Improvements in Means for Automatically Stopping Steam and other Stationary Motive-power Engines when the Required
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Means for Automatically Stopping Steam and
other Stationary Motive-power Engines when the Required
I, MONTAGUE BIGG COPLAND, of Preston in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING STEAM AND OTHER STATIONARY MOTIVE-
POWER ENGINES WHEN THE REQUIRED MAXIMUM OF SPEED IS EXCEEDED," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists in an improved arrangement of apparatus actuated by a
governor in such manner that upon any excess of the required maximum speed on
the part of the engine the valve spindle of the stop valve will be automatically
rotated or screwed down, thereby closing the valve and shutting off the supply of
steam or other motive agent. To this end, in cases where the stop valve is
arranged vertically, I extend the valve spindle above the ordinary valve wheel the
upper end of the extended spindle or shaft being supported in a suitable bearing.
The spindle or shaft carries, at a convenient distance above the valve wheel, a
toothed wheel gearing into an elongated pinion whose lower end is fastened to the
upper or sliding part of a frictional or other clutch, the upper end of the pinion
being attached to a grooved boss which engages with the forked end of a
horizontally arranged setting-on lever. A vertical shaft carrying the sliding clutch,
pinion, and boss and also the lower or fast clutch is driven by geared wheels or
other convenient mechanism from the engine and rotates simultaneously therewith.
The setting-on lever is supported on a suitably mounted axis or fulcrum and is
jointed at its outer or power extremity to the upper end of a depending rod
provided with a stop or projection which, whilst the clutches are out of gear, rests
against the lower end of a pivotted trigger-lever or detent. The combined weight
of the sliding clutch, pinion, and boss upon the weight end of the setting-on lever
will keep the detent firmly in contact with the stop or projection until the detent
is withdrawn whereupon the depending rod will be free to ascend and the sliding
clutch to drop into gear with the revolving fast clutch below and so rotate the
valve spindle and close the stop valve. At a point a little above the stop or
projection on the depending rod the pivotted detent carries the axis or fulcrum of
a horizontal cross lever so arranged in relation to a vibrating rod, which receives
its to and fro motion from a crank or eccentric, that upon the outer end of the
Price 1

page_text: cross-lever being depressed it assumes a position directly opposite the end of the
vibrating rod, by which it is thereupon thrust or pushed back the detent being
thus withdrawn from over the stop or projection thereby allowing the sliding clutch
to fall into gear as hereinbefore mentioned.
The detent is provided with a balance weight for the purpose of ensuring its
return and that of its cross lever to their former position when the clutches are
disengaged or drawn out of gear which operation may be performed by pulling
down the outer or power end of the setting-on lever until the stop or projection is
again brought underneath the detent. The cross-lever may, if thought desirable,
be actuated by being directly connected to the governor apparatus and so arranged
that the depression of its outer end and consequently its contact with the vibrating rod
may take place immediately upon any undue acceleration of speed; but I preferably
actuate the cross-lever in the following manner: I make the inner end of the
cross-lever into the armature of an electro-magnet excited by any convenient
arrangement of battery and put in electrical circuit with the governor apparatus by
means of suitable conducting wires. A revolving flange or plate on the governor
may be arranged, upon any excess of the required speed, to make contact with and
rub against a terminal of one of the conducting wires and close the circuit thereby
causing the electro-magnet to attract or draw upwards the inner end of the cross-
lever or armature and so depress its outer end bringing it opposite the vibrating
rod to be thrust or pushed back along with the detent as herein-above described.
The outer end of the cross-lever is so arranged in relation to an inclined plane that
upon being pushed back its detachment from the electro-magnet will be ensured.
I preferably employ a centrifugal ball governor but the governor apparatus may be
of any convenient kind and may be driven by a band or cord over pulleys, means
being provided for its effectual insulation from other metal work not forming a part
of the electrical circuit. Means are also provided for putting the clutches out of
gear as the stop valve is on the point of closing.
I have described my improved apparatus as it may be applied to any ordinary
form of steam engine, but it may obviously be adapted with slight modifications to
other motive-power engines in which the supply of air, gas, water or other motive
agent is controlled by means of a stop valve opened and closed by the rotation of a
screw spindle.

page_text: I, MONTAGUE BIGG COPLAND, of Preston in the County of Lancaster, Cotton
Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING STEAM AND OTHER STATIONARY MOTIVE-
POWER ENGINES WHEN THE REQUIRED MAXIMUM OF SPEED IS EXCEEDED" and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention consists in an improved arrangement of apparatus actuated by a
governor in such manner that upon any excess of the required maximum speed on
the part of the engine the valve spindle of the stop valve will be automatically
rotated or screwed down, thereby closing the valve and shutting off the supply of
steam or other motive agent.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 illustrates the general arrangement of the
apparatus I employ for carrying my Invention into effect.
In cases where the stop valve is arranged vertically (as shewn in Fig. 1) I extend
the valve spindle 1 above the ordinary hand wheel 2, the upper end 3 of the
extended spindle or shaft being supported in a suitable bearing 4. The spindle or
shaft 3 carries at a convenient distance above the valve wheel 2, a toothed wheel 5,
gearing into an elongated pinion 6 whose lower end is fastened to the upper or
sliding part of a frictional clutch 7: the upper end of the pinion being attached to
a grooved boss 8 which engages with the forked end of a horizontally arranged
setting-on lever 9. A vertical shaft 10 carrying the sliding clutch 7, pinion 6, and
boss 8, and also the lower or fast clutch 11, is driven by geared wheels 12, 12, or
other convenient mechanism from the engine and rotates simultaneously therewith.
The setting-on lever 9 is supported on a suitably mounted axis or fulcrum 13.
Acting in combination with the setting-on lever 9 I employ a second lever 31,
fulcrumed at 32 and engaging at one end with the upper groove 33 of the boss 8,
its other end being jointed to the upper end of a depending rod 14 provided with a
stop or projection 15 which, whilst the clutches 7 and 11 are out of gear, rests
against the lower end of a pivotted trigger lever or detent 16. The combined
weight of the sliding clutch, pinion, and boss upon the weight end of the lever 31
will keep the detent 16 firmly in contact with the stop or projection 15 until the
detent 16 is withdrawn, whereupon, the depending rod 14 will be free to ascend
and the sliding clutch 7 to drop into gear with the revolving fast clutch 11 below
and so rotate the valve spindle 3 and close the stop valve. At a point a little
above the stop or projection 15 on the depending rod 14 the pivotted detent 16
carries the axis or fulcrum 17 of a horizontal cross lever 18, so arranged in relation
to a vibrating rod 19, which receives its to and fro motion from an eccentric 20, or
crank, that, upon the outer end 21 of the cross-lever 18 being depressed, it assumes
a position directly opposite the end of the vibrating rod 19 by which it is there-
upon thrust or pushed back (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) the detent 16 being
thus withdrawn from over the stop or projection 15 thereby allowing the sliding
clutch 7 to fall into gear as herein before mentioned. The detent 16 is provided
with a balance weight 22 for the purpose of ensuring its return and that of its
cross lever 18 to their former position when the clutches are disengaged or drawn
out of gear, which operation may be performed by pulling down (by means of the
handle 23) the outer or power end of the setting-on lever 9 until the stop or
•
Auto-g

page_text: projection 15 is again brought underneath the detent 16. The cross-lever 18 may,
if thought desirable, be actuated by being directly connected to the ordinary
governor apparatus and so arranged that the depression of its outer end 21 and
consequently its contact with the vibrating rod 19 may take place immediately
upon any undue acceleration of speed. This may be effected by connecting the
inner end 24 of the cross-lever 18 to the ordinary governor rod as will be well
understood. I preferably actuate the cross lever, however, in the following
manner: I make the inner end 24 of the cross lever 18 into the armature of an
electro-magnet 25 excited by any convenient form of battery and put in electrical
circuit with supplementary governor apparatus by means of suitable conducting
wires 26, 26. A revolving flange or plate 27 on the governor is caused by the
upward pressure of the curved arms 34, 34 (as the governor balls distend) upon
any excess of the required speed, to make contact with and rub against a
terminal 28 (in the form of a metal spring or finger as shewn) of one of the
conducting wires and close the circuit thereby causing the electro-magnet 25 to
attract and draw upwards the inner end 24 of the cross-lever or armature 18 and
so depress its outer end 21 bringing it opposite the vibrating rod 19 to be thrust or
pushed back along with the detent as herein before described. The outer end 21 of
the cross lever 18 is so arranged in relation to an inclined plane 29 that upon being
pushed back its detachment from the electro-magnet 25 will be ensured.
Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged front and side views respectively of the trigger-lever
or detent, attendant mechanism, and electro-magnet as hereinabove described
whereof a front view on a smaller scale is shewn in Fig. 1.
I preferably employ a centrifugal ball governor as shewn in Fig. 1, but the
governor apparatus may be of any convenient kind and may be driven by a band
or cord over pulleys or by toothed wheels, means being provided for the effectual
insulation of the governor apparatus from other metal work not forming a part of
the electrical circuit.
The boss 30 on the shaft or spindle 3 is adjusted and fixed in such a position
relatively to the setting-on lever 9 that when the valve spindle has been so far
screwed down as almost to close the valve, the lower side of the boss will come in
contact with the upper side of the setting-on lever 9 and pressing down thereupon
will cause the clutches 7 and 11 to become disengaged or put out of gear.
Although I preferably employ a frictional clutch other forms of clutch may, if
thought desirable, be substituted for the purpose of carrying out my Invention.
I have described my improved apparatus as it may be applied to any ordinary
form of steam engine, but it may obviously be adapted with slight modifications to
other motive-power engines in which the supply of air, gas, water or other motive
agent is controlled by means of a stop valve opened and closed by the rotation of a
screw spindle.
It will be evident that with the arrangement of apparatus as above described,
the electrical circuit may be closed independently of the action of the governor in
which case the clutches will be put into gear and the stop valve closed by utilising
the power of the engine for closing the valve instead of using manual power for
rotating the valve wheel as ordinarily practised.
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 use or employment of apparatus in which, by the action of a governor, a
clutch is caused to be put into gear and the spindle of a stop valve to be thereby
rotated substantially as described and shown in the Drawings for the purpose
specified.
2. The use or employment of the pivotted detent 16, projection 15, and
depending rod 14 acting in conjunction with the cross-lever 18 and vibrating
rod 19 substantially as described and shewn in the Drawings for the purpose
specified,

page_text: 3. The combination of parts constituting the improved apparatus for auto-
matically stopping steam and other stationary motive-power engines, constructed,
arranged, and operating substantially as described and shown in the Drawings.
Dated this 17th day of September 1884.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
Applicant's Agent,