IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM OR OTHER ENGINES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Browett and
Herbert Lindley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
2nd November 1882.
THOMAS BROWETT and HERBERT LINDLEY, both of the firm of Messieurs
Deakin Parker and Co of Salford in the County of Lancaster, Engineers
IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM OR OTHER ENGINES
13
Our Invention relates in the first place to improved mechanism for regulating
the speed of steam or other engines, and consists of mechanism whereby the speed
of rotation of the governor can be varied relatively to the main engine shaft. The
mechanism consists essentially of friction gear arranged in one form as follows ;-
On the shaft which drives the centrifugal portion of the governor is mounted a
disc which is free to revolve on the shaft, when driven from the engine shaft by a
belt or wheel gearing. On the same governor shaft and secured thereto is a second
and similar disc facing the other The faces of these discs are not fat but curved
out at some distance from their centres and to a radius of a small friction wheel
which lies between them being mounted on a spindle carried by a stirrup in such a
manner that the angle of its plane of rotation may be varied relatively to the plane
of rotation of the discs on the governor shaft. When the plane of rotation of the
internal friction wheel is inclined at various angles to that of the friction discs it is
clear that the diameters of the driving and driven discs at the point of contact
with the internal friction wheel will be varied and the speeds of rotation also
varied. It will be seen therefore that the speed of the engine necessary to raise the
governor into any given position can by this means be regulated to any desired
amount.
The second part of our Invention relates to an improvement in the governors
and consists of mechanism which causes the valves controlled by the governor to be
closed in case the belt or other mechanism which drives the governor should break
or become deranged. The throttle valve which regulates the opening in the steami
pipo and which is actuated by the governor is constructed in such a way that in
both extreme positions of the governor it is closed and opened in mid position.
The spring or other appliance offering resistance to the centrifugal force of the
governor is so arranged as not to come into action until the governor has moved
into it's mid position by which time the throttle valve is fully opened. As the

page_text: governor rises higher by virtue of it's increased rate of rotation the throttle valve
approaches one of it's extreme positions closing in proportion the orifices. It will be
seen that should the strap break the governor will cease to rotate and the valve
will fall first to mid position and then to the first extreme position thereby closing
the orifices. A slight spring or weight may be introduced to assist the said closing.
after the main spring has ceased to act. For the purpose of holding the valve in
mid position for starting the engine suitable hooks or catches are provided which
can be engaged by hand while the governor is at rest and arranged to release
themselves when the governor rotates. In order to increase the sensitiveness of the
governor the intermediato may be so connected to the sleeve or moving part
of the centrifugal mechanism as to be angled thereby and so cause the governor to
respond more quickly to any slight variation in the speed of the engine.