Engine Governors.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Engine Governors.
I, WILLIAM HAMPDEN JENKS, Machinist, a citizen of the United States, residing in
Brookville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
ENGINE-GOVERNORS, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
My invention relates to governors for engines of all classes; such as steam engines, gas.
engines, water engines, and fluid-pressure engines generally; and more especially to that
class of engines in which centrifugal weights, rotating with a driving-shaft, are
connected with an eccentric crank, or similar device, from which the admission-valves
of the engine are driven.
My invention consists mainly in so connecting a secondary or steadying-weight-
to the centrifugal weight or weights that it will act on them by virtue of its inertia
to steady their motion, itself being in equilibrium-or nearly so-in all positions that.
the governor weights may take, or at whatever speed the governor may be running.
My invention is especially designed for steam-engine governors, and will herein be.
described, specifically, as applied to this class of engines; but it should be distinctly
understood that my invention is not thus limited in its application.
;
In the accompanying drawings-
Fig. 1 is a diagram view, showing the manner of applying my invention, in one
of its simplest forms; the shaft and governor weight are shown in elevation, the
remaining parts, in section;
'
Fig. 2 shows, diagramatically, a modified way in which my invention may be applied
to a centrifugal governor
Fig. 3 is a plan, and Fig. 4, a side elevation of a steam engine governor, properly
organized, and embodying my improvements.
As shown in Fig. 1, the eccentric A, is provided with an elongated opening a, and
is mounted on the shaft B, in the usual way. The eccentric strap C, is connected
with the eccentric A, as is usual, and communicates with the engine-valves, in the
usual way. The collar D, is keyed to the shaft B, and, in a recess d, of the collar D,
is hinged a bell-crank lever E, the longer arm of which carries a weight or ball F.
The end of the lever-arm extends through the ball F, and is connected by a link f,
with the eccentric A.
A spring G, secured to the shaft B, and to the lever-arm, tends to draw the weight
or ball F, towards the shaft. The shorter or downwardly-projecting ende, of the
bell-crank lever E, is connected, by means of a link H, with a weight I, which, in
this instance, is shown as a cylindrical block, mounted on the shaft B, and free to
slide parallel therewith.
As will be seen, the links H and f, are hinged or flexibly connected to the weight-
block I, and bell-crank lever E, and to the bell-crank lever E and the eccentric A,
respectively.
As the shaft B, revolves, the weight or ball F, will be thrown out by centrifugal
force, as the speed increases; or will be drawn in, as the speed diminishes; thus
varying the position of the eccentric A, on the shaft, and thereby varying or
regulating the throw of the admission-valves of the engine. But, in this class of
governors, the movement of the centrifugal governor weights has been more or less
irregular, and affected by variations in the resistance offered by the admission-valves.
In proportion as the governor is made more sensitive, this irregularity becomes
greater; often leading to a more or less violent jumping of the governor weights, and
consequent irregularity in the admission of steam to the engine. But, by my
improvement-which consists in connecting a steadying-weight with the governor
weights-this jogging or irregular movement is avoided.
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page_text: For instance, as shown in Fig. 1, if the weight F, is thrown out by centrifugal
force, in moving it must slide the weight I, towards the collar D, orin moving
towards the shaft, it must slide the weight I, in an opposite direction. The inertia
of the steadying-weight 1, tends to steady the movement of the governor-weight,
as, for every movement of the governor-weight, there must be a corresponding move-
ment of the steadying-weight.
It should be particularly noted that the steadying-weight is not directly influenced
by centrifugal action, nor by gravity; it is in equilibrium at all times, does not,
itself, tend to move the governor-weight, and only acts to retard or restrain the
movement of the governor-weight.
The organization shown in Fig. 1 is not deemed the most practicable, but
illustrates, diagramatically, one way of embodying the fundamental features of my
invention.
In Fig. 2 I have also shown diagramatically, without attempting to show a
practically organized engine governor, another way of embodying my invention.
In this instance, an eccentric A, provided with an elongated opening a, and operating
to vary the throw of the admission-valve in the usual way, is connected, by means of
rods A', with a weight F, which slides on a laterally-projecting arm A², secured to
the driving-shaft B. The outer end of the arm. A2, is provided with a nut a¹, between
which and the outer end of the weight F, is interposed a spring a²; in this instance
a spiral spring is shown, as it is preferred. The tendency of the spiral spring is, of
course, to move the weight F, towards the shaft B.
An arm J, projecting laterally from the shaft B, and pivoted thereon, carries on its
outer end a weight I. The weight 1, is connected, by means of rods K and K¹ with
the weight F. The rod K, is flexibly connected to the weight I, at k, and to the
rod K', at k¹. The rod K', is hinged to the weight F, at k², and, at k³, to an arm L,
rigidly secured to the shaft B.
As thus organized, for every movement of the centrifugal governor weight F,
there is a corresponding movement of the steadying-weight I. Jogging or irregular
movement of the weight F, is thus avoided.
The idea or under-lying principle is the same, in this organization, as that referred
to in Fig. 1.
In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown my invention embodied in a practical form of
governor, and that which I prefer.
In this instance, a wheel M, is loosely mounted on the driving-shaft N, and is
provided with a spider or spokes O, on which is formed, or to which is secured a
bearing-block P. An arm R, is mounted on the bearing-block, and free to vibrate
thereon. The inner end of this arm carries a wrist-pin S, to which the valve-rod
may be connected, in the usual way. In cases in which the shaft N, is required to
project through the governor, the wrist-pin S, is enlarged so as to form an eccentric
encircling the shaft, and provided with an elongated opening, which permits it to
swing across the shaft, as is usual. The outer end of the eccentric-arm R, is connected,
by means of a link T, to a yoke U, firmly secured to the shaft N, and projecting
equally from each side thereof.
A disc or plate V, mounted on the shaft N, and clamped or secured to the yoke U,
is provided, on opposite sides or the shaft, with ears or extensions u, to which are
hinged links u', that are in turn hinged to the inner ends of the bell-crank levers W,
pivoted to the wheel M, in any suitable way. The opposite ends of the bell-crank-
levers W, carry weights W', which, under the influence of centrifugal force, fly
outwardly from the shaft.
Springs X, flexibly connected at a, to the rim of the wheel M, and to the inner ends
of the bell-crank levers at æ¹, tend to draw the weights towards the shaft.
I have described the organization of the governor, as illustrated, but it is obvious
that the arrangement of many of the parts may be varied. In operation the yoke U, and
plate V, being rigidly secured to the shaft, revolve coincidently with it. The wheel M,
being loose on the shaft, but connected flexibly with the yoke U, and plate V, also

page_text: evolves with the shaft, but is free to move independently thereof, through a limited
listance.
By this organization it will be seen that, as the governor weights W', are moved
outward or inward by centrifugal and centripetal forces, the relative position of the
wheel M, to the yoke U, and plate V, is changed, and the bearing-block P, is moved,
thereby changing the position of the arm R, and crank-pin S, relatively to the axis of
the shaft, and so varying the throw of the admission-valves of the engine.
In this instance, it will be seen that the wheel M, is the secondary or steadying-
weight, and that it tends, not only to steady the motion of the governing weights
directly, but also acts as a fly-wheel to absorb the irregularities in the resistance
offered by the regulating-valve or valves.
In a governor so organized the objects to be gained by the use of the secondary-
weight are:
1st. To steady the movements of the governing-weights themselves;
2nd. To lessen the effect on the governing weights of irregularities in the resistance
offered by the regulating mechanism; and
3rd. To render the governor more powerful, as well as sensitive, by using the inertia
of the secondary-weight to help overcome the resistance, (frictional and otherwise) of
the regulating-mechanism.
And now having particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a centrifugal
governor-weight, and a secondary or steadying-weight, connected therewith and
moved correspondingly with the governing-weight, but having itself little or no
tendency to move the governing-weight.
2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the centrifugal
governor-weight, and a secondary or steadying-weight, connected therewith and
movable simultaneously with the governor-weight, without itself changing its
position concentric with the shaft.
3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a centrifugal
governor-weight, a non-centrifugal secondary or steadying-weight, and flexible
connections between the governor-weight, and the secondary-weight.
4. The combination, substantially as herein before set forth, of the shaft, the eccentric,
the centrifugal governor-weight connected therewith, the secondary or steadying-
weight supported on the shaft, independently of the centrifugal governor-weight
and flexible non-elastic connections between the centrifugal governor-weight, and the
secondary or steadying-weight.
5. The combination, substantially as herein before set forth, of the shaft, the wheel or
steadying-weight, loosely mounted on the shaft, the yoke rigidly secured to the shaft,
the eccentric arm pivoted eccentrically on the wheel, the governor weights pivoted
to the wheel, and flexible connections between the governor weights and the yoke, and
between the yoke and the eccentric arm.
Dated this 14th day of November 1889.