IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR GOVERNING THE SPEED OF STEAM OR OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Cuylits, of Antwerp, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR GOVERNING THE SPEED OF STEAM OR
OTHER ENGINES."-A communication.
Sealed the 7th June 1853, and dated the 10th February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Cuylits
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th February 1853.
I, CHARLES CUYLITS, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR
GOVERNING THE SPEED OF STEAM OR OTHER ENGINES" to be as follows:-
The principle upon which this Invention is based is the well
known physical principle, that a liquid (such as water) runs from a
vessel at a regular speed as long as the level, (that is to say) the
height of the water above the exit opening, is maintained at the
same point. This principle being admitted, it will be at once seen
that an engine governor may be constructed by taking any suitable
apparatus for raising water and setting it in motion by the machine

page_text: or engine to be regulated thereby, causing it to raise water into a
vessel, from which it will again run out by an orifice which may
be regulated. In this vessel is placed a float, which is connected
with the steam port of the engine. The exit aperture of the water
vessel is arranged and constructed in such a manner that it exactly
corresponds in operation to the movements of the float. This is
the essential feature of the Invention, and an apparatus constructed
upon this principle will operate as follows:
Suppose the engine is running at its normal or proper speed, the
pumping apparatus will be so arranged as to raise a given quantity
of water per minute, and the exit aperture of the water vessel will
also be so arranged as to allow exactly this quantity to run out,
and thereby always maintain the float at a given altitude. If,
however, the speed of the engine should increase, the speed of the
pumping apparatus will increase also, and will consequently raise
more water than can run out of the exit aperture. The float will
therefore be raised in the water vessel, and will act upon the valve
or steam port of the engine, and by cutting off the supply of steam
will reduce the speed of the engine until it reaches its normal or
proper speed. If, on the contrary, the speed of the engine should
diminish, the level of the water in the float vessel would fall, and
by allowing the float to descend, the steam port will be opened, and
an additional supply of steam will be admitted to the engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Charles Cuylits in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 10th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES CUYLITS, of Antwerp, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Mer-
chant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the

page_text: sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Cuylits, Her special
license that I, the said Charles Cuylits, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Cuylits, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein 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 APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR GOVERNING THE SPEED
OF STEAM OR OTHER ENGINES," being a communication from abroad,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Cuylits,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Charles Cuylits, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
The principle upon which is based the Invention that has been
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, is
the well known physical principle, that a liquid (such as water)
runs from a vessel at a regular speed as long as the level, (that is
to say) the height of the water above the exit opening, is maintained
at the same or a given point. This principle being admitted, it will
be at once seen that an engine governor may be constructed by
taking any suitable apparatus for raising water and setting it in
motion by the machine or engine to be regulated, thereby causing
it to raise water into a vessel from which it will again run out by
an orifice, the capacity of which may be regulated or adjusted. In

page_text: this vessel is placed a float, which is connected with the steam port
of the engine. The exit aperture of the water vessel is arranged
and constructed in such a manner that it exactly corresponds in
This is the essential
operation to the movements of the float.
feature of the Invention, and an apparatus constructed upon this
principle will operate as follows: Suppose the engine is running
at its normal or proper speed, the pumping apparatus will be so
arranged as to raise a given quantity of water per minute, and the
exit aperture of the water vessel will also be so arranged as to allow
exactly this quantity to run out, and thereby always maintain the
float at a given altitude. If, however, the speed of the engine
should increase, the speed of the pumping apparatus will increase
also, and will consequently raise more water than can run out of
the exit aperture; the float will therefore be raised in the water
vessel, and will act upon the valve or steam port of the engine, and
by cutting off the supply of steam, will reduce the speed of the
engine until it reaches its normal or proper speed. If, on the
contrary, the speed of the engine should diminish, the level of
the water in the float vessel would fall, and by allowing the float to
descend, the steam port will be opened, and an additional supply of
steam will be admitted to the engine.
In order, however, that the Invention may be clearly understood,
I have shewn in the accompanying Drawing an arrangement for
carrying the improvements into effect.
The apparatus represented in the accompanying Drawing is
drawn to a scale of one fourth the real size. Fig. 1, being an
elevation, and Fig. 2, a plan or bird's eye, view thereof. A, is an
hydraulic wheel (shewn detached in Fig. 3). This wheel is mounted
on a shaft driven by the pulley B, by means of a band or strap
communicating with the shaft of the steam engine to be regulated
or governed. C is a vessel filled with water, and in which the
hydraulic wheel A is made to revolve, and raise the water there-
from by means of its hollow radial arins, through which it passes
and flows out at its centre into the cylindrical copper or zinc vessel
D. A float E, is placed in, and made to move freely up and

page_text: down in the vessel D, in which it is guided in its ascensional and
descensional movements by means of the guide arms, b, b, b,
(see Fig. 2). To the vessel D (Figures 1, and 2) is adapted a
copper cylinder F, open at both ends, and in free communication
with the water contained in the vessel D. Inside the cylinder F, is
a second cylinder G, made also of thin copper of somewhat smaller
diameter than the interior of the cylinder F, F, and is provided at
its lower extremity with a flange of the same diameter as the
cylinder F, F. The cylinder G, G, is furnished at its centre with a
vertical rod H, adapted to the cross piece I. This latter being
attached to the float E, it will be easily understood that by means
of this arrangement the float E, and cylinder G are united, and
that this latter will follow exactly all the movements of the float
E. The arrows shew the course of the water, and it is evident
that this water can only escape from the vessel D, through the
interior of the cylinder G, G, from the top of which it flows out.
When the apparatus is at rest, this top of the cylinder G is flush
with the line e, f, which indicates the level of the water in the
vessel C, C. The line g, h, shews the height which the water level
must attain in the vessel D, in order that the weight of the water
displaced may equal that of the float. The height of the fall will
therefore be the vertical distance between these two lines, and this
height will always remain the same, whether the float rises or
falls, as the orifice for the out flow of the water follows all its
movements.
I have said that the orifice for the escape of the water must be
capable of being regulated in such manner, that when the engine
is working at its normal speed, it may exactly suffice for the escape
of all the water supplied to the vessel D, by the hydraulic wheel A.
For this purpose the opening which forms the communication
between the vessel D, and the lower extremity of the cylinder F, F,
is provided with a valve, or water gate K (Fig. 1), adapted to the
lever M (which I will suppose for the moment to be stationary),
by means of a connecting rod L, screwed to the water valve, in

page_text: such manner as to allow of the height of this latter being regulated
at pleasure.
The regulator above described completely answers the intended
purpose, but is. liable to the objection of not acting with sufficient
quickness when the engine which it regulates rapidly increases in
'speed. This will be easily understood, as the only portion of water
which acts to raise the float is the excess of water supplied by the
increased speed of the hydraulic wheel, and this excess is not very
considerable compared with the volume of water necessary for
raising the float a certain distance, especially as this float must
present a sufficiently large surface to obtain an adequate amount of
power. To remedy this defect, an ordinary centrifugal or ball
governor or regulator P, of very small dimensions, has been adapted
to the improved regulator; this small regulator being put in motion
by the shaft of the hydraulic wheel. This small governor must be
regulated in such manner that when the engine is working at its
normal speed the balls shall not be separated, but shall be on the
point of separating, and therefore, on an augmentation of speed
taking place, the balls will fly out, and by acting on the lever M,
will, through the connecting rod L, lower the valve K, and diminish
the section of the escape opening, and cause the float to rise. On
the engine resuming its normal speed, the balls of the regulator
will collapse, and bring the valve K to its former position.
It will be seen, on referring to Fig. 1, in what manner com-
munication may be established with the induction steam valve by
means of a weighted cord passing over pulleys and attached to a
sector arm. I do not, however, intend to confine myself to this
arrangement, as this object may be effected by any other well
known means, and varied according to circumstances.
I have an important observation to make respecting the valve.
A valve is caused to move upon its axis without effort, as the
pressure is equal on all its sides; this is, however, the case only as
long as it does not approach the extremity of its course. On the
valve arriving at within a very short distance of the extremity of

page_text: its course, a very considerable pressure suddenly takes place, which
closes it; it is evident that this pressure suddenly destroys all the
conditions of the action of the regulator. In order to overcome
this sudden pressure, the axle of the valve is furnished with a
lever R, at the end of which is a stud working freely in the slot of
the arm S. The length of this slot is calculated in such manner
that when the valve approaches the end of its course, the stud of
the lever R, raises the weight attached to the end of the arm S,
which weight must exactly counterbalance the pressure exerted on
the water valve. On this latter again opening, the weight is allowed
to descend, and no longer exerts any power.
In order that the action of this regulator may be always uniform,
and maintain the engine always at the same speed, it is indispensable
that the water in the vessel C, C, should always keep at the same
level. It will be evident, however, that this level cannot always be
maintained exactly the same, as the quantity of water contained in
the vessel D, which is supplied from the vessel C, C, will vary
according to the position assumed by the float. To obviate this
defect, a waste pipe is adapted to the vessel C, C, and a small
stream of water is caused to flow continually into this vessel.
Having now described the nature of the Invention which has been
communicated to me as aforesaid, and the best means with which I
am acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I desire it to be
understood that I do not mean or intend to confine myself rigidly
to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein-before
described, as they may, doubtless, be varied without departing from
the nature and object of the present Invention; but that which I
consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, is,
Firstly, regulating the speed of engines by means of a head of
water always maintained in a suitable vessel above the orifice for
the escape of the water, such water being made to act on a float
connected in any convenient manner with the throttle valve of the
steam or other supply pipe of the engine.
Secondly, I claim the application of the hydraulic wheel for the

page_text: purpose of supplying the vessel D with water, as above shewn and
described.
Thirdly, the application of the centrifugal, or ball regulator, for
the purpose of accelerating the ascent of the float.
And, fourthly, the means above shewn and described of counter-
balancing the pressure of the steam upon the valve when this
latter approaches the extremity of its course.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Cuylits, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
CHARLES CUYLITS. (L.S.)