Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr.; 1886.
Complete Left, 12th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Feb., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by EMIL A. WARLSTRÖM, of Frankfort on the Main, in
the Empire of Germany, Engineer, through his Agents, Wirth and Company, of
same place.]
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved electric Governor for preventing the racing
of ship's engines. The apparatus of this Invention is simple and certain, the action
depending on the making and breaking or switching of an electrical circuit by the
relative position of the ship's hull and the external sea water.
According to one arrangement two electrodes are fixed to the stern of the ship and
constitute the terminals of an electric circuit in which is placed a battery or other
source of electricity, and also an electro magnet. When the electric circuit is closed
by the immersion of the electrode plates in the external sea water, the electro-magnet
is excited and acts either directly or through a releasing mechanism on the controlling
gear of the engine. To enable the apparatus to be adapted to the varying load line
of the ship, several circuits are provided, the positive pole being connected to one large
electrode at one end, and the negative poles being each connected to a special small
electrode at the other end arranged at different heights. If the latter he vertically
arranged in a somewhat step like form a greater or less number of circuits are com-
prised, according as the ship is high or low in the water, whereby the action of the
regulating apparatus is constantly adapted to the conditions by the number of effective
electro-magnets.
It will be evident that under certain conditions the electrodes can be employed in
connection with the sea water as the electrolyte. The closure of the circuits may also
be effected by using the sea water as part of the circuit or as the exciting liquid, but
only by employing the alterations of relative positions between the ship and the sea
water to mechanically make and break the electrical circuits.
A. M. G
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Governors for Preventing the Racing of
Marine Engines.
1, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby
declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from abroad by Emil. A.
Wahlström of Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer, through
his Agents Wirth and Company of same place, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
:-
This Invention relates to an improved electric governor for preventing the racing
of ship's engines when the propeller rises out of the water. The apparatus of this
Invention, is simple and certain, the action depending on the making and breaking or
switching of an electrical circuit by the relative position of the ship's hull and the
external sea water.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifi-
cation.
According to one arrangement shown in Figure 1 two electrodes PP are fixed to
the stern of the ship and constitute the terminals of an electric circuit in which is
placed a battery B or other source of electricity, and also a solenoid M. When the
electric circuit is closed by the immersion of the electrode plates. in the external sea
water the solenoid is excited and by drawing in its iron core E, opens the steam stop
valve V to which the core is connected, thus admitting steam to the engine. Con-
versely when the circuit is broken by the rising of the electrodes and propeller out of
the water the valve is partially or entirely closed by its own weight or by spring
pressure.
To adapt the apparatus according to the supply of steam required, several circuits.
with solenoids and parallel sets of valves are provided, the positive poles for instance.
being all connected to one common large electrode P, and the negative poles being
respectively connected to separate small electrodes arranged at different heights. If
the latter be vertically arranged in a somewhat step like form as shown in Figure, 2 a
greater or less number of circuits are completed according as the ship is high or low
in the water whereby the action of the regulating apparatus and the supply of steam
is constantly adapted to the conditions by the number of solenoids which are active
and consequently by the number of valves opened for the supply of steam.
It will be evident that under certain conditions the electrodes can be employed in
connection with the sea water as the electrolyte.
The closure of the circuits may also be effected not by using the sea water as part
of the circuit or as the exciting liquid, but mechanically to make and break the
electrical circuits, by the buoyancy of a float as in Figure 3, or the resistance of the
water acting on a paddle as in Figure 4.

page_text: In Figure 3, C is a float fixed to one arm of a lever, carrying on its other end a
contact spring which slides over and rests upon the contact block K or the insulater J,
according as the float is in or out of the water. The spring is connected. with one
end of the solenoid M, whose other end is connected to one, pole of the battery B
whilst the other pole of the battery is connected to the block K.
Figure 4 shews a horizontal rod sliding through a stuffing box band having a
contact springmoving over blocks KJ as before, said rod being drawn inwards as
shewn in dotted lines by a spring in which position the circuit is interrupted and
forced outwards by the pressure of the water against a discs attached to the rod so
long as said disc is under water and the vessel is in motion thus closing the circuit,
the arrangement and operation being similar to that previously described.
It is evident that the solenoids may be replaced by magnets and the circuit breakers
by switches and current shunters.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 'I claim is :-
1st. The employment for the purpose of electrically governing and preventing
racing of ships engines, of electrodes P₁ p² (immersed in the sea and rising out there-
from at the same time as the propeller) in circuit with a battery or other source of
electricity, and a solenoid or electro-magnet acting on a valve controlling the supply
of steam to the engines, all combined for operation substantially as specified with
reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.
2nd. In an electrical governor for preventing of racing of ship's engines as
herein described the step-like arrangement of the immersed electrodes, whereby a
consecutively increasing number of circuits are made as the ship floats deeper in the
water so that the strength of the entire current available for the governing mechanism
varies according to the depth of immersion as specified.
3rd. The combination with an electrical circuit and apparatus as described, of a
float or blade actuating a commutator and acted on by the displacement or resistance
of the water as described for making, breaking, or switching the electric current in
the manner specified.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.