so as to enlarge or contract the area of said passage at
that point. The said pump or apparatus has its body or casing specially constructed,
so as to be capable of revolving round, say, the axis of the driving shaft; and, is
either connected directly or gears with the train of mechanism to which power is to
be communicated.
Now it is obvious that by varying the area of the discharge passage or passages
by the foresaid valve, the resistance to the flow of the fluid is likewise varied. In
other words the turning moment of the pump or casing is made to vary notwith-
standing that the speed of rotation of the driving shaft remains constant. For,
when the valve foresaid is full open the fluid suffers little or no resistance to motion,

page_text: and the casing though free to rotate, remains stationary; but, as this valve is being
closed gradually the resistance to the motion of the fluid increases & so causes the
pump casing to commence rotating & continue to increase doing so until the valve
is closed, when the action of the pump ceases & the whole has attained the speed
of the driving shaft.
Circumstances may arise in practice in which it may be desirable to control the
abovementioned valve automatically, but as there are various methods by which
this can be effected there is no need of specifying any in detail.
In the Provisional Specification I have referred to a special method for preventing
the escape of the fluid past any of the bearings, by taking advantage of the dynamic
force of the fluid past the valve above mentioned. This at all events is only
necessary when the pump casing is filled with the fluid; but it is now found that the
usual method of packing is equally serviceable in practice.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The
Figs. 1 to 4 show in plan & section two of the more generally adopted forms.
Figs. 1 and 2 consist of a combination of 3 cylinders placed at angles of 120°
having a reservoir or recess between & communicating therewith by ports as
shown in dotted lines. This recess is made large enough to contain a convenient
quantity of fluid over that in the cylinders; &, has fitted inside, the valve A which
can be moved so as either close or open the ports foresaid. The combined cylinders
are attached to the shaft C which we may assume to be the driving shaft.
inner periphery of the casing D is made eccentric to the axis of said shaft C. Now,
the effect, on rotation of the latter, is to force the piston B inwards & so force out
the liquid into the other cylinders-the inequality between the discharging &
receiving cylinders being made up by the expansion and contraction of a suitable
quantity of air retained in the forementioned reservoir. On the other hand when
this valve is being closed the resistance offered thereby to the fluid increases the
pressure inside the cylinders, and of the piston against the inner periphery of the
casing D causing the latter to begin rotating, and this continues to increase until
ultimately the whole rotates as one block. The outer periphery of the casing D
gears with the machine or mechanism to which power is to be communicated, by
either teeth, belt or other form of gearing.
The preceding description applies in the main to Figs. 3 and 4 which show the
same in effect, but arranged to transmit power from one shaft to another-both axes
being in the same straight line. In this case the cylinders are placed horizontally
or parallel with the axes of the shafts, and have the pistons actuated by a cam E or
such device. This cam is keyed on to the shaft F, and the other shaft G is keyed
to the pump body. In this case as in the former, if either shaft is set rotating the
other will remain stationary or rotate according as the valve H is manipulated so as
to open or close the port communication between the cylinders.
The number and disposition of cylinders or their equivalent are left to practical
considerations.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. An apparatus, friction clutch or such device, by which the transmission of
power is regulated or controlled by varying the resistance to flow or motion of a
Huid actuated by mechanism in the manner hereinbefore specified.
2. The general constructions & combinations of parts, as, and for the purposes
hereinbefore detailed & set forth with special reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, & 4.
101
Nawanshan 1000
JAMES FRASER.