Improvements in Means for Automatically Preventing the "Racing " of Engines and Screw Propellers of Steamers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application. 20th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 19th May, 1894
Improvements in Means for Automatically Preventing the "Racing "
of Engines and Screw Propellers of Steamers.
I ARTHUR VAUGHAN COLSTON of St. Georges Vicarage Macclesfield in the
County of Cheshire Clerk in Holy Orders do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction and application of an improved and
more simple and effective mechanical appliance or means by which the rolling or
pitching motion of a screw steamship which causes the blades of the screw to rise
out of the water is itself made to cause a partial or complete stoppage as may be
desired of the machinery which drives the screw shaft so long only as the blades
are out of the water thus preventing the racing of the engine and shaft without
impeding the subsequent progress of the vessel. My improved appliance or one
form thereof is represented on the accompanying drawing, A is a heavily weighted
pendant supported by a chain with swivel at top to a beam I.
B is an upright post of wood or metal fixed to the floor of the engine room and
fitted at the top with an eyelet or revolving wheel at (6) to allow the free passage
of a rope or chain through or over such eyelet or wheel. C is a pulley block or
wheel fitted on the floor through or over which pulley or wheel the said chain will
run and DE is a rod or bar of wood or metal forming in its normal position an
inclined plane by being attached at the end E by a hinge connection to a block
fixed to the floor of the engine room the bar being supported by a spiral or other
spring Hof a strength regulated according to the pressure required to work the
piston rod hereinafter mentioned.
At or near the point G of the bar DE is connected the piston rod P of an
ordinary governor valve such as Baileys governor equilibrium valve fitted on to
the steam supply pipe of the engine so that a downward movement of the piston
rod will close the valve. The pendant A the upright post B the pulley block or
wheel C and the bar D E are all fitted in a straight line with each other longitudinally
with keel of the ship the pendant A being towards the bow and the bar D É
towards the stern as shown in the drawing.
Attached to the pendant A is a chain or rope a. b. c. d which passes from the
pendant through or over the eyelet or wheel b down to and under the wheel c and
attached at the other end d to the free end of the inclined bar D E and with
sufficient tension to act upon such bar only when the movement of the ship is such
as to cause the stern to rise out of the water and at the same time displace the
pendant A to that extent.
In order to keep the pendant at rest when the apparatus is not required for
working, I provide an anchor chain (as K) which may be attached to a staple in
the floor and hooked on to the pendant when desired or if it should be found
desirable that the apparatus should not work continuously the chain can be
disconnected from the pendant and hooked on to the upright B.
The apparatus herein before described acts as follows:-
As the stern of the ship rises in a pitching motion the weight A falls away from
the upright post B and draws with it the rope or chain thus gradually depressing
the bar DE and partially or completely closing as the case may be the equilibrium
valve so that when the screw is entirely out of the water the valve is closed
completely and thus steam will be either completely shut off or if the valve is
made with an aperture the volume of steam will be reduced to whatever extent

page_text: the engineer may previously have considered as sufficient to prevent injury to the
machinery.
As the stern begins to fall the weight A begins to return towards the upright
post B. and the tension of the rope or chain being removed the action of the
spring H will raise the bar D. E and with it the piston of the equilibrium
valve.
In the case of ships having twin screws in which one or other of the screws is
liable to racing from the rolling of the vessel the apparatus will act in a similar
manner with necessary adaptations for this purpose for example two horizontal
wheels should be provided at "6" in addition to the vertical wheel or the rope
should pass through an eyelet there in which case the rolling motion of the ship
will cause the pendant to swing to one side or the other as the case may be and
in doing so draw the chain or rope and so act on the valve as hereinbefore
described.
It may be found advisable in the case of ships with a single screw to provide
against the action of the pendant in the case of rolling by having shields on either
side of the pendant to prevent too much oscillation-but one object of the upright
post B is to steady the pendant A and it is essential in the case of a twin screw
steamer in which case the shields suggested would not be required. The apparatus
may be placed in any position in the ship whichever may be found the most con-
venient provided it be arranged longitudinally with the keel as hereinbefore
described and with the valve fitted to the steam supply pipe.
I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not limit myself to the particular
form of each part of the apparatus hereinbefore described as for example the
spring which may be spiral or any other suitable kind or may be attached to the
piston rod or to an arm or in any other suitable way and the motions of
the bar D E may be utilized to work any other form of machinery than the valve
hereinbefore mentioned for reducing steam as for instance by making a contact to
complete the circuit of an electric current by which a valve or stop-cock may be
worked at any desired distance from the apparatus all necessary modifications for
carrying this into effect being of course made.
I also wish it to be clearly understood that I do not limit myself to the chain
or rope a b c d as a metal rod worked by a lever or set of levers may be used for
a similar purpose, nor do I limit myself to the equilibrium valve for shutting off
steam as any other appliance may be adapted for the same purpose.
Dated this 20th day of June 1893.
LESLIE ANTILL,
1, Gresham Buildings, Basinghall Street,
Agent for the said Arthur Vaughan Colston.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Automatically Preventing the "Racing"
of Engines and Screw Propellers of Steamers.
I, ARTHUR VAUGHAN COLSTON, of St. George's Vicarage, Macclesfield, in the
County of Cheshire, Clerk in Holy Orders, 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 statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in the means for automatically preventing
the "racing" of engines and screw propellers of steamers.
It consists in the combination of a weight suspended from a fixed point situated
at a given height either above or below the water line of the steamer, with a
connection of any type or kind from the said weight to the throttle valve of the
steam supply pipe, adapted to make the (apparent) swing of the weight due to the
lift of the screw, close the throttle valve accordingly, and its (apparent) return

page_text: swing, as the screw buries itself in the water, open the said valve. The point of
suspension is in the vertical plane which bisects the keel of the steamer
longitudinally.
In order that the invention and the best means of carrying it into practical effect
may be thoroughly understood, I will describe it and them in detail, referring in
so doing to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as part of this
Specification and read therewith.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, illustrating one form in which the present invention
may be constructed and one type of connection between it and the throttle
valve.
Figure 2 is likewise a side elevation and illustrates another form in which the
present invention may be constructed, as well as another type of connection
between it and the throttle valve.
a is the floor of the engine room or of some other convenient surface aboard the
steamer, and as near amidships as practicable. b is a standard supporting a fixed
point c at a convenient height above the level of the said floor and preferably, but
not necessarily, in the vertical plane which bisects the keel longitudinally. From
the fixed point c there is suspended a weight d by means of a chain d'. The point
of suspension c and the weight d are shewn in the figures as being forward of the
throttle valve and the connection to it, but this relative position is not a part of
the invention and may be reversed provided that the said connection be modified
accordingly.
C
Referring to Figure 1, the standard 6 has combined with it an arcual surface b'.
A second standard (a counterpart of the one illustrated) stands opposite it, the two
arcual surfaces defining the (apparent) path of the weight and confining its
(apparent) oscillations to the longitudinal plane which bisects the keel of the
steamer. Consequently, when the weight is so confined, it can exercise a controlling
influence upon the throttle valve only when the steamer pitches. e is the spindle
of the throttle valve. It is fixed in the steam supply pipe el between the boilers
and the steam chest. This position of the throttle valve is indicated by the arrows
in the two figures, which are introduced to shew the course which the steain takes.
fis a bar pivoted at f¹, a fixed point asteru of the throttle valve, and supported by
a stationary compressible spring f' above the said throttle valve spindle e, the head
of which latter is pivotally connected to the said bar in any convenient way. gis
a taut chain connecting the weight d to the free end of the bar f. It is passed
over a guide pulley g¹ and under others, 9. The latter are below the level of the
throttle valve, while the former is supported by the pillar g³ above that level and at
a short distance astern of the (apparent) path of the weight d. The bar f
pulleys g', g, and throttle valve are, preferably, aligned with the (apparent) path
of the weight d, but this is not essential. When the steamer is on a level keel, her
screw being then immersed at its normal depth and the weight d midway in its
(apparent) path, the resilience of the spring holds the front end of the bar f up
and the throttle valve open.
The object of the pulley o' and its pillar 9³, is to steady the (apparent)
oscillations of the weight d. Both pulley and pillar may be dispensed with, in
which case the chain g will run in the direction shewn by the dotted lines.
The invention constructed as above described, acts as follows to control the
throttle valve when the steamer pitches. As the screw lifts, the weight
(apparently) swings forward, and consequently the free end of the bar f is pulled
down against the resilience of the spring f³, closing the valve accordingly; i.e.,
more or less, according to the rise of the screw. When the latter begins to bury
itself in the water again, the weight d (apparently) returns, slacking the chain g,
whereupon the spring fraises the bar and so opens the throttle valve.
My invention does not limit me to any special construction of valve, and I may
adopt any one which may be adapted to satisfy the requirements thereof.
h is a fixed casing with a hinged lid h. The object is to enclose the bar f and
throttle valve and to give access to them when it is required.

page_text: Referring to Figure 2, the arcual surfaces of Figure 1 are omitted (the shape
of the standard being modified accordingly), and the weight d is left free to
oscillate clear of any obstruction in any direction. A weight so suspended is
therefore adapted to control the valve when the steamer pitches or when she rolls
as well as when she combines the two motions. For this purpose a horizontal
pulley g is fixed to the top of the pillar 93 on each side of the pulley g', so that
their grooves embrace three sides of the chain g.
In calm weather, the weight d may be held to the floor by means of a chain d'
adapted to engage with an eye d³ fixed on the said floor.
The connection between the weight and the throttle valve may be of any suitable
kind or type so long as the (apparent) swing of the former due to the lift of the
screw, closes the throttle valve; and its (apparent) return motion due to the
re-immersion of the screw, frees it; in either case, according to the amount of
the respective lift and re-immersion. The one illustrated in the figure now under
specification is an electrical one, and consists of circuit h which contains a
magnet and a pair of contacts ³, 13. The armature of the magnet is carried
by one end of the lever j which has its fulcrum at j¹ and its opposite end connected
by a link to the outer end of a half crank 3 fast on the spindlee of the throttle valve.
kis a spring from a fixed point to one on the lever j between its last mentioned end
and its fulcrum. One of the contacts is carried on the outer end of an arm / fast
and radial to a grooved pulley and to the periphery of which the chain g is made
fast. is a spring adapted, by pulling on the periphery of the pulley from a
base, to keep the contacts apart and the circuit broken. This is the position
illustrated by the full lines in the figure and corresponds with that of level keel,
screw immersed and throttle valve open. When the weight d (apparently) swings
away from the stern of a steamer far enough to close the circuit, the armature e
will be attracted and the throttle valve opened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
The combination of a weight suspended from a fixed point at a given height
with a connection of any type or kind to the throttle valve, as and for the purpose
set forth.
Dated this 20th day of March 1804,
LESLIE
ANTILL,
1, Gresham Buildings, Basinghall Street, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.