AN IMPROVED HYDRAULIC GOVERNOR FOR MARINE AND LAND ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Temple, Timber Merchant, William Clark and
James Clark, Marine Engineers, all of the Borough and County of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED HYDRAULIC GOVERNOR FOR
MARINE AND LAND ENGINES."
Sealed the 1st August 1876, and dated the 3rd May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Temple, William
Clark, and James Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
3rd May 1870.
THOMAS TEMPLE, Timber Merchant, WILLIAM CLARK and JAMES CLARK, Marine
"AN IMPROVED
Engineers, all of the Borough and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
HYDRAULIC GOVERNOR FOR MARINE AND LAND ENGINES."
Hydraulic governors as hitherto made are either costly or cumbersome, or both
cumbersome and costly. To remedy these evils is the object of our Invention, for
which purpose we would construct of a special form that portion of the steam pipe
containing the throttle valve. To one leaf of the throttle valve is linked a solid
plunger, the outer extremity of which is formed into a kind of piston that is acted
upon by water driven or pumped into the cylinder in which the said piston works.
The pump barrel, cylinder, suitable valve seats and cistern form part of the special
casting, thus reducing to a minimum the number of parts. The piston rod of the
said pump may be worked from any convenient part of the engine to which it is
attached.
The mode of action would be as follows:--On steam being admitted into the
steam pipe the pressure exerted thereby upon the inner extremity of the plunger
drives out the same and fully opens the throttle valve, supplying the engine with
a full amount of stean. The engine is now in rapid motion, which is conveyed by
rods or other suitable means to the piston rod of the small pump, driving the water
from the cistern into the cylinder containing the piston end of the plunger, which
being forced inward by the accumulation of water in the cylinder closes the throttle
valve. The cylinder, however, is fitted with a regulating cock or valve, as is
usually the case in all hydraulic governors, which allows a certain amount of water
to escape therefrom, thus reducing the pressure on the piston and allowing the
throttle valve to remain open to an extent corresponding to the aperture of the
regulating cock or valve. Should any cause arise, fortuitously, to increase or
diminish the speed of the engine, the quantity of water pumped into the before-
[Price Gd.l

page_text: mentioned cylinder is similarly increased or decreased, which acting with more or
less pressure on the piston therein either overcomes the internal pressure of the
steam in the steam pipe and closes the throttle valve, or the excess of pressure
being from within outward drives out the plunger and opens more fully the said
valvo, consequently admitting more steam to the steam chest and increasing the
speed of the engine to the required extent.
Our improved governor is supplied with all necessary appendages, such as
stufling boxes and valves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Temple, William Clark, and James Clark in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 2nd November 1876.
THOMAS TEMPLE, Timber Merchant, WILLIAM CLARK and JAMES CLARK, Marine
Engineers, all of the Borough and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. "AN IMPROVED
HYDRAULIC GOVERNOR FOR MARINE AND LAND ENGINES."
All governors as hitherto made are either costly or cumbersome, or both
cumbersome and costly. To remedy these evils is the object of our Invention, for
which purpose we construct of a special form that portion of the steam pipe which
contains the throttle valve. To one leaf of the throttle valve is linked a piston or
plunger working within a cylinder, which is placed at right angles to and com-
municates with the steam pipe, thus one side of the said piston is acted upon by
the steam within the pipe, but the other side or top of the piston, assuming the
position of the steam pipe to be horizontal, receives upon its surface the pressure
of a small body of water, oil, or other suitable fluid, which is pumped from a cistern
or chamber into the upper part of the aforesaid cylinder secured by a cover plate.
The cylinder, cistern, and pump barrel with usual valve seatings, form part of the
special casting which contains the throttle valve, thus reducing to a minimum the
cost of construction and need of future repairs. The pump is actuated from
the engine, as is usually the case with hydraulic governors, by means of a connecting
rod attached to the pump plunger. The fluid thus forced into the upper part of
the cylinder has no means of escape save through a regulating cock or valve called
a regulator, which in hydraulic governors regulate or govern the working speed of
the engine under control. Should any cause arise, fortuitously, to increase or
diminish the velocity of the said engine, the quantity of fluid pumped or forced
into the before-mentioned cylinder is similarly varied, which acting with more or
less pressure on the piston therein either overcomes the internal pressure in the
steam pipe and closes to the required extent the throttle valve, or the excess of
pressure being from within outward the steam drives out the piston, which opening
more fully the said valve admits more steam to the engine in order to bring it to
its standard number of revolutions. After passing through the regulator the fluid
flows back into the cistern and is used over again. Oil, by reason of its acting as
n lubricant to other parts, should any escape into the steam pipe, is preferred to
water, and to keep the same from the heat of the steam pipe as much as possible
an nir space intervenes between the cistern and pipe.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 shows a plan of our improved hydraulic
governor, and comprises that portion of the steam pipe in which the throttle valve
is fitted. Figure 2 is a side elevation, and Figure 3 a longitudinal section on
line A, B, (Figures 1 and 4) to show the influence the motion or position of the
piston has upon the throttle valve. Figure 4 is a transverse section on line C, D,
(Figure 1), and Figure 5 a sectional plan on line E, F, (Figure 3). Figure 6 is a
longitudinal section on line A, H, (Figure 1) to show the course taken by the
fluid when the governor is set in motion.
In Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, a, a, is the cistern charged with water, oil, or other
fluid, the suction chamber into which through the suction valve b* (see Fig. 6)
the fluid is drawn by the upward notion of the pump plunger 2, which is

page_text: connected by any suitable means to the working parts of the engine to which the
governor is attached. The return of the pump plunger drives the fluid through
the delivery valve c* into the upper portion of the cylinder c, which is closed by
a cover plate. d is the piston, the underside of which is linked to a leaf of tho
throttle valve, and in contact with the steam passing onward to drive the engine
(see Fig. 3), consequently a force tending to drive the piston outward is exerted by
the steam, which force, when not counteracted by the pressuro of the fluid above
the piston, causes the throttle valve to open. e is the regulator through which the
fluid returns to the cistern, and f, f, an air space to act as a non-conductor of heat,
which may communicate with the external atmosphere by means of apertures g, I,
(Figure 2). h, Figuro 6, is a handhole for the ready attachment and adjustment
of the piston to the throttle valve, h* (Figure 2) being the cover for the same,
secured in the usual way by bolts and nuts, as are likewise the cover plates n, n*,
and glands o, ox, Figure 1. In either of the said cover plates or in any suitable
place an escapo valve or safety valve may be fitted to relieve the cylinder, when by
the inertia of the moving parts of the engine the pump plunger continues in motion
after the closing down of the throttle valve.
The mode of action would be as follows:-Steam being admitted to the throttle
valve in the ordinary way by opening the stop valve, not shown in Drawing, but
for which i, Figures 2 and 3, is the stuffing-box; a pressure is exerted upon the
underside of the piston d, which rising upward opens the throttle valve to which
it is connected by the link (Figures 3 and 6). The steam passing onward to the
engine sets the same in motion, which motion is communicated by any suitable
means to the pump plunger p, and the fluid pumped from the cistern into the
upper portion of the cylinder c. Should the speed of the engine force more fluid
into this receptacle than can pass through the regulator (which has been set or
opened to the extent, answering to the velocity required of the engine), the super-
abundant fluid accumulates, and overcoming the pressure of the steam on the
underside of the piston force inward the said piston, thus closing the throttle valve
and causing it to pass only sufficient steam to work the engine at the required
velocity. A contrary action ensues when the engine from an excess of work
thrown upon it reduces its speed.
The above description of governor may be made equally suitable for steam pipes,
taking a vertical in place of a horizontal direction as herein described, by
substituting clack valves in lieu of the spherical valves b*, c*, shewn in Figures
4. and 6.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature and object of our said
Invention, together with the manner of carrying the same into effect, we would
observe in conclusion that we claim not the action of a fluid upon a piston, or of a
piston upon a fluid passing through a regulating cock or valve, this being common
to the cataract which supplies the place of the governor in single acting Cornish
engines, but what we consider new and secured to us by the above in part recited
Letters Patent is the action of the steam in the steam pipe upon the inner side of
the piston d, as herein described, together with the combination of the governor
with the steam pipe, in manner as herein set forth and illustrated on the accom-
panying Drawing, whereby expense is avoided and efficiency ensured.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Temple and James Clark, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.