Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating or Registering the Power Exerted by Steam or other Motive Power Engines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating or Registering the Power
Exerted by Steam or other Motive Power Engines.
We, WILLIAM GODSON LITTLE, of Bleudon Grove, Bexley, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, and CHARLES WILLIAM GODSON LITTLE, of Heckington, in
the County of Lincoln, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to provide efficient means whereby the power given
out by an engine during any given time is indicated, or registered, so that it can be
directly ascertained without reference to a diagram.
According to our invention we employ a surface which is reciprocated, or con-
mounted in
tinuously moved, so that the periphery of a disc or wheel, which
proximity to it comes in contact with a portion which describes a right line during
its movement, or which represents a right line, such as a circumferential line on a
cylinder if the reciprocating, or moving, surface be in the form of a cylinder. The
periphery of the said disc, or wheel, is curved, or shaped, to give a proper point of
bearing on the said surface or cylinder and the said disc, or wheel, is pivotted, or
mounted, on a centre in a carrier which is itself pivotted, or mounted, in bearings
in such a way that its axis of rotation is in a line with a diameter of the said disc
or wheel.
When the reciprocating, or moving, surface, or cylinder, is set in motion the disc,
or wheel, by reason of its contact therewith will be caused to rotate upon its centre
and its velocity at any instant will be proportional to the velocity of the recipro-
cating, or moving, surface, or cylinder at that instant, and to the sine of the angle
made by the axis of the disc or wheel with, the direction of motion of the said
reciprocating, or moving surface, or cylinder. This angle we cause to be varied
by the changes of pressure in the engine but as the velocity of the disc or wheel is
proportional to the sine of the said angle we employ gearing by means of which the
sine of the angle made by the axis of the disc with the direction of motion of the
reciprocating or moving surface or cylinder is always proportional to the pressure
in the cylinder and between the limits of zero and ninety degrees. By this means
the velocity of the disc is at every instant proportional to the work being done at
that instant by the engine and therefore the number of revolutions made by the
disc in a given time is proportional to the work done by the engine during that
time. A convenient arrangement for conveying motion in this manner from the
pressure cylinder of the indicator (in communication with the pressure of the
engine) to turn the carrier of the said disc, or wheel, consists of a gear wheel
secured to the axis on which the said carrier of the disc or wheel turns, the said
gear wheel not being circular but of somewhat pear shape or oval form and
calculated to give motion in the aforesaid manner and there is a correspondingly
shaped rack on the piston rod of the said pressure cylinder so that the twisting
motion imparted to the carrier of the said disc or wheel varies in degree as
required as the disc or wheel approaches the position of greatest pressure, that is,
the position in which its plane is parallel with the line on the reciprocating or
moving surface, or cylinder, which is described as the said surface, or cylinder,
meves in contact with the said dise or wheel.
We do not however limit ourselves to this arrangement as other arrangements
which will have the same effect can be used for example the axis on which the

page_text: carrier of the disc or wheel turns can have secured to it a crank arm or disc the
crank pin of which engages in a slotted arni on the rod of the piston of the pressure
cylinder of the indicator so that as the said rod moves up and down the crank pin
will travel along the slet and the necessary motion varying in degree in the required
manner will thus be imparted to the carrier and disc or wheel. The indicating, or
registering, can be done by a counter, or register, receiving its motion from the
axis of the disc, or wheel, which is rotated by the action of the reciprocating, or
moving, surface, or cylinder thereon.
Dated this 15th day of September 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Indicating or Registering the Power
Exerted by Steam or other Motive Power Engines.
We, WILLIAM GODSON LITTLE, of Blendon Grove, Bexley, in the County of
Kent, Engineer, and CHARLES WILLIAM GODSON LITTLE, of Heckington, in
the County of Lincoln, Electrical Engineer, de 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 :-
The object of our invention is to provide efficient means whereby the power given
out by an engine during any given time is indicated, or registered, so that it can be
directly ascertained without making a series of diagrams for reference.
According to our invention we employ a surface which is reciprocated or moved
by the action of the piston of the engine so that the periphery of a disc, or wheel,
which is mounted in proximity to it comes in contact with a portion which describes
a right line during its movement, or which represents a right line, such as
a circumferential line on a cylinder if the reciprocating, or moving, surface be in
the form of a cylinder. The periphery of the said disc, or wheel, is curved, or
shaped, to give a proper bearing on the said surface or cylinder and the said disc, or
wheel, is pivotted, or mounted, on a centre in a carrier which is itself pivotted,
or mounted, in bearings in such a way that its axis of rotation is in a line with a
diameter of the said disc or wheel.
When the reciprocating, or moving, surface, or cylinder, is set in motion the disc,
or wheel, by reason of its contact therewith will be caused to rotate upon its axis
and its velocity at any instant will be proportional to the velocity of the reciprocating,
or moving, surface, or cylinder, at that instant, and to the sine of the angle made
by the axis of the disc or wheel with the line of motion of the said reciprocating,
or moving surface, or cylinder. This angle we cause to be varied by the changes
of pressure in the engine cylinder but as the velocity of the disc or wheel is
proportional to the sine of the said angle we employ gearing by means of which
the sine of the angle made by the axis of the disc with the line of motion of the
reciprocating or moving surface or cylinder is always proportional to the pressure
in the engine cylinder and between the limits of zero and ninety degrees. By this
means the velocity of the disc is at every instant proportional to the work being
done at that instant by the engine and therefore the number of revolutions made by
the disc in a given time is proportional to the work done by the engine during
that time.
We will describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the best means
with which we are acquainted for carrying our invention into effect.
Figures 1 and 2 are elevations at right angles to each other and Figure 3 is a
plan. B is the pressure cylinder of the indicator (in communication with the

page_text: pressure of the engine and provided with a piston and spring like an ordinary
indicator cylinder) with its piston rod a geared or connected (as hereinafter
described) with the axis c of the carrier C of the disc, or wheel, D the said axis c
being carried by the bearings in the standard E which also serves as a guide for
the rod a. To the axis c is secured a crank arm or disc the crank pin of
which engages in a slotted arm a² on the rod a of the piston of the pressure
cylinder B of the indicator so that as the said rod a moves up and down the crank
pin will travel along the slot and the necessary notion varying in degree in the
required manner will thus be imparted to the carrier C and disc or wheel D, the
twisting motion imparted to the carrier of the said disc or wheel varying in degree
as required as the disc or wheel D approaches the position in which its plane is
parallel with the direction of motion of the reciprocating cylinder A which is that
hereinbefore described as the surface, or cylinder which is by the action of the
engine moved in contact with the said disc or wheel D. The indicating, or
registering can be done by a counter, or register receiving its motion from the
axis d of the disc or wheel D. It is shewn as being actuated by a worm d' on
the axle d of the disc or wheel D the counter consisting in the arrangement shewu
of two wheels m m² both in gear with the worm . The upper wheel is marked m
nd the pointer k fixed to the carrier C indicates by a scale on the wheel m the
legree of movement of the said wheel. The axis of the lower wheel m² carries a
pointer which also indicates on a scale on the wheel m the number of revolutions
made by the wheel m² as the two wheels have different numbers of teeth for
instance the wheel n may have one hundred teeth and the lower wheel m2 ninety
nine teeth so that the one wheel will indicate hundreds of revolutions of the other
wheel.
The disc or wheel D is forced into contact with the cylinder A by a spring c¹ on
the axis c one end of the said spring pressing against a collar c and the opposite
end against the standard E to which it is attached at e; it likewise tends to keep
the pin pressed on the lower part of the slotted arın a² so as to avoid backlash.
The said disc or wheel D can be held out of contact with the cylinder A by
inserting between the boss of the crank C2 and the standard E a wedge e² fitted to
slide in suitable guides on the said standard.
We do not limit ourselves to the arrangement shewn for imparting the motion
due to the changes of pressure in the engine to the disc or wheel D as any
arrangement which will have the same effect can be used for example, there may
be a gear wheel secured to the axis on which the carrier of the disc or wheel turns,
the said gear wheel not being circular but of somewhat pear-shape or oval form
and calculated to give motion in the aforesaid manner and there is a corre-
spondingly shaped rack on the piston rod of the cylinder of the indicator to gear
with the said wheel or a pair of chains connected to the piston rod and to the said
wheel may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In apparatus for indicating, or registering, the power exerted by steam, or
other motive power engines, the combination with a surface which is recipro-
cated or moved as aforesaid by the action of the engine, of a disc, or wheel,
with its periphery bearing on the said surface, and means, operated by the engine
for altering in the required manner as aforesaid the augular position of the said
disc, or wheel, relatively to the line of motion of the said surface, in accordance
with the variations of pressure in the engine, and a counter, or register, actuated
by the said disc, or wheel, substantially as herein before described.
2. In apparatus for indicating, or registering, the power exerted by steam, or
other motive power engines, the combination with a surface which is reciprocated
or moved as aforesaid by the action of the engine of a disc or wheel, with its
periphery bearing on the said surface and mounted in a carrier turning upou an

page_text: axis and a crank or lever on the axis of the carrier of the said disc or wheel
operated by a piston (working in a cylinder such as B) by means of a pin and
slot connection for altering in the required manner as aforesaid the angular
position of the said disc, or wheel, relatively to the line of motion of the said
surface, and in accordance with the variations of pressure in the engine, and a
counter, or register, actuated by the said disc, or wheel, all substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of March 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX.