Improvements in Steam-engine Governors, and in Valves used in connection therewith.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steam-engine Governors, and in Valves used in
connection therewith.
I, ANTOINE LEGER FELIX BAYLE, of 17 Boulevard Rochechouart, Paris, in
the Republic of France, 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 object of this invention is to remedy to some extent the drawbacks attending
the ordinary governors operated by centrifugal force; and the improved governor,
embodying this invention, is applicable to steam engines of every description and
more particularly to those employed in driving dynamos by direct or positive.
action, and having widely varying loads, which necessitate the provision of means
for checking or controlling correspondingly extensive variations of speed.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
showing, by way of example, one form of the improved arrangement, which may,
however, vary in the details according to the specific object to be attained in each.
case.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the resilient or flexible connection of the parts
and the epicycloid gearing or coupling;
Figure 2 is a sectional plan thereof, the section being taken on line 1-2,
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation, the section being taken through line 3-4,.
Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a detail view of a dash-pot hereinafter referred to, aud
Figure 5 is a detail view of the valve.
Referring to these figures, it will be seen that the shaft A of the engine is
independent of the shaft B of the dynamo. They are connected by means of an
elastic or yielding junction piece, of which the greater or less degree of compression
is made to correspondingly affect or influence the parts of the steam-distributing
mechanism.
The variations in the degree of compression are, in effect, adapted to either
accelerate or retard the operation of the epicycloid gearing, consisting of a toothed
wheel M, which is rigidly secured to the fly wheel C, and which imparts motion
to a wheel M³, nounted on the same shaft X with the wheel M, which, on the
other hand, is in gear with a toothed sleeve M. The y-wheel C is made very
heavy, and is properly balanced, it being connected with the shaft A by means
of springs D which are secured at K and J, on one side, and attached to the
piece Z, carrying the wheels M M³, on the opposite side.
A fork or yoke E, of suitable construction, has the screw-threaded slceve N
moving in it, and, as in ordinary governors,-transmits such motion, by means of
levers F, to the inlet valve.
The shapes, construction and arrangement of the levers may vary according
to requirements; for it will be understood that the different cases, which may
have to be dealt with, must necessarily require somewhat modified arrangements,
though none of these modifications need involve any departure from the principle
of the invention.
The operation of the improved governor is as follows:
Whenever the resistance tends to increase, the shaft B will tend to reduce its
speed of rotation, when the spring D. the resiliency of which should be properly

page_text: adjusted to ensure the normal operation of the mechanism, will be compressed;
with the result that, owing to the intermediate action of the epicycloid gearing,
the sleeve N will be shifted longitudinally upon the screw O and will thereby
set the fork or yoke E in oscillatory motion; whereupon the said yoke E, through
the medium of the levers F will open the valve and instantly reduce the speed
of the engine to its normal rate. Should, on the other hand, the resistance tend
to decrease, then the speed of the shaft B will be correspondingly greater, the
springs will act inversely, and partly or wholly close the valve; and this, again,
will cause the engine to resume its proper speed.
:
The distributing valve may be constructed as a lantern, as shown in Figure 5,
and be operated by means of the shaft a, suitably connected, by levers E, to the
sleeve N of the governor.
An additional valve b serves to start the mechanism, and after having done
this, it is closed. A valve R enables the machine to be stopped when required.
For more extensive variations of pressure, than those normally provided for, a
pressure gauge is arranged within reach of the operative, who, by such means, is
.enabled to make the engine resume its normal speed of motion, by operating the
additional valve R accordingly; an ordinary centrifugal governor being, if desired,
employed for this operation.
Figure 4 shows an additional device adapted to prevent the machine from
racing. It consists of a dash-pot G arranged to check the too abrupt change of
speed which would be likely to otherwise occur when the load is removed.
The improved governor hereinabove described may also be utilised for the
operation of expansion gear and the springs shown at D may be replaced by
springs of any other suitable construction, such as spiral springs, flat springs, or
the like.
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 :-
(1) The elastic or resilient connection between the driving and the driven parts;
such connection being formed by a spring of which the varying degrees of
compression are made to influence the speed-regulating devices substantially as
shown and described.
(2) The epicycloid gearing, the terminal moving parts of which are rigidly
connected with the driving and the driven parts, respectively, and which does not
come into operation unless a change of either speed or resistance occurs in the
machine substantially as shown and described.
(3) The screw threaded sleeve mounted upon the driven shaft and adapted to
be displaced in consequence of any variation of speed that may occur in the
machine; such sleeve being operated by the epicycloid gearing and adapted to
transmit the resulting variations of position, through the medium of a fork or
yoke and of a lever arrangement, to the distributing and speed-regulating devices,
so as to ensure the maintenance of the engine at the normal speed substantially as
shown and described.
Dated this 17th der of December 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.