IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Dixon Churchill at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th August 1879.
JAMES DIXON CHURCHILL, of Belgrave Road, Holloway, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE
SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES."
My Invention has for object the regulating the supply of steam to steam engines,
and has reference to apparatus for this purpose wherein a valve for admitting
actuating fluid to one or the other side of a piston connected to, and operating the
throttle or regulating valve of the engine to be controlled, is moved by the action of
liquid, contained in a vessel against vanes or blades contained in the same vessel,
the liquid being put in operation by other vanes or blades driven by the engine to
be controlled. In one arrangement of apparatus, according to my Invention, the
liquid containing vessel is a circular tank having internal projections or baffles
and a round opening in the centre of its top provided with a tube or pipe depend-
ing into the interior of the vessel. Rising from the centre of the bottom of the
vessel is a tube or pipe open at its lower end, and coned internally at the top which
is closed. This tube or pipe receives and is supported by a pivot or spindle, against
whose upper end the inner side of the tube bears at the top, the mouth or lower
part of the tube also bears with an easy fit round the pivot or spindle. Through the
central opening in the top of the vessel enters, without touching the depending pipe or
tube, a concentric spindle which is held firmly in position by a bearing or journal
supported by a framing springing from the bed plate of the machine. The lower
end of the vertical spindle is cup shaped, so as to fit over and partly enclose (but
without touching) the tube rising from the bottom of the vessel. Attached to the
lower end of this spindle and within the liquid containing vessel are vanes or blades
with slots to clear the pipe or tube depending from the top of the said vessel, and
the upper or outer end of this spindle carries a driving pulley actuated from the
engine to be controlled or regulated. The vessel is connected with and operates a
rack and pinion or other suitable motion to actuate the slide of an auxilliary
cylinder, the piston of which is connected directly or by suitable gearing with the
throttle or regulating valve of the engine to be controlled or regulated. On the
bed plate or other stationary part of the machine is arranged an adjustable spring,
preferably of the description known as volute, and round its drum is wound a
chain, of which one end is attached to the drum, and the other end to any convenient
part of the outside of the vessel above described. Motion being imparted from

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the engine to be controlled or regulated so as to cause the vanes or blades to rotate
in opposition to the pull of the spring, any sudden acceleration of speed in the engine
will cause the water containing vessel to be partially rotated, and by means of the
rack and pinion or equivalent motion, to operate the valve of the auxiliary cylinder,
BO as to admit actuating fluid to one or the other side of its piston, and move as
required the throttle or regulating valve of the engine to be controlled or regulated.
In another arrangement the liquid containing vessel with internal projections or
baffles and central circular opening with depending pipe or tube in its top is
provided at the bottom with a pivot or spindle .projecting downward, and fitting
into a bush or bearing in the bed plate of the machine, or the spindle or pivot may
be fixed in the bed plate and fit into a bush or bearing in the centre of the under
part of the bottom of the vessel. The top of the vessel has a vertical tubular axis
working in a bearing or journal supported by a framing springing from the bed
plate, and the lower part of the vessel carries a sheave or pulley, driven from the
engine to be controlled or regulated. Through the vertical tubular axis of the
vessel, and so as to clear it, enters a spindle whose foot is set in a central bush or
bearing inside the vessel, the upper or outer end being set in another bush or
bearing carried by a bracket springing from the top of the framing above referred
to. On this spindle within the vessel are vanes or blades with slots to clear the
depending pipe or tube, and to the upper part of this spindle is attached a lever
connected with a spring (preferably volute) carried by the framing springing from
the bed plate. Attached to this lever near the fulcrum is a rod which through
suitable gear operates the slide of the auxiliary cylinder for the purpose already
,inentioned. The rod just.referred. to, instead of being attached to the lever, may
; be, operated by a rack and pinion or other, motion.
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The liquid containing vessel being driven by the engine to be controlled, or
regulated in the direction to cause the vanes or blades to put a tension on the lever
attached, to the spring and vertical spindle, any undue acceleration of speed of the
engine will cause the spindle to partially, rotate in opposition to the pull of the
spring, thus causing the slide of the auxiliary cylinder and its piston to be actuated,
and the throttle or regulating valve of the engine, to be moved as required.
To return the valve of the auxiliary cylinder to the position, the governor has
moved it from, I employ an arrangement as follows:-The toothed segment or
equivalent, part for operating the valve rod is hinged or jointed to a rod connected
to and adjustable, vertically by a lever which is actuated by a screw, on a twisted
bar, caused to turn on its axis, as required by a nut or inclines connected to and
moying with the piston rod. By this arrangement the position is varied of the
centre on which the toothed quadrant, or equivalent part, partially, rotates or works,
so that the piston of the auxiliary cylinder is brought to rest at the required part
of the stroke. This method of returning the valve, of the auxiliary cylinder may
be used in connection with either of the arrangements of governing apparatus above
referred to, or with other apparatus of the same class.
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