IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GOVERNORS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Mein, of Stratford, Essex, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GOVERNORS."
Sealed the 10th March 1874, and dated the 24th November 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Mein at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
. 24th November 1873.
'I, WILLIAM MEIN, of Stratford, Essex, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM GOVERNORS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in steam governors consists in so
arranging the working parts as to dispense with the ordinary outside
levers and rotating balls, and also with the central spindle for a part of
its length, whereby I obtain greater simplicity of construction and
increased sensitiveness of action.

page_text: governor. Bearings are cast to the base of this framework in which
revolve shafts carrying bevil, mitre, or spur wheels and band pulley for
the purpose of communicating motion from the engine to the governor.
This motion may be communicated by any of the various ways used for
giving rotating action to governor balls.
In a central position within the frame is ball screwed or otherwise
fastened on the end of a small rod or lever; the opposite end of this
lever is turned to a spherical or ball shape for the purpose of making,
with a spherically recessed nut let into the driving wheel, a ball and
socket joint so as to allow the governor ball free motion. A short
distance above the spherical end the lever is slotted to receive a semi-
circular plate which is fixed to the driving wheel; this plate gives motion
to the lever and ball. Above the central ball and attached to it by
means of a ball or disc joint is another lever similar to the lower lever,
its upper or outer end fitting by means of a ball-and-socket joint into a
short central governor spindle. This spindle is carried by a bearing in
the top of the frame, and is kept up in position by a spiral spring coiled
round the spindle and fitting against a collar at the top and against
the bearing below. This spring tends to straighten the levers and raise
the spindle as the velocity of the ball decreases.
The connection between the governor and the engine is made by a belt
or gearing as may be most convenient.
When the engine is set to work rotating motion is communicated to
the ball which rotates in a greater or lesser circle, according to the
velocity of the driving wheel. The greater the circle of gyration the
more the spindle becomes depressed, as the circle decreases through the
loss of speed the spring elevates the spindle and tends to straighten
the levers, thereby acting immediately on the throttle valve of the
engine.
My improved governor is connected to the steam valve by rods and
levers or in any of the ordinary ways. The framework of this governor
may be made of a box' form so as to inclose entirely the working parts.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Mein in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd May 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MEIN, of Stratford, Essex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Mein, Her special
license that I, the said William Mcin, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Mein, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
herein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS
IN STEAM GOVERNORS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Mein, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Mein, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention of improvements in steam governors consists in so
arranging the working parts as to dispense with the ordinary outside
levers and rotating balls, and also with the central spindle for a part of
its length, whereby I obtain greater simplicity of construction and
increased sensitiveness of action.
I construct a light cast-iron framework or carrier bracket which may
be bolted to any part of the engine most convenient for the action of the

page_text: governor, the place preferred under ordinary circumstances being for
stationary engines across the slide bars about the centre of the bed. At
the base of this framework is cast a bearing carrying a short cross shaft,
on the outer end of the shaft is keyed a small band or cord pulley
receiving motion from the crank shaft or other convenient working part
of the engine, and communicating that motion to the governor. On the
inner end of the cross shaft is keyed a bevil mitre or spur pinion
gearing into a wheel, which runs freely in a vertical bearing cast to the
framework.
In a central position within the framework is a single governor ball
cut through the centre forming two semi-spherical halves, each half
having a small projection or boss cast on; the two halves are held
together by a screwed pin preventing them being drawn asunder, but
allowing reciprocal motion on their faces. Into each half of this ball
is screwed or otherwise fixed a short spindle or lever, the lower one being
continued down, and into a small bush in the wheel; the spindle is pinned
to the bush and the bush is pinned to the wheel, so that rotary motion
is communicated from the wheel to the spindle and ball, the spindle.
being also allowed to oscillate on its pin so as to adjust itself to the
extension of the ball owing to its centrifugal motion. The spindle or
lever connected to the other half of the ball is continued upward and
has at the top a spherical end forming with a spherically recessed bush a
ball-and-socket joint; this bush is pinned on to a short vertical spindle
rotating and sliding in a bearing at the top of the framework. From.
the framework projects a small bracket which may be either loose or
cast on; this bracket carries a bell-crank or straight lever with a forked
end clipping the spindle; around the spindle is a strong spiral spring
which tends to keep the ball and rods in a central position when not in
action, and also to bring them towards that position whenever the speed
of the engine is lessened.
-
:
The connection between the engine and the governor may be made by
belt or gearing, as most convenient.
When the engine is set to work rotatory motion is communicated to the
ball which rotates in a greater or lesser circle, according to the velocity

page_text: speed the spring elevates the spindle and tends to straighten the levers,
thereby acting immediately on the throttle valve of the engine..
My improved governor is connected to the steam valve by rods and
levers or by any of the ordinary ways. The framework of this governor
may be made of a box form so as entirely to enclose the working parts.
And in order that my Invention may be better understood and more
readily carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the Drawing
hereunto annexed, which is a sectional elevation of a complete governor.
A, A, is the framework; B is the band pulley receiving motion from
the engine; C is the bevil pinion keyed to the cross shaft; D is the
driving wheel with a long boss rotating in the bottom bearing of the
framework; E is a slotted shaft pinned to the wheel and to the collar F
which prevents the wheel and slotted shaft from rising; J is a pin by
which the spindle G is fastened to the slotted shaft from which it
receives rotatory motion; H is one-half of the governor ball which is
fastened to the other half K by the screwed pin L; M is the upper
spindle forming a ball-and-socket joint with the spherically recessed
bush N; this bush is pinned to the vertical spindle O which rotates and
is also drawn down by the action of the ball; P is a spiral spring acting
between the collar of the spindle and the top of the framework; R is a
lever carried by the bracket S for connecting by rods to the throttle
valve; T shews the positions of the ball when revolving at their greatest
speed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and how the same is to be carried into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim and desire to secure by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. The construction of a steam governor with a single ball
attached to short spindles and revolving within a framework as herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The arrangement for driving the governor ball by a driving
wheel and bush, as herein-before described and illustrated by the accom-
panying Drawing.
And, Thirdly. The arangement of spindles with ball-and-socket joint
and spiral spring for quickly bringing the ball to a central position and
.

page_text: actuating the lever connected with the throttle valve as herein-before
described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Mein, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM MEIN. (L.S.)
CHARLES BARLOW,
23, Southampton Buildings,
W.C..
Patent Agent..