Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Starting, Reversing, and Preventing Racing of Marine Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Starting,
Reversing, and Preventing Racing of Marine Engines.
I, ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Rosebank Iron Works, Edinburgh, in the
County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows, that is to say -
My said invention has for its object to provide improved and simple apparatus by
means of which marine engines of any size may be started, or reversed, or be
automatically prevented from racing.
In carrying out my invention instead of arranging governing mechanism to
operate directly upon a throttle or stop valve controlling the supply of steam to
the engines, I provide apparatus to act on the valve gear of the engines, when such
gear is of the link-motion type, or of any analogous kind the controlling or adjusting
part of which has a middle neutral position and is moved from that position in one
direction for ahead motion and in the opposite direction for astern motion.
Various kinds of starting-and-reversing engines are employed in connection with
large marine engines, and my invention is applicable with various kinds; but I prefer
to employ an engine comprising a steam cylinder and a water cylinder the two pistons
of which are on one rod, the water passing from one side to the other of the water
piston through a passage having a stop cock for regulating the rate of flow, and the
steam valve being moved by means of a hand lever, and returned to its neutral
position by a screwing action due to rotation of the valve rod caused by the action
of an internally screwed block moving with the piston rod on a helical part of the
valve rod. Instead of centering the hand lever on a fixed stud as heretofore I
centre it upon a lever connected to a piston in a small safety cylinder. I prefer to
make this piston with a trunk forming an annular space for steam or other fluid to
act on, on one side, and the pressure acting in this space keeps the lever carrying
the hand lever in its normal position. A valve is provided for admitting the steam
or fluid to the other side of the piston; and this valve is arranged to be acted on
whenever the speed of the main engines increases above a predetermined rate; so as
to then admit the steam or fluid which instantly moves the piston and thereby causes
the lever carrying the hand lever to move in a manner to put the valve gear of the
main engines in its neutral position. By these arrangements, in marine engines with
two or more cylinders or working with two or more stages of expansion the valves
of all the cylinders are brought to their middle neutral positions and further motion
is effectually obstructed.
The valve of the safety cylinder may be arranged to be acted on by any suitable
kind of speed governor; and when a rotating governor is used I prefer to apply it
directly upon the main shaft,-for example, at the forward end of a screw-propeller
shaft. I however prefer to employ a simple device fitted in immediate connection
with the starting-and-reversing engine, such device comprising a lever made to
vibrate by any convenient connection from the main engines, and carrying a weight
supported or acted on by a spring adjusted to suit a particular speed. When this
speed is exceeded the momentum of the weight overcomes the spring and the weight
acts on one arm of a bellcrank or trigger carried by the lever, and causes its other
arm to move into a position to act on the valve of the safety cylinder as the
lever moves.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of April 1890.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: BILLETE SPECIFIOGATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Starting,
Reversing, and Preventing Racing of Marine Engines.
, ANDREW BETTS BROWN, of Rosebank Iron Works, Edinburgh, in the
County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, 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, that is
to say -
My said invention has for its object to provide improved and simple apparatus by
means of which marine engines of any size may be started, or reversed, or be auto-
matically provented from racing.
In carrying out my invention instead of arranging speed governing mechanism to
operate directly or indirectly on a throttle or stop valve controlling the supply of
steam to the engines, I provide apparatus 10 act on the valve gear of the engines,
when such gear is of the link-motion type, or of any analogous kind the controlling
or adjusting part of which has a middle neutral position, and is moved from that
position in one direction for ahead motion and in the opposite direction for astern
motion.
Various kinds of starting-and-reversing engines are employed in connection with
large marine engines, and my invention is applicable with various kinds; but I
prefer to employ an engine comprising a steam cylinder and a water cylinder, the
two pistons of which are on one rod, the water passing from one side to the other
of the water piston through a passage having a valve for controlling the flow, and
the steam valve being moved by means of a land lever, and returned to its neutral
position by a screwing action due to rotation of the valve rod caused by the action
of an interually serewed block moving with the piston rod on a helical part of the
valve rod.
I apply the apparatus constituting my present invention in a manner to put the
valve gear of the main engines in its middle neutral position whenever the speed of
the engines exceeds a predetermined limit. By these arrangements, in marine
engines with two or more cylinders, and working with two or more singes of
expansion, the valves of all the cylinders are brought to their middle neutral
positions, and further motion is effectively obstructed.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append two sheets of explanatory drawings to
be hereinafter referred to and representing examples of my improved apparatus.
Figure, 1, on Sheet, 1, of the drawings is a sectional elevation of part of a
starting engine of the kind hereinbafore referred to, as preferred by me and of my
own well known make, as provided with apparatus for carrying out my present
invention and Figures, 2, and 3, are an enlarged transverse vertical section and
sectional side elevation of the device for neting on the occurrence of excessive
speed adopted in the example of my apparatus shown in Figure, 1. Figure, 4, on
Sheet, 2, is a sectional elevation of a second modification; and Figure, 5, is a
sectional plan of a third modification. In these drawings the same reference letters
and numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In Figure, 1, the water cylinder, A., of the starting engine is shown with part of
the steam cylinder, B, and part of the common piston rod, C.
Instead of centering
the hand lover, D, on a fixed stud as heretofore, 1 centre it upon a lever, E,
centured on a fixed stand, 1, and connected to a piston, G, in a small safety cylinder, H,
shown as fixed to the side of the water cylinder, A., but which may be placed in
any convenient position. A valvo, J, is provided for admitting the steam or fluid
to either side of the piston; and this valve is arranged to be acted on whenever

page_text: the speed of the main engines increases above a predetermined rate, so as then to
admit steam or fluid so as to move the piston and thereby cause the lever, E,
carrying the hand lever, D, to bring about the placing of the valve gear of the
main engines in its neutral position. The valve casing, K, may be upon the
cylinder, H, as shown, or it may be placed separately in any situation convenient
for the speed-actuated device, whilst the cylinder, H, may be placed conveniently
for acting on the starting engine or valve gear.
The valve, J, of the safety cylinder, H, may be arranged to be acted on by any
suitable kind of speed governor; and when a rotating governor is used I prefer
to apply it directly upon the main shaft, for example, at the forward end of a screw
propeller shaft, L, as indicated in Figure, 5. The speed governor, M, is arranged
to act on a lever, N, which when a predetermined safe speed is exceeded acts on
the rod of the valve, J, shown in this example as in a valve casing, K, which is
separate from the safety cylinder (H) pipes, P, Q, connecting it to the ends of
that cylinder.
In most cases I prefer to employ as the safety governing arrangement, a simple
device such as is shown in Figures, 1, to 4, (but which I do not claim excepting as
combined with other parts of my apparatus). This device is fitted in immediate
connection with the starting engine, A, B, and comprises a lever, R, made to
vibrate by any convenient connection from the main engines, as for example by a
connection from the air-pump lever. Or the device may be fitted on the air-pump
lever or on or in connection with any suitably reciprocating part of the main
engines. The lever, R, carries a weight, W, supported by a spring, S, and guided
on a spindle, 6, adjustably fixed in a bow, 7, fixed to the forked end of the lever, R.
The spring, S, is adjustable by means of a screw nut, 8, on the spindle to suit a
particular predetermined speed. When this speed is exceeded the momentum of
the weight, W, overcomes the spring, S, and the weight acts by a groove in it on
pins on a bellcrank trigger, T, carried by the lever, K, and makes its hooked arm,
engage with a hook on the rod, U, of the valve, J, of the safety cylinder, H. The
consequent movement of the valve, J, on the next reciprocation of the lever, R,
brings about the shifting of the hand lever, D, of the starting engine to its middle
neutral position and the stopping of the main engines as hereinbefore explained.
The valve rod, U, is provided with a handle, V, by means of which it can be
placed in its normal position.
In the modification shown in Figure, 4, the safety cylinder, H, is placed apart
from its valve casing, K, and its piston rod is arranged to act directly on the hand
lever D, instead of on a lever (E) carrying the fulcrum stud of that lever. The
piston rod has jointed to it a pair of links, 10, having between them a part of the
hand lever, D, beyond the catch quadrant, 11, and having their further ends
connected by a pin, 12, which projects on the front side. When the safety cylinder, H,
is made to act (by the devices hereinbefore explained) the pin, 12, at the ends
of the links, 10, first moves a small bellcrank, 13, which draws the locking bolt, 14,
out of the notch in the quadrant, 11, and then the part of the pin, 12, between
the links acts on the hand lever, D, and moves it into its middle neutral position.
The bellcrank, 13, acts in a slot in the locking bolt, 14.
It will have been seen that my improved apparatus herein before described
comprises two parts :-namely, means such for example as the safety cylinder, H, for
moving the land lever of the starting engine to its middle neutral position, and
mechanism arranged on being acted on by a speed governor when a predetermined
limit of speed is exceeded, and to put into operation the appliance for shifting the
hand lever of the starting engine; and it will be obvious that the mechanism to be
operated on by the governor may be modified in various ways. Thus instead of a
hook or catch engaging with another part by the action of the governor, the
governor may withdraw a catch or detent so as to allow a spring to act either
through the intervention of a cylinder such as the cylinder, H, or directly on the
hand lever of the starting engine.

page_text: invention, and in what manner the same is to be performçu, i deGING
claim is -
1. In connecting with starting and reversing engines for moving the valve gear
of marine engines, arranging a safety cylinder to be actuated by steam or other
fluid and to put the hand lever of the starting and reversing engine in its middle
neutral position, on the valve of the said safety cylinder being moved by a speed
governor or equivalent device arranged to act when the speed of the main engines
exceeds a predetermined limit, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In connection with marine-engine valve gear operated by means of a starting,
and reversing engine, arranging a speed governor to act, when a predetermined
limit of speed is exceeded, on apparatus for putting the hand lever of the starting
and reversing engine in its middle neutral position substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of January 1891.
EDMUND HUNT,