Improvements in Engine Governors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan.,
1899
'Improvements in Engine Governors.
I, ARTHUR SAMUEL FRANCIS ROBINSON, of the Vale of White Horse Iron
Works, Wantage, in the County of Berks, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to further improvements in engine governors of
the kind described in the Specifications of former Patents granted to me
Nos. 12496 of 1894; 20960 of 1894; and 17411 of 1897.
According thereto instead of connecting the arms carrying the weights to the
governor drum, as described in my former Specification No. 17411 of 1897, I
suspend them from suitable supports secured to the connected and movable
free ends of the pair of curved spring blades connected to the shifting eccentric
so that the points of suspensions of such weight carrying arms will move in
and out from the periphery of the governor drum with the free ends of the
curved spring blades. By this means the weights will have a compensating
movement imparted to them whereby they will be caused to move in planes
parallel to those containing the axes of the pulleys so that they will be caused
to pull on the cord or cords practically in straight lines tangential to the
peripheries of the pulleys with the result that the sensitiveness of the governor
will be increased. The arrangement is specially advantageous for use in cases
where close governing is desirable, as for example when driving dynamos for
electric lighting purposes.
The pivoted ends of the weight carrying arms are or may advantageously be
provided with tail pieces arranged in proximity to suitable abutments on or in
the governor drum so that in the event of the cord, or either cord, when two
are used, breaking, the tail pieces by being forced against the abutments by the
weighted arms will act through the curved spring blades to bring the shifting
eccentric to the mid position and cut off the supply of steam to the engine which
it controls, the arrangement thus constituting a safety device. The tail pieces
may be provided with rollers.
The shifting eccentric and guide plate at opposite sides of the governor drum
may, according to this invention, be connected together by two pairs of distance
pieces formed as bolts with faced collars near the ends, one end of each bolt being
screwed in the plate carrying the eccentric and the other end of the bolt passing
through the guide plate and being secured thereto by a nut. These stretcher
or distance bolts are planed on one side to receive bridge pieces which are
secured to the bolts and are formed with lugs to which are secured the inner ends
of the parallel motion bars. To the inner side of the bridge pieces are or may be
attached suitable buffers preferably of leather.
To avoid weakening the curved spring blades by forming holes therethrough
for attachment of the spring backs that connect one of the sets of pulleys of each
pair to the blades, the said spring backs are each carried by a laminated spring
blade one end of which is bolted to the inside of the fixed end of the corre-

page_text: sponding curved spring blades and the other end of which embraces a pin
carried by the spring back which is formed with lateral guiding projections
between which the corresponding curved spring blade extends. Each inner set
of cord pulleys may be attached to the corresponding spring back by a pair of
links. The said pin may in some cases serve as a pulley pin when pulleys are
arranged on either side of the spring back. The arrangement described facili-
tates the introduction and removal of the curved spring blades.
Each double set of cord pulleys may be arranged between the corresponding
curved spring blade and governor weight, one end of the corresponding cord being
connected to the weight and the other end to a tightening device, such as an
adjusting screw, carried by the governor drum. This arrangement is more particu-
larly suitable when the arms or spring bars carrying the weights are attached to
the governor drum.
I, ARTHUR SAMUEL FRANCIS ROBINSON, of the Vale of White Horse Iron
Works, Wantage, in the County of Berks, Engineer, 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 reference to further improvements in engine governors of
the kind described in the Specifications of former Patents granted to me
Nos. 12496 of 1894; 20960 of 1894; and 17411 of 1897.
According thereto instead of connecting the arms carrying the weights to the
governor drum, as described in my former Specification No. 17411 of 1897, I
suspend them from suitable supports secured to the connected and movable
free ends of the pair of curvéd spring blades connected to the shifting eccentric
so that the points of suspension of such weight-carrying arms will move in
and out from the periphery of the governor drum with the free ends of the
curved spring blades. By this means the weights will have a compensating
movement imparted to them whereby they will be caused to move in planes
parallel to those containing the axes of the pulleys so that they will be caused
to pull on the cord or cords practically in straight lines tangential to the
peripheries of the pulleys with the result that the sensitiveness of the governor
will be increased. The arrangement is specially advantagous for use in cases
where close governing is desirable, as for example when driving dynamos for
electric lighting purposes.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation of a governor according to this invention;
Fig. 2 is a central vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of the governor with certain parts omitted.
1 is the governor drum which is keyed upon the engine shaft 2. 3, 3 are the
curved springs, adjacent ends of which are fixed to arms 4 pivotted to the drum,
whilst the adjacent opposite ends of the springs are connected together and to
the eccentric 5 by a cross-head 6. 7, 7 are the weight-carrying arms, each of
which is pivotted to a bracket 8 bolted to the cross-head 6 as shown. The
weights act upon a cord or cords 9 which passes or pass around fixed pulleys 10

page_text: mounted in the drum and movable pulleys 11 carried by holders 12 mounted on
the middle portions of the springs 3, in the manner described in my said former
Specification No. 17411 of 1897.
The pivoted ends of the weight carrying arms 7 may advantageously be pro-
vided with tail pieces 13 carrying antifriction rollers 14 and arranged in proximity
to suitable abutments 15 on or in the governor drum 1. An arrangement of
the kind described and shown may be so arranged that the rollers 14 rest in
contact with the abutment and that, as the weights move outwardly under the
action of centrifugal force and thus draw the eccentric 5 towards the centre of
the shaft 2, the tail-pieces 13 will, by being forced against the abutments 15
by the weighted arms, also act through the blades 3 to move the eccentric 5 in
the same direction.
By this means the motion of the weights caused by centrifugal force is trans-
mitted to the eccentric partly through the cord and pulley arrangements whereby
the movements of the governor are steadied and "hunting" avoided, and partly
through the levers 7 with tail pieces 13 and the inclined abutments 15 whereby
the spring blades 3 and the eccentric is rendered very stable in all positions.
Furthermore, in the event of the cords, or either cord when two are used, breaking,
the levers 7 with tail pieces 13 and the inclined abutments 15 will act alone
through the blades 3 so as to shift the eccentric to the mid position and cut off
the supply of steam to the engine which it controls, the arrangement thus con-
stituting a safety device.
The shifting eccentric 5 and its guide plate 16 at opposite sides of the governor
drum may, according to this invention, be connected together by two pairs of
distance pieces 17 formed as bolts with faced collars 17" near the ends, one end
of each bolt being screwed in the plate carrying the eccentric 5 and the other
end of the bolt passing through the guide plate 16 and being secured thereto by
a nut 18 as shown. These stretcher or distance bolts 17 are planed on one side
to receive bridge pieces 19 and 20 which are secured to the bolts and have fixed
to them the inner ends of the parallel motion bars 21. In the example shown
the bridge piece 19 is made in one piece with the cross head 6 as a casting. The
construction of the cross head may however be modified. To the inner sides of
the bridge pieces 19 and 20 suitable buffers 22, 22, preferably of leather, may be
attached.
To avoid weakening the curved spring blades 3 by forming holes therethrough
for attachment of the holders or spring backs 12 that connect one of the sets of
pulleys of each pair to the blades, the said holders or spring backs are each carried
by a spring blade 23 (which may be laminated), one end of which is bolted to
the corresponding arm 4 inside of the fixed end of the corresponding curved
spring blade 3 and the other end of which embraces a pin 24 carried by the
holder or spring back and which serves as a pulley pin, the inner pulleys 11
being arranged on either side of the holder or spring back. Each holder or spring
back may be formed with lateral guiding projections (not shown) between which
the corresponding curved spring blade 3 extends, and each inner set of cord
pulleys may be attached to the holder or spring back by a pair of links.
In the cord and pulley arrangement illustrated, only one cord is used which
passes over a guide block 1", one end of it being connected to a lug 1b that
carries one of the parallel motion bars 21 and its other end being connected to
a tightening device comprising a lever 25, through which extends a screw 20
that is carried by the governor drum and is fitted with an adjusting nut 27.
The cord 9 is indicated by thin lines in Fig. 3, the weights engaging in bights
or loops of the said cord.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1 A governor of the kind referred to, wherein the centrifugal weights are

page_text: mounted upon arms or levers suspended from the connected and movable free
ends of the curved spring blades connected to the shifting eccentric so that the
points of suspension of such weight-carrying arms or levers will move in and
out from the periphery of the governor drum with the free ends of the curved
spring blades, the movements of the weights being transmitted to the eccentric.
by means of one or more cord and pulley arrangements, or by the weight-carrying
arms or levers acting against abutments on the drum, or partly by the one
and partly by the other, substantially as described.
2. A governor of the kind referred to wherein the holders or spring backs
connecting the movable pulleys to the curved spring blades that support the
eccentric are each carried at one end of a separate spring blade the other end
of which is fixed inside of the fixed end of the corresponding curved spring
blade, substantially as described.
3. Governors of the kind referred to constructed, arranged and operating sub-
stantially as described with reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of Astolov 1900.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.