IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES AND OF FEED WATER TO BOILERS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Froderick William Durham, of Barnet, in the County of
Hertfordshire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES AND OF FEED WATER
TO BOILERS."
Scaled the 25th April 1879, and dated the 18th February 1879,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick William Durham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th February 1879.
FREDERICK WILLIAM. DURHAM, of Barnet, in the County of Hertfordshire.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM
ENGINES AND OF FEED WATER TO BOILERS."
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and Howse, No. 2128, of
1876, was described an apparatus for regulating the supply of steam to steam
engines wherein vanes were rotated with a certain resistance inside a casing filled
with liquid, the rotation being effected from the engine through differential or sun
and planet gear, so that a shaft carrying part of such gear was turned in one
direction or the other on an increase or decrease of the speed of the engine
occuring, and was thereby made to reduce or increase the steam supply to the
engine.
According to one part of my present Invention, instead of rotating the vanes
inside the casing of the said apparatus I rotate the casing, keeping the vanes
stationary. For this purpose I arrange the apparatus so that the spindle carrying
the casing, as also that carrying the vanes, are horizontal, the casing and vanes
being placed vertical. The spindle of the casing is connected to the spindle driven
by the engine through differential or sun and planet wheels of any suitable known
construction, such as were described in the previous Patent, and the intermediate
wheel or wheels that transmit the motion from the wheel driven by the engine to
that on the casing spindle is or are connected to the valve or slide that regulates
directly or indirectly the supply of steam to the engine, and also to a spring or
weight (by preference a spiral spring) which tends to move the wheel or wheels in
the contrary direction to that in which the wheel of the driving spindle tends to
move them. Thus the vanes being held stationary by their spindle, and the casing
CD er

page_text: it
being rotated by the engine at the normal speed through the differential gear,
will be seen that if the spring holding the intermediate wheels be adjusted so that
at such speed of the casing it holds the said wheels, and consequently the steam
supply valve in the normal position, then on an increase of speed of the engine
occuring the resistance offered by the casing to an increase of motion will cause the
Baid intermediate wheels to be moved in opposition to the spring so as to effect the
closing of the steam supply valve more or less. On the speed of the engine
decreasing again the spring will draw the wheel back into its normal position and
thus cause the supply valve also to assume its normal position. The vanes may
either be held rigidly fixed by their spindle, or by preference the spindle is capable
of revolving with the vanes, but is held by a spring in opposition to the force with
which the revolving casing tends to drag the vanes round through the medium of
the liquid, so that by providing on the said spindle an index situated over a fixed
dial or graduated arc such index may be made to indicate the speed of the engine,
as its position will vary according as the speed of rotation of the casing is made to
vary. The vanes are by preference made to curve backwards from the contre
towards the outer ends in the direction in which the casing rotates instead of being
made radial as before, as by this means the liquid is driven with an increasing
force towards the circumference of the casing, as the speed of the latter increases,
and thus a more marked increase of resistance is obtained.
The above described apparatus may be applied directly to govern the steam
supply valve, but by preference I cause it to act upon the valve or slide of an
auxiliary steam or hydraulic cylinder, the piston rod of which is connected to the
steam supply valve, as described in the Specon. to a Patent granted to me and
Koch, No. 788 of 1877. In this case I also prefer to connect the piston rod by
means of differential gear of any suitable known construction to the slide of the
cylinder, so that when the slide has been moved by the governor to admit steam to
the auxiliary cylinder, the consequent motion of the piston will cause the slide to
inove back again so as to cut off the steam supply, and thus the motion of the piston,
and consequently of the main steam supply valve governed thereby will be arrested at
the required point. In some cases, in order to check the momentum of the engine
at the same time that the steam supply is cut off or diminished, I connect the piston
rod of the said auxiliary cylinder or an extension thereof through the back end of
the cylinder, to a brake apparatus acting on a break wheel on the engine shaft, so that
as the auxiliary piston is moved so as to cut off the steam supply it is at the same
time made to apply the break with more or less force to the engine shaft. In some
cases I work such auxiliary cylinders by means of water taken through a pipe from
the boiler of the steam engine, the water on escaping from the cylinder being led
into the hot well or condenser.
In applying the above described regulating apparatus to govern the steam supply
to compound engines, I prefer in some cases to connect either the cylinder
jacket or the slide valve box of the low pressure cylinder to the exhaust by means
of a pipe or passage in which is a valve connected to the said regulating apparatus,
so that on the engine running too fast the said apparatus, in addition to shutting off
the steam supply to the high pressure cylinder, will at the same time open the said
valve leading to the exhaust, and in thus causing the steam passing from the high
pressure cylinder, as also that contained in the low pressure cylinder, to escape to
the exhaust, the motion of the engine will be effectually checked. A. similar effect
may be produced by connecting the two ends of the low pressure cylinder with each
other by a pipe or passage, in which is placed a valve connected to the governor, so
that on the latter opening the valve the steam will pass from the ono side of the
piston to the other and thus hold this in equilibrium. When the above described
apparatus is applied to regulate the admission of steam to marine engines it may
happen that in long seas the governor, after cutting off the steam supply and thus
reducing the speed of the engine when the propeller has been raised out of the
water, may by such reduction of speed be made to admit the steam supply again
before the stern of the vessel has dropped into the water. In order to prevent this;.

page_text: I
arrange the regulating apparatus so that the casing is stationary while the vanes
are made to revolve, and I connect the bottom of the casing by a tube with a small
water tank at or near the stern of the vessel, placed at such a level that when the
ship is on an even keel the water will stand at a certain height in the governor
casing. Then on the stern of the vessel rising the water will flow from the tank
into the governor casing and will offer increased resistance to the rotation of the
vanes, which resistance will be maintained as long as the stern is raised out of the
water, and this sustained resistance will cause the governor to keep the steam valve
closed during such time. The above described construction of regulating apparatus
with fixed casing and rotating vanes may also be employed for regulating the
supply of feed water to the boilers. For this purpose the governor casing is con-
nected by pipes or passages at its lower and upper parts respectively with the water
and steam spaces of the boiler, the casing being placed at such a height that at the
normal water level of the boiler the water stands at a medium level in the casing.
The governor vanes are rotated by any convenient motor through the intermediate
wheels of the differential gear before described, which wheels are connected either
directly or through an auxiliary steam cylinder to the relief valve of a feed pump,
or to the regulating valves of an injector. Thus it will be seen that on the water
sinking in the boiler and consequently in the governor casing below the normal
level the decreased resistance to the rotation of the vanes will cause the spring of
the differential gear to effect the closing of the relief or other valve of the pump or
injector to a greater extent so as to admit an increased water supply, and on the
water level rising in consequence the increased resistance to the motion of the vanes
will cause the water supply to be diminished again.
In the above arrangement, in place of actuating the relief valve of the pump by
the governor, the latter may be made to actuate a piston valve in a cylindrical
chamber having a passage leading to the feed pump, and two ports, one lending to
the boiler and the other to the pump well, the valve being so actuated by the
governor that when the water level is low in the boiler the valve opens the port
leading to the boiler, while when the boiler has a sufficient the valve opens
the escape port, leading the feed water partly or wholly back into the pump well
as it enters the chamber. The above described apparatus might be so arranged
that the rotating vanes are situated within the steam boiler itself, so that tho vanes
are partly immersed in the water at the normal water level, the spindle of the
vanes being made to pass through a stuffing box to the outside, where the other
parts of the apparatus are situated.
In applying the first above described construction of regulating apparatus to
locomotive engines, the dial over which the index of the vane spindle moves may
be marked with divisions indicating the speed in miles per hour instead of or in
addition to the number of revolutions of the wheels. The said dial may also have
a central receptacle in which the engine driver could insert his watch for readily
observing the time at the same time that he observes the speed at which he is
going.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick William Durham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th August 1879.
FREDERICK WILLIAM DURHAM, of Barnet, in the County of Hertfordshire.
" IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM
'ENGINES AND OF FEED WATER TO BOILERS."
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and Howse, No. 2128 of
1876, was described an apparatus for regulating the supply of steam to steam engines
wherein vanes were rotated with a certain resistance inside a casing filled with liquid,
the rotation being effected from the engine through differential or sun and planet
gear, so that a shaft carrying part of such gear was turned in one direction or the
other on an increase or decrease of the speed of the engine occurring, and was thereby
made to reduce or increase the steam supply to the engine.
..According to one part of my present Invention instead of rotating the vanes
inside the casing of the said apparatus I rotate the casing, keeping the vanes
stationary. For this purpose I arrange the apparatus so that the spindle carrying
the casing, as also that carrying the vanes, are horizontal, the casing and vanes being
placed vertical. The spindle of the casing is connected to the spindle driven by the
engine through differential or sun and planet wheels of any suitable known
construction, such as were described in the previous Patent, and the intermediato
wheel or wheels that transmit the motion from the wheel driven by the engine to
that on the casing spindle is or are connected to the valve or slide that regulates
directly or indirectly the supply of steam to the engine and also to a spring or
weight (by preference a spiral spring) which tends to move the wheel or wheels in
the contrary direction to that in which the wheel of the driving spindle tends to
move them. Thus the vanes being held stationary by their spindle, and the casing
being rotated by the engine at the normal speed through the differential gear, it
will be seen that if the spring holding the intermediate wheels be adjusted so that
at such speed of the casing it holds the said wheels, and consequently the steam
supply valve, in the normal position, then on an increase of speed of the engine
occuring the resistance offered by the casing to an increase of motion will cause the
said intermediate wheels to be moved in opposition to the spring so as to effect the
closing of the steam supply valve more or less. On the speed of the engine decreasing
again the spring will draw the wheel back into its normal position, and thus cause
the supply valve also to assume its normal position. The vanes may either be held
rigidly fixed by their spindle, or by preference the spindle is capable of revolving
with the vanes, but is held by a spring in opposition to the force with which the
revolving casing tends to drag the vanes round through the medium of the liquid, so
that by providing on the said spindle an index situated over a fixed dial or graduated
are such index may be made to indicate the speed of the engine, as its position will
vary according as the speed of rotation of the casing is made to vary. The vanes
are by preference made to curve backwards from the centre towards the outer ends
from the direction in which the casing rotates instead of being made radial as before,
as by this means the liquid is driven with an increasing force towards the
circumference of the casing as the speed of the latter increases, and thus a more
marked increase of resistance is obtained.
The above described apparatus may be applied directly to govern the steam
supply valve, but by preference I cause it to act upon the valve or slide of an
auxiliary steam or hydraulic cylinder, the piston rod of which is connected to the
steam supply valve as described in the Specon. to a Patent granted to me and Koch,
No. 788, of 1877. In this case I also prefer to connect the piston rod by means of
differential gear of any suitable known construction to the slide of the cylinder, so that
when the slide has been moved by the governor to admit steam to the auxiliary
cylinder the consequent motion of the piston will cause the slide to move back
again so as to cut off the steam supply, and thus the motion of the piston, and

page_text: consequently of the main steam supply valve governed thereby, will be arrested
at the required point. In some cases in order to check the momentum of the engine
at the same time that the steam supply is cut off or diminished, I connect the piston
rod of the said auxiliary cylinder on an extension theroof through the back end of
the cylinder to a break apparatus acting on a break wheel on the engine shaft, so
that as the auxiliary piston is moved so as to cut off the steam supply it is at the
same time made to apply the break with more or less force to the engine shaft. In
some cases I work such auxiliary cylinders by means of water taken through a
pipe from the boiler of the steam engine, the water on escaping from the cylinder
being led into the hot well or condenser. In applying the above described regulating
apparatus to govern the steam supply to compound engines I prefer in some cases
to connect either the cylinder jacket or the slide valve box of the low pressure
cylinder to the exhaust by means of a pipe or passage in which is a valve connected
to the said regulating apparatus, so that on the engine running too fast the said
apparatus in addition to shutting off the steam supply to the high pressure
cylinder will at the same time open the said valve leading to the exhaust, and in
thus causing the steam passing from the high pressure cylinder, as also that contained
in the low pressure cylinder to escape to the exnaust, the motion of the engine will
be effectually checked. A similar effect may be produced by connecting the two
ends of the low pressure cylinder with each other by a pipe or passage in which is
placed a valve connected to the governor, so that on the latter opening the valve
the steam will pass from the one side of the piston to the other, and thus hold this
in equilibrium. When the above described apparatus is applied to regulate the
admission of steam to marine engines it may happen that in long seas the governor
after cutting off the steam supply and thus reducing the speed of the engine when
the propeller has been raised out of the water, may by such reduction of speed be
made to admit the steam supply again before the stern of the vessel has dropped
into the water. In order to prevent this I arrange the regulating apparatus so that
the casing is stationary while the vanes are made to revolve, and I connect the
bottom of the casing by a tube with a water tank at or near the stern of the vessel
placed at such a level that when the ship is on an even keel the water will stand at
a certain height in the governor casing. Then on the stern of the vessel rising, the
water will flow from the tank into the governor casing, and will offer increased
resistance to the rotation of the vanes, which resistance will be maintained as
long as the stern is raised out of the water, and this sustained resistance will
cause the governor to keep the steam valve closed during such time.
In applying the first above described construction of regulating apparatus to
locomotive engines the dial over which the index of the vane spindle moves may be
marked with divisions indicating the speed in miles per hour, instead of or in addition
to the number of revolutions of the wheels. The said dial may also have a central
receptacle in which the engine driver could insert his watch for readily observing
the time at the same time that he observes the speed at which he is going.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 an end view, and Fig. 3 a plan of regulating appa-
ratus according to my Invention. A is a shaft driven by band or otherwise from
the engine shaft; B is a cylindrical casing mounted by trunnions in bearings of
the framing, so that it can freely revolve. Within the casing B is a wheel with
recurved arms, as shewn in the section Fig. 4. This wheel is fixed on a shaft C,
which projects through a stuffing box at one side of the casing, and has a crank
arm bearing against a stop, so that it cannot revolve. The interior of the casing B
has projections b to assist the revolution with it of the lionid with which the casing

page_text: on the.axis of the spring. The other end of the lever E is connected by a jointed
rod to a lever G pivotted at g on a lever H, which is pivotted at h to the framing.
To the lever G is jointed the slide rod i of a steam or hydraulic cylinder I, which
is fitted with a piston having a rod J extending in one direction and jointed to the
lever of the throttle or other regulating valve of the engine, and a rod j extending
in the opposite direction, and having a pin working in a curved slot in the lever H.
In the condition of the apparatus, as shewn in the Figures, the piston rod J is sup-
posed to be out to its full extent, closing or approximately closing the steam supply
to the engine, and thereby reducing the speed of the shaft A.
The strain passing
through the mitre gear D to drive the casing B in opposition to the resistance of
the liquid in it, which is retarded by the stationary wheel within the casing being
thus reduced, the spring F acting on the lever E raises the lever G and slide rod.
The pressure on the piston in the cylinder I, being altered by the movement of the
slide, the piston rod J is moved inwards, opening the steam valve, whilst the other
piston rod-j is moved outwards. By the movement of the pin of the latter along.
the curved slot the curved arm of the lever H is raised, depressing the fulcrum g,
and thereby lowering the slide rod i so as to restore the slide to its former position.
In like manner if the rods J, j, were at the extreme stroke opposite to that shewn
in the Figures the curved arm of H, being then in its highest position, and the
fulcrum g in its lowest, if the engine tended to move too rapidly, driving the shaft A
with more than the normal speed, the strain on the gear D being increased by the
effort to accelerate the casing B, the lever E would be moved in opposition to the
spring F, lowering the lever G and slide rod i, and so altering the pressure on the
piston in I, causing the rod J to move outwards so as to reduce the supply of steam,
whilst the rod i would be moved inwards, and its pin acting in the curved alot of
the lever H would lower its arm, raising the fulcrum g and the slide rod i. For
effecting the regulation of marine engines when the vessel pitches I employ the
arrangement shewn in longitudinal section at Fig. 5. B is a fixed casing, within
which revolves a wheel with recurved blades on a vertical shaft C driven by the
engine through gearing like that described above. The casing B is connected at
the bottom by a large pipe L, and at the top by a smaller pipe M with a tank or
cistern K fixed at a considerable distance astern; for example, at 30 or 40 feet
from B. The tank and casing are charged with water or other liquid to such an
extent that when the vessel is on an even keel the wheel is partly immersed, as
shewn in Fig. 5, encountering the normal resistance to its revolution. When the
vessel pitches down by the head, raising the propeller out of the water, and so dim-
inishing the resistance, and enabling the engines to race, the liquid flowing forwards
along the pipe L rises in the casing B, producing greater resistance to the revolu-
tion of the wheel, and so through regulating apparatus of the kind already
described reducing the supply of steam to the engine. When, on the other hand,
the vessel pitches down by the stern, more deeply submerging the propeller, the
liquid flows back from B to K, diminishing the immersion of the wheel in B, and
the resistance to its rotation, whereby the regulating gear is made to give an
increased steam supply to the engine. The pipe M gives free passage of air between
the two vessels when they are closed. They might however be open vessels of
-sufficient depth to prevent their contents from being splashed out, in which case
the air pipe M would be unnecessary.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim,-
First. The construction of regulating apparatus, herein described with reference
to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claim the com-
⚫bination of the piston rod j, the slotted lever H carrying the fulcrum g, the lever G
'worked from the governor gear, and the slide rod i, constituting differential slide
gear, constructed. and operating as herein described with reference to Figs. 1, 2,
,and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third.. Effecting the regulation of marine engines when the vessel pitches by the

page_text: consequent alteration of the level of a liquid applied to resist the rotation of a wheel
forming part of a governing apparatus of the kind above referred to, substantially
as herein described with reference to Fig. 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick William Durham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
FREDERICK WILLIAM DURHAM. (L.S.)