Improvements in Apparatus for Governing Steam Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. ·
Improvements in Apparatus for Governing Steam Engines.
I, GEORGE PERCIVAL SPOONER, of Bron-y-garth, Portmadoc, North Wales,
Civil and Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in apparatus for governing
steam engines, by means of what is known as resistance governors.
In carrying out my invention I connect the driving shaft with the driven shaft,
by means of a spring clutch or coupling. The driving power is communicated to
the driven shaft in such a manner that, when the power is being utilised, the spring
or springs is or are in a state of compression, and the steam is admitted to the
engines without throttling or increased expansion. When, however, the work is
suddenly or temporarily thrown off or reduced, as in the case of a marine screw
propeller emerging from the water in a rough sea, a lever immediately acts upon
the throttle valve, or the expansion gear, or upon some other part of the engine, or
its connections, so as to arrest and govern the distribution of the steam and reduce
its force. This lever is mounted upon a suitable fulcrum. One end of the lever
is linked up to the throttle or other valve, or other means for effecting the cut off,
and the other end of the lever is engaged in the external groove of a pulley or
disc or the lever may be forked and engage a solid pulley or disc. This
disc rotates with the shaft and is also capable of receiving longitudinal motion
on the shaft from the coupling. When the driving power is in excess of the
driven work, the disc is caused to travel a short distance along the shaft. This
movement of the disc causes the lever to operate upon the throttle or expansion
valve or valves, or other controlling mechanism, and thereby effectually check all
tendency to race, and keep the engine under perfect control, automatically.
the resistance increasing, the disc returns and carries back the lever, thereby
bringing the engine to its normal condition of full power.
On
The coupling also affords a certain amount of flexibility to the propeller shaft
of a steam vessel, and reduces vibration.
Dated 5th December 1890.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Governing Steam Engines.
I, GEORGE PERCIVAL SPOONER, of Bron-y-garth, Portmadoc, North Wales,
Civil and Mechanical Engineer, 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 effect improvements in apparatus for governing
steam engines, by means of what is known as resistance governors.
In carrying out my invention I connect the driving shaft with the driven shaft,
by means of a spring clutch or coupling. The driving power is communicated
to the driven shaft in such a manner that, when the power is being utilised, the
spring or springs is or are in a state of compression, and the steam is admitted to
the engines without throttling or increased expansion. When, however, the work
is suddenly or temporarily thrown off or reduced, as in the case of a marine screw
propeller emerging from the water in a rough sea, a lever immediately acts upon the
ID 17

page_text: throttle valve, or the expansion gear, or upon some other part of the engine, or its
connections, so as to arrest and govern the distribution of the steam and
reduce its force.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascer-
tained reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing one method of applying my
invention to a marine, screw propeller engine.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the disc coupling, the springs being omitted for
greater clearness.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the disc c, fast on the propeller shaft d.
Fig. 4 is one face view of the disc b, and Fig. 5 is a reverse face view of the
same disc, this disc being fast on the driving shaft a.
Fig. 6 shows one method of forming a spring connection between the two coupling
discs b and c.
Figs. 7 to 10 illustrate further details of my invention.
a is the driving shaft actuated by the engines. is a disc fast on the driving
shaft, and revolving therewith. c is another disc fast on the propeller shaft d.
eee are three bolts fitted to the disc and passing through the bearings fif
formed in the disc c. 999 are three sockets pivoted on the bolts e.
The disc is
similarly fitted with bolts e¹ and pivoted sockets g¹.
с
These springs
Between each pair of sockets g and g¹, springs k are placed.
yield to and are compressed by the forces by which the discs b and c are driven
and the driving power is resisted, through the shaft, d and disc c.
rare two plates bolted to the discs b and c to retain the bolts and e¹ in
the discs.
m is a grooved pulley fitted to the shaft a, and capable of sliding thereon longi-
tudinally to a limited extent, such sliding action being caused by a change in the
angularity of the arms o, and the angular position of the arms being governed by
the amount of compression of the springs k, arising from the resistance of the
propeller. When this resistance is normal and uniform, the springs & communicate
the rotative force to the disc c and shaft d, and the distance between the disc b and
pulley m remains constant. If, however, the resistance is reduced below the normal,
by the emersion of the propeller, or other driven object, the springs & expand and
increase the distances between the sockets g and g', thus causing the discs b and c
to change their relative positions. This partial rotation alters the distance of the
pulley m from the disc by means of the links o; and this change of position of
the pulley m is utilised in governing the engine, by any ordinary method, such as
throttling, cutting off, &c. p is a spring fitted to assist in drawing the disc m
towards the disc b.
One method of governing the engine is shown in Fig. 1. s is a steam cylinder
having a piston t' attached to a piston rod t. This rod communicates with the
throttle valve or expansion lever. u and v are two valves fitted in its steam chest.
m is a lever pivoted at m². One end of this lever is retained in the groove of the
wheel m; the other end being linked to the rod u' of the valve u. to is a lever
pivoted at to, and linked to the valve rod of the valve ». The positions of the
fever and valve are governed by the position of the piston t¹ in the cylinders,
through the cross-head t, on the piston rod t.
When the grooved wheel m is drawn nearer to the disc b, by the reduction of
resistance to the propeller, the valve u is so moved that steam passes to the space 8¹
in the cylinder s. This drives the piston so that the valve & moves forward and
cuts off the steam from the cylinder by closing the relative port in the valve U, and
exhausting the steam through the inside of the valve v. The action of the
piston and rod t, upon the throttle valve or other gear, is thus rendered
instantaneous.
The valve vis shown formed with external lap and internal opening; but this
may be reversed, if preferred, the valve being in that case formed with internal lap

page_text: and external opening at both ends, whereby the cylinder is (normally) filled with
steam on both sides of the piston. Or the cylinder may be filled with water, upon
which the steam acts in a similar manner. Or the valve may be made without
either induction or eduction lap.
Fig. 7 is an elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 8 a partial front view, showing
another method of actuating the grooved wheel m. is a bracket, bolted to the
disc b. is a bell crank lever connected to the wheel m by the connecting link o'.
The partial rotation of the disc b, relatively to the disc c, actuates the wheel m, and
causes it to recede from or approach towards the disc b, and thus operate the
governing mechanism, as before described.
By arranging the shaft of the propeller, so that it may be capable of sliding
longitudinally in its bearings, to a small extent, the wheel m may be fixed to the
propeller shaft d, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, Fig. 9 being a face view and Fig. 10
a side view of the arrangement. a is the crank shaft fitted with a disc y. d is the
propeller shaft, having the wheel m keyed thereto. Two, three, or more adjustable
pairs of springs xx¹ connect the two discs, so that an increase or decrease of thrust
causes the wheel or disc m to approach or recede from the discy; such motion being
utilised in governing the engine, as before described.
It is obvious that the positions of the discs may be reversed upon the driving
and driven shafts, and that other slight modifications may be made, as found
necessary and advisable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :--
.n
1. In apparatus for governing steam engines, the utilisation of the variations
the amount of resistance, arising from variations in the load or work, by means o
springs and other appliances, substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by the drawings.
2. In apparatus as aforesaid, the method of mounting the springs / between
pivoted sockets and g, whereby the springs are compressed between parallel
surfaces, substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
f
3. In combination with apparatus as aforesaid, the application and use of the
links o pivoted to the bolts e and the wheel m, the variable angularity of such links
being utilised in controlling the position of the grooved wheel m, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
4. In combination with apparatus as aforesaid, the application and use of bell
crank levers for regulating the position of the grooved wheel m on the shaft a,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8 of the
drawings.
5. In combination with apparatus as aforesaid, the method of regulating the
position of the grooved wheel m, by attaching the same to the propeller shaft d;
the thrust, or some portion of the thrust, being utilised in compressing springs x,
and thereby causing the grooved wheel m to change its position, substantially as
and for the purposes aforesaid and as illustrated by the drawings.
6. The general construction, arrangements and combinations of the several and
respective parts, together forming my invention of improvements in apparatus
for governing steam engines, substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by the drawings.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.