An Improved Speed Indicator.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th May, 1890-Accepted, 5th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by A. LOISEAU & SON, and ELSNER, NAUHARDT & Co.,
all of Paris, in the Republic of France.]
An Improved Speed Indicator.
I GEORGE DOWNING, of 8 Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent de hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to manufacture an improved form and arrangement
of apparatus for indicating the speed of revolving shafts and analogous appliances.
My invention consists of a vertical revolving spindle, fitted with a driving pulloy,
and carrying at its upper end a shallow cylindor containing a fluid (proforably
mercury).
The top cover of the cylinder is bored to receive a vertical stationary tube, such
tube being screwed to a bracket attached to the frame, immediately over the cylinder,
and concentric therewith. A vertical glass tube is fitted above this stationary
tube.
The lower end of the vertical stationary tube within the cylinder is fitted with
a horizontal stationary disc, on one side of which a small radial tube is fitted, closed
at its outer end and open at its inner end to the vertical stationary tube. Near
the outer end of the radial tube a small hole is made, to adinit the fluid when the
apparatus rotates. The position of this hole depends upon the direction in which
the apparatus rotates, being so placed that the direction of the hole is opposed to
the direction of the fluid, as the apparatus rotates.
When the apparatus is caused to rotate, the fluid in the cylinder is driven by the
centrifugal force towards the circumference. As the pressure increases the fluid
enters the small radial tube and thus gains access to the vertical stationary tube.
The height of the fluid in the glass tube indicates the speed of revolution of the
cylinder.
By means of a graduated scale fitted to the glass tube, the speed or number of
revolutions may be easily read off, the scale having been previously prepared by
means of a counting mechanism.
The end of the small radial tube may be variously formed and perforated so as to
admit of the apparatus being rotated in either direction.
The apparatus may be fitted to record the speed, by means of a scroll of paper
carried by a rotating cylinder operated by clockwork, together with a pencil tracer
carried by a piston fitted to the glass tube.
GEO. DOWNING.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Speed Indicator.
A communication from abroad by A. LOISEAU, SON, and ELSNER, NAUHARDT & Co.,
all of Paris, in the Republic of France.
I, GEORGE DOWNING, of 8 Quality Court, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to manufacture an improved form and arrangement
of apparatus for indicating the speed of revolving shafts and analogous appliances.
My invention consists of a vertical revolving spindle, fitted with a driving or

page_text: (preferably mercury).
The top cover of the cylinder is bored to receive a vertical stationary tube, such
tube being screwed to a bracket attached to the frame, immediately over the cylinder,
and concentric therewith. A vertical glass tube is fitted above this stationary tube.
The lower end of the vertical stationary tube within the cylinder is fitted with a
horizontal stationary disc, on one side of which one or more small radial tube or
tubes is or are fitted, closed at their outer ends and open at their inner ends to the
vertical stationary tube. Near the outer ends of each of the vertical tubes a small
hole is made, to admit the fluid when the apparatus rotates. The position of the
hole depends upon the direction in which the apparatus rotates, being so placed
that the direction of the hole is opposed to the direction of the fluid, as the apparatus
rotates.
When the apparatus is caused to rotate, the fluid in the cylinder is driven by
centrifugal force towards the circumference. As the pressure increases the fluid
enters the small radial tube and thus gains access to the vertical stationary tube.
The height of the fluid in the glass tube indicates the speed of revolution of the
spindle.
By means of a graduated scale fitted to the glass tube, the speed or number of
revolutions may be easily read off, the scale having been previously prepared by
means of a counting mechanism.
The end of the small radial tube may be variously formed and perforated, so as to
admit of the apparatus being rotatel in either direction.
The apparatus may be fitted to record the speed by means of a scroll of paper
carried by a rotating cylinder operated by clockwork, together with a pencil tracer
carried by a piston fitted to the glass tube; or electrical connections may be utilised
for the purpose of reading off or giving alarm.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus.
Fig. 2 is an inside view of one half of the revolving cylinder.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the stationary disc.
Figs. 4 & 5 show methods of communicating the results by electricity.
Fig. 6 shows the method of recording the speeds by means of a revolving cylinder
carrying a registering paper.
Fig. 7 is a detachable handle for the apparatus.
a is the frame of the apparatus. is a spindle with a square point, which may be
attached in any convenient manner to the revolving shaft to be indicated. The
spindle may be fitted with a driving pulley e of equal diameter to the driven pulley e,
or with a pulley c¹ of half the diameter of e, or of any other suitable diameter. d is a
vertical spindle fitted with a driven pulley e, which may be shifted on the spindle to
suit various diameters of driving pulleys c c. The spindle d may be fitted with
a grooved pulley and be driven by bands or other suitable driving gear. a¹ is one of
the bearings of the spindle d. fff are oil cups for lubricating the bearings and foot-
step of the spindles 6 & d.
is a float
9 is a shallow cylinder, fast on the spindle d, and revolving therewith. The upper
and lower covers of the cylinder g are formed with ribs g¹, as shown in plan Fig. 2.
a² is a plate forming the support for the glass indicator tube hand stationary
disc m.
This tube is fitted into a metal socket A, screwed to the plate a².
fitting the tube h. m is a stationary disc, formed with a hollow neck m², which is
screwed into the plate a². The disc m is perfectly concentric with the revolving
cylinder g. The disc m is fitted with two tubes n n, open to the central bore
hole, but closed at their outer ends. A hole is made in each of the tubes on one side
only, as shown at n¹:
The upper cover of the cylinder g is formed with an open neck, and there is no
contact between the revolving cylinder 9 and the disc m.
g

page_text: Mercury (or other suitable fluid) is poured into the cylinder g. When the cylinder
is caused to revolve, the mercury is thrown towards the circumference by centrifugal
force, aided by the ribs g. The revolving mercury enters one of the tubes n by the
hole n', and passes from thence to the tube h, raising the float p in the tube /, its
elevation indicating the speed of the revolving shaft required to be indicated.
By fitting the tube with electric alarm wires t t¹, and omitting the float p, the rise
of the mercury in the tube h may be made to complete the circuit and give notice of
excessive speed; the length of the wire t' corresponding with the required speed of the
shaft, as indicated by the numbers on the scale.
Fig. 5 illustrates another method of electrically communicating the speed at which
the shaft is rotating. A suitable number of wires t t are inserted in the glass tube h,
in such a manner that the rise of the mercury in the tube completes the circuit at the
highest number reached thereby.
In Fig. 6 the float p, in the tube h, is fitted with a rod r, which carries a pencil s at
its lower end. v is a rotating cylinder carrying a registering paper, the cylinder being
rotated by clockwork contained in the case y in the usual manner.
w (Fig. 7) is a detachable handle, having a screw a fitting the internal screw in
the frame a; whereby the apparatus may be held in the hand, the square point of the
spindle being held in contact with some portion of the machinery to be indicated.
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. A speed indicator consisting of a horizontal rotating cylinder g containing
mercury or other liquid, subjected to centrifugal force, whereby the liquid is caused to
enter a stationary tube n and central tube m', and to rise in a tube h, or to sustain a
float p therein, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings.
2. In a speed indicator as aforesaid, the method of driving the spindle d by means
of the friction pulleys e c or c¹, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings.
3. In combination with a speed indicator as aforesaid, the rotating cylinder 9, the
upper and lower covers of which are furnished with ribs g', substantially as and for
the purposes herein before described and illustrated by Fig. 2 of the drawings.
4. In combination with a speed indicator as aforesaid, the application and use of
electric appliances for communicating the results to a distance, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings.
5. In combination with a speed indicator as aforesaid, the application and use of
a rotating recording cylinder driven by ordinary clockwork in a case y, the speed
being recorded upon an ordinary registering sheet of paper by means of a pencil s
carried by a rod connected with the float p, substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the drawings.
6. The general construction, arrangement, and combination of the several and
respective parts, together forming my invention of improvements in speed indicators,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
1000
GEO. DOWNING.