IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick William Durham, of Clevedon Villa, Station
Road, New Barnet, in the County of Herts, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM
ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick William Durham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1880.
FREDERICK WILLIAM DURHAM, of Clevedon Villa, Station Road, New Barnet,
in the County of Herts. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE
SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES."
My Invention relates to the construction of apparatus for regulating the supply
of steam to steam engines, for which Letters Patent were granted to Durham and
Howse, dated 19th May 1876, No. 2128; to Koch and Durham, dated 27th February.
1877, No. 788; and to F. W. Durham, dated 18th February 1879, No. 651.
According to my present improvements I simplify the mechanism of the apparatus
described in the Specifications to the said Patents by the employment of the
following arrangement :-The spindle receiving motion from the steam or other
motor engine instead of being connected to the spindle carrying the revolving
vanes, or to the revolving casing of the fixed vanes through sun and planet wheel
or other similar mechanism, is connected thereto by the intervention of a second
spindle or rod, and a spring or springs so arranged that on an increase in the
speed of the driving spindle occurring, the resistance to such increase offered by
the rotating vanes causes the spring to be compressed, contracted, or extended, so
as to impart longitudinal motion to the second spindle or rod which in its turni
actuates the throttle valve or slide of the regulating apparatus. The arrangement
of the connection of the driving spindle by the spring and second spindle may be
variously modified. Thus according to one arrangement the second spindle which
passes through the hollow spindle of the vanes, passes with its one end in a hollow
in the end of the driving spindle, which has a helical or oblique slot into which a
pin or stud on the second spindle passes. To this spindle or to a projection
thereon is connected the one end of a helical or volute spring, the other end of
which is connected to the vane spindle so that the driving spindle drives the vane
spindle through the second spindle and spring. Thus on an increase of speed of

page_text: the driving spindle occurring, the spring in being contracted by reason of the
relative motion between the driving spindle and vane spindle, imparts longitudinal
motion to the second spindle by causing its stud to slide in the oblique slot, and
this spindle consequently imparts motion to the slide of the controlling cylinder to
which it is, by preference, directly connected by a connection permitting its free
rotation. Instead of using an oblique slot or groove in the driving spindle, this
may be provided with a screw thread of quick pitch working upon or within a
screw thread on the second spindle, or the latter may be provided with a screw
thread working within an internal screw thread on the hollow vane spindle through
which it passes. Or the contraction of the spring may be such as to effect the
longitudinal motion of the slide spindle without the use of the before mentioned
oblique slots or screw threads.
According to another modification the second spindle has a projecting arm or
arins, to which are connected the ends of helical metal or caoutchouc springs, the
other ends of which are connected to the vane spindle, so that any relative rotary
motion between the two will cause the springs to be extended, which in their turn
will impart longitudinal motion to the second or slide spindle. In the two last
described modifications the driving spindle would impart the rotary motion to the
slide spindle through any suitable known connection that would allow of a
longitudinal motion of the latter relatively to the former.
The adjustment of the above described apparatus, so as to cause it to cut off or
check the steam supply at a greater or less speed of the engine, is effected by
lengthening or shortening the second or slide spindle by a screw connection at any
point of its length, whereby the tension and consequently the sensitiveness of the
spring is increased or decreased.
Although I have spoken in every case of the vane spindle being connected to the
driving spindle by the spring and slide spindle, yet this arrangement is equally
applicable to the construction described in the Specification to Patent No. 651 of
1879, where the vanes are stationary, the driving spindle being in this case
connected in the above described manner to the axis of the revolving casing.

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 31st August 1880.
FREDERICK WILLIAM DURHAM, of Clevedon Villa, Station Road, New Barnet,
in the County of Herts. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE
SUPPLY OF STEAM TO STEAM ENGINES."
My Invention relates to the construction of apparatus for regulating the supply
of steam to steam engines, for which Letters Patent were granted to Durham
and House, dated 19th May 1876, No. 2128; to Koch and Durham, dated 27th
February 1877, No. 788; and to F. W. Durham, dated 18th February 1879,
No. 651.
According to my present improvements I simplify the mechanism of the apparatus
described in the Specifications to the said Patents by the employment of the following
arrangement:-The spindle receiving motion from the steam or other motor engine
instead of being connected to the spindle carrying the revolving vanes, or to the
revolving casing of the fixed vanes through sun and planet wheel or other similar
mechanism, is connected thereto by the intervention of a second spindle or rod and a
spring or springs, so arranged that on an increase of the speed of the driving spindle
occurring, the resistance to such increase offered by the rotating vanes causes the
spring to be compressed, contracted, or extended, so as to impart longitudinal
motion to the second spindle or rod, which in its turn actuates the throttle valve
or slide of the regulating apparatus. The arrangement of the connection of the
driving spindle by the spring to the second spindle may be variously modified. Thus
according to one arrangement the second spindle which passes through the hollow
spindle of the vanes passes with its one end into a bollow in the end of the driving
spindle, which has a helical or oblique slot into which a pin or stud on the second
spindle passes. To this spindle or to a projection thereon is connected the one end
of a helical or volute spring, the other end of which is connected to the vane
spindle, so that the driving spindle drives the vane spindle through the second
spindle and spring. Thus on an increase of speed of the driving spindle occurring,
the spring in being contracted by reason of the relative motion between the
driving spindle and vane spindle imparts longitudinal motion to the second spindle
by causing its stud to slide in the oblique slot, and this spindle consequently
imparts motion to the slide of the controlling cylinder to which it is, by preference,
directly connected by a connection permitting its free rotation. Instead of using
an oblique slot or groove in the driving spindle this may be provided with a screw
thread of quick pitch working upon or within a screw thread on the second spindle,
or the latter may be provided with a screw thread working within an internal
screw thread on the hollow vane spindle through which it passes.
The adjustment of the above described apparatus so as to cause it to cut off or
check the steam supply at a greater or less speed of the engine is effected by
lengthening or shortening the second or slide spindle by a screw connection at any
point of its length, whereby the tension and consequently the sensitiveness of the
spring is increased or decreased.
Although I have spoken in every case of the vane spindle being connected to
the driving spindle by the spring and slide spindle, yet this arrangement is equally
applicable to the construction described in the Specification to Patent No. 651 of
1870, where the vanes are stationary, the driving spindle being in this case
connected in the above described manner to the axis of the revolving casing.

page_text: end a screw thread fitting an internal thread in a socket c, which is fixed on the
shaft C that drives the fan D within the vessel E containing liquid. The shaft C
is fitted to the fan D with a feather, so that while it must drive the fan it is free
to slide longitudinally in it, and it has collars at its end engaging the fork of a
lever F which is connected to the regulating valve of the engine, or, as shewn in
Fig. 1, to the slide of a subsidiary cylinder G, the piston of which is connected to
the throttle or other regulating valve of the engine. A helical spring S is at one
end attached to the shaft A and at the other end to the socket c, so that the power
applied to the pulley B has to pass through the spring S in order to drive the
fan D. When the speed of the engine exceeds that to which the spring S is
adjusted, the increased resistance to the revolution of the fan D retarding the
shaft C relatively to A, the screwed socket c has to advance along the screw
thread on A, and thus the shaft C is moved longitudinally, moving the lever F,
and so partly closing the regulating valve or admitting pressure to act on the
piston of the cylinder G so that it partly closes the regulating valve, thus causing
reduction of the engine speed. When again the speed of the engine falls below
its normal condition the spring S tending to unwind causes the shaft C to revolve
somewhat faster than A, and the socket c thus unscrewing itself gives movement
to the shaft C and lever F, so that the regulating valve of the engine is opened
more fully causing increase of the engine speed. Obviously the shaft C might be
made stationary, the shaft A being arranged to slide longitudinally and to work
the lever F.
In the modified form of apparatus shewn in Fig. 2, the two shafts A and C are
stationary in respect of longitudinal movement and are connected through a volute
spring S within a barrel s, the one end of the volute spring being attached to the
shaft A. and the other end to the barrel s which is fixed on the shaft C. Two discs
H and K connected by bolts h so as to form a cage are fitted to slide longitudinally,
the one H along a screw thread on the shaft A, and the other along a feather on
the shaft C. According as the relative speeds of A and C vary, the disc H is
caused by a stud in its boss engaging the screw thread of A. to advance or retreat,
the disc K moving with it and giving movement to the regulator lever F.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim, in respect of apparatus for regulating the supply
of steam to steam engines, such apparatus having for its resisting organ a fan
revolving in liquid,-
First. Connecting the shaft worked by the engine with the shaft of the resisting
fan through a spring and a screw coupling, so arranged that when the speeds of the
two shafts differ one of them is caused to move longitudinally, and so work the
regulating lever of the engine, substantially as herein described with reference to
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. Connecting the shaft worked by the engine with the shaft of the
resisting fan through a spring, and providing a longitudinally sliding cage acted on
by a screw on one of the shafts so that when the speeds of the shafts differ the
cage is caused to move longitudinally and so work the regulating lever of the
engine, substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 2 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick William Durham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty first day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.