An Improved Centrifugal Regulator or Governor, applicable to Steam and other Fluid-pressure Engines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Centrifugal Regulator or Governor, applicable to
Steam and other Fluid-pressure Engines.
I, EMILE MERTZ, of 5 Weidengasse, Bâle, Switzerland, 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
The present invention has for its object to obtain a Patent for a ball speed
regulator in which the balls are subjected to the action of springs acting in contrary
direction to the centrifugal force, and the tension of which may be regulated so as
to vary the governing speed or normal working speed of the engine to which this
regulator is attached.
In the annexed drawing, which represents an example of one form of application
of this speed regulator, Figures 1 and 2 are two vertical sections of the regulator,
and Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on lines V X YZ, of Figure 1.
In these figures, A. represents a box constituting a wheel fixed on the extremity a
of the propelling shaft of the engine, within which is mounted a regulator. On the
cover of this wheel box A, revolving with the propelling shaft of the engine, two
levers B, B are pivoted at c c, one end of each pair of levers terminating with a
ball C, and the other and longer end with an anti-friction roller d. The roller d
fits into a cut or groove e of a sliding piece D, fixed on a support E solid with or
fixed to the cover b of the wheel-box A, and provided with
two grooves
diametrically opposite el, el, whose object is to limit the oscillation of the
levers B B.
.
To each of the balls C C, and supported within them is a rod F terminating by
a spherical part f supported in a corresponding hollow f¹ of the ball.
The inner ends of the rods F are made square as indicated by the letter g.
The square portions g, g of the said rods F fit into the corresponding socket g¹ of
a sleeve G, which is free to revolve on its own axis in the fixed bearing or
support E.
On the sleeve G is a toothed wheel H. gearing with a worm-wheel i mounted on
shaft I, running transversely with the cover b of the wheel-box A and suitably
carried by the support E.
Outside of the shaft terminates with a square h, so that the said shaft. I can be
turned by means of a key and transmit this rotation by the worm i and the toothed
wheel H to the sleeve G, which will draw in by virtue of its formation the two
rods F F. A portion of the outer ends of the rods F F is provided respectively
with a right and left handed screw thread K K, and on each of these threads is
placed a corresponding nut p conjointly with the transverse crosshead L or L',
or may be fixed to one of said crossheads. At either end of the crosshead L
two stirrups M, M are hooked, each of which is bolted to a box N, and to either
end of the crosshead L' two corresponding stirrups O, O are hooked, each of which
is fixed to the box P. Between the bottom of each box N and the bottom of the
box P, placed opposite to each other, is interposed a spiral spring R, and a second
spring R¹ is interposed between the lateral sides of these two same boxes N and P,
which are telescopic one within the other. The two springs R and R' are coiled
in opposite directions so that their spirals may not entangle in each other.
The two pairs of coiled springs R, R' exert on the stirrups M, M, O, O, and
consequently, by the crossheads L and L' on the rods FF and the balls C C,
radial pressures, which on the working of the regulator, act in an opposite direction
to the action of the centrifugal force.

page_text: It will be seen that on turning the shaft I, the rods FF are made to turn, which
will have the effect of separating the crossheads L L', and consequently the
boxes NP of each pair of boxes will be moved in opposite directions, and of
varying consequently the degree of tension of the springs R R' interposed between
these boxes. Bearing against the sliding piece D, in the form of a ball, is the end
of a rod S, which is, at one end by a lever T, subjected to the action of a spring.
not represented on the drawing, whose function is to maintain the terminal ball of S
constantly bearing against D; the said lever T being bound by one or several
intermediary parts common to the inlet valve for regulating the inflow of the
propelling fluid to the engine, of which the speed has to be regulated by the
regulator.
The axis of the rod F F is provided on one side with a boss or collar o, and on
the other a nut p, which limit the play of the nuts j on the threaded parts K K
of the rods F F. To enable the rods F to be turned for the object of fitting the
regulator, that is to say, in order to pass the crossheads L L¹, the end of the
rods F F is formed with a square extension. Stoppers U U solid with cover b of
the wheel-box A serve to limit the effect of the centrifugal force on the pair
of boxes N P.
The working of the regulator which has just been described is as follows:-
Supposing the tension of the springs R R to be such that the engine provided
with this regulator revolves at a governing speed say for example of 150 revolutions
per minute, if the speed of the engine should exceed this normal speed, the action
of the centrifugal force on the balls C C being greater than the centrifugal action
which is then exerted by the springs R R through the intermediary of the
parts NP, M M, O O, L L', FF, the balls will then separate more from the
centre of the wheel-box A, which will have the effect of turning the levers B B on
their pivots ee in the direction of the arrows vv, consequently causing the sliding
piece D to move in the direction of the arrow a, and causing the inlet or regulating
valve governed by the lever T to close accordingly. In the movement of separating
the balls C C from the centre of A, they will draw along with them the rods F F
which are free to pass out from the square hollow g¹ of the sleeve G. This
movement, by means of the nuts j, will cause the crossheads L L' and the
stirrups M M, OO to move outwards and the boxes N P to be drawn inwards,
which will compress the springs R R¹. But if, on the contrary the speed of the
engine falls lower than the governing speed, the centrifugal action of the springs R R¹
on the balls C C being greater than the centrifugal force, the balls C C will come
nearer to the centre of the wheel box A, which will have the effect of causing the
levers B B to turn in the opposite direction of the arrows vv, of moving the slide D
in an opposite direction to the arrow x, and of causing the inlet valve governed by
the lever T to open accordingly.
If it is desired to apply the regulator for a governing speed greater than that sup-
posed above, for example, for 250 revolutions per minute, it will be sufficient to turn
the shaft I in order to bring the nuts ; ; and the crossheads L L' nearer to the centre
of the wheel-box A, which will have the effect of separating the boxes NP, and conse-
quently stretching the springs R R¹, so that now a centrifugal action greater than
that required previously to maintain the inlet valve in its normal position,
corresponding to the governing speed, will be necessary, and therefore the governing
speed will be forcibly greater than the previous one. If then the shaft L is turned
in an opposite direction so as to separate the nuts ; and the crossheads L L' more
from the centre of the wheel-box, one may reduce the governing speed ou reducing
the tension of the springs R' R'.
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 :-
A regulator or governor applicable to steam and other fluid pressure engines and
adapted to control variable governing speeds, composed essentially of a wheel-box

page_text: turning with the engine of which the speed is to be regulated, and provided internally
with two pivoted levers and placed so as to act by one of their ends on a sliding
piece joined by suitable intermediaries to the inlet valve of the engine, whereas their
other extremities end with a ball joined by a spherical part to a radial rod provided
on the one end with a screw thread upon which there is a nut conjointly with the
crosshead or fixed to it, and the other end terminating with a square capable of
sliding in a sleeve suitably supported and capable of being turned by a
governing mechanism, the two crossheads being joined by stirrups to boxes
sliding the one within the other and between which springs are interposed by
which, on making the radial rods turn by the sleeve enclosing their terminal
squares, the attendant is able to vary the degree of pressure of the springs
placed between the said boxes, and consequently to vary the centripetal action
which these springs exert on the balls on meeting the centrifugal force so that the
attendant can therefore vary the governing speed of the engine as hereinbefore
described and shown on the annexed drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1895.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.