Improvement in Centrifugal Governors.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1888
RESERV
[Communicated from abroad by the firm of SCHAFFER and BUDENBERG, Engineers
of Buckau, near Magdeburg, Germany.]
Improvement in Centrifugal Governors.
1, ARNOLD BUDENBERG, Mechanical Engineer, of 1, Southgate, St. Mary's Street,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of said
invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to that class of centrifugal governors, in which the curves
described by the centres of the governor balls in rising and falling, are approximately
parts of a parabola, and in which the fulcra of the pendulous levers are situated on
the sliding weight, while. a short arm or cam of each lever, extending from the
fulcrum towards the axis of the governor, rests on a vertically immovable shaft or
sleeve which serves as point of support. Hitherto the truly parabolic governor has
usually been imitated in such a manner, that the actual path of the governor balls
coincides with the parabola only when the balls are in their lowest position, and
forms a tangent to the parabola in that position.
In the new governor, on the contrary, the ratio between the length of the pendulous
lever and that of the arm which rests on the vertically immovable shaft or sleeve is
such, that the actual path of the governor balls forms a tangent to the perabola at
the points where the balls are in their middle position. As the distance of the
pendulous fulcrum from the axis of the governor is constant, the end of the short arm
or lever, resting on the top of the central shaft, will, of course, slide on the latter,
and the extremity of the said arm may be the centre of curvature of the path
described by the corresponding governor ball.
In order to obtain the required stability and sensitiveness in all positions of the
governor, I interpose a spring between the two pendulous levers in such a manner,
that the ends of the said spring press symmetrically on a pair of projections or
supports formed on the said levers near their fulcra, and that the lifting of the balls

page_text: tends to compress the said spring. The spring is preferably a leaf spring forming
over the top of the governor spindle (and in the hollow interior of the sliding weight)
an arch between the upper ends of the two pendulous levers, said arch being flattened
or bulged more or less according to the position of the pendulous levers.
The revolving shaft on which rest the ends of the short or inner arms of the
pendulous levers, and which therefore support the pendulous levers together with the
sliding weight, is made hollow, so as to fit like a cap and sleeve over a fixed post
forming the centre of the governor spindle. The top of this central post is situated
approximately in the centre of gravity of the governor, and forms a step-bearing for
he bottom of the revolving sleeve-cap.
Dated this 21st day of December 1887.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, ARNOLD BUDENBERG, Mechanical Engineer, of 1, Southgate, St. Mary's Street,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to that class of centrifugal-governors, in which the curves
described by the centres of the governor balls in rising and falling, are approximately
parts of a parabola, and in which the fulcra of the pendulous levers are situated on
the sliding weight, while a short arm or cam of each lever, extending from the fulcrum
towards the axis of the governor rests on a vertically immovable shaft or sleeve which
serves as point of support.
In the further description of this invention reference will be made to the annexed
drawing, which represents the principal parts of a centrifugal governor in vertical
section.
S is the revolving tubular shaft supported by the fixed vertical spindle A. W is
the sliding weight carrying the fulcra C, C of the pendulous arms K. Each of these
pendulous levers has a rear extension or short arm p, p, extending beyond the central
axis N N and resting with its extremity on the top of the shaft S.
In parabolic governors as usually constructed hitherto, the actual path O, O' of the
governor ball centres coincides with the parabola only when the balls are in their
lowest position O, and forms a tangent to the parabola in that position.
In the new governor, on the contrary, the ratio between the length of the pendulous
lever OC and of the arm 0- which rests on the shaft or sleeve S is such, that the
actual path of the governor balls forms a tangent to the parabola at the points where
the balls are in their middle position, that is, midway between 0 and 0¹. As the
distance of the pendulous fulcrum C from the axis N, N of the governor is constant,
the end of the short arm C will slide a little on the top of the central shaft S.
A straight line drawn from perpendicularly to the path O O¹ intersects this
path O O in the middle, so that may be considered the centre of curvature for the
parabola, which touches the said path between 0 and O¹.
2
A governor constructed as described, will rise from the lowest to the middle
position immediately after its normal velocity of equilibrium has been attained, and
will in the higher positions of the pendulum form a close approach to a perfectly
isochronous governor.
In the lower half of its lift it would, however, be useless,
from want of stability, while in the upper half of its path it would be too sensitive for
practical use.
In order to obtain the required stability and sensitiveness in all positions of the
governor, I interpose between the two pendulous levers a spring F in such a manner,
that the ends of the said spring press symmetrically on a pair of projections or
noses n n formed on the said levers near their fulcra, and that the lifting of the balls
tends to compress the said spring. The spring is preferably a leaf spring forming

page_text: over the top governor spindle (and in the hollow interior of the sliding weight) an
arch between the upper ends of the two pendulous levers, said arch being flattened or
bulged more or less according to the position of the pendulous lovers.
As the sliding weight W is suspended by the bolts C, so that its total weight
together with that of the pendulous levers must be lifted, the governor acts with
considerable energy.
As mentioned above the revolving shaft S on which rest the ends of the short
arms of the pendulous levers, and which therefore support the pendulous levers
together with the sliding weight, is made hollow, so as to fit like a cap and sleeve
over a fixed post A forming the centre of the governor spindle. The top of this
central post is situated approximately in the centre of gravity of the governor, and
forms a step-bearing for the bottom of the revolving sleeve-cap.
Having now particularly described the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,
1. In centrifugal governors, having pendulous arms shaped as angle levers
extending with their short arm beyond the central axis N N, and a large sliding
weight, the short arms being adapted to slide on a fixed (or vertically immovable)
base while the total weight of the ball-levers and of the sliding weight is lifted, a
spring held between two extensions of the ball-levers so as to be compressed by the
rising of the same, substantially as described.
2. In centrifugal governors as specified, an arched spring F resting with its ends
between two lateral projections or noses n n of the pendulous levers in such a manner,
that the spring will be bulged in the centre by the rising of the ball-levers, substantially
as described.
3. The combination of stationary spindle A, with revolving tubular shaft S, hollow
sliding weight W, pendulous angle levers OC a, fulcrum pins C, and spring F, the
whole constructed and adapted to operate substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of September 1888.