IMPROVED MEANS FOR OPERATING THE GOVERNING VALVES OF MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM MURDOCH, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS FOR
OPERATING THE GOVERNING VALVES OF MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of improved means for operating the governing valves
of motive-power engines, of the kind described in the Specification filed with my
application for Patent N° 5877, of 1884. In that Specification is described an
arrangement of governor valve on which a hollow cylindrical rotating valve is
fitted within a cylindrical rotating shell, helical ports being cut in both, so that
when such ports are over each other steam may pass through to or from the steam
admission and exhaust ports of the governor cylinder, and when the cylindrical
valves are moved on each other the helical ports close and shut off the connection
with the cylinder ports. Both valves are rotated together, the one being driven
from the main engine whose speed is to be governed and the other by a small
engine working at a constant speed, and the variation of the speed of the main
engine thus brings about an overrunning of the one valve on the other, whereby
the helical ports in the valves are opened or closed.
Instead of driving separately in that manner, the spindles. of the two rotating
valves which distribute the steam to the governor engine, the one valve spindle is
driven as before mentioned by a band or other gearing from the main engine
whose speed is to be governed, and the other valve spindle is driven from the first
through any ordinary arrangement of centrifugal or inertia and momentum
governor. For example, in a centrifugal governor where the balls or weights are
suspended from the inside periphery of a casing, which casing is free to move
round on a central shaft, the centrifugal force of the balls being resisted by springs,
the one valve spindle is driven by the main engine and is connected to the balls,
and the other valve spindle is fixed to the casing. The position of the one valve
in relation to the other is determined by the position of the ball levers which in
turn are moved outwards by centrifugal action, or inwards by the spring, according
as the speed of the shaft varies. The motion of the one valve on the other in
accordance with variations of the speed is made to open or close the ports which
ID031

page_text: admit the steam to the governor cylinder, as described in the Specification above
referred to.
The mode herein described of driving the one valve spindle from the other
through a centrifugal governor, is also applicable in operating the hollow rotating
valves when employed as throttle valves, as described in the latter part of the
above mentioned Specification. In this case the ports of the valve stand open
when working in the normal position.
.
I, WILLIAM MURDOCH, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS FOR
OPERATING THE GOVERNING VALVES OF MOTIVE POWER ENGINES" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
My Invention consists of improved means for operating the governing valves
of motive-power engines of the kind described in the Specification filed with my
application for Patent N° 5877 of 1884.
In that Specification is described an arrangement of governor valve on which
a hollow cylindrical rotating valve is fitted within a cylindrical rotating shell,
helical ports being cut in both, so that when such ports are over each other steam
may pass through-to-or-from-the-steam admission-and-exhaust ports-of-the
governor cylinder, and when the cylindrical valves are moved on each other the
helical ports close and shut off the communication with the cylinder ports. Both
valves are rotated together, the one being driven from the main engine whose
speed is to be governed and the other by a small engine working at a constant
speed, and the variation of the speed of the main engine thus brings about an
overrunning of the one valve on the other, whereby the helical ports in the valves
are opened or closed.
Instead of driving separately in that manner, the spindles of the two rotating
valves which distribute the steam to the governor engine, the one valve spindle is,
according to my present Invention, driven as before mentioned by a band or other
gearing from the main engine whose speed is to be governed, and the other valve
spindle is driven from the first through an ordinary arrangement of centrifugal or
inertia and momentum governor. For example, in a centrifugal governor where
the balls or weights are suspended from the inside periphery of a casing, which
casing is free to move round on a central shaft, the centrifugal force of the balls
being resisted by springs, the one valve spindle is driven by the main engine and
is connected to the balls, and the other valve spindle is fixed to the casing. The
position of the one valve in relation to the other is determined by the position of
the ball levers which in turn are moved outwards by centrifugal action, or inwards
by the spring, according as the speed of the shaft varies. The motion of the one
valve on the other in accordance with variation of the speed is made to open or

page_text: close the ports which admit the steam to the governor cylinder, as described in
the Specification above referred to.
The mode herein described of driving the one valve spindle from the other
through a centrifugal governor, is also applicable in operating the hollow rotating
valves when employed as throttle valves, as described in the latter part of the
above mentioned Specification. In this case the ports of the valve stand open
when working in the normal position.
My Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings in which Figure 1 is
a sectional plan and Figure 2 a vertical section of a modification of a governor
engine showing the improved means which I employ for operating the steam
distributing valves. Figure 3 is an expanded view of the inner valve and Figure 4
is a cross section of the valve casing. Figure 5 is a sectional plan, and Figure 6 is
a vertical section showing my Invention as applied for operating a throttle or
steam admission valve, and Figure 7 is a cross section of the valve casing.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the arrangement of the governor engine cylinder
and steam distributing valves, and the construction of the valves are similar to
those described and illustrated in the Specification filed with my application for
Patent N° 5877 of 1884, and the same reference letters have been employed to
indicate like parts. The small constant speed engine which in that case was
employed to drive one of the valve spindles A or B is in the present instance
dispensed with, and the valve spindle A is driven from the spindle B through
the medium of a centrifugal governor J, the spindle A being driven as in the
former case by a belt and pulley A¹ from the main engine whose speed is to
be governed. The governor casing J is keyed on the hollow spindle B of the
outer valve b which is free to revolve on the central shaft or spindle A of the
valve a. That valve spindle A is driven by the belt pulley A¹ which is keyed on
it, and which is also connected to the balls or ball levers j by pins or studs j¹.
The ball levers or arms j are centred on the governor casing J and are connected
between their centre pins and the weight to the casing by springs fitted within
short tubes j2, the connection being adjustable.
When the pulley A³ is rotated, the governor casing will also be rotated through
the ball levers j, and the valve spindles A, B, will turn together, but according as
the velocity of rotation increases or diminishes the ball levers ; will fly out from
the centre or axis of rotation against the power of the springs 2 or be drawn
towards the centre by them, and the relative positions of the two spindles A, B
will be changed and therefore the valves a, b, will turn the one on the other. The
valves a, b, being however formed and arranged as in my previous Specification
already referred to, the partial rotation of the one valve on the other will open or
close the ports d, d, which admit steam to the governor cylinder D, and the
piston D¹ will be actuated in a direction corresponding to the port opened. The
piston rod D is connected either direct or through levers to the throttle valve or
other admission valve of the main engine, and that valve is partially opened or
closed to regulate the speed of the engine. The motion of the piston is also
communicated to the valve spindle A or rather to that portion of it on which the
valve a is formed, and the valve is moved to an extent at which the diagonal ports
in it are out of line with the steam admission or exhaust ports of the outer valve,
and further admission of steam for the time ceases.
The arrangement of the governor applied to operate a throttle valve, as shown
in Figures 5, 6 and 7 is precisely the same as. that just described as applied to
operate the steam distributing valves of a governor engine.
The pulley A' which is connected to the governor casing through the ball levers j
is keyed on the spindle A on which the valve a is fitted or formed, while the other
valve b is fitted or formed on the spindle B on which the casing J is keyed
or fixed.
The valves b rotate in unison and are open to the same extent so long as a
uniform speed is maintained of the pulley A' which is driven from the main engine,
but as the speed of the engine varies the governor balls will fly outwards or
a,

page_text: fall inwards, and the one valve will be moved over the other to diminish or
increase the extent of opening for the passage of steam through the valve
casing H.
The form of the valves a, b'employed in the improved apparatus may be varied
as may be desired. For example, instead of the hollow cylindrical and conical
valves shown in the Drawings, flat discs or plates may be used, and in lieu of
imparting to the valves a continuously rotatory movement they may be arranged
to reciprocate or to oscillate, the necessary gearing or mechanical devices to
transmit such motion being interposed between the valves and the centrifugal
governor or the spindles to which it is attached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,―
First. The combination of parts forming the improved apparatus for operating
the governing valves of motive engines, substantially as herein described and
illustrated.
Second. In apparatus for operating the governing valves of motive power
engines, the arrangement of a centrifugal governor to control the motion, relatively
to each other, of the distributing valves, substantially as herein described and
illustrated.
Third. The combination of a centrifugal governor with the rotating spindles and
valves of a governor engine, substantially as herein described and illustrated in
Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The combination of a centrifugal governor with the rotating valve
spindles and valves forming the improved throttle valve herein described and
illustrated by Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this Eleventh day of September 1884.