IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE ACTION OF MARINE ENGINES AND THEIR SCREW PROPELLERS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ralph John Smith, Engineer to Messieurs D. G. Pinkney
and Sons of John Street Sunderland for an Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS
AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE ACTION OF MARINE
ENGINES AND THEIR SCREW PROPELLERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ralph John Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd December 1881.
"
RALPH JOHN SMITH Engineer to Messieurs D. G. Pinkney and Sons of John
Street Sunderland. IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY
CONTROLLING THE ACTION OF MARINE ENGINES AND THEIR SCREW PROPELLERS."
The object of this Invention is improved means and apparatus for automatically
controlling the action of marine engines and their screw propellers by an opening
or closing of the throttle valve by rods from an atmospheric cylinder acted upon
by the condenser the cylinder valve being operated by a pendulum while main-
taining its vertical position during the varying motions of a vessel.
For the purposes of my Invention I swivel the cylinder within a suitable frame
that the pendulum may act in all directions and I so arrange it that the cylinder
rod or a wheel ensures a direct lead to the throttle valve under every condition.
To put my Invention into practice I fit a cylinder horizontally in the engine
room or in some other convenient part of the vessel, which cylinder is in direct
communication with the condenser of the engine by a pipe leading to a valve box
provided with ports for the entry of air to the condenser, and the air is admitted
into the other ports thus working the piston backwards and forwards.
The valve of the governing cylinder which lies across the face of the box is
attached to a lever or kicker, and the side lever or kicker is actuated by the
pendulum whose upper part is carried on centre pins or gimbals to permit it to
maintain a vertical position during all and every motion of the vessel.
The condenser is attached to the centre of piston valve box exhaust port which
in my Invention draws the atmosphere out of one end of the cylinder, the other

page_text: port being open to the atmosphere which forces the piston back. When the
opposite motion takes place the piston returns again.
The cylinder is provided with a piston whose rod leads direct or by other rods
and levers to the throttle valve of the marine engine and according to the position
of the air cylinder valve so will it be opened or closed more or less to regulate the
entry of steam to the working cylinder or cylinders.
I am aware that pendulums have been fitted in vessels to regulate or control
the admission of steam to the working cylinders but these have been in connection
with subsidiary steam cylinders or by electrical appliances which have not
answered satisfactorily for many reasons; notably in the first case from undue
pressure of steam fixing the pendulum and thereby reducing its sensitiveness and
in the second case from atmospherical influences interfering with the action of the
battery, whereas by my Invention the piston of the controlling cylinder receiving
its action direct from the condenser ensures the throttle valve being operated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Ralph John Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd June 1882.
RALPH JOHN SMITH Engineer to Messieurs D G Pinkney and Sons of John
Street Sunderland "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY
CONTROLLING THE ACTION OF MARINE ENGINES AND THEIR SCREW PROPELLERS
"
The object of this Invention is improved means and apparatus for automatically
controlling the action of marine engines and their screw propellers by an opening
or closing of the throttle valve by rods from an atmospheric cylinder acted upon
from the condenser the cylinder valve being operated by a pendulum while main-
taining its vertical position during the varying motions of a vessel.
For the purposes of my Invention which will be well understood by reference to
the annexed Drawings. I lead a pipe from the condenser to a port A of the valve
box B so that a vacuum is formed within the cylinder C on that side of the
piston D whose passage is open at the particular time in order that the piston D
may be drawn to that end of the cylinder C and its rod E which is in connection
by a lever or rod with the throttle or other valve by which the steam is admitted
to the engine or engines to open or to close the throttle valve more or less when the
stern of the vessel becomes more or less submerged from " pitching."
I adjust the position of the valve F in accordance with the "trim" of the vessel
whether she be low in the water at the stern or otherwise by the valve lever G
and an adjustable collar H and a " par buckle" I connected to it and the stem J of
a suspended weight K whose upper end is pivotted by set screws L L arranged
through the upper part of a skeleton frame or standard M. The connection of the
par buckle" to the stem J is by an adjustable collar N which can be "set"
higher or lower on the stem J as desired and the upper end of the lever G can bo
"set" closer to or further away from the uprights M M by the thumb screw of
the parbuckle which works on a right and a left hand screw pins Q R for the
"
purpose.
The valve F is formed with two rings S T at a distance apart and fitting the
valve box B both ends of which are open for the free entry of air to the back or
to the front of the piston D which may be open to it thereby equilibrating the
piston at all times until the suction from the condenser takes place which overcomes
the equilibrium and causes it to move in the proper direction.
I arrange two plates U V one at each side of the frame M for rollers W fitted
in the suspended weight K to ride against to prevent any sticking action which
might occur from a side or lurching motion of the vessel if such appliances were
not provided.
The cylinder C has a top plate X so arranged with the bottom plate Y of the
frame M that one can be set at an angle with the other to ensure a direct action
with the throttle valve lever or rod from the piston rod E. The two plates X Y
are also arranged that the cylinder C can be turned about and set at any angle
with its rod E to the right or to the left according to the position the apparatus
may be fixed by its flanges Z Z in the engine room or at any other part of the
vessel.
The valve F and the lever G with the parbuckle and other accessories can be
affixed to the projections a a of the frame M these being counterparts of those bb
on the opposite side.
Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus complete Figure 2 an end view
Figure 3 a longitudinal vertical section showing the valve F in the position it

page_text: occupies for the suction to take place from the front end of the cylinder C and the
piston D to move in the direction of the arrow.
Figure 4 is a plan of the plate Y of the frame M the valve box B being in
section.
The suspended weight always maintains its vertical position the ship lifting at
the head or at the stern causing the frame and the cylinder to move with it and
thus open and close the ports to enable the piston D to be actuated.
c.c are springs within each end of the cylinder C to take the.shock of the piston
and to prevent
knocking against the ends of the cylinder.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
The apparatus shown. in the annexed Drawings and its connection with the
condenser of a marine engine for automatically regulating and controlling by
suction the admission of steam to such engine or engines during the pitching
rolling or lurching of a vessel after said apparatus has been set to the trim of
the vessel as described and to thereby regulate the speed of rotation of the screw
propeller as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Ralph John Smith have hereunto signed my
hand and seal this Twenty first day of June in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Signed and sealed by the said
Ralph John Smith in the
presence of
I. T. C. YOLAM
Clerk to Mr. William Pinkney
Solicitor
Sunderland.
RALPH JOHN SMITH. (L.S.)