Improvements in Governors for Steam Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th June, 1897-Accepted, 20th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Governors for Steam Engines.
I, GEORGE HENRY FIRTH of 89 Richmond Road, Bradford, in the County of
York, 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 relates to improvements in steam engine governors and consists
in means for efficiently controlling the opening and closing of the steam admission
valve or valves so as to vary the admission of steam to the cylinder of the engine
in accordance with the variation of load on the engine.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved governor complete,
Fig. 2 an elevation partly in section and Fig. 3 a plan of the top portion of the
governor with the cover removed.
The
In carrying out my invention I employ a suitable casing A in which is arranged
any form of valve B commonly used in present forms of governors. The spindle C
of this valve passes through a stuffing box D in the usual way and thence through
a bearing formed in a long bush sleeve or pillar e secured in a suitable way to
the bridge bracket E. The bearing is sufficiently large to admit of the valve
spindle moving easily in it when required. Surrounding the pillar
e at its
upper end is a casing F of a suitable design, capable of being rotated round it
by any ordinary means such as a pair of bevel wheels f one of which is keyed or
otherwise fixed to the casing F whilst the other is fixed on one end of a short
horizontal shaft f¹ on the other end of which is fixed a pulley f" through or by
which motion is given to the governor in the ordinary way. Pivoted to the
casing F by means of the bell crank arms are a pair of governor balls G of a
common type. The inner ends of the arms g engage with recesses provided for
them in a boss or collar H which is mounted on the valve spindle C. The casing F
is kept from rising vertically by a collar or nut J secured to the pillar e.
parts so far described resemble an ordinary ball governor and would act as such
when in motion. Here however the resemblance ends. Instead of fixing the
boss or collar H firmly on the spindle C of the valve I provide it internally with
a screw thread and form a corresponding thread on the valve spindle C preferably
near its top end. I also divide the spindle C midway or thereabouts as at Hi
so that the upper portion is at liberty to revolve in either direction without affecting
the lower portion. The principal feature however of my invention consists in
means for causing the valve spindle C to be raised and lowered in addition to the
ordinary raising and lowering action which takes place by the usual mechanism.
For this purpose I form on or attach to the upper end of the pillar e a pinion K
into which gears a small wheel or pinion L carried by a vertical shaft M supported
in bearings m formed in the casing F but preferably in its removable side F¹.
The shaft or spindle M has formed on it a left (m³) and right handed (m) screw
or worm the former gearing with a worm wheel n on a cross shaft N and the
latter with a similar worm wheel n¹ on a second cross shaft N. Both shafts N. NI

page_text: are carried by the casing F in the manner shewn and have each formed on them
a right handed screw or worm P, P¹. The rotation of the casing F causes the
latter through the mechanism referred to, to have given to them a rotary motion
so long as the casing F revolves and their disposition in the casing F is such that
a worm wheel Q is brought into engagement with worin P1 when the valve
spindle C is raised and into engagement with P where it is depressed.
The worm wheel Q is preferably formed at the lower end of a sleeve R, the
upper end of which is formed with a conical or other suitably shaped flange q
supported by a similarly shaped recess formed in the lower end of the nut H. The
sleeve R carries a feather r that engages with a groove formed in the upper end
of the valve spindle C whilst the latter is reduced in diameter at c for the purpose
hereinafter described.
In order to prevent the valve spindle C falling too suddenly under the influence
of the balls G when the load on the engine is reduced I use ordinary means whereby
the resistance to fall may be regulated. These means consists of a worm S gear-
ing with a worm wheel T fixed on a shaft round which is coiled a spring U and
on which is fixed also a lever for bearing against the underside of the collar u on
the upper end of the lower portion of valve spindle C. In addition to or in place
of this arrangement I may of course connect the two balls G by a spring. Or
again I sometimes continue the central portion of the nut H upwards as shown
in Figs. 1 and 2 and fix to it a regulatable spring. The governor operates as
follows: The casing F is rotated by means of the pulley fi and bevel wheels f
and the balls G fly outwards due to centrifugal action, and in accordance with
the high or low speed of the casing F so is the longitudinal movement of the valve
spindle upward or downward. The tendency of the valve spindle to fall is regulated
by the mechanism herein before referred to, so that during the normal working of
the engine the worm wheel Q is situated about midway between the two cross
shafts N and N¹ and is out of gear with the worms P and P¹ thereon. It will be
observed that the casing F in its rotation carries round with it the spindle. M
and so causes the latter to rotate by reason of the wheel L being in gear with
pinion H on pillar e. This motion is transmitted by the worms or screws m¹
and m and worm wheels n and n¹ to the cross shafts N and N₁ which are thus
given a slow rotatory motion. It will now be understood that if the normal load
on the engine were reduced there would, be a tendency for the latter to increase
in speed. Such increased speed would cause the balls G to fly further outwards
from the normal position shewn in full lines and so tend through their arms g to
depress the valve spindle C and reduce the amount of steam passing through the
valve B. The depression of the spindle would also cause the worm wheel Q to
come into contact with the worm P on cross shaft N and the worm being con-
stantly rotating would cause the upper portion of the valve spindle C to be rotated
also through the agency of the feather r in sleeve R engaging the groove in the
spindle. The spindle being screwed at its upper end into the collar H is therefore
caused to descend during the engagement of the worm and wheel and this con-
tinues until the steam pressure is normal or in accordance with the altered load
on the engine and the latter is running at its usual speed. A similar action
would take place if the load on the engine were increased so as to cause the balls G
to go upwards, only, of course, in this case the steam valve B would be opened and
the worm wheel Q would be brought into contact with the worm Pl'on cross
shaft N¹ and so cause the valve spindle to be moved upwards. In both cases the
worm wheel Q is rotated by one or other of the worms P or P¹ until it is again
clear of either of them by the balls G assuming their normal position. The
slightest movement of the balls either inward or outward causes the engagement
of the worm wheel Q and worms P and P'. The arrangement of the sleeve R
and reducing of the valve spindle C at c is such that should the governor run
under speed for any length of time the spindle would unwind itself until recess c
came opposite feather when further motion would be stopped.
It will be quite understood that the details of construction may be departed

page_text: from without affecting the spirit of the invention, and that whilst I have described
the new arrangements as applied to an ordinary governor they may also be com-
bined with other forms of governors, throttle valves or Corliss valves and other
cut-off motions.
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:-
1. A governor for steam engines provided with means such as screwed nut or
collar H, worm wheel Q, cross shafts N and N¹, worms P and P¹, worm wheels n
and n', shaft M and worms, and wheels for driving the latter substantially as and
for the purposes described.
2. In a governor for steam engines the combination with a rotating casing such
as F, governor balls or the like such as G and valve spindle such as C of the
means for raising and lowering or adjusting the valve spindle C and valve B
irrespective of the motion given to the said spindle by the action of the balls G,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
3. The improvements in governors for steam engines constructed and arranged
substantially as described and as shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Doted this 15th day of June 1807
WILLIAM H. TAYLOR,
Agent for the Applicant.