Improvements in or relating to Governors for Marine and other Engines to Prevent or Cure Racing.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Governors for Marine and other
Engines to Prevent or Cure Racing.
We, HERMANN STRAUS, of 12, Rumford Place, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, and FRANCIS WILLIAM REYNOLDS, the Younger, of Mellors Buildings,
Exchange Street East, Liverpool aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows;-
This invention has for its object the prevention of racing in marine and other
engines. Large numbers of governors have been designed for this purpose, but all
with which we are acquainted act too late as although the steam is cut off directly
the engine begins to race, there still remains sufficient steam in the passages and
cylinders to cause a considerable amount of mischief.
Our invention therefore is designed so that the steam is firstly cut off from the
engine and also that the residual steam and momentum of parts shall be used up
by a brake apparatus instead of being exerted in what is technically known as
racing, and the invention consists in connecting with the governor a valve or
mechanism whereby on a given speed being reached steam is let into a cylinder, or
other relay or motive power is brought into action which shall firstly cut off the
steam and then put on a brake and thus cause an impediment to the revolution of
the shaft sufficient to take up the power of this residual steam and momentum
aforesaid, the governor itself taking off the brake automatically and admitting
steam to the engine as the speed is reduced.
The mode of carrying out our invention which we at present prefer is as follows:-
The rod from the governor actuates the valve of a small steam eylinder which in
turn actuates the valves of two other cylinders. The piston rod of one of these
cylinders is provided with a dash pot so as to work without jerking and actuates
the throttle valve of the engine. The piston of the other cylinder puts on the
brake which is preferably a strap brake. The valve operating these two latter
cylinders is so arranged, or the passages in the two valve faces themselves are so
arranged that the throttle valve is preferably actuated at an earlier stage than the
brake consequently the valve if only slightly moved actuates the throttle valve only
whereas if the governor acts still more powerfully the brake is at once put into
operation. The governor can be of any desirable kind. The plan which we prefer
however is two heavy balls at the end of arms having curved beaks pressing on a
disc at the end of the subsidary valve rod. A spring presses the valve rod in the
opposite direction. In thus describing our most preferred plan we do not bind
ourselves to the exact arrangements as the brake could be put on at the same time as
the throttle valve is closed and by the same piston and cylinder if desirable.
Further any other form of relay could be employed instead of a subsidary piston
and cylinder to work the connection between the governor and the valve or valves
of the two main actuating cylinders.
Dated this 9th dor of November 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Governors for Marine and other
Engines to Prevent or Cure Racing.
We, HERMANN STRAUS, of 12, Rumford Place, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, and FRANCIS WILLIAM REYNOLDS the Younger, of Mellors Buildings,
Exchange Street East, Liverpool aforesaid, 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 has for its object the prevention of racing in marine and other
engines. Large numbers of governors have been designed for this purpose, but all
with which we are acquainted act too late, as although the steam is cut off directly
the engine begins to race, there still remains sufficient steam in the passages and
cylinders to cause a considerable amount of mischief.
Our invention therefore is designed so that the steam firstly cut off from the
engine, and also that the residual steam and momentum of parts shall be used up
by a brake apparatus put into and thrown out of operation by the governor instead
of being exerted in what is technically known as racing, and the invention consists
in connecting with the governor a valve or mechanism, whereby on a given speed
being reached steam is let into a cylinder, or other relay or motive power is brought
into action which shall firstly cut off the steam and then put on a brake and thus
cause an impediment to the revolution of the shaft sufficient to take up the power of
this residual steam and momentum aforesaid, the governor itself taking off the
brake automatically and admitting steam to the engine as the speed is reduced.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings.
In these, A is the governor balls. Any other well-known form of centrifugal
governor can be used. This is driven in any desirable manner such as by having
its stem supported in bearings B B and driven by bevel gearing CC in any con-
Beaks
venient manner from the engine such as by belt D from the main shaft T.
on the continuation of the shanks of the governor balls press on plate F against
the pressure of spring G and thus press down the rod H. This rod actuates the
valve I of a cylinder J, the piston and piston rod K of which actuate the valve L. M
and N are two cylinders, the ports of which are so arranged that the valve shall
first introduce steam into cylinder N and afterwards into cylinder M. The port
above the valve L and the port below are open to the exhaust a by a passage not
shown. The interior of the valve itself on both sides is open to a steam port b. It
will be seen that whenever the valve I of the little cylinder falls sufficiently to
open the lower port to the steam in the valve and to open the upper port to the
exhaust in the valve chest, the piston rises and causes the valve L to rise. The
valve L admits steam first to the open port of cylinder N and it is only when it has
risen nearly to its full height that it admits steam to the upper port of cylinder M.
Cylinder N is connected by its piston rod O with the stop-valve of the engine not
shown. The piston P of cylinder M is united by its rod and link motion with the
brake strap R capable of being brought against a brake wheel S on the crank
shaft T of the engine. U is a dash pot consisting of a cylinder of oil and a piston
on piston rod O having holes through it through which the oil can pass. This prevents
any very rapid oscillation or jerking of the rod O.
The mode of operation is as follows:
When the engine shaft begins to go too fast it increases the speed of the governor.
The governor balls rising, press down plate F by means of their beaks E against
the pressure of the spring G. This causes valve I to descend, admit steam below
the piston in J and connects the upper part of the cylinder J with the exhaust,

page_text: piston K ascends and admits steam into cylinder N, causing the piston to descend,
thus actuating the valve lever W. If the action continue the valve L further
ascending admits steam into cylinder M depressing piston P and putting on the
brake, thus preventing the shaft from racing. The moment the racing is stopped
or prevented the governor balls fall, thus allowing spring G to raise the valve I,
this admits steam again above the piston K' which descending lowers the valve L
so as to admit steam into the lower part of cylinders N and M, thus taking off the
throttling action from valve rod W and throwing out of action the brake 1.
In thus describing our most preferred plan, we do not bind ourselves to use both
valves and pistons and cylinder I J and L, as if the governor be powerful enough
the cylinder and piston I J K or any other relay of power can be dispensed with
and the governor connected directly with the valve L. Further any other relay of
power actuated by the governor can be used instead of a steam cylinder and
piston I J K. It is also not necessary that the cylinders M and N should be parallél
and worked by one valve chest and one double valve as it is obvious that they can
each be worked by independent valves on the same valve rod. Lastly any other
ordinary form of brake than the strap brake shown could be used for braking the
engine, and we do not claim any novelty in the brake.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is;-
1. In a governing apparatus for preventing racing, the combination of a centri-
fugal governor driven from the engine and regulating the supply of motive fluid
to the engine for the purpose of keeping the speed uniform, with means whereby
said governor can actuate a brake connected with the engine whenever that speed
is exceeded beyond a given point.
2. The combination of a centrifugal governor, a relay of power actuated by that
governor, a steam valve device regulating the supply of motive fluid to the engine
and actuated by that relay of power, and mechanism actuated by that valve device
arranged so as to first cut off the motive fluid supply to the engine, and then if
the speed increases to put on a brake.
3. The mechanism for preventing racing taken as a whole substantially as
described and illustrated.
Dotal thin 10t11
£ M 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London.