IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR REGULATING THE SPEEDS OF GAS EXHAUSTERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM SNOWDON, of 9 Beckett's Bank Chambers, Leeds, in the County of
York, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR REGULATING THE SPEEDS OF GAS EXHAUSTERS,
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to certain improvements in an apparatus for which Letters
Patent No 2409-A.D. 1876 were granted to Frederick William Fison.
The "Fison Regulator for Gas Exhausters," as made at present, has the screw
actuating the belt guide arranged at an angle across the frames, so as to fall in a
line parallel with (or approximately so) the sides of the cones. This enables the
belt forks to be arranged nearer to the cones and gives them more power over the
belt. This slanting of the screw has however a bad effect in making the belt that
drives the friction gear work at an angle with the two shafts over which it runs.
If this belt breaks or leaves the pullies the friction gear ceases to act.
One improvement consists in doing away with this friction gear belt-and this
I accomplish as follows:-On the end of the shaft of the driving cone I mount a
spur wheel, having teeth at a slight angle, and immediately over it I mount another
spur wheel with the teeth similarly on the slant; and by thus gearing these teeth
and dividing the angle between them my upper wheel is in true line to gear with
the screw which runs across parallel with the sides of the cones.
A second improvement lies in making two driving screws act as the only guides
necessary to carry the belt forks. One screw is of necessity near the wheel with
the angled teeth, and consequently near the driving cone, and the other I arrange
at a convenient distance over and near to the other cone (the driven one) and
I transmit the motion from one screw to the other by means of overhanging cranks
and connecting rods.
A third improvement is permitted by this arrangment which allows a minimum
sized Governor to be placed at one end of the frame and permits it, by acting
through a long leverage, to exert a maximum pressure on the friction wheels
without the complication of a compound lever.

page_text: A fourth improvement consists in so arranging the apparatus in cases where it
is desired that, whenever the speed cones have produced the slowest speed of
which they are capable, it shall automatically open, to any desired extent, a self-
closing by-pass valve or cock connecting together the suction and delivery sides of
the exhauster. By this means if too much gas were still being drawn off the
retorts part of the exhausted gas would flow back to the side of lower pressure
This
and thus the actual work of the exhauster could be reduced to zero.
I accomplish, automatically, by causing the belt guide gear when it has travelled
nearly to the end of its speed reducing path, to come in contact with a lever or
other gear of the By-pass valve or cock already referred to.

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Regulating the Speeds of Gas
Exhausters.
I, WILLIAM SNOWDON, of 9 Beckett's Bank Chambers, Leeds, in the County of
York, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR REGULATING THE SPEEDS OF GAS EXHAUSTERS,
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 certain improvements in an apparatus for which Letters
Patent N° 2409-A.D. 1876 were granted to Frederick William Fison.
The "Fison Regulator for Gas Exhausters," as made at present, has the screw
actuating the belt guide arranged at an angle across the frames, so as to fall in a
line parallel with (or approximately so) the sides of the cones. This enables the
belt forks to be arranged nearer to the cones and gives them more power over the
belt. This slanting of the screw has however a bad effect in making the belt that
drives the friction gear work at an angle with the two shafts over which it runs.
If this belt breaks or leaves the pulleys the friction gear ceases to act.
In order to more fully describe my improvements I have annexed two sheets of
drawings. Sheet 1. Fig. 1. is a general plan (broken) of the machine. Sheet 2.
Fig. 2. is an elevation of the same, and Fig. 3. is an enlarged section through the
friction gear. The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures. The
arrows, where applied, denote the direction of revolution.
One improvement consists in doing away with this friction gear belt-and this
I accomplish as follows:-On the end of the shaft of the driving cone A. I mount
a spur wheel B, having teeth at a slight angle, and immediately over it I mount
another spur wheel C with the teeth similarly on the slant; and by thus gearing
these teeth and dividing the angle between them my upper wheel C is in true line
to gear with the screw D¹ which runs across parallel with the sides of the cones.
E is the large friction wheel mounted on the end of the screw D¹.
A second improvement lies in making two driving screws D¹ and D' act as the
only guides necessary to carry the belt gear X and its forks X', X', X³, and X'.
One screw, D¹, is of necessity near the wheel with the angled teeth, and consequently
near the driving cone, and the other, D2, I arrange at a convenient distance over
and near to the other cone (the driven one F) and I transmit the motion from one
screw to the other by means of overhanging cranks and connecting rods G. G. or
other suitable means.
A third improvement is permitted by this arrangment which allows a minimum
sized Governor H to be placed at one end of the frame and permits it, by acting
through a long lever I, I, to exert a maximum pressure on the small friction
wheels K¹ and L' without the complication of a compound lever. As the leather,
or other friction surfaces, on the small wheels K¹ and L¹, wear away, it becomes
necessary from time to time to set up their centres nearer to the larger friction
wheel E this, in order to limit the movement of the Governor necessary to bring
them in and out of gear. I accomplish this by making the upper arm K, which
carries the small friction wheel K₁ and its driving gear, in a distinct piece, and

page_text: the arm L, which carries the lower friction wheel L, in another separate piece.
The arm L is mounted on a boss on K, whilst K is mounted on the fulcrum stud M-
Bolts and slotted bolt holes running through the several pieces, at N and P, allow
for any adjustment being made, after which, when these bolts are screwed tightly
up the friction gear lever I and the short arms K and L are thus secured as if in
one piece. It will be seen that by this adjustment the wheel gearing is not thrown
in any way out of truth. I use discs of leather for my small friction wheels K¹
and L' mounting them on sleeves K2 and L' nipping them up by using the adjacent
wheel as a nut, taking care to arrange the threads respectively right and left hand,
so that the driving power keeps each up to its work and prevents any chance of
their unscrewing.
A fourth improvement consists in so arranging the apparatus-in cases where it
is desired that, whenever the speed cones have produced the lowest speed of
which they are capable, it shall automatically open, to any desired extent, a self-
closing by-pass valve or cock connecting together the suction and delivery sides
of the exhauster. By this means if too much gas were still being drawn off the
retorts part of the exhausted, gas would flow back to the side of lower pressure
and thus the actual work of the exhauster could be reduced to zero. This I
accomplish, automatically, by causing the belt guide gear ✗ to carry an arm Y
which when it has travelled nearly to the end of its speed reducing path (see
dotted lines) comes in contact with a tappet Z, or other gear of the by-pass valve
or cock already referred to.
As the by-pass gear can be arranged in many ways, according to circumstances,
I do not show it, as it is only essential that the valve shall be a self-closing one,
so that after the arm Y retires out of contact with the tappet Z, the valve shall
close.
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. In a machine for regulating the speeds of Gas Exhausters; the arrangment
and mode of driving the friction gear by positive gearing-thus avoiding a
secondary belt substantially as described herein, and as shown on the drawings.
2. In a machine for regulating the speeds of Gas Exhausters-The use and
arrangment of the two screws D1 and D2 which not only move the belt guide
gear but also carry it, and thus make any further support unnecessary, substantially
as described herein, and as shown on the drawings.
3. The use and arrangment of the adjustable arms K and L in combination with
the lever I with the object and for the purpose set forth, substantially as described
herein, and as shown on the drawings.
4. The mode of securing the discs of leather or other such substances on the 4
sleeves K and L, substantially as described herein, and as shown on the drawings.
5. The combination of this Regulator, for Gas Exhausters, and a self-closing
By-pass valve and tappet gear, whereby the amount of gas passed may be reduced
to. zero by an automatic arrangment, substantially as described herein, and as
shown on the drawings.
6. The general arrangment of the various parts forming the complete machine,
substantially as described herein, and as shown on the drawings.
Dated this ninth day of September 1886.
WILLIAM SNOWDON.