AN IMPROVED STEAM ENGINE GOVERNOR
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT, to Thomas Silver, of Philadelphia, in the State of
Pensylvania, U. S., Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
STEAM ENGINE GOVERNOR."
Sealed the 20th November 1857, and dated the 23rd May 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Silver at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
May 1857.
I, THOMAS SILVER, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pensylvania, U. S.,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED STEAM ENGINE GOVENOB," to be as follows:-
Govenors for operating upon the throttle valve, fitted either on or attached
to the steam supply pipe of steam engines for marine, stationary, and other
purposes, have heretofore been constructed in various forms, but principally
with two pendulous metal balls suspended from a central rotating vertical
shaft or spindle, upon which shaft being caused to rotate rapidly, centrifugal
action causes the balls to fly from the centre or position of rest and expand,
carrying the bottom guide socket or clutch ring up the spindle; this guide
socket or clutch ring being the forked end of a lever working therein, com-
municates the requisite amount of motion for closing the throttle valve, but
inasmuch as this govenor, when properly constructed, is sufficiently accurate
for ordinary cases where it is applied for regulating the motion of factory.
engines, and for other similar purposes, it is inapplicable for the purpose of
governing or regulating the speed or motion of marine engines, where the

page_text: motion of the ship or vessel interferes to prevent its performing its functions
correctly; but although this defect of the two-ball govenor is obviated by an
arrangement of four balls, one being mounted upon each end of two crossed
levers, in the manner described by the Specification of a Patent granted to me
in the year 1855-and marine govenors made according to the said Inven-
tion answer the purpose admirably-it is, nevertheless, desirable in many cases
to employ a more delicate or sensitive govenor, and it is with this view that
the instrument or apparatus, according to the present Invention, has been
arranged.
The present Invention consists in constructing a sensative govenor intended
for nautical and other purposes in the following manner-Upon a horizontal
shaft supported at each end in suitable bearings mounted upon standards or
otherwise is securely fixed a toothed pinion, to which motion is communicated
by a driving wheel (fitted upon a short shaft) of suitably large diameter, for the
purpose of increasing the relative speed. Upon the first-mentioned horizontal
shaft is also fitted accurately but working therein a fly wheel of suitable
diameter and weight; to one face of this fly wheel two round studs are fixed
at opposite sides of its diameter, and at a suitable distance from the centre,
upon each of these studs a thin metal vane is fitted, and freely turns; the
socket of each vane in which the stud works is not in the centre of the width
of such vane, for the reason hereafter stated; these vanes when at rest stand
at right angles' with the arms, or to the diameter of the fly wheel, and are so
connected together by means of a suitable arrangement of links' and bars, that,
upon the rotation of the fly wheel the position and arrangement of the vanes pro-
duce a tendency to expose a larger surface of resistance to the retative motion
of the fly wheel, whilst if the speed of the wheel be increased, the air impinging
with greater force upon the side of each vane, having the largest surface, or
being the greatest distance from the stud on which it turns, causes each vane
to depart to a still greater extent from its original position of rest, and thus act
as a check to the progress of the wheel. Upon one face of the fly. wheel boss
a bevil wheel is secured, this bevil wheel is intended to gear into two bevil
pinions fitted upon cross: studs or trunnions; each pinion has cast upon its
inner face a small barrell or drum, to which the end of a chain is attached,
and upon which a portion of the chain is caused to wind upon motion being
given to the pinions when in gear with the bevil wheel.
A collar or adjustable box is fitted close to the enlargement upon the
horizontal shaft from which the cross studs or trunnions stand off, this collar
receives the thrust of a spiral spring which loosely surrounds the horizontal
shaft, the other end of the spring taking its thrust against the winged collar

page_text: of a sliding socket or sleeve which is fitted upon and is permitted to slide to a..
limited extent over or upon the horizontal shaft; this sliding socket or sleeve
has a grooved collar or clutch piece, in which the jaws of a forked.lever work
in a manner similar to the ordinary govenor. Studs are fixed in the hori-.
zontal shaft, so that they work in the slots of the sliding socket or sleeve, by.
which means its distance or length of travel to and fro can be checked. A.
short length of chain or other suitable band is attached to each side of the
sliding collar or sleeve piece, one end being connected to a wing or boss upon
the collar, whilst the other end is attached to the small drum cast. upon the
inner face of each of the bevil pinions: thus, upon a higher speed being.
imparted to the govenor than that at which it was designed to work without
operating upon the valve shaft, it is urged forward in advance of the fly wheel,
the retardation of which produces a corresponding or proportionate degree of
winged motion in the pinions in gear therewith, and thus winds up a portion
of each chain, one over and the other under the drum, to which each chain:
is secured, and thus compressing the spring by overcoming its power of
resistance applied to keep the parts before described asunder, whereupon the:
sliding socket or sleeve with its clutch piece is carried nearer to the fly wheel,
and thereby the fork-ended lever, is acted upon, and by means of intervening.
levers or connecting rods the throttle valve is closed entirely to the proper or
requisite extent.
I have preferred giving, in illustration of my said Invention, the description:
of an arrangement of parts, which, whilst strictly in accordance therewith, is
subject nevertheless to variations in the shape, .dimensions, position and
dispositions to suit the various purposes for which, and the various circum-
stances under which, such instruments may be required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Silver in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SILVER, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pensylvania, U. S., Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the
lid, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
year of Her reign,
grant unto me, the

page_text: said Thomas Silver, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Silver,
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Silver, executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED STEAM
ENGINE GOVENOR," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Silver, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Silver, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawing:
:-
Govenors for operating upon the throttle valve fitted- either on or attached
to the steam supply pipe of steam engines for marine, stationary, and other
purposes, have heretofore been constructed in various forms, but principally
with two pendulous metal balls, suspended from a central rotating vertical shaft
or spindle, upon which shaft being caused to rotate rapidly centrifugal action
causes the balls to fly from the centre or position of rest and expand, carrying
the bottom guide socket or clutch ring up the spindle; this guide socket or
clutch ring having the forked end of a lever working therein, communicates
the requisite amount of motion for closing the throttle valve, but inasmuch
as this govenor, when properly constructed, is sufficiently accurate for ordinary
cases where it is applied for regulating the motion of factory engines, and for
other similar purposes, it is inapplicable for the purpose of governing or
regulating the speed or motion of marine engines where the motion of the
ship or vessel interferes to prevent its performing its functions correctly; but
although this defect of the two-ball govenor is obviated by an arrangement
of four balls, one being mounted upon each end of two crossed levers, in the
manner described by the Specification of a Patent granted to me in the year
1855 and marine govenors made according to the said Invention answer the
purpose admirably-it is, nevertheless, desirable in many cases to employ a
more delicate or sensative govenor, and it is with this view that the instru-
ment or apparatus according to the present Invention has been arranged.
7
The
present Invention consists in constructing a sensative govenor intended

page_text: for nautical and other purposes in the following manner :-Upon a horizontal
shaft supported at each end in suitable bearings mounted upon standards or
otherwise is securely fixed a toothed pinion, to which motion is communicated
by a driving wheel (fitted upon a short shaft), of suitably large diameter, for
the purpose of increasing the relative speed, or a band wheel, as shewn in the
accompanying Drawing, may be substituted. Upon the first-mentioned shaft,
which is shewn in Drawing horizontal, is fitted accurately but working freely
thereon a fly wheel of suitable diameter and weight; to one face of this fly
wheel two round studs are fixed at opposite sides of its diameter, and at a
suitable distance from the centre, upon each of these studs a thin metal vane
is fitted and freely turns; the socket of each vane in which the stud works is
not in the centre of the width of such vane for the reason hereafter stated;
these vanes when at rest stand at right angles with the arms or to the diameter
of the fly wheel, and are so connected together by means of a suitable arrange-
ment of links and bars, that upon the rotation of the fly wheel the position
and arrangement of the vanes produce a tendency to expose a larger surface
of resistance to the rotative motion of the fly wheel, whilst if the speed of
the wheel be increased, the air impinging with greater force upon the side of
each vane having the larger surface, or being, the greater distance from the
stud on which it turns, causes each vane to depart to a still greater extent
from its original position of rest, and thus act as a check to the progress of
the wheel. Upon one face of the fly wheel boss a bevil wheel is secured; this
bevil wheel is intended to gear into two bevil pinions fitted upon cross studs or
trunnions; each pinion has cast upon its inner face a small barrell or or drum,
to which. the end of a chain is attached, and upon which a portion of the
chain is caused to wind upon motion being given to the pinions when in gear
with the bevil wheel. A collar or adjustable boss is fitted close to the enlarge-
ment upon the horizontal shaft from which the cross studs or trunnions stand
off; this collar receives the thrust of a spiral spring which loosely surrounds
the horizontal shaft; the other end of the spring taking its thrust against the
winged collar of a sliding socket or sleeve, which is fitted upon, and is per-
mitted to slide to a limited extent over or upon the horizontal shaft; this
sliding socket or sleeve has a grooved collar or clutch piece in which the jaws
of a forked lever work, in a manner similar to the ordinary, govenor; studs are
fixed in the horizontal shaft, so that they work in the slots of the ordinary
socket or sleeve, by which means its distance or length of travel to and fro
can be checked. A short length of chain or other suitable band is attached
to each side of the sliding collar or sleeve piece, one end being connected to
the wing or boss of the collar, whilst the other, end is attached to the small

page_text: drum cast upon the inner face of each of the bevil pinnions; thus upon a higher
speed being imparted to the govenor than that at which it was designed to
work without operating upon the valves, the shaft is urged forward in advance
of the fly wheel, the retardation of which produces a corresponding or propor-
tionate degree of rotary motion in the pinnions in gear therewith, and thus
winds up a portion of each chain, one over and the other under the drum, to
which each chain is secured, and thus compressing the spring by overcoming
its power of resistance applied to keep the parts before described assunder,
whereupon the sliding socket or sleeve with its clutch piece is carried nearer
to the fly wheel, and thereby the fork-ended lever is acted upon, and by means
of intervening levers or connecting rods the throttle valve is closed entirely,
or to the proper or requisite extent.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
In the accompanying Drawing is a govenor constructed according to my
Invention, Fig. 1 being a front view or elevation, and Fig. 2, a view of
the fly wheel upon which the vanes and their levers are fitted. a is a hori-
zontal shaft mounted in suitable bearings b, 6, upon which is fitted and work-
ing freely thereon a fly wheel c, having two round studs d, 'd, fixed upon the
inner face thereof; upon each of these studs a thin metal vane e is fitted, and
freely turns, being connected together by the lever f, and bars or links g, g,
shewn in Fig. 2; h is a bevil wheel fitted upon the boss of the fly wheel c,
which gears into two bevil pinions i, i, which work upon the trunnions k, k,
cast upon the horizontal shaft a; upon the inner faces of each of the bevil
pinions i, i, is cast a small barrell or drum l, which has a cord or chain m
attached thereto, and which is wound thereupon when the govenor is in
motion; the other end of the chain or cord is attached to the winged collar
of a sliding socket or sleeve n, having a grooved collar or clutch piece o, in
which the jaws p of the forked lever 9 work. q is the forked lever which
works upon a centre r, which may be connected to the throttle valve by
suitable levers, not shewn in the Drawing. Upon the horizontal shaft a is a
stud or pin s, which works in a slot t, formed in the sliding socket or sleeve n,
by which the distance of the travel can be checked; u is an adjustable collar
. or boss fitted close to the enlargement upon the horizontal shaft for receiving
the thrust of a spiral spring; v is a spiral spring which loosely surrounds the
horizontal shaft; w is a drum or pulley fitted upon the outer end of the
horizontal shaft a, for communicating motion to the govenor.
Instead of the drums being parallel they may be conical to receive a chain
or cord, thus giving additional means of adjustment or regulation.

page_text: I have preferred giving, in illustration of my said Invention, the description
of an arrangement of parts, which, whilst strictly in accordance therewith, is
subject, nevertheless, to variations in the shape, dimensions, position, and
dispositions to suit the various purposes for which, and the various circum-
stances under which, such instruments may be required.
•
Another modification of my said Invention is shewn in the accompanying
Drawing, Fig. 3; upon a shaft resting in suitable bearings, which may be
placed in any position to suit circumstances, and receive rotating motion.from
an engine by any suitable means, is fitted a fly wheel of suitable diameter and
weight, which shall be allowed to rotate freely, but not to move longitudi-
nally upon said shaft; but instead of employing bevilled-toothed wheels, as
before described, I employ the following arrangement:-Upon the aforesaid
shaft, and fixed firmly upon the boss of the fly wheel, in the position occupied
by the bevil wheel, as heretofore described, a conical drum or projection, to the
opposite sides of the base of which are attached cords or chains, which, after
passing over grooved pulleys working in the jaws of a double-forked frame or
carriage, and having their other ends secured to the horns of a sliding sleeve
or socket, as shewn in Fig. 3. A spiral spring, as heretofore described, is
fitted between the end of the socket and the double-forked frame or carriage.
It will be seen that on motion being communicated to the shaft, the fly wheel
being loose thereon, the inertness of the latter causes it to-haxe a tendency to
remain stationary, consequently the cords which connect the conical drum
or projection, before described, with the horns of the sliding socket or sleeve,
and pass over the grooved pulleys; are necessarily wound around, one on the
right and the other on the left, of the conical drum or projection, thus over-
coming the spring and changing the position of the sliding socket or sleeve
upon the shaft, and upon the velocity of the fly-wheel and the shaft assimu-
lating the force of the spring, returns the sliding socket or sleeve to a position
corresponding therewith.. For the purpose of checking the speed of the
fly wheel more promptly the vanes may be fixed excentrically, the sides thereof
having the larger areas being resisted by springs, which are to retain the
vanes in a position proportionate to the speed of the fly wheel.
The fly wheel arrangement, heretofore described, or a modification thereof,
may be used in combination with a centrifugal govenor, whether the ordinary
two-ball or the balanced four-ball kinds, for the purpose of rendering more
sensitive such govenors, and which is effected in the following manner :-Upon
the shaft or spindle of either of the kinds of the centrifugal govenors, here-
tofore described, I apply the fly wheel, so that it shall rotate freely thereon, as
heretofore described, and as shewn in Figs: 4 & 5. I connect the pendulous

page_text: arms of such an arrangement of govenor by means of intermediate links
or rods, which, when the govenor is at rest, stand diagonally with the spindle;
but upon motion being communicated to the govenor, the momentum of the
fly wheel causes the connecting links or rods to depart from the angular
position, and assume a line approximating to that of the spindle or shaft, and.
thus cause the pendulous balls to move from their plane of rest, it being
necessary in this arrangement to fix the connecting rods or links between the
pendulous gear and the fly wheel at an angle opposed to each other's rotation,
that the one may resist the other, and thus, on motion being communicated,
the tendency is to thrust out the balls; but instead of using rigid links or rods,
as just described, the conical projection or drum, with the cords or chains, as
before described in connection with Fig. 3, in which case may be substituted,
a pulling action instead of a thrust is employed, the same being connected
with the arms in a suitable manner.
Instead of connecting the looped ends of the rigid links with the boss of the
fly wheel by means of a simple stud, upon which the loops or slot ends of the
link pass up and down after they have performed the act of thrusting assunder
the balls at the moment of starting the goyenor, I have shewn another
arrangement applied to the boss of the fly. wheel adapted to the four-ball
govenor, as shewn in Figs. 4 & 5. The simple link arrangement having slot
ends or eyes to the links are shewn in Figs. 7 & 8 applied to a two-ball
govenor; but such links divurge from the pendulous arms to the periphery of
the wheel, instead of to the boss of the wheel as in Figs. 4 & 5.
By the arrangement shewn in Figs. 7 & 8, when the balls are at rest the
upper end of the slot in the lower end of each link rests upon the stud; but
upon motion being communicated, the links, in attempting to assume a position
parallel to the spindle and to each other, thrust the balls outward, and each
eye of the link ends moves or plays along the pin to the extent required; and
suitable motion is permitted to the upper ends of the links by connecting them
to the pendulous arms by means of universal joints, as shewn, or their equi-
valents; and whether this mode of acting upon the pendulous ball govenor be
applied where the rods extend from the pendulous arms to the boss or to the
rim of, the fly wheel, the amount of motion must be regulated by the form of
the slot, or any equivalent arrangement.
I have described the combination of a fly wheel with a pendulous or other
form of ball govenor, and have described the method by which I communicate
the motion from such fly.wheel to the balls of the two or four-ball govenor
arrangements, for the purpose of starting them from their normal position of
rest, by the introduction of links, rods, or their equivalents, and which may

page_text: either be connected with the boss or the periphery of the fly wheel, as con-
venience may suggest; but, instead of adopting either of these arrangements,
I 'employ the following means:-I attach to the face of the boss of the
fly wheel a helical cam or crown wheel with ratchet teeth, by which one
or niore inclines are formed upon such face, and which inclines or curved
teeth, if projected, would form spiral or helical lines around the shaft upon
which the fly wheel rotates, a ring with corresponding notches, teeth, or
cam-like face is fitted upon the, shaft, and by means of rods or links, or their
equivalents, any longitudinal motion of such sliding ring communicates the
amount of motion requisite for expanding the levers and the balls, one
arrangement of which is shewn on an enlarged scale, Fig. 6.
I have in the earlier part hereof described the Figs. 1 & 2 by the aid
of letters of reference, and I have applied as far as possible similar letters
of reference to corresponding parts in the several Figures; for instance, in
Fig. 3, a is the shaft or spindle, which may be mounted in suitable bearings,
not shewn; the fly wheel c, which revolves loosely upon the shaft a, has studs
d, upon which the vanes e are fitted; the conical hub or projection from the
face of the boss h has two lugs or hooks, to which the cords m are attached
at the one end, whilst the other is attached to the horns of the sleeve n,
the double-fork piece or carriage i carrying the groved pulleys k, by which
the cords mare carried and extended; the sleeve or socket n with a groved
collar or clutch o, the crank lever, and other parts, are similar to those referred
to in Fig. 1. The double-forked carriage being fixed upon the shaft or spindle
a revolves with it; the sleeve or socket n does not turn, but is free to slide
along the spindle as the spring becomes compressed.
In Figs. 4 & 5, a is the spindle; c, the boss of the fly wheel, which may
have either of the arrangements described for expanding the balls attached
to it; but if the plan herein described, and exhibited in Fig. 6 to a larger
scale, be adopted, then d represents the sliding ring or collar, having suitable
projections on the face thereof for taking into the corresponding provisions
made in the boss of the fly wheel, or attached thereto, in which case also e
would represent the eye bolts, to which the rods or links f are attached,
g being the arms or pendulous levers carrying the balls.
In Figs. 7 & 8, a is the spindle; b, the fly wheel; c, the boss thereof;
d and e referring to the junction of the links or rods f, with the fly wheel rim
at the lower end.
Having described my Invention, and the mode of applying the same with
various modifications, and under various circumstances, for the purpose of pro-
ducing reliable arrangements of apparatus for governing and regulating the

page_text: motion or velocity of machinery, and by which uniformity of speed may be
obtained with varying loads, and under varying circumstances of action and
motion, I claim the several mechanical arrangements and combinations of
parts, herein described, when employed in manner stated and set forth, for the
purpose of constructing steam engine govenors for regulating or governing the
velocity or power of machinery in motion.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Silver, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
THOMAS SILVER. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM SMITH, C. E.