IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES AND OTHER MOTORS
Year: 1885

page_text: We ANDERS THERKELSEN of 31 Havnegade Copenhagen Candidatus polytechnica
and JULIUS BRUUN of Raadmandsgade 24 Copenhagen Mechanician both in
the Kingdom of Denmark do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES AND OTHER MOTORS
" to be
as follows:-
L
The governor here described may be equally well applied to regulating the speed
of all kinds of power engines in the following manner.
"
The advantage of this consists in regulating the speed of the engine in such
'a manner that this becomes as nearly as possible independent of the working
resistance and for example with steam engines also of the pressure in the boiler, of
course as long as a larger amount of power is not required of the engine or motor,
than these combined could perform.'
This on the other hand is not the case with governors previously proposed,
which always gave a uniformly quicker-revolution with the less resistance and
greater pressure. This is particularly a point of great importance with electric
light machinery in which the variations of the pressure in the steam boiler often
compels the use of gas motors instead of steam boilers. Also it must be noticed
that the variations of shorter duration in the speed of the engine are less with the
new governor than with previous ones, inasmuch as the former is more delicate and
acts quicker than the latter. Lastly the new governors act with greater force and
are therefore more sure than the previous ones because in the first named it is not
only a composant of the variations of the centrifugal force of the governor balls
which gives motion to that part of the machinery by which the transmission of
power is varied but on the contrary to a certain extent the engine itself.
As in previous governors a pair of ordinary governor balls is used for regulating
the speed of the steam engine with the throw which which-is produced by the
speed of rotation of their spindle to which they are connected but irrespective of
the mode of connection. The throw of the governor balls is however not here
utilized for moving the throttle valve or any other part which varies the power
transmission or power consumption but on the contrary for governing the rotation
of the spindle itself to which the governor balls are connected. For this object the
A
A

page_text: spindle is provided with a friction disc which can move up and down the spindle
but which is obliged to rotate therewith. The, friction disc is situated between two
other friction discs. Of these the upper is fixed to the framework of the machine
by arms, whilst the lower one is moved by the engine which the governor is to
serve, viz by a pulley and bevel wheels of which one is mounted on the' hollow
spindle which surrounds the first named spindle. By the placing of the friction
disc between upper and lower friction discs and by its connection with the governor
balls a perfectly constant motion of its spindle is obtained as long as the engine
goes on with a sufficiently high speed, inasmuch as the balls will press the friction
disc against the lower disc as soon as the speed of the inner or governor spindle is
reduced in the least so that the normal speed will be quickly reestablished by the
contact between the discs. But whenever the spindle should get too great a speed
the balls will lift the friction disc into contact with the stationary disc which then
will slow the speed of the friction disc and thereby the speed of the spindle. The
extent of the variations which may obtain in this latter hence depends upon the
play between the friction disc and the two other discs and this play of course may
be made exceedingly small. For increasing the power wherewith the balls press
the friction disc against the upper disc or the lower disc any suitable well known
means may be applied such as a helical spring which presses against the boss of the
friction disc and at its other end against an adjustable nut on the governor spindle.
As the spring also helps to diminish the throw of the balls for a certain speed of
rotation of the spindle we may also by varying the tension of the spring by means
of the nut vary the constant speed which the spindle obtains and of which as will
be shown later on the speed of the motor will depend. We may here at once
remark that the upper disc which has been described as stationary also may be
arranged to turn with any desired speed in the opposite direction of the friction
disc or even in the same direction but then of course with a speed which always
must be smaller than that of the lower disc and which also never must be so great
as to require a too long or too powerful pressure of the friction disc against it for
slowing the speed of the spindle when this is required but it will very seldom
recommend itself to make it turn in the same direction as the lower disc whereas
it may often be desirable to cause the upper disc to turn in a direction opposite to
that of the lower disc.
The constancy of rotation of the governor spindle may now be used in various
ways in conjunction with another spindle which is moved directly by the motor
for regulating the throttle valve or equivalent machinery part whereby the power
admission or hence the power consumption is varied. We may thus attain this by
means of a bevel wheel which we call a planet wheel and which gears with a bevel
wheel on the governor spindle and also gears with another bevel wheel on another
spindle which is moved directly from the motor by two other bevel wheels with a
speed which during the normal speed of the engine is equal that of the governor
spindle and consequently always to a certain degree less than the speed of the
sleeve spindle which carries the aforesaid lower disc. The spindle or gudgeon of
the planet wheel is fixed on the top of a spindle which passes down through the
middle of the spindle (which is driven directly from the motor as stated) and
carries at its lower end a spur wheel in gear with a tooth rack which is connected
with the throttle valve or equivalent machinery part in any suitable manner.
Or the governor spindle may be carried right down through the spindle which
is driven directly from the motor and which turns in the same direction as the
governor spindle and as the sleeve spindle carrying the aforesaid lower disc. The
governor spindle is provided with a short piece of screw thread which gears with a
corresponding nut in the inside of the hollow spindle while this latter can move
up and down in its bearing and in the nave of the bevel wheel whereby it receives
its direct motion. The hollow spindle is at its lower end connected to the throttle
valve or equivalent machinery part by means of a lever which with a fork or ring
end or otherwise gears with a groove formed in the said hollow spindle. As this
latter during the working of the engine is caused to turn slower or quicker than

page_text: the governor spindle it will according to the direction of the screw thread in pro-
portion to the direction in which the spindles turn be respectively either lifted or
lowered or vice versa either lowered or lifted by the screw thread and the nut and
thus the desired motion of the throttle valve or equivalent machinery part will be
effected.
Both for the hollow spindle in this example as well as for the tooth rack in the
first example we may apply stop springs which act against the hollow spindle or
the tooth rack at the ends of their stroke for facilitating the gearing afresh respec-
tively between the screw thread and the nut in the hollow spindle or between the
tooth wheel and the tooth rack in case this gearing should have ceased by the full
opening or closing of the throttle valve or equivalent machinery part.
The friction discs may be varied considerably in their construction without
altering the essence of the invention. The middle dise may thus be of a double
coned form and the upper and lower discs be formed accordingly or the middle disc
may be formed with a single cone gearing into an outer lower cone while the upper
dise may be made to gear internally or externally. Or instead of the upper and
lower discs or one of them we may use friction rings around the governor spindle
either inside or outside the swing balls or the arms in which these are hung or
upper or lower continuations of these arms the rings then moving like the aforesaid
upper and lower discs and the balls or their arms acting partly or wholly instead
of the the central friction disc. We may thus for instance provide such a ring
outside the balls thus doing away with the upper disc, and the balls sliding against
the inside of the ring.

page_text: Improvements in Governors for Steam Engines and other
Motors.
We, ANDERS THERKELSEN of 31 Havnegade Copenhagen Candidatus polytechnica
and JULIUS BRUUN of Raadmandsgade 24 Copenhagen Mechanician both in the
Kingdom of Denmark do hereby declare the nature of said invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GOVERNORS FOR STEAM ENGINES AND OTHER MOTORS and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
"
The governor here described is applicable to regulating the speed of power
engines in the following manner. The advantage of this invention consists in
regulating the speed of the engine in such a manner that this becomes, as nearly as
possible, independent of the working resistance and for example with steam engines
also of the pressure in the boiler, of course as long as a larger amount of power is
not required of the engine and source of power than these combined could perform.
This on the other hand is not the case with governors previously proposed
which always gave a uniformly quicker revolution with the less resistance and
greater pressure. This is particularly a point of great importance with electric
light machinery in which the variations of the pressure in the steam boiler often
compels the use of gas motors instead of steam boilers. Also it must be noticed
that the variations of shorter duration in the speed of the engine are less with the
new governor than with previous ones, inasmuch as the former is more delicate and
acts quicker than the latter. Lastly the new governor acts with greater force and
is therefore more sure than the previous ones, because in the first named it is not
only a composant of the variations of the centrifugal force of the governor balls
which gives motion to that part of the machinery, by which the transmission of
power is varied but on the contrary to a certain extent the engine itself.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is an example of this improved governor
for regulating the throttle valve in the pipe conduit of a steam engine partly in
vertical section and partly in side elevation, and Figure 2 a part vertical sectional
side elevation of a modification.
Referring to Figure 1 as in previous governors a pair of ordinary governor balls J
is used for regulating the speed of the steam engine with the throw which is
produced by the speed of rotation of their spindle r, to which they are connected
but irrespective of the mode of the connection. The throw of the governor balls
is however not here utilized for moving the throttle valve or any other part which
varies the power transmission or power consumption but on the contrary for
governing the rotation of the spindle r, itself to which the governor balls are
connected. For this object the spindle r, is provided with a friction disc e which
can move up and down the spindle but which is obliged to rotate therewith. The
friction disc e is situated between two other friction discs d and f. Of these
the upper fis shown on the drawing fixed to the framework of the machine by the
two arms H, whilst the lower one is moved by the engine which the governor is to

page_text: serve viz. by the pulley N and the bevil wheels a and c of which the latter is
mounted on the hollow spindle 7, which surrounds the first named spindle r₁. By
the placing of the friction disc e between the upper and lower friction dises f and d
and by its connection with the governor balls J a perfectly constant motion of its
spindle is obtained as long as the engine goes on with a sufficiently high speed,
inasmuch as the balls will press the friction disc e against the lower disc d as soon
as the speed of the inner or governor spindle r₁ is reduced in the least so that the
normal speed will be quickly reestablished by the contact between the discs d and e.
But whenever the spindle r, should get too great a speed the balls J will lift the
friction disc e into contract with the stationary disc f which then will slow the
speed of the friction disc and thereby the speed of the spindle ₁. The extent of
the variations which may obtain in this latter hence depends upon the play
between the friction disc e and the two other discs d and fand this play of course
may be made exceedingly small. For increasing the power wherewith the balls J
press the friction disc e against the upper disc f on the lower disc d any suitable
well known means may be applied such as a helical spring r, which presses against
the boss of the friction disc e and at its other end against an adjustable nuts on
the governor spindle As the spring also helps to diminish the throw of the
balls J for a certain speed of rotation of the spindle r, we may also by varying
the tension of the spring by means of the nuts vary the constant speed which
the spindle obtains and of which as will be shown later on the speed of the motor
will depend. We may here at once remark that the upper disc f which has been
described as stationary also may be arranged to turn with any desired speed in the
opposite direction of the friction disc e or even in the same direction but then of
course with a speed which always must be smaller than that of the lower disc d
and which also never be so great as to require a too long or too powerful pressure
of the friction disc e against it for slowing the speed of the spindle ₁, where this is
required but it will very seldom recommend itself to make it turn in the same
direction as the lower disc d whereas it may often be desirable to cause the upper
disc f to turn in a direction opposite to that of the lower disc d.
The constancy of rotation of the governor spindle ₁ may now be used in
various ways in conjunction with another spindle which is moved directly by the
motor for regulating the throttle valve or equivalent machinery part whereby the
power admission or hence the power consumption is varied. We may thus as
shown in Figure 1 attain this by means of a bevil wheel which we call a planet.
wheel and which gears with a bevil wheel g on the governor spindler, and also
gears with another bevil wheel i or another spindle r, which is moved directly from
the motor by two other bevil wheels b and h with a speed which during the
normal speed of the engine is equal to that of the governor spindle r, and conse-
quently always to a certain degree less than the speed of the sleeve spindle s
which carries the aforesaid lower disc d. The spindle or gudgeon of the planet
wheel k is fixed on the top of a spindle r₂ which passes down through the middle
of the spindler, (which is driven directly from the motor as stated) and carries at
its lower end a spur wheel , in gear with a tooth rack l₂ which is connected with
the throttle valve or equivalent machinery part in any suitable manner.
As long as the spindles r, and r, turn with equal speed in opposite directions as
during the normal working of the motor the spindle r, remains stationary the
bevil wheel k only turning round its pivot. As soon however as the spindle r
begins to go quicker or slower than the spindle r₁ the wheel will through this
difference be caused to turn with the spindle 7₁₂ in one direction or the other thus
moving the the tooth rack l, and closing or opening as the case may be the throttle
valve or equivalent part. When the speed of the spindle r, under various circum-
stances should exceptionally become less than the speed which hereinbefore is
mentioned as constant for the spindle r₁ its constancy of motion will of course
cease as it will then only turn with the same speed as the spindle r.. As however
the speed of the spindle r, is as is stated in a certain relation less than that of the
spindle r, the spindle r, will be caused to turn so as to open the throttle valve ‘or
"

page_text: "
equivalent part although not so quickly as if the spindle, had kept its otherwise
usual speed. In order to prevent breakage of the parts at the ends of the stroke
of the tooth rack l, the tooth wheel will be released from gearing with the rack l
as soon as the throttle valve has been wholly opened or wholly closed or the
equivalent part similarly has reached the limits of its motion by the teeth in the
rack passing beyond the wheel ₁.
Or as shown in Figure 2 the governor spindle r₁ may be carried right down
through the spindle r which is driven directly from the motor and which turns in
the same direction as the governor spindle r, and as the sleeve spindle r, carrying
the aforesaid lower disc d. The governor spindle provided with a short piece of
screw thread v which gears with a corresponding nut in the inside of the hollow
spindler, while this latter can move up and down in its bearing and in the nave
of the bevel wheel h whereby it receives its direct motion.
The hollow spindle is at its lower end connected to the throttle valve or
equivalent machinery part by means of a lever which with a fork or ring end or
otherwise gears with a groove v3 formed in the said hollow spindle r.. As this
Jatter during the working of the engine is caused to turn slower or quicker than
the governor spindle 7, it will according to the direction of the screw thread v in
proportion to the direction in which the spindles turn be respectively either lifted
or lowered or vice versa either lowered or lifted by the screw thread v and the nut
and thus the desired motion of the throttle valve or equivalent machinery part
will be effected.
Both for the hollow spindle 7, in this example as well as for the tooth rack l, in
the first example Figure 1 we may apply stop springs which act against the hollow
spindle or the tooth rack at the ends of their stroke for facilitating the gearing
afresh respectively between the screw thread v and the nut in the hollow spindle r
or between the tooth wheel land the tooth rack l, in case this gearing should have
ceased by the full opening or closing of the throttle valve or equivalent machinery
part.
The friction discs de and ƒ may be varied considerably in their construction
without altering the essence of the invention. The middle disc e may thus be of a
double coned form and the upper and lower discs d and ƒ be formed accordingly or
the middle disc e may be formed with a single cone gearing into an outer lower
cone & while the upper disc f may be made to gear internally or externally. Or
instead of the upper and lower discs d and f or one of them we may use friction
rings around the governor spindle r, either inside or outside the swing balls or the
arms in which these are hung or upper or lower continuations of these arms the
rings then moving like the aforesaid upper and lower discs and these balls or their
arms acting partly or wholly instead of the central friction disc e In Figure 1 we
have indicated in dotted lines such a ring F outside the balls J thus doing away
with the upper disc f and the balls sliding against the inside of the ring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
First. In governors for motors the use and application of friction discs such
as d e and f, the middle one e being so connected with a pair of governor balls J as
to be slightly raised and lowered by them according to the working of the motor,
and acting either with the disc for with the disc d, the latter being moved in one
direction by the motor, and the former f, either standing still or being moved by
the motor in the opposite direction or lastly being moved in. the same direction as
the disc d but in that case at a sufficiently less speed, than that of the disc d,
substantially as set forth.
Second. The modification of the arrangement firstly claimed by substituting
for the friction discs d and f a friction ring such as F Figure 1 arranged around
the governor spindle ₁ either outside or inside the governor balls J or their
suspension levers and receiving a motion similar to that of the discs d and fand

page_text: so that the balls or their levers wholly or partly perform the function of the
friction disc e substantially as set forth.
Third. In governors for motors the application and use for working the throttle
valve or equivalent appliance of the two spindles r, and r, of which the latter is
worked directly from the motor at a speed depending upon the speed of the motor,
while the former r₁ is worked at a constant or nearly constant speed, substantially
as set forth.
Fourth. The parts shown in Figure 1 for adjusting the throttle valve or
equivalent part by the spindles 7, and r₁ namely the bevil wheels g and also the
planet bevil wheel with spindle r, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The parts shown in Figure 2 for adjusting the throttle valve or equivalent
part by the spindles r₁ and r, namely the screw threads on the spindle and a
corresponding nut within the spindler, which can be slided lengthways and is
provided with the groove v, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination of parts forming the new or improved governor for
motors substantially as set forth.