Improvements in the Method of and Means for Regulating the Speed of Steam Engines and other Motors Operated by Elastic Fluids.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19 h Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by the firm of SCHAFFER & BUDENBERG, of
Buckau, Magdeburg, in the German Empire, Engineers.]
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Regulating the
Speed of Steam Engines and other Motors Operated by Elastic
Fluids.
1. WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS of 70 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of and means for controlling the
speed of steam and other elastic fluid engines and motors.
In existing engines and motors of this class, the speed is generally controlled by
means of a centrifugal governor which operates to throttle the steam or to vary the
period of admission during each stroke.
According to these improvements the centrifugal governor is suppressed and the
control of the speed is effected by means of an oscillating pendulum or of a rotary
pendulum or balance wheel. The apparatus may be operated by means of a crank
connected with any suitable part reciprocated by the engine, which imparts an
oscillatory motion through the medium of a spring or clastic connection, to the
pendulum or balance, with which there is connected an equilibrium valve. The
equilibrium valve, which partakes in the motion of the pendulum or balance, is that
through which the steam or elastic fluid passes, before reaching the slide or
equivalent valves of the engine or motor, and it may replace the throttle valve or
cut-off valve in known arrangements.
According to the arrangement of the equilibrium valve, the apparatus may be
employed for governing either by throttling the elastic fluid or by varying the
cut-off.
At the normal speed of the engine or motor the crank or its equivalent and the
balance wheel move in unison, but if the speed of the engine should increase,
the inertia of the balance wheel causes it. and consequently the equilibrium valve
also, to drag behind the crank movement. By this means the steam is throttled or
an earlier cut-off is effected. On the other hand, in the event of the speed of the
engine being reduced, the pendulum or balance will be in advance of the crank, and
the steam inlet is further opened or a later cut-off takes place.
A
of December A T 1890
WILLIAM E. HEYS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Regulating the
Speed of Steam Engines and other Motors Operated by Elastic
Fluids.
I, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS of 70 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved method of and means for regulating and
controlling the speed of steam and other elastic fluid engines and motors.
In existing engines and motors of this class the speed is generally controlled by

page_text: means of a centrifugal governor which operates to throttle the steam or to vary
period of admission during each stroke.
the
According to these improvements the centrifugal governor is suppressed, and the
regulation or control of the speed is effected by means of an oscillating pendulum
or of a rotary pendulum or balance wheel. The apparatus may be operated by
means of a crank connected with any suitable part reciprocated by the engine, or
by any suitable and convenient means which will impart an oscillatory motion to
the pendulum or balance, this motion being preferably conveyed to the pendulum
or balance wheel through the medium of a spring or springs. Connected with the
balance wheel or pendulum is an equilibrium valve.
The equilibrium valve which partakes in the motion of the pendulum-or-balance
wheel, is that through which the steam or elastic fluid passes before reaching the
slide or equivalent valve or valves of the engine or motor, and it may displace the
throttle valve or cut-off valve in known.arrangements.
According to the arrangement of the equilibrium valve, the apparatus may be
employed for governing either by throttling the elastic fluid or by varying the
cut-off.
At the normal speeds of the engine or motor, the crank or its equivalent and the
balance wheel or pendulum move in unison, but if the speed of the engine should
increase, the inertia of the balance wheel causes it, and consequently the equilibrium
valve also, to drag behind the crank motion. By this means the steam is throttled
or an earlier cut-off is effected. On the other hand, in the event of the speed of
the engine being reduced below the normal, the balance wheel or pendulum will be
in advance of the crank motion, and the steam inlet is further opened or a later
cut-off' takes place.
The apparatus may be constructed and modified in many different ways all of
which it would be impracticable to illustrate. The accompanying drawings
however, to which reference is hereinafter made, shew-several-typical-examples-of-
construction and application, and from these it will be easy to devise and-design-
such other modifications-as may be necessary or desirable for particular cases.
In each of the figures where the parts are represented, similar details, are
indicated by similar letters of reference.
Figure shews in horizontal section, and Figure 2 in transverse section, the
application of these improvements to an engine_in_which-the-fluid-is-admitted-
-through-an-equilibrium and a rotary valve.
In these figures, A is the balance wheel; B C the equilibrium valve; D the
steam inlet E the exhaust-outlet; -F-the-steam portsGa connecting rod by
means of which motion is transmitted to the balance wheel from the engine, and
which is mounted on the sleeve I H a spindle upon which the balance wheel and
the part C of the equilibrium valve are fixed; a sleeve around the spindle H and
having the part B of the equilibrium valve secured thereon: Ja spring forming
an elastic connection between the spindle H and the boss of the connecting rod G,
and consequently also between the two parts of the equilibrium valve; and K is a
stop or pin having its point in a segmental slot W formed in the balance wheel,
which may be employed to limit the oscillations of the balance wheel.
Around the equilibrium valve there is a rotary valve L which moves rigidly with
the part. B-of-the-equilibrium valve. The elastic fluid enters through the
equilibrium valve and is distributed by the rotary valve L. At slow speeds the
equilibrium valve is always open because the two parts turn together, but as these
two parts are connected by means of the spring, and since the balance wheel or
pendulum creates by its mass, an increasing resistance to the spring with an
acceleration of speed, the stroke of the inner member of the equilibrium valve is
shortened. Thus, for higher speeds, an earlier cut-off, and for slower speeds, a
later cut-off is effected, and the speed of the engine is thereby regulated.
Figure 3 represents in horizontal section, and Figure 4 in cross section, another
modification of the arrangement. In this case there are two rotary distributing
valves L and the equilibrium valve is arranged between them. With this

page_text: arrangement the equilibrium valve opens and closes simultaneously with the
distributing valves.
Figure 5 shews in horizontal section and Figure 6 in cross section, the application
of the apparatus with a sliding distributing valve L. In this arrangement also, the
equilibrium valve opens and closes with the distributing valve.
Figures 7 and 8 represent a transverse section and a cross section respectively, of
an arrangement of the apparatus which may be applied to existing engines. The
balance wheel and equilibrium valve with their accessories, are fixed above the
slide or other distributing valves in a similar manner to that which may be employed
in similarly fixing an ordinary governor. In this arrangement it will be obvious
that the contents of the steam chest will expand with the contents of the
cylinder.
Figures 9, 10, and 11 represent a further modification of the arrangement shewn
by Figures 7 and 8.
Figure 9 shews a transverse section, Figure 10 an elevation, and Figure 11 a
cross section outside the balance wheel. The equilibrium valve consists of the fixed
part B and the rotary part C fixed upon the spindle H. This spindle is connected
with the balance wheel by means of the arm M and the pin N. The balance
wheel A is mounted free upon the fixed sleeve O which may form an extension
from the valve casing, and through which the spindle H passes. Motion is
imparted to the balance wheel from the engine through the arm P which is pivoted
upon ( and carries the two arms Q pivoted thereon. These arms are pressed against
opposite sides of the stud R upon which a sleeve is preferred to be mounted as
indicated. This stud R being fixed in the balance wheel, it follows that it is driven
through the arm P the pivoted arms Q and the stud R; and, as hefore, that the
spring J encounters an increasing resistance with an increase of speed, created by
the mass of the balance wheel, and that the stroke of the inner member C of the
equilibrium valve is shortened. The opposite effect occurs with a reduction in the
speed, and thus it follows that with higher speeds an earlier cut-off, and for lower
speeds, a later cut-off is effected, and the speed of the engine is thus controlled.
Figure 12 shews in cross section, Figure 13 in side elevation, and Figure 14 in
plan, in what manner the invention may be applied to a steam engine. The
apparatus represented is substantially the same as that represented by Figures 9, 10,
and 11, but with the stop valve which is there shewn, omitted.
As indicated in these figures, it will be seen that the motion for the balance
wheel and the equilibrium valve is obtained from the excentric or valve rod T.
The arrangement represented in Figures 12, 13, and 14, is further illustrated in
horizontal section by Figure 15. The steam is admitted through the equilibrium
valve to the single rotary distributing valve immediately in front of it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method of regulating the speed of steam engines and other motors operated
by fluid pressure, by means of a pendulum having an elastic connection with some
suitable moving part of the engine.
2. An expansion regulator for controlling the speed of steam engines and other
elastic fluid motors, constructed arranged and operating substantially as herein before
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of Santambor A D 1801
WILLIAM E. HEYS.