IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE SPEED OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1880. A communication
from abroad by Thomas Buzby Sheppard, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United
States of America.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE
SPEED OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES." [A communication from abroad by Thomas
Buzby Sheppard, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention is to provide improved means for ensuring greater
regularity of motion in compound condensing and other engines than is obtained
by the regulating devices heretofore used; and for this purpose I employ more
powerful apparatus for operating the regulating valves than those which are
ordinarily employed, whether the said valves be situated in the exhaust passage
between the expansion or steam cylinder and the condenser, or in the steam or
other supply pipe, or in both in the same engine.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a diaphragm, which is
placed within a case of elliptical form in transverse section. The said diaphragm is
fixed longitudinally within the said case in such a manner that it divides the latter
into two compartments. The diaphragm is made of flexible metal or other suitable
material, and has secured to its centre a rod which extends through a stuffing box
in one side of the case, and is attached outside the latter to the ordinary throttle
valve lever, so that any motion of the diaphragm will also be imparted to the
throttle valve. The diaphragmn-case is provided with two ports communicating
with a valve of novel construction, which is designed to control the supply of steam
or air to either one or the other side of the diaphragm as required. This valve
consists in a hollow or tubular cone-shaped vessel hereinafter called the cone-valve,
which is situated within an outer cylinder or case provided with two ports in
communication with the two ports hereinbefore described. The said cone valve
is of so much smaller diameter than the interior of the caso within which it works
that there is a space between the external surface of the cone-valve and the internal
surface of its case, affording a passage or space for steam or air. This passage or
space does not however extend completely around the cone-valve, as the latter is
provided at one side thereof with a projecting piece designed to cover and uncover
the above named ports alternately; through the centre of this piece there is a
longitudinal aperture corresponding in dimension and communicating with the

page_text: interior of the cone-valve, and at the upper part with the ports in the valve-casing
leading to the corresponding ports in the diaphragm-case, that is to say, the
oscillation of the said conc-valve as it partially rotates to and fro causes the
aforesaid aperture in the projecting piece to communicate alternately with the two
ports in the casing according to the action of the governor of the engine, and when
the said aperture is in communication with the port on one side the port on the
other sido is in communication with the space between the cone-valve and the
interior of its case, and vice-versa. The said cono-valve is so fitted within its
casing that it can partially rotate or oscillato therein, that is to say, one end of the
cone-valve is supported by an arm or spindle bearing within and passing through
one end of the outer cylinder or casing, and this spindle has upon its outer end a
lever which is in communication with the engine governor, and is actuated thereby.
The opposite end of the cone valve is supported by a tubular spindle or trunnion,
through which steam or air enters the interior of the said cone-valve, whence it
passes to one side or the other of the aforesaid diaphragm according to the position
of the said cone-valve, the latter being operated as above described by the governor
of the engine. On the end of the cylinder or valve-casing adjacent to the end
of the cone valve, through which the steam or air passes to the interior of the
same, I provide a boss, upon which is coupled a tube leading to either the con-
denser or the steam boiler, or to both, and provided with a two-way cock, which
will afford communication with either. Or a direct passage may be made through
the cone-valvo and diaphragm case from the boiler to the condenser.
This regulating apparatus may be used in connection with any of the ordinary
forms of governors, but for the purpose of economizing space I profer to employ,
instead of the governors heretofore used, a novel device or apparatus forming a
part of this Invention, and which is constructed as follows, that is to say :-I
provide a spindle with a spiral worm or thread turned upon it. This worm gears
into a driving spur-wheel, the teeth of which are cut (or set) at an angle
corresponding with that of the thread or worm of the screw. The screw or worm
spindle is rotated by the driving spur wheel when the latter receives motion from
the engine to be regulated. Upon the spindle or arbor carrying the driving spur
wheel is also firmly fixed a pulley or other suitable means for receiving driving
power by the employment of any ordinary means from the engine to be regulated.
One peculiarity in this governor is that the spindle bearing the spiral worn moves
back and forth in its longitudinal direction, and upon it (at or near one end of the
worm) there is a circular slot (such as is used in the sliding sleeve of ordinary
centrifugal governors) that works in the ordinary manner a lover or spanner
connected with the throttle-valve. The spindle is mounted with vanes to resist the
atmosphere, and the extremities of the vanes may be loaded, or a fly-wheel may be
combined with the vanes to ensure an even motion. But should the worm spindlo
be used otherwise than in a vertical position the vanes should be hinged excentrically
and connected with a spring in such a manuer that it will cause their collapso
when at rest, and on the other hand, when in motion, they will expand by
centrifugal force, and form a resistance to the atmosphere in accordance with the
required speed of an engine; to regulate this means are employed for compressing
or relieving the spring. This worm spindle may be combined with any throttle-
valve, and form an efficient regulator for stationary engines.
The spindle that bears the regulating vanes may, when used for the regulation of
either marine or stationary engines, be separate from the worm spindle, the latter
having a long pinion upon it that will still allow it longitudinal motion when
geared into a spur wheel upon the spindle bearing the vanes.