Improvements in Speed Indicators.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Speed Indicators.
I, GEORGE TALBOT WINGFIELD, of. Highclere, Wyke Road, Weymouth, in the
County of Dorset, Commander R.N., do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The invention relates to speed indicators for the purpose of ascertaining the speed
of revolving shafts and the like, and consists of the following novel combination and
arrangement of parts with a view to secure accuracy of operation.
From the shaft whose speed is to be ascertained I give motion, preferably at equal
speed, to a horizontal shaft mounted in bearings carried by standards fixed to a base
or bed-plate. This horizontal or main shaft has on it a bevel wheel, which gives
motion to another bevel wheel fixed to a circular friction disc; this friction disc is
attached to a vertical spindle fitting within a hollow spindle, on which is fixed a large
toothed wheel; the vertical spindle does not bottom within the hollow spindle,
thereby allowing the pressure between the disc and toothed wheel to act at the
periphery.
The vertical spindle is pressed down by means of a horizontal lever and spring, so
that the outer part of the friction disc is pressed against the upper surface of the
large toothed wheel, thus coupling the two together by friction. The large toothed
wheel gives rotary motion to the shaft of a governor, and a bevel wheel on this shaft
gears into another on the shaft of a cone whose axis is horizontal.
The governor consists of a cross-head from the ends of which two balls are suspended
by vertically depending pivoted arms; horizontal bars are fixed to said arms in line
or thereabouts with the cross-head, and the ends of said bars may be attached together
by a pin in one working in a slot in the other, or may be otherwise caused to act
together.
To these horizontal bars brackets are fixed, whose ends are normally just clear of the
upper surface of the flange of a pulley mounted loosely on the governor shaft and to
which one end of a small cord is attached.
The governor balls are pulled towards each other by adjustable springs.
The cord on the loose pulley is attached at its other end to a lever, the short end
of which, by means of a link, acts to lift the outer end of the first mentioned
horizontal lever.
The gearing is preferably so arranged that the governor and cone will revolve ten
times faster than the pulley or main shaft worked by the shaft whose speed is to be
ascertained, as long as the friction clutch does not slip.
When motion is communicated to the indicator, the governor and cone will
continue to revolve until the centrifugal force of the balls overcomes the tension
of the springs acting on them, shortly after which the ends of the brackets on the
horizontal bars of the governor balls will lightly touch the surface of the flange of
the pulley on the governor shaft and, by slightly winding up the cord, increase its
tension, thus tending to lift the horizontal lever and thereby lessen the friction of the
clutch driving the governor and cone.
All increase of velocity will be stopped and the governor and cone will continue to

page_text: revolve at an uniform speed which, with the gearing arranged in the proportion
stated, should be 300 per minute as long as the shaft whose speed is to be ascertained
has as much as 30 revolutions per minute. Other means of communicating motion
from the loose pulley to the lever may be substituted for the cord.
On the main shaft is mounted a frame which is capable of swivelling thereon.
This frame carries a screw revolved, by gearing from the main shaft, (in the
arrangement of gearing adopted) three times as fast as the main shaft, and on this
screw, which is parallel with one side of the cone, is a small travelling internally
screw-threaded wheel; the swivelling frame is pressed up by an adjustable spring, so
that this travelling wheel is pressed against the cone and takes up its velocity of
rotation. The speed of rotation of the wheel will depend on its position along the
cone, and any increase of velocity of the shaft whose speed is to be ascertained will
tend, by means of the screw, to force the travelling wheel towards the larger part
of the cone, and vice versa for decrease of velocity, until its velocity of rotation is
brought equal to the screw, when its position on a scale, will give the speed of the
. shaft.
It will be understood that whilst the screw acts to drive the travelling wheel forward
thereon, the cone rotates it in the direction tending to cause it to traverse the screw
in the contrary direction.
The accuracy of the instrument depends on the accuracy of the governor; this is
adjusted by counting. the number of revolutions of the large toothed wheel, which,
for the purpose, has a white mark on it; this, with the instrument arranged as
'described, should revolve once per second; the adjusting screws on the springs
between the balls should be worked until this is correct. It is not necessary for this
purpose to stop the shaft whose speed is to be ascertained, but the horizontal lever
pressing on the friction clutch should be lifted while the governor is stopped so as to
prevent too much friction on the clutch.
I would here remark that the details of arrangement of the parts, as also the
gearing, may be modified without departing from the peculiar character of my
invention.
Dated this 13th day of May 1807
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
improvements in Speed Indicators.
I, GEORGE TALBOT WINGFIELD, of Highclere, Wyke Road, Weymouth, in the
County of Dorset, Commander R.N., 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 :-
The invention relates to speed indicators for the purpose of ascertaining the speed
of revolving shafts and the like, and consists of the following novel combination and
arrangement of parts with a view to secure accuracy of operation.
I will describe my invention with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in
which
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3 an end view partly in section,
of a speed indicator constructed according to my invention.
Figures 4 and 5 are vertical cross sections drawn respectively on the lines 4-4,
5-5 of Fig. 2, both looking towards the left hand of said fig.
From the shaft whose speed is to be ascertained I give motion, preferably at equal
speed, to a horizontal shaft b, preferably by means of a pulley 6* connected to such

page_text: shaft b by a pawl and ratchet wheel 6**, said horizontal shaft being mounted in
bearings carried by standards a¹ fixed to a base or bed-plate a. This horizontal or
main shaft 6 has on it a bevel wheel 61, which gives motion to another bevel wheel c
fixed to a circular friction disc c¹; this friction disc c¹ is attached to a vertical
spindle c² fitting within a hollow spindle d, on which is fixed a large toothed wheel d¹;
the vertical spindle c² does not bottom within the hollow spindle d, thereby allowing
the pressure between the disc c¹ and toothed wheel d¹ to act at the periphery of the
friction disc c¹.
The vertical spindle c² is pressed down by means of a horizontal lever e and
spring e¹, so that the outer part of the friction disc c¹ is pressed against the upper
surface of the large toothed wheel d¹, thus coupling the two together by friction.
The large toothed wheel d¹ gears into a pinion f¹ and thus gives rotary motion to the
shaft of a governor, and a bevel wheel fa on this shaft f gears into another g¹ on the
shaft g of a cone g whose axis is at such an inclination that the upper surface of
the cone is horizontal.
The governor consists of a cross-head f³, from the ends of which two balls f* are
suspended by vertically depending pivoted arms f; horizontal bars f® are fixed to
said arms f in line or thereabouts with the cross-head f³, and the ends of said bars fo
may be attached together by a pin fin one working in a slot in the other, or may be
otherwise caused to act together.
To these horizontal bars fo brackets fs are fixed, whose ends are normally just clear
of the upper surface of the lower fange of a pulley f mounted loosely on the
governor shaft f and to the upper flange of which one end of a small cord f10 is
attached.
The governor balls fare pulled towards each other to the position shown in the
drawings by adjustable springs f¹¹ but are prevented moving further inwards by a
suitable stop.
The cord f10 on the loose pulley is attached at its other end to a lever h, the short
end of which, by means of a link h¹, acts to lift the outer end of the first mentioned
horizontal lever e.
The gearing is preferably so arranged that the governor and cone will revolve ten
times faster than the pulley or main shaft b worked by the shaft whose speed is to be
ascertained, as long as the friction clutch c¹ d³ does not slip.
When motion is communicated to the indicator the governor and cone will con-
tinue to revolve until the centrifugal force of the balls f4 overcomes the tension of
the springs f acting on them, shortly after which the ends of the brackets f8 on the
horizontal bars fe of the governor balls, will lightly touch the surface of the lower
flange of the pulley fo on the governor shaft f and, by slightly winding up the
cord f10, increase its tension, thus tending to lift the horizontal lever e and thereby
lessen the friction of the clutch c¹, d¹ driving the governor and cone. All increase
of velocity will be stopped and the governor and cone will continue to revolve at an
uniform speed which, with the gearing arranged in the proportion stated, should be
about 300 per minute as long as the shaft whose speed is to be ascertained has as
much as 30 revolutions per minute. Other means of communicating motion from
5 the loose pulley to the lever may be substituted for the.cord.
On the main shaft b is mounted a frame, which is capable of swivelling thereon.
This swivelling frame is formed of end bars i mounted on the shaft b, a rod i con-
necting the rear ends of the bars i and a scale plate 2 connecting the front ends of
said bars i.
The forward oscillation of such frame is limited by the stop a². This frame also
carries a screw j revolved, by gearing 62 1 from the main shaft b (in the arrangement
of gearing adopted), three times as fast as the main shaft b, and on this screw j,
which is parallel with the upper side of the cone g, is a small travelling internally
screw-threaded wheel k, which gives motion to a pointer kl supported at the rear by
5 the rod i¹ and in front by the shaft b, so that it shall travel free of contact with the
scale 2; the swivelling frame i is acted on by its own weight so that this travelling
wheel k is pressed against the cone 9 and takes up its velocity of rotation.

page_text: The speed of rotation of the wheel k will depend on its position along the cone g,
and any increase of velocity of the shaft whose speed is to be ascertained will tend,
by means of the screw j, to force the travelling wheel / towards the larger part of the
cone g and vice versa for decrease of velocity, until its velocity of rotation is brought
equal to the screw j, when its position and that of the pointer ¹ in relation to the
scale, will give the speed of the shaft.
It will be understood that whilst the screw j acts to drive the travelling wheel k
forward thereon, the cone g rotates it in the direction tending to cause it to traverse
the screw j in the contrary direction.
The travelling wheel k has fixed on opposite sides thereof studs k² k³ which act
respectively in combination with studs 63 64 fixed to the screw shaft j to prevent over-
running of the travelling wheel k.
The accuracy of the instrument depends on the accuracy of the governor; this is
adjusted by counting the number of revolutions of the large toothed wheel d¹, which
for the purpose has a white mark d² on it; this, with the instrument arranged as
described, should revolve once per second; the adjusting screws on the springs f
between the balls f4 should be worked until this is correct. It is not necessary for
this purpose to stop the shaft whose speed is to be ascertained, but the horizontal
lever e pressing on the friction clutch c¹, d¹ should be lifted while the governor is
stopped so as to prevent too much friction on the clutch.
I would here remark that the details of arrangement of the parts, as also the
gearing, may be modified without departing from the peculiar character of my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The improved speed indicator constructed substantially as herein described and
represented in the accompanying drawings.
2. In speed indicators, the combination of a main shaft driven by that whose speed
is to be ascertained, gearing in connection with such main shaft giving motion by
friction to a governor shaft, a governor and means connected therewith to regulate
the aforesaid friction and consequently the speed of the governor, gearing communi-
cating motion from the governor shaft to a cone, a swivelling frame mounted on the
main shaft and carrying a screw shaft, gearing from the main shaft
giving motion to such screw shaft, a travelling wheel mounted on the
screw shaft and resting on the surface of the cone, a scale carried by the swivelling
frame, and a pointer moved by the travelling wheel over said scale, substantially as
herein shown and described.
.
3. In speed indicators, the combination of a main shaft driven from the shaft
whose speed is to be ascertained, means for giving motion from said main shaft to a
governor and from the governor shaft to a cone, means operated by the governor to
regulate the speed thereof and of the cone, a travelling wheel mounted on a screw
shaft and resting on the cone, means for giving motion from the main shaft to the
screw shaft, a pointer moved by the travelling wheel, and a scale over which the
pointer moves, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated February 10th 1000.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.