Improvements in Engine Governors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1899.
Complete Specification Left, 20th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
Improvements in Engine Governors.
I, ARTHUR SAMUEL. FRANCIS ROBINSON, of the Vale of White Horse Iron Works,
Wantage, in the County of Berks, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in expansion governor of the shaft,
wheel or drum type whereby great sensitiveness and stability are obtained without
the aid of inertia or friction devices, dash pots or locking gear such as have heretofore
been used to secure the necessary stability when the governor is used in connection
with slide or other valves offering considerable resistance to movement.
For this purpose there is provided in connection with the shifting eccentric and
the spring controlled mechanism for directly moving it in one direction transverse to
the axis of the governor shaft, two similar pairs of levers that are unprovided with
special weights or other concentrated inertia devices such as have heretofore been
commonly used, and are pivoted to the governor wheel or druin at opposite
sides of the axis thereof, the two levers of each pair being pivoted near together and
suitably connected at a short distance from their pivots to the spring controlled
mechanism carrying the shifting eccentric. The arrangement is such that when the
governor is in action, the levers, or the long arms thereof, tend, under the action of
centrifugal force, to turn outward about their pivots, and, through their connections
with the spring controlled mechanism, to move the eccentric in a direction transverse
to the axis of the shaft and against the spring action which tends to move the
eccentric in the opposite direction. By the construction described great sensitiveness
and stability are obtained in a simple manner.
The pairs of levers may be connected to the spring controlled mechanism through
any suitable means such as rods, or links, or flexible connections passing around guide
pulleys.
My invention can be applied in connection with shaft governors of various types
and especially in connection with those wherein the shifting eccentric is connected
to the free or movable ends of a pair of flexible spring arins or blades that are fixed
at their other ends to the governor drum, as described in the Specifications of former
Patents granted to me, Nos. 12496 and 20960 both of 1894.
In one arrangement of this kind the two levers of each pair are pivoted at one end
upon a common pin fixed to the governor drum near the periphery thereof, and have
their free ends extending inward towards the central portion of the drum, the pins
upon which the two pairs of levers are mounted being arranged diametrically
opposite to each other. The levers of each pair are provided near their pivoted ends
with cross pins by which they are separately connected by a pair of rods or links to
the opposite ends of a common link or lever that is jointed at its central portion to
one end of a pair of parallel links the other ends of which are jointed to a holder
(hereinafter called a spring back) that acts against the inner side of the central
portion of the corresponding spring blade connected to the eccentric.
In a modified arrangement the two rods or links corresponding to each pair of
levers are connected by a common pin direct to the pair of links jointed to the
spring hack.

page_text: In another arrangement the levers of each pair are adjustably connected by cross
pins and eye bolts to the ends of one or more flexible connectors such as a bicycle
chain or chains that passes or pass around one or more guide pulleys journalled in a
pair of links jointed to the corresponding spring back.
In a further arrangement, the levers of each pair are connected to the two ends of
one or more cords or lengths of wire rope that pass around one or more guide pulleys
carried by the links jointed to the corresponding spring back.
By connecting levers of the kind specified to the spring blades in the manner set
forth, the levers of each pair are caused to move inward or outward in unison and
thus not only control the spring blades, but also one another, without the necessity
of using any intermediate mechanical device to secure the stability necessary for
overcoming considerable resistance offered by a slide valve.
Each lever may be of angular shape, or of curved shape, as seen in an end view of
the governor, and consist of a single bar, or of two parallel bars secured at a suitable
distance apart, the bar, or each bar, being made in one piece of metal, or of two or
more pieces bolted or otherwise connected end to end, suitable buffers or stops being
provided to limit its inward or outward movements. The free end of each lever may
in some cases extend inward and past opposite sides of the corresponding spring blade
and be provided with a cross pin or piece carrying a buffer to limit the extent of its
outward movement.
Each spring back may advantageously be formed with a convex surface next its
spring blade and be connected to one end of a strip of spring metal the other end of
which is fixed to one or other end of the corresponding spring blade so that the said
spring back can roll on the spring blade.
The free ends of the spring blades may conveniently be fixed to an approximately
-shaped casting by which they are connected to the cross bolts that unite the
shifting eccentric on one side of the governor drum to a guide plate at the opposite
side thereof, the said casting being provided with a stud or projection that works
through a leather faced guide on the drum and is provided with a nut or other stop,
whereby the connected ends of the spring blades are caused to move in a rectilinear
direction, and their inward movement is limited.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1899
I, ARTHUR SAMUEL FRANCIS ROBINSON, of the Vale of White Horse Iron Works,
Wantage, in the County of Berks, 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 stateinent :-
This invention has reference to improvements in expansion governors of the shaft,
wheel or drum type whereby great sensitiveness and stability are obtained without
the aid of inertia or friction devices, dash pots or locking gear such as have heretofore
been used to secure the necessary stability when the governor is used in connection
with slide or other valves offering considerable resistance to movement.
For this purpose there are provided in connection with the shifting eccentric and
the spring controlled mechanism for directly moving it in one direction transverse to
the axis of the governor shaft, two similar pairs of levers that are unprovided with
special weights or other concentrated inertia devices such as have heretofore been

page_text: commonly used, and are pivoted to the governor wheel or drum at opposite sides of
the axis thereof, the two levers of each pair being pivoted near together and suitably
connected at a short distance from their pivots to the spring controlled mechanism
carrying the shifting eccentric. The arrangement is such that when the governor is
in action, the levers, or the long arms thereof, tend, under the action of centrifugal
force, to turn outward about their pivots, and, through their connections with the
spring controlled mechanism, to move the eccentric in a direction transverse to the
axis of the shaft and against the spring action which tends to move the eccentric in
the opposite direction. By the construction described great sensitiveness and stability
are obtained in a simple manner.
The pairs of levers may be connected to the spring controlled mechanism through
any suitable means such as rods, or links, or flexible connections passing around guide
pulleys.
My invention can be applied in connection with shaft governors of various types
and especially in connection with those wherein the shifting eccentric is connected
to the free or movable ends of a pair of flexible spring arms or blades that are fixed
at their other ends to the governor drum, as described in the Specifications of former
Patents granted to me Nos. 12496 and 20960 both of 1894.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows partly in side elevation and
partly in section on the line A A of Fig. 2 an engine governor of the kind referred to
constructed according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a section on the line B B of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows, in side elevation, one of the pairs of levers used in such governor.
Fig. is a sectional plan view of a pair of guide pulleys with spring back and
spring blade.
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are part side elevations, with the governor drum in section,
showing modified constructions of the governor.
Fig. 6 is a plan of one of the levers shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 9 is a part side elevation showing another modified construction, and Figs. 9ª, 9b
and 9 are detail views of parts thereof.
Fig. 10 is a side elevation, and Fig. 10" a plan, showing part of a modified
construction of governor.
Fig. 11 is a part side elevation showing another modification.
Fig. 12 is a side elevation, and Fig. 13 a cross section on the line C C of Fig. 12
showing another further modified construction of part of the governor.
Figs. 14 and 15 are side elevations showing further modified constructions.
Fig. 16 is a detail view. Figs. 17 and 18 are similar views to Figs. 1 and 2 of a
further modification. The figures are drawn to different scales.
In Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, a is the shifting eccentric fixed upon one of two guide
plates b that are arranged to slide against opposite sides of the governor drum cand
are connected together by cross bolts that work in slots e in the sides of the drum,
two of the bolts being connected through a connecting piece f to the movable ends
of two curved spring blades g the other ends of which are secured to a pair of arms h
pivoted at i to the drums c and capable of being moved towards and from each other
by a right and left handed screw k, and the various parts being also connected to the
governor drum by two pairs of oppositely arranged spring blades l, all as and for the
purposes described in my said former Specification. m, m are the pairs of levers for
controlling the movement of the shifting eccentric a according to this invention. The
two levers of each pair are pivoted at one end upon a common pin n fixed to the
governor druin c near the periphery thereof, and have their free ends extending
inward towards the central portion of the drum, the two pins n being arranged
diametrically opposite to each other.
In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the levers m of each pair are
adjustably connected as by cross pins o arranged near the pivoted ends of the levers
to the two ends of flexible connectors
and eye bolts or books
such as wire ropes,
that pass around compensating guide pulleys journalled in a pair of links a jointed
to a holder t (hereinafter called a spring back) that acts against the inner side of the
P,
8

page_text: central portion of the corresponding spring blade g. In the example shown in Fige. 1
to 4, there are two ropes q and two guide pulleys r for each spring blade g, but there
may be only one of each, or more than two of each, as may be desired in any
particular case.
In Fig. 6, the flexible connectors q consist of chains such as bicycle chains.
In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 7, the levers m of each pair are
separately connected near their pivoted ends by the cross pins o and a pair of rods or
links u (hereinafter called links) to the opposite ends of a common compensating link
or lever v that is jointed at its central portion to the pair of parallel links & jointed to
the corresponding spring back t.
In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 8, the two links u corresponding to each
pair of levers m are connected by a common pin w direct to the pair of links & jointed
to the spring back t.
In the arrangement shown in Fig. 9, the two levers m of each pair are connected to
the corresponding spring back t by a pair of rods u³, a yoke piece and a stirrup
shaped link s'. Each rod u is provided (see Fig. 9") at one end with a block u³
having trunnions u³ that fit into slots m³ (Fig. 9) in the pair of bars of which each
lever m is composed, and the other end of the rod is formed with a link u that
fits over the corresponding hook-like end of the yoke piece v¹. This yoke piece
(Fig. 9b) is grooved at the centre to receive the central portion of the link & the
end portions of which are made hook shape and engage the ends of a pin t¹ on the
spring back t (see Fig. 9).
Each of the levers m of a pair is made to exert the saine force upon the connection
between the pair of levers and the corresponding spring blade. Where one lever is
weighted to some extent, as for example by a hook p and plate P, (as shown in
Figs. 1, 3 and 5) the other lever of the pair is provided with a corresponding com-
pensating or balance weight Q.
The connection between each pair of levers m and the corresponding spring
blade g may be made adjustable. Thus in Fig. 9 each rod u³ is screw threaded at one
end and the block u² is made as a nut, whilst in Figs. 10 and 10%, which show an
arrangement somewhat resembling that shown in Fig. 7, the links u of each pair
are made shorter and the link or lever jointed to them is connected to the pair of
links 8 of the corresponding spring back t by a pair of links x, a screw threaded rod y,
and a swivel nut z. In Fig. 11 a screw threaded rod y and a swivel nut z is for a like
purpose introduced between the connected ends of the pair of links u and the links a
of the corresponding spring back t. Various means may be provided for retarding
any sudden relative movement between the two lengths of the flexible connector 9,
or the two parallel connecting links u, that connect each pair of levers m to the
corresponding spring back t in order to prevent, as far as possible, either lever of a
pair being moved outward in advance of the other from any cause, as for example the
unequal action of gravity on the two levers in certain positions thereof. For this
purpose, when flexible connectors q are used to connect each pair of levers m to a
spring blade g, the two lengths or plies of each connector may be tied together by
a cross piece 1 as shown in Fig. 5. When pairs of links u are used, as in Fig. 7, a
block 2 of material, such as india rubber, may be forced between the outer ends of
each pair of links as shown. Or the two links of each pair of links may be connected
together by a spring blade 3 that will offer resistance to being bent and which is
fixed to extensions 4 attached to one or to each end of the pair of links (see
Figs. 10 and 10º), or to the central portion of the pair of links, as indicated in dotted
lines in Fig. 7. Or separate links 5 may, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, be forced
laterally into frictional contact with the sides of the pair of links u by a bolt 6
between the head and nut of which and the adjacent links 5 spring washer 7 may be
interposed; or the nuts 8 on the connecting bolts 9 may be tightened up sufficiently
to produce the necessary frictional retardation to relative motion between the two
rods. The joints between the links u and link or lever v may also for a like purpose
be so made as to produce a small amount of friction at these points.
Figs 14 and 15 show other arrangements for a like purpose. In each of these

page_text: cases the connections u between the two lever arms m and the lever vare composed
of spring blades, and the lever vis provided with blocks 10 of india rubber which, by
coming in contact with the adjacent spring blade g, will prevent undue relative
motion between the two spring connecting blades u and levers m. In Fig. 14 the
spring blades u are connected to the levers through eye pieces 11 and in Fig. 15,
the outer end of each spring blade u is fixed by a bolt 12 to a lug 13 that is fixed to
the corresponding lever m and has a curved bearing surface 13 concentric with the
axis of the pivot pin n. In Fig. 17 the lever vis formed with horns v* adapted to
loosely embrace a stop 8* carried by the lever s so as to prevent more than a slight
relative movement of the links u.
By connecting pairs of levers m of the kind specified to the spring blades g in the
manner set forth, the levers of each pair are caused to move inward or outward
practically in unison and thus not only control the said spring blades, but also one
another, without the necessity of using any intermediate mechanical device to secure
the stability necessary for overcoming considerable resistance offered by a slide
valve.
Each lever m may be of angular shape, as seen in end view and as shown in
Figs. 1 to 5, or of curved shape as shown in Fig. 6, and may consist of a single bar
or, as in the examples shown, of two parallel bars secured at a suitable distance apart
(see Fig. 3). In the arrangement shown in Figs. 17 and 18 the levers m are of round
section screwed into pivoted wing pieces m³ to which the links u are attached. Each
link u in the example shown is also shown as made double, that is to say, of two bars
arranged side by side at a short distance apart, but a single bar might be used. A
suitable buffer or stop 14 is provided on the drum c to limit the inward movement of
each lever; the outer rim of the drum serves to limit the outward movement of such
lever. In Fig. 17 the buffers 14 are carried by stiff spring aruns 14*, as shown. The
free end of each lever m which in some cases may extend inward and past opposite
sides of the corresponding spring blade gas shown in Fig. 6, is or may be provided
with a cross pin or piece 15 carrying a buffer 16 (Figs. 6 & 6º) to act against the stop
on the drum that limits the outward movement of the lever.
Each spring back t may advantageously be formed with a convex surface next
and be connected to one end of a strip of
the concave side of its spring blade
spring metal 17 the other end of which is fixed to one or other end of the cor-
responding spring blade g as shown in Fig. 16, where it is shown as attached to the
outer movable end of the spring blade, so that the said spring back can roll on the
spring blade.
The free ends of the spring blades g may as shown clearly in Fig. 1 be fixed to a
connecting piece of consisting of an approximately I-shaped casting that is provided
with a stud or projection 18 arranged to work through a leather faced guide 19 on
the governor drum and provided with a nut or other stop 20, whereby the connected
ends of the spring blades are caused to move in a rectilinear direction and their
inward movement limited. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 17 and 18 the
length of the piece f may be adjusted, the head piece f¹ being secured in the
desired position upon the body part by nuts f.
To enable the fixed ends of the two spring blades 9. to be brought_closer together
than heretofore, they may advantageously be fixed to two arms 21 (Fig. 5) that are
mounted to turn on the same pivot pin 22 and are provided with lateral extensions 23
25 is a bracket
against which the two arms 24 of a separate speeding device act.
on the drum for carrying the right and left handed screw k with operating wheel 26
for causing the arms 24, and consequently the arms 21, to move towards and from
each other for increasing or reducing the stiffness of the spring blades g in order to
vary the speed at which the governor will act to cut off steam, as well understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An engine governor of the shaft, wheel or drum type wherein the shifting

page_text: eccentric is connected to two similar pairs of levers pivoted to the governor wheel or
drum at opposite sides of the axis thereof, the two levers of each pair being pivoted
near together and so connected to the shifting eccentric at a short distance from
their pivots that as the levers, or the long arms thereof, tend, under the action of
centrifugal force, to turn outward about their pivots they will move the eccentric
across the axis of the shaft against the spring action which tends to move the eccen-
tric in the opposite direction, substantially as described.
2. Engine governors of the kind specified in the Specifications of my previous
Patents herein before referred to wherein the eccentric is connected to two similar
paris of levers that are unprovided with special weights or other concentrated inertia
devices and are pivoted to the governor wheel or drum at opposite sides of the axis
thereof, the two levers of each pair being pivoted near together and suitably con-
nected at a short distance from their pivots to the spring controlled mechanism
carrying the shifting eccentric, substantially as herein before described.
3. The several constructions of engine governors herein before described with
reference to and shown in Figs. 1 to 4; in Fig. 5; in Fig. 6; in Fig. 7; in
Fig. 8; in Figs. 9, 9ª, 9b, 9° in Figs. 10 and 10; in Fig. 11; in Figs. 12 and 13;
in Fig. 14 or in Fig. 15 and in Figs. 17 and 18 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated 1: DOLL