A New or Improved Method of Regulating the Speed of Air Compressing Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 14th July, 1900-Accepted, 18th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Method of Regulating the Speed of Air
Compressing Engines.
I, JAMES LUMB, of Perseverance Engine Works, Elland, in the County of
York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to automatically so regulate or vary the speed
of air compressing engines as to keep a nearly constant pressure in the air mains;
and it may be used in connection with my speed regulator or similar speed
regulators; or in connection with the centrifugal governors, without the aid
of my speed regulator or similar speed regulators.
In carrying out my invention I use an air cylinder fitted with a ram or
plunger. I have a spring on this ram or plunger, or connected with it in such
a manner that the tension or pressure exerted on the ram by the spring may
be adjusted. When used in connection with my speed regulator or similar speed
regulators I have a lever pivoted on the governor rod at a suitable position,
this lever to be hereinafter called the needle lever, one end of this lever carries
the regulator needle and near the other end of the lever I have a pulley mounted
on a stud; I also affix the aforementioned air cylinder to the governor rod near
to the needle lever, I connect the air cylinder to the airmains by a flexible pipe,
I also connect the ram or plunger of the air cylinder by suitable connections
to a cam, which engages with the pulley on the needle lever; the form of this
cam is such that when moved in one direction by the ram or plunger of the air
cylinder it will cause the speed regulator to reduce the supply of steam to the
engine and therefore reduce the speed of the engine; and when moved in the
other direction it will cause the speed regulator to increase the steam supply to
the engine therefore increasing the speed of the engine. When the air pressure
in the mains increases it forces the ram or plunger of the air cylinder outwards
against the pressure of the aforementioned spring and moves the cam in the
direction to reduce the speed of the engine, and as the air pressure in the mains
decreases the ram or plunger of the air cylinder is forced inwards by reason of
the pressure of the spring and moves the cam in the direction to increase the
speed of the engine.
When my invention is used in connection with the centrifugal governors
without the aid of my speed regulator or similar speed regulator, I fix the air
cylinder and the cam near to the governor lever and the cam engages with a
pulley on the governor lever; when the ram or plunger of the air cylinder is
moved outwards by reason of increased air pressure it exerts through the cam
a lifting effort on the governor lever causing the governors to revolve in a
higher plane therefore reducing the steam supply to the engine and thus reducing
the speed of the engine, and when the ram or plunger of the air cylinder moves
inward by, reason of reduced air pressure the lifting effort of the cam is reduced
causing the governors to revolve in a lower plane and increasing the supply of
steam to the engine and therefore increasing the speed of the engine.

page_text: A New or Improved Method of Regulating the Speed of Air
Compressing Engines.
I, JAMES LUMB, of Perseverance Engine Works, Elland, in the County of
York, 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 my invention is to automatically so regulate or vary the speed
of air compressing engines as to keep a nearly constant pressure in the air mains;
and it may be used in connection with my speed regulator or similar speed
regulators, or in connection with the centrifugal governors, without the aid
of my speed regulator or similar speed regulators.
In carrying out my invention I use an air cylinder fitted with a ram or
plunger. I have a spring on this ram or plunger, or connected with it in such
a manner that the tension or pressure exerted on the ram by the spring may
be adjusted. When used in connection with my speed regulator or similar speed
regulators I have a lever pivoted on the governor rod at a suitable position,
this lever to be hereinafter called the needle lever. One end of this lever carries
the regulator needle and near the other end of the lever I have a pulley mounted
on a stud; I also affix the aforementioned air cylinder to the governor rod near
to the needle lever, I connect the air cylinder to the air mains by a flexible pipe.
I also connect the ram or plunger of the air cylinder by suitable connections
to a cam, which engages with the pulley on the needle lever; the form of this
cam is such that when moved in one direction by the ram or plunger of the air
cylinder it will cause the speed regulator to reduce the supply of steam to the
engine and therefore reduce the speed of the engine; and when moved in the
other direction it will cause the speed regulator to increase the steam supply to
the engine therefore increasing the speed of the engine. When the air pressure
in the mains increases it forces the ram or plunger of the air cylinder outwards
against the pressure of the aforementioned spring and moves the cam in the
direction to reduce the speed of the engine, and as the air pressure in the mains
decreases the ram or plunger of the air cylinder is forced inwards by reason of
the pressure of the spring and moves the cam in the direction to increase the
speed of the engine.
When my invention is used in connection with the centrifugal governors
without the aid of my speed regulator or similar speed regulator, I fix the air
cylinder and the and the cam near to the governor lever and the cam engages with a
pulley on the governor lever; when the ram or plunger of the air cylinder is
moved outwards by reason of increased air pressure it exerts through the cam
a lifting effort on the governor lever causing the governors to revolve in a
higher plane therefore reducing the steam supply to the engine and thus reducing
the speed of the engine, and when the ram or plunger of the air cylinder moves
inward by reason of reduced air pressure the lifting effort of the cam is reduced
causing the governors to revolve in a lower plane and increasing the supply of
steam to the engine and therefore increasing the speed of the engine.
In order that my invention may be better understood, I herein give reference
to the accompanying sheets of drawings illustrative thereof. wherein
Fig. 1, is an elevation of my invention as used in connection with my speed
regulator, or similar speed regulators.
Fig. 2, is a plan view of same.
Fig. 4, is an elevation of my invention (in a modified form) as used in con-
nection with the centrifugal governors without the aid of a speed regulator.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings, see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, 1 represents the governor.
rod, which connects the governors to the throttle valve or other steam controlling
mechanism, and on which fix the arm 2 and pillar 3. This pillar carries the
needle lever 4, the lever being free to turn on its pin; to the needle lever 4 I
fix the needle 5. On the arm 2 I also fix a bearer 6 which carries the cam 7%;
the cam is free to turn on its pin. The cam 7 engages with the pulley 8 which
is carried free to revolve on a stud 9 fixed on the lever 4. On the governor rod 1
I also fix an arm 10 which carries a sleeve 11 and the air cylinder 12 of which
Fig. 3 is a sectional view. 13 is the ram of the air cylinder, 14 is a loose collar
which is held in position on the ram 13 by a set screw in the collar, 15 is a
spring. The ram 13 is connected to the cam 7 by means of a link 16. The ram 13
may be connected by link 16 direct to the lever 4 without the intervention of
a cam 7, but, I prefer to use a cam as the cam may be designed to give any
desired graduation in the variations of speed. 17 is a sliding weight placed
on the needle lever 4 to counter-balance the needle 5 and to keep the pulley 8
in contact with the cam 7, also to put a suitable amount of pressure on the cam.
18 is a speed regulator, see Wilby's Complete Specification, A.D. 1887, Oct. 13,
No. 13,871. 19 is the regulating sleeve and 20 is a portion of the flexible pipe
to connect the air cylinder 12 to the air mains.
In the accompanying drawings, see Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. 21 is a sectional
view of the air cylinder, 22 is the ram, 23 is the cam (in a modified form, to
suit the different arrangement of mechanism). 24 is a bracket which is bolted
to a suitable projection or seat 25 formed on the air cylinder. The bracket 24
carries a guide pulley 26. Fig. 5 is a back view of the air cylinder 21 and
guide bracket 24.
The governor lever 27 of which Fig. 6 is a back view has a forked or straddle
end with curved tee projections 28 and 29, formed on it. Fig. 7 is a plan view
of the portion of the governor lever 27 below the line AB. In the forked or
straddle end of the governor lever 27, I have a pulley 30 and pulley carrier 31;
the pulley 30 engages with the cam 23. The pin 32 on which the pulley 30
is mounted passes through the ears of the pulley carrier 31 and into the slot 33
at each side of the lever 27. The slots 33 act as guides to the pulley carrier 31;
the stem 34 of the pulley carrier 31 passes through the guide 35 which is free
to turn on the pins 36 and 37, these pins are screwed tight in the lever 27.
On the stem 34 of the pulley carrier 31 I have a spring 38; the function of
this spring will be hereinafter explained. 39 represents the governor rod which
connects the governors to the throttle valve or other steam controlling mechanism,
40 is a portion of the pipe for connecting the air cylinder 21 to the air mains.
When my invention is applied to the centrifugal governors without the aid
of a speed regulator, instead of spring 15, see Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 I may use flat
weights 41 see Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a plan view of these weights; the ram 22 has
a neck 42 formed on it for convenience in putting the weights on or taking
them off.
The modus operandi is as follows:-
-
When my invention is used in connection with the speed regulator it is fixed
on the governor rod as shown in Fig. 1, and the air pipe 20 is connected to
the air mains; and as the whole of the apparatus is attached to the governor
rod 1 it will move up or down with the governor rod, and the governor rod 1
is free to move up or down in response to the action of the governors, as before
the application of my invention, thus, leaving the governors a freedom of action
to compensate (independant of my invention) for other influences on the speed,
such as variations of steam pressure and variations of friction of the mechanism
of the engine.
When the air pressure in the mains is below a pre-determined point the
engine will be required to run at a pre-determined maximum speed, and the
function of the spring 15 is to keep the ram 13 at its lowest position thereby
keeping the ram 13 out of action until the air pressure in the mains reaches

page_text: the point at which it is desired to reduce the speed of the engine. When the
air pressure reaches or gets above that point it overcomes the resistance of the
spring 15 and forces the ram 13 upwards thereby moving the cam 7 in the direc-,
tion to raise the weighted end of the lever 4 and lower the needle 5 which will
cause the speed regulator 18 to reduce the supply of steam to the engine conse-
quently reducing the speed of the engine. As the air pressure falls the spring 15
will force the ram 13 downwards thereby moving the cam 7 in the direction to
lower the weighted end of the lever 4 and raise the needle 5 which will cause
the speed regulator 18 to increase the supply of steam to the engine conse-
quently increasing the speed of the engine.
The pressure at which the ram 13 comes into operation may be varied either
way by raising or lowering the collar 14 to put more or less compression on the
spring 13.
The amount of increase or decrease in the speed of the engine may be varied
(a) by moving the weight 17 on the lever 4, by moving the weight outwards
towards the free end of the lever it will cause the pulley 8 to press harder on
the cam 7 and thereby give more resistance to the motion of the cam, or by
moving the weight 17 inwards the pressure of the pulley 8 on the cam. 7 will
be reduced, thus, giving less resistance to the motion of the cam, or (b). by
moving the stud 43 along the slot 44 inward or outward as may be required.
When my invention is used in connection with the centrifugal governors
without the aid of a speed regulator, sufficient weights 41, see Fig. 4 are put
on the ram 22 to keep it down at its lowest position until the air pressure
reaches the point at which the apparatus is required to come into operation.
When the air pressure reaches or gets above this point the ram 22 and cam 23
will be forced upwards and the cam 23 will exert through the pulley 30,
pulley carrier 31, spring 38 and lever 27, a lifting effort on the governors, thus,
causing the governors to work in a higher plane thereby reducing the supply of
steam to the engine and consequently reducing the speed of the engine. As the
air pressure falls again the combined influence of the weights 41 and the pressure
of the pulley 30 on the inclined face of the cam 23 will force the ram 22 and
cam 23 downwards, thus, reducing the lifting effort on the governors and
causing them to work in a lower plane thereby increasing the supply of steam
to the engine and consequently increasing the speed of the engine. The func-
tions of the spring 38 and slots 33 are to give the governors a freedom of action
to compensate independant of my invention for other influences on the speed
of the engine such as variations of steam pressure and variations of friction of
the mechanism of the engine.
:
In some cases it may be 'advantageous to use a spring instead of, or in con-
junction with, the flat weights 41, for instance, if the form of the inclined
face of the cam 23 was so nearly straight that the influence of the pressure of
the pulley 30 on the face of the cam. 23 had so slight an effect in the downward
direction of the cam as not to overcome the frictional resistance of the ram 22
I should consider it advisable to use a spring either in conjunction with or
instead of the weights 41.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:—
Firstly. In mechanism for controlling or varying the speed of air compressing
or other steam engines where variations of speed are desired, the combination
therewith of the cam 7, for the purpose of raising or lowering the speed regulator
needle substantially as set forth.
Secondly. In mechanism for controlling or varying the speed of air compressing
steam engines the combination therewith of an air cylinder 12, ram. 13, and
spring 15 for the purpose of operating the cam 7, or for the purpose of operating
the needle lever 4 without the aid of cam 7, substantially as set forth.

page_text: Thirdly. In mechanism for controlling or varying the speed of air compressing
or other steam engines where variations of speed are desired, the combination
therewith of the pivoted lever 4 for the purpose of carrying the speed regulator
needle 5, operating in the manner described.
Fourthly. In mechanism for controlling or varying the speed of air compressing
steam engines, the combination therewith of an air cylinder 21, ram 22, and
cam 23 for the purpose of varying the plane of revolution of the governors.
operating in the manner described.
Fifthly. In mechanism for controlling or varying the speed of air compressing
steam engines, the combination therewith of pulley carrier 31 and spring 38
for the purpose of giving freedom to the governors for action independant of
the variable speed apparatus.
Lastly. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of parts,
substantially as herein set forth and illustrated by drawings, of mechanisin for
automatically controlling or varying the speed of air compressing steam engines
so as to keep a nearly constant pressure in the air mains.
Deted his 10th law of T... 1000