Improvements in Engine Governors.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896
Improvements in Engine Governors.
I, HERBERT LINDLEY, of Sandon Engine Works, Patricroft near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of governors for steam engines known as shaft
governors which are adapted to alter the throw and angular lead of an eccentric or
crank pin to suit the load on the engine and it consists in an improved construction
and arrangement of such a governor whereby the action thereof is rendered more
prompt and certain than usual and whereby such action can be varied from time to
time, whilst the engine is running, so as to adapt the governor to operate at various
speeds to suit different requirements.
A construction of engine governor according to my invention is as follows:-
On the engine shaft is fitted an eccentric provided with lugs and pins in such a
manner that, by suitable means (such as links taking on to the aforesaid pins and
connected to weighted and spring controlled levers, the said eccentric will be
partially rotated around the shaft when the speed of the shaft exceeds the normal
Outside the said
for which the said levers have been adjusted, as well understood.
eccentric (hereinafter referred to as the inner eccentric) is fitted an outer or main
eccentric which in turn has fitted to its outer periphery the clips or strap to which
is fastened the eccentric rod for working the valve or valves to be controlled.
This outer eccentric is prevented from rotating on the inner one by means of a pin
which is secured to the boss of the wheel, disc, or pulley containing the weighted
and spring loaded levers, or governor proper and extending through a circular
groove in the inner eccentric and engages a slide block mounted to work in a
groove or slot in a plate that is secured to the outer eccentric and projects
into a groove formed in the inner eccentric, the arrangement being such that the
said pin will prevent the main eccentric from turning and will provide a positive
driving power against the friction of such eccentric in its clip, whilst the slide block
and grooved or slotted plate will allow the main eccentric to travel slightly so as
to prevent locking by reason of the circular motion of the inner eccentric.
The motion of the centre of the inner eccentric takes place in an arc situated
between the slide block and the centre of the main eccentric, and the combined
effect of this motion and that of the outer eccentric about the slide block on the
fixed pin is such as to cause the centre of the main eccentric to travel from a point
near the centre of the shaft, corresponding to minimum throw of the eccentric and
therefore travel of the valve when the governor weights are fully out, to a point
having greater throw and less angular lead and therefore giving more travel to the
valve and more steam to the engine, when the weights are nearer the centre of
the shaft.
In order to alter the governor whilst the engine is running and so enable it to
operate at a different speed than before, there is fitted to the governor wheel,
a bracket bored axially with the shaft and having a slot between two lugs in which
is fitted a worm wheel the teeth of which are so cut that it can engage either with
a right handed or with a left handed worm. In the axial bore of the said bracket
is fitted a shaft that is capable of being moved endways by a lever or equivalent
means, and is provided with right and left handed worms or threads spaced apart
and of such a diameter that they can he engaged in turn with the aforesaid worm

page_text: wheel when the shaft carrying them is moved end wise so as to bring one or other
of them into gear with such wheel, the space between them being such as to allow
of their being both out of gear when the shaft is in its central position. The shaft
with worms or threads being prevented from rotating and the worm wheel being
carried round by the bracket secured to the governor wheel, it follows that if either
worm be brought into gear with the wheel, the said wheel will be rotated, in a
direction depending on which worm is in gear with it. The shaft on which the
worm wheel rotates is a screw prevented from turning, so that when the worm
wheel rotates the screw is travelled end ways. This end ways motion of the screw is
utilized to affect the disposition of the governor parts in such a way as to cause it
to vary the speed at which the governor operates.
According to one arrangement for this purpose the governor weights are caused
to slide on the spring controlled arms or levers which transmit their motion to the
eccentrics, the sliding movement of the weights being effected by lever arms that
are carried by a shaft passing through the fulcrum of the said spring controlled
arms or levers and are connected to the governor weights and screw the arrange-
ment being such that when the screw travels end ways, the weights will be moved
to a greater or less radius or leverage thus enabling the governor to act at a
different speed.
In a modified arrangement the endways motion of the screw is made to compress
or extend, more or less, a supplementary spring whereby a greater or less amount
of spring force can be made to act on the governor weights and so vary the speed
at which the governor will act.
Improvements in Engine Governors.
1, HERBERT LINDLEY, of Sandon Engine Works, Patricroft near Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to that class of governors for steam engines known as shaft
governors, which are adapted to alter the throw and angular lead of an eccentric or
crank pin to suit the load on the engine, and it consists in an improved construction
and arrangement of such a governor whereby the action thereof is rendered more
prompt and certain than usual, and whereby such action can be varied from time to
time whilst the engine is running, so as to adapt the governor to operate at various
speeds to suit different requirements.
In the accompanying illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation showing one construction of engine
governor mechanism according to this invention; and
Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the line a b of Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, drawn to a smaller scale, representing the governor
mechanism in position on the governor wheel.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation representing a slightly modified arrangement for
preventing the outer eccentric from rotating on the inner one.
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing relatively to the centre of the crank shaft, various
positions of the centres of the two eccentrics.
On the engine shaft A is fitted an eccentric B provided with lugs C and pins C¹

page_text: in such a manner that, by suitable means, such as links D jointed to the pins Cland
connected to levers E carrying weights and controlled by springs G (Fig. 2), the
said eccentric will, as well understood, be partially rotated around the shaft A when
the speed of the shaft exceeds the normal for which the levers E have been adjusted.
Outside the eccentric B, bereinafter referred to as the inner eccentric, is fitted
another or main eccentric H, which in turn has fitted to its outer periphery the
strap I (Fig. 2) to which is fastened the eccentric rod J for working the valve or
valves to be controlled. The outer eccentric H is normally prevented from rotating
on the inner one B. For this purpose there is employed a pin K, which may be
secured to the boss of the wheel, disc, or pulley M, as shown in Fig. 3, or, as
I prefer, direct to the shaft A, as shown in Figs. 1 an 1. In the former cise
(Fig. 3), the pin K extends parallel to the shaft and through a circular slot or
groove B in one side of the inner eccentric B and engages or carries a slide
block O that is mounted to work in a groove or slot P in a plate Q secured to the
inner periphery of the outer eccentric H and projecting into a groove or recess N
formed in the inner eccentric. In the latter case (Fig. 1), the pin is radial to the
shaft and projects into the groove or slot P, its outer end K', which is preferably
of cylindrical form and has its axis parallel to the shaft, being jointed to the slide
block so that the latter can partly turn thereon. The arrangement in each case
is such that the pin K will normally prevent the main eccentric H from turning
relatively to the shaft and will provide a positive driving power against the friction
of such eccentric in its strap I, whilst the slide block O and grooved or slotted.
plate will allow the main eccentric H to travel slightly in a radial direction so
as to prevent locking by reason of the circular motion of the inner eccentric B.
within the eccentric H. The relative motions and travels of the two eccentrics B
and H under the action of the governor weights, is represented in the diagrammatic-
view Fig. 4, 1 being the centre of the crankshaft; 2, 3, 4, 5 and successive
positions of the centre of the inner eccentric B; and 7 the centre of the joint
between the head K' of the pin K and the slide block O. The position 2 corre-
sponds to least throw of the outer eccentric and to the governor weights being fully
out, the position 6 corresponding to greatest throw of the outer eccentric and to the
governor weights being fully in. As will be seen the motion of the centre of
the inner eccentric B takes place in an arc, situated between the slide block O and
the centre of the main eccentric H, and the combined effect of this motion and that
of the outer eccentric H on the said slide block and about the pin K, is such as to.
cause the centre of the outer eccentric H, to travel from a point 22 near the
centre 1 of the shaft A, corresponding to the minimum throw of the outer eccentric
and therefore minimum travel of the valve and to fully-extended governor weights;.
to points 33, 44, 55, and 66 having successively greater throw and less angular lead
and therefore giving more travel to the valve and more steam to the engine and
corresponding to successively less extended positions of the governor weights..
It will be seen that the path of the outer eccentric H is a curve, though by adopting
a different proportion between the centres 1,7 and 22 it can be made a straight
liue. The curved form shewn is however preferable, as by that means the linear
lead of the slide valve can be eliminated or reduced at the earlier cut offs and
better governing thereby obtained.
Mechanism for altering a governor of the type referred to whilst the engine is.
running, and so enabling it to operate at a different speed than before, is represented in
Figs. 5, 6, and 7; Fig. 5 being an end elevation, Fig. 6 a vertical transverse section
partly in elevation, and Fig. 7 a partial vertical section, the governor-wheel being
represented in the last figure as having been rotated through 90° from the position
in which it is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In these figures the eccentrics H and B are
not shown in order to render the drawings less complicated.
To the governor-wheel M is fixed a bracket S having a bore co-axial with the
shaft A and having a slot which is formed by and between two lugs S' and S and
in which is fitted a worm-wheel T the teeth of which are so cut that it can engage
either with a right handed or with a left handed worm at will, straight or ordinary

page_text: spur teeth will be found sufficient for this purpose. In the axial bore of the
bracket S is fitted a shaft U that is capable of being moved end ways by a lever U
(or equivalent means), and is provided with right and left handed worms or
threads V and V³, (Fig. 7) spaced apart and of such a diameter that they can be
engaged in turn with the worm-wheel T when the shaft U is moved end wise so as
to bring one or other of them into gear with such wheel, the space between them
being such as to allow of their being both out of gear when the shaft U is, as
shown, in its central position: The lever U₁ is, in the example shown, suspended
on a pin U2 carried by an extension U³ of a collar U mounted loosely on the
bracket S, and is normally kept in its central vertical position by means of a
weight U in which it terminates. In some cases the lever U¹ may be provided
with suitable means for locking it in its central position. The shaft U with its
worms V and V₁ being prevented from rotating by the weighted lever U', and the
worm-wheel T being carried round by the bracket S, it follows that if either of
the worms V and V' be brought into gear with the wheel T by moving the
lever U¹ by hand, whilst the engine is running, the said worm wheel will be rotated
in a direction depending on which worm is in gear with it. The shaft on which
the worm wheel T rotates is a screw W that is prevented from turning about its
axis, so that when the worm-wheel T rotates, the screw W is travelled end ways.
This endways motion of the screw W is utilized to affect the disposition of the
governor parts in such a way as to cause it to vary the speed at which the governor
operates.
In the arrangement shown for this purpose in Figs. 5 and 6, the governor-
weights are caused to slide on the spring-controlled arms or levers E which
transmit their motion to the eccentrics B and H (Figs. 1 and 2). The sliding
movement of each of the weights is effected by lever arms X and X' that are
carried by a shaft X³ passing through the fulcrum of the said spring-controlled
arms or levers and one of which is connected to the screw W by a link X³ and the
other to the corresponding governor-weight F by a link X, the arrangement being
such that when the screw W travels endways, the weights F will be moved on the
arms or levers E to a greater or less radius or leverage according to the direction
in which the screw is moved, thus enabling the governor to act at a different speed.
The disposition of the two opposite handed worms on shaft U is such that when
the gear operated by the wheel T comes to the end of its possible travel or motion
and T is thus prevented from further rotating on W, a further motion of the
wheel T round shaft U will move the worm with which it engages endways so as to
become disengaged and thus prevent accident. For instance, if the wheel M is
to rotate in the direction of the arrows shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the worm V would
be a left handed one and V' a right handed one.
In a modified arrangement, represented in end elevation in Fig. 8, the end ways
motion of the screw W is made to compress or extend, more or less, a supplementary
spring Y whereby a greater or less amount of spring-force can be made to act on
the governor-levers E and so vary the speed at which the governor will act.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an engine governor, a main or outer eccentric connected by a pin and
slide or equivalent means directly or indirectly to the engine shaft and placed on
an inner eccentric that is under control, the arrangement being such that by the
centrifugal action of the governor mechanism, the inner eccentric will be caused to
alter the throw and lead of the main eccentric, substantially as described.
2. In an engine governor, the construction and arrangement in combination of
the inner and outer eccentrics with slide and pin connection between the outer
eccentric and driving shaft, direct or through the governor wheel, disc, or pulley,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1 to 4
inclusive of the drawings annexed.

page_text: 3. In an engine governor, controlling the speed at which the governor will
operate by means of a worm wheel arranged to be carried round bodily with the
governor and adapted to be rotated about it own axis by one or other of two worms
with each of which it is adapted to gear, one of the worms being right handed and
the other left handed and each capable of being put in and out of
with the said worm wheel whilst the governor is rotating.
gear alternately
4. In an engine governor, my improved speed-varying mechanism constructed,
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
respectively to and shown in Figs. 5, to 7 inclusive and in Fig. 8 of the drawings
annexed.
5. An engine governor of the kind referred to in Claim 1 constructed with
my improved speed varying mechanism as described and illustrated.
Dated this 16th day of December 1895.