IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING 'RACING' IN MARINE ENGINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Mudd, of Hartlepool, in the County of Durham,
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR
PREVENTING 'RACING' IN MARINE ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Mudd at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th April 1881.
THOMAS MUDD, of Hartlepool, in the County of Durham.
IN
AND
ENGINES."
RELATING
ΤΟ
APPARATUS
FOR
"IMPROVEMENTS
PREVENTING RACING' IN MARINE
This Invention has reference to new or improved modes and means or arrange-
ments of mechanism for automatically regulating and controlling the action or
"in rough
working of marine steam engines, so as to prevent them from racing
seas, in a thoroughly efficient and much simpler manner than has heretofore been
done.
66
With large and powerful engines I employ for this purpose a pendulum or
suspended weight free to move in a direction fore and aft of the ship, and a steam
cylinder, in such a manner that the motion of the pendulum in relation to the ship,
or in relation to the steam cylinder (which is to be a fixture in the ship) due to the
action of the sea shall actuate the steam valve of the steam cylinder, and thus
produce such a motion of the piston of the steam cylinder as is capable of properly
controlling the action or working of the main engines by moving their steam or
exhaust valves, or their link motion and slide valves, or the steam valve or link
motion of their reversing engines, or in any manner now well known and in use.
I further employ and will hereafter describe arrangements of mechanism for the
proper combination of the above mentioned steam cylinder and pendulum, so as to
cause the pendulum to have proper control of the steam valve of the steam
cylinder.
My Invention also includes,mechanism commonly called "kicking gear," for the
purpose of automatically and at the proper time dis-connecting and re-connecting
the pendulum with the steam 'valve of the steam cylinder.

page_text: Also arrangements of mechanism for the purpose of adjusting or regulating the
effect produced by the pendulum upon the steam valve of the steam cylinder in
relation to time, so as to adapt the controlling power of the apparatus to all
conditions of the sea.
I sometimes automatically control the action of marine steam engines, especially
those of small power, so as to prevent them from racing in rough seas, by the use
of a pendulum or suspended weight free to move in a direction fore and aft of the
ship, without a steam cylinder in combination therewith, or without a separate
steam cylinder for, that purpose alone, the motion of the pendulum itself being
transmitted by the improved mechanism to the steam or exhaust valves of the
main engines, or to their link motion and slide valves, or to the steam valves or
link motion of their reversing engines, or utilized for controlling the main engines
in any manner now well known and in use.
In carrying out my said Invention, I combine a steam cylinder and a pendulum
by making a spring pawl or its equivalent pivoted on the pendulum rod to gear
into a toothed rack that is attached to the valve rod of the steam cylinder, or the
rack may be attached to the pendulum and the pawl to the valve rod, in such a
manner that when the pendulum swings in one direction the spring pawl runs over
the tops of the teeth of the rack, and when it swings in the opposite direction the
spring pawl engages with the teeth of the rack, and causes the valve rod of the
steam cylinder to be moved, until the spring pawl comes in contact with suitable
kicking gear, which throws the pawl out of gear with the toothed rack, and
allows the valve rod to run back to its original position by the force of a spring or
a weight or steam acting on a small piston. The kicking gear I at present use
is a suitably shaped metal plate pivoted by preference onto the centre of suspension
of the pendulum, and can be fixed by a screw or otherwise in any suitable position
round that centre, so as to kick the pawl out of gear at any required point in the
travel of the pendulum, to suit the nature of the sea. A further spring pawl may
also be attached so as to prevent the valve rod from running back until the pendulum
has completed some portion of its return stroke. When the valve rod is moved by
the spring pawl attached to the pendulum steam is admitted to the cylinder, so as
to cause the main engines to be reduced in speed or stopped, and when the kicking
gear liberates the valve rod steam is admitted to the opposite side of the piston,
so as to cause the main engines to be again driven up to the normal speed; a small
lever is attached, by means of which the piston rod of the steam cylinder moves
back the valve rod a little way, so as to cause the steam valve to close all the ports,
thus at once preventing all waste of steam, and rendering the action of the apparatus
more sensitive.
Any kind of gripping gear, frictional or otherwise, might be substituted for the
spring pawl arrangement above described, so long as it is capable of firmly engaging
with the valve rod and retaining its hold until the pendulum has made the requisite
amount of travel, and then liberating it by coming into contact with the kicking
gear.
The steam valve of the steam cylinder is by preference made of the common
D shape, but it may be of any shape in use, a circular valve being easily applicable
and very suitable.
As above stated, the force used for the return stroke of the valve after the
pendulum has pulled it out of its normal position may either be that of a weight,
or a spring, or steam on a piston. A spring is probably simplest, but a small steam
piston would do admirably, and the outer end of the cylinder in which it worked
could be made so that the piston would draw from a vessel air, water, oil, glycerine,
mercury, or other fluid when the pendulum was pulling the valve rod, which fluid
could by means of a valve or valves be made to pass out again through a very
small aperture by the pressure of steam on the other side of the piston, which small
aperture would prevent the piston and valve from being thrust too suddenly over,
forming indeed a kind of brake; and the size of the aperture could be made
variable by a thumb screw or otherwise, so as to regulate to a nicety the speed at

page_text: If the force of a
spring or weight be used for this purpose a buffer would be provided of india-
rubber, cork, spring steel, or an equivalent thereto, for the purpose of breaking the
shock to the parts when the valve rod is liberated from the pendulum and runs
back by the force of the spring or weight.
which the outflowing fluid would allow the piston to move.
Thumb screws of a similar kind to those mentioned above or other equivalent
device might also be applied to the steam ports of the steam cylinder, so that the
area of these steam ports might be regulated for the purpose of controlling the
speed at which the piston of the steam cylinder itself moves; but I think this
regulation of the steam ways will probably be found to be a refinement that can
well be dispensed with.
Another method of making the connection between the pendulum and the valve
rod of the steam cylinder is to provide two toothed racks, one attached so as to pull
the valve rod in a certain direction when it is pulled one way, and the other attached
so as to pull the valve rod in the same direction when it is pulled the opposite way.
A spring pawl would with this method be attached to the pendulum for gearing into
each of these racks, and kicking gear, as before described, would also be provided
for each pawl. It will be seen that by a suitable adjustment of the kicking
gear the valve rod and valve of the steam cylinder can thus be pulled, so as to
cause the total or partial stoppage of the main engines at any particular point in
the travel of the pendulum in either direction, so that great delicacy of adjustment
of the time when the apparatus shall act can thus be made, so as to suit every
condition of the sea.
Another method of making the connection between the pendulum and valve rod
of the steam cylinder is to make the valve rod loose from the valve and capable of
turning round independently of the valve; the end of the rod furthest from the
valve to be fitted with a wide pitched screw thread, or better, a scroll groove or
key, which end of the rod works in a boss provided with a thread, or key, or groove
corresponding to that on the rod.
This rod will then not move endwise without also turning on its axis an amount
corresponding to the groove or screw. The pressure of a spring, or weight, or steam
on a little piston is as before applied to keep this valve rod pressed towards one
particular position in its travel. On the valve rod is a tube or sleeve, or equivalent
thereto, having a feather of metal projecting out in a line parallel with the axis of
the rod. This feathered tube. is adjustable to-different positions along the valve
rod. The feather being so placed as to be in the path of the rod of the pendulum
and fixed to the valve rod in that position, it is clear that when the pendulum
comes into contact with the feather, the latter will be moved both endwise and
spirally round the axis of the valve rod, carrying the valve rod with it against the
pressure of the spring. When it has thus moved spirally round sufficiently to let
the pendulum slip past it, the pressure of the pendulum against its side will still
keep it from returning to its normal position until the pendulum gets past the end
of the feather, when it will be free so to return. On the return stroke the pendulum
will come into contact with the other end of the feather, which will now be moved
exactly in the opposite way to what it was before, and the pendulum will slip past
the other end, and the conditions will again be as at the commencement.
be seen that the spring or weight or other device for retaining the valve and rod in
a normal position requires in this case to act so as to bring the valve and rod back
to the normal position from either side of that position. A pawl or catch might
also be fitted for the purpose of engaging with the feather, so as to retain the valve
and rod in the positions to which the pendulum has moved them for a longer time
than would otherwise be the case, and until the pendulum has performed all or
some portion of its return stroke, when a projection on the pendulum rod will kick
the pawl out of gear and liberate the valve and rod as before.
It will
If the apparatus were made for ships of the largest type, and required to be itself
of comparatively large dimensions, another, and in this case probably a suitable
method, would be to make the valve rod of the steam cylinder actuated by a second

page_text: and much smaller steam cylinder and piston, which secondary cylinder is again
fitted with a little steam valve which is actuated by the pendulum in any of the
ways above described. In this case the pendulum and the mechanism connected
therewith would probably be very small, light, and handy.
In carrying out my said Invention without the use of a steam cylinder or
without the use of a separate steam cylinder for that purpose alone, I employ
mechanism in connection with a pendulum or suspended weight free to move in a
direction fore and aft of the ship, precisely similar to that described above when the
pendulum is used in combination with a steam cylinder, excepting that the whole
of the parts will in this case probably be larger and heavier. In performing my
Invention without the aid of separate steam cylinder the mechanism above described
is utilized for transmitting in a suitable manner the motion of the pendulum direct
to the steam or exhaust valves of the main engines, or to their link motion and
slide valves, or to the steam valves or link motions of their reversing engines, or for
transmitting that motion to the main engines in any manner well known and in
use so as to control the said main engines and prevent them from racing in rough
seas.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Mudd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th October
1881.
IN
13.
THOMAS MUDD, of Hartlepool, in the County of Durham.
"IMPROVEMENTS
AND RELATING ΤΟ APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING 'RACING' IN MARINE
ENGINES."
This Invention has reference to new or improved modes and means or arrange-
ments of mechanism for automatically regulating and controlling the action or
working of marine steam engines so as to prevent them from "racing" in rough
seas, in a thoroughly efficient and much simpler manner than has heretofore been
done.
With large and powerful engines I employ for this purpose a pendulum or
suspended weight free to move in a direction fore and aft of the ship, and a steam
cylinder, in such a manner that the motion of the pendulum in relation to the ship
or in relation to the steam cylinder (which is to be a fixture in the ship) due to the
action of the sea shall actuate the steam valve of the steam cylinder, and thus
produce such a motion of the piston of the steam cylinder as is capable of properly
controlling the action or working of the main engines by moving their steam or
exhaust valves, or their link motion and slide valves, or the steam valve or link
motion of their reversing engines, or in any manner now well known and in use.
I further employ and will hereafter describe arrangements of mechanism for the
proper combination of the above mentioned steam cylinder and pendulum, so as to
cause the pendulum to have proper control of the steam valve of the steam cylinder.
My Invention also includes mechanism commonly called "kicking gear
"for the
purpose of automatically and at the proper time disconnecting and reconnecting
the pendulum with the steam valve of the steam cylinder.
Also arrangements of mechanism for the purpose of adjusting or regulating the
effect produced by the pendulum upon the steam valve of the steam cylinder in
relation to time, so as to adapt the controlling power of the apparatus to all
conditions of the sea.
I sometimes automatically control the action of marine steam engines, especially
those of small power, so as to prevent them from racing in rough seas by the use
of a pendulum or suspended weight free to move in a direction fore and aft of the
ship without a steam cylinder in combination therewith, or without a separate
steam cylinder for that purpose alone, the motion of the pendulum itself being
transmitted by the improved mechanism to the steam or exhaust valves of the
main engines, or to their link motion and slide valves, or to the steam valves or
link motion of their reversing engines, or utilized for controlling the main engines
in any manner now well known and in use.
In carrying out my said Invention, I combine a steam cylinder and a pendulum
by making a spring pawl or its equivalent pivoted on the pendulum rod to gear
into a toothed rack that is attached to the valve rod of the steam cylinder, or the
rack may be attached to the pendulum and the pawl to the valve rod, in such a
manner that when the pendulum swings in one direction the spring pawl runs over
the tops of the teeth of the rack, and when it swings in the opposite direction the
spring pawl engages with the teeth of the rack and causes the valve rod of the
steam cylinder to be moved until the spring pawl comes in contact with suitable
kicking gear, which throws the pawl out of gear with the toothed rack and
allows the valve rod to run back to its original position by the force of a spring or
a weight or steam acting on a small piston. The kicking gear I at present use
in a suitably shaped metal plate pivoted by preference on to the centre of suspension

page_text: of the pendulum, and can be fixed by a screw or otherwise in any suitable position
round that centre, so as to kick the pawl out of gear at any required point in the
travel of the pendulum, to suit the nature of the sea. A further spring pawl may
also be attached so as to prevent the valve rod from running back until the pendulum
has completed some portion of its return stroke. When the valve rod is moved by
the spring pawl attached to the pendulum steam is admitted to the cylinder, so 'as
to cause the main engines to be reduced in speed or stopped, and when the kicking
gear liberates the valve rod steam is admitted to the opposite side of the piston,
so as to cause the main engines to be again driven up to the normal speed; a small
lever is attached, by means of which the piston rod of the steam cylinder moves
back the valve rod a little way, so as to cause the steam valve to close all the ports,
thus at once preventing all waste of steam and rendering the action of the apparatus
more sensitive.
Any kind of gripping gear, frictional or otherwise, might be substituted for the
spring pawl arrangement above described, so long as it is capable of firmly engaging
with the valve rod and retaining its hold until the pendulum has made the requisite
amount of travel, and then liberating it by coming into contact with the kicking
gear.
The steam valve of the steam cylinder is by preference made of the common
D shape, but it may be of any shape in use, a circular valve being easily applicable
and very suitable.
As above stated, the force used for the return stroke of the valve after the
pendulum has pulled it out of its normal position may either be that of a weight,
or a spring, or steam on a piston. A spring is probably simplest, but a small steam
piston would do admirably, and the outer end of the cylinder in which it worked
could be made so that the piston would draw air, water, oil, glycerine, mercury or
other fluid when the pendulum was pulling the valve rod, which fluid could by
means of a valve or valves be made to pass out again through a very small aperture
by the pressure of steam on the other side of the piston, which small aperture
would prevent the piston and valve from being thrust too suddenly over, forming
indeed a kind of brake, and the size of the aperture could be made variable by
thumb screw or otherwise, so as to regulate to a nicety the speed at which the
outflowing fluid would allow the piston to move.
a
If the force of a spring or weight be used for this purpose a buffer would be
provided of india rubber, cork, spring steel, or an equivalent thereto, for the
purpose of breaking the shock to the parts when the valve rod is liberated from
the pendulum and runs back by the force of the spring or weight.
Thumb screws of a similar kind to those mentioned above or other equivalent
device might also be applied to the steam ports of the steam cylinder, so that the
area of these steam ports might be regulated for the purpose of controlling the
speed at which the piston of the steam cylinder itself moves, but I think this
regulation of the steam ways will probably be found to be a refinement that can
well be dispensed with.
Another method of making the connection between the pendulum and valve rod
of the steam cylinder is to provide two toothed racks, one attached so as to pull
the valve rod in a certain direction when it is pulled one way, and the other
attached so as to pull the valve rod in the same direction when it is pulled the
opposite way. A spring pawl would with this method be attached to the pendulum
for gearing into each of these racks, and kicking gear as before described would
also be provided for each pawl. It will be seen that by a suitable adjustment of
the kicking gear the valve rod and valve of the steam cylinder can thus be pulled
so as to cause the total or partial stoppage of the main engines at any particular
point in the travel of the pendulum in either direction, so that great delicacy of
adjustment of the time when the apparatus shall act can thus be made so as to suit
every condition of the sea.
Another method of making the connection between the pendulum and valve rod
of the steam cylinder is to make the valve rod loose from the valve and capable

page_text: of turning round independently of the valve, the end of the rod furthest from the
valve to be fitted with a wide pitched screw thread, or better, a scroll groove or
key, which end of the rod works in a boss provided with a thread, or key, or groove
corresponding to that on the rod.
This rod will then not move endwise without also turning on its axis an amount
corresponding to the groove or screw. The pressure of a spring, or weight, or steam
on a little piston is as before applied to keep this valve rod pressed towards one
particular position in its travel. On the valve rod is a tube or sleeve or equivalent
thereto, having a feather of metal projecting out in a line parallel with the axis
of the rod. This feathered tube is adjustable to different positions along the valve
rod, the feather being so placed as to be in the path of the rod of the pendulum,
and fixed to the valve rod in that position. It is clear that when the pendulum
comes into contact with the feather, the latter will be moved both endwise and
spirally round the axis of the valve rod, carrying the valve rod with it against the
pressure of the spring. When it has thus moved spirally round sufficiently to let
the pendulum slip past it, the pressure of the pendulum against its side will still
keep it from returning to its normal position until the pendulum gets past the end
of the feather, when it will be free so to return. On the return stroke the
pendulum will come into contact with the other end of the feather, which will now
be moved exactly in the opposite way to what it was before, and the pendulum
will slip past the other end, and the conditions will again be as at the commence-
ment. It will be seen that the spring or weight or other device for retaining the
valve and rod in a normal position requires in this case to act so as to bring the
valve and rod back to the normal position from either side of that position. A
pawl or catch might also be fitted for the purpose of engaging with the feather, so
as to retain the valve and rod in the positions to which the pendulum has moved
them for a longer time than would otherwise be the case, and until the pendulum
has performed all or some portion of its return stroke, when a projection on the
pendulum rod would kick the pawl out of gear, and liberate the valve and rod as
before.
If the apparatus were made for ships of the largest type and required to be
itself of comparatively large dimensions, another, and in this case probably a
suitable method, would be to make the valve rod of the steam cylinder actuated
by a second and much smaller steam cylinder and piston, which secondary cylinder
is again fitted with a little steam valve which is actuated by the pendulum in any
of the ways above described. In this case the pendulum and the mechanism
connected therewith would probably be very small, light, and handy. Another
method of making the connection between the pendulum and the valve rod of its
steam cylinder is to use currents of electricity, the pendulum being made to touch
contact pieces in its travel and thus establish currents through solenoids or
electromagnets, by the force of which the valve rod would be moved at the required
time.
In carrying out my said Invention without the use of a steam cylinder or
without the use of a separate steam cylinder for that purpose alone, I employ
mechanism in connection with a pendulum or suspended weight free to move in a
direction fore and aft of the ship, precisely similar to that described above when
the pendulum is used in combination with a steam cylinder, excepting that the
whole of the parts will in this case probably be larger and heavier. In performing
my Invention without the aid of a separate steam cylinder the mechanism above
described is utilized for transmitting in a suitable manner the motion of the
pendulum direct to the steam or exhaust valves of the main engines, or to their link
motion and slide valves, or to the steam valves or link motions of their reversing
engines, or for transmitting that motion to the main engines in any manner well
known and in use so as to control the said main engines and prevent them from
racing in rough seas.
In Sheet No. 1 Fig. 1 is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a part plan of one modification
of my said Invention. A is the steam cylinder, B and B the pendulum, C the

page_text: steam valve of the steam cylinder, D the rod by which motion is communicated
from the pendulum to the steam valve C; E and E¹ are pawls which engage with
the teeth on D; E is attached to the pendulum rod B and is free to slide a short
distance up and down B; F is a spring attached to E and for the purpose of
holding E in gear with the teeth on D; G is the cam plate of the kicking gear for
liberating D from the pawl E; H is a pin attached to the pawl E and projecting
through the slot in the cam plate G, so that when the pendulum swings a certain
amount the lower edge of the slot in the cam plate G lifts the pin H and with it
the pawl E, liberating thereby the rod D; J is a worm engaging with the teeth on
the edge of the cam-plate G and for the purpose of regulating the position of G so as
to cause it to liberate D from the pawl E at any required point in the travel of
the pendulum; K is a round rod with a thumb screw attached, and is screwed
into a boss or projection on D; it is practically a moveable tooth on D and is for
the same purpose as the other teeth on the upper side of D, namely, for pawl E to
engage with. This moveable tooth K only comes into use in stern seas, that is,
when the ship is travelling in the same direction as the waves of the sea, and when
this is the case the cam plate G is screwed round until the markings for stern seas
come under the small pointer, when the slot in G will act on the pin H so as to
prevent the pawl E from engaging with the fixed teeth on D and permit it only to
engage with the moveable tooth K. In such stern seas the pawl El is put in gear
with the teeth on the under side of D, so that when the pendulum has moved Ď to
the right (in Drawing) by E engaging with the moveable tooth K, E', being pivoted
on a fixed pin in the framework prevents I running back by the force of the
spring L (Fig. 2) until the tappit M (Figs. 1 and 3) touches E¹ on the return
stroke of the pendulum and puts it out of gear with D. The tappit M is a nut on
the vertical thumb screw N, by means of which the vertical position of M can be
regulated so as to cause E¹ to be disengaged from D sooner or later as may be
required to suit the nature of the sca. The pawl E is held either in gear or out
of gear by the spring O (Fig. 7). When O is placed as shewn in Fig. 7, and in
full lines in Fig. 6, it is exerting pressure so as to hold El in gear, but when placed
as shewn in the dotted lines in Fig. 6 it is at rest, and is in such a position as to
hold E out of gear. In Fig. 21' is the piston rod cross-head of the steam cylinder,
and Q is a link or rod for enabling the piston rod on its outward stroke to move
the steam valve C so as to shut off steam, that is, to the position as shewn in
section in Fig. 4. R, R (Figs. 2 and 4) are thumb screws fitted with lock nuts
and arranged so as to be capable of reducing or regulating the area of the steam
ports of the steam cylinder and thus preventing the steam piston from moving too
quickly from one end of the cylinder to the other. S is the steam inlet to the
valve, and T is the exhaust outlet. Fig. 5 shews in section a portion of the steam
cylinder with a spring fitted so as to form a cushion for the piston at the end of
the cylinder opposite to the piston rod. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 shew pawl E in detail.
Figs. 11, 12, and 13 show a different type of steam valve to that shewn in
Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and as the same letters refer to similar parts in all the Figures no
lettered description of this modification is necessary; Fig. 13 shews a spiral spring
for moving the valve C when D has been liberated from the pawls E or E' instead
of the helical spring L in Fig. 2.
Fig. 14 shews another type of valve being the common D shaped slide valve,
but which is actuated in a similar manner to those above described. In Fig. 15,
Sheet 2, an arrangement is shewn dispensing with the spring L for drawing back
the valve C and and replacing it with a small piston U, the steam acting on which
constantly tends to force it towards the outer end of the valve chest. On the end
of the valve chest is fitted a cap V containing a valve W. This cap and valve are
shewn to a larger scale in Figs. 17 and 18. When the pendulum pulls the valve C
and with it the piston U the valve W is drawn off its seat and air is admitted
freely between W and the piston U through the opening X. When the rod D and
with it the valve C and piston U are liberated from the pendulum the pressure of
the steam on piston U thrusts it back towards the cap V, thereby closing the

page_text: valve W, so that the air cannot escape through the openings Y in the cap, except
only as much as can pass out through the very small holes Z in the valve W. By
this means the piston U is prevented from moving too quickly, and if instead of
having any holes whatever in the valve W there were fitted a thumb screw, as
shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 17, capable of regulating the amount of opening in a
small passage at right angles to it, the speed at which the piston U moved could
be regulated at pleasure by the mere adjustment of this thumb screw.
Figs. 19, 20, and 21 shew another mode of making the connection between the
pendulum and steam cylinder, and which does not require a spring or other device
for drawing back the valve, there being two bars D instead of one, and three
pawls el, e, and e³, two of which are capable of engaging with one of the bars D,
and one with the other. These pawls, Figs. 19 and 20, have pins & for working on
the cam plates b, Fig. 21. These cam plates b are adjustable so as to cause their
respective pawls to fall into gear with the bars D at any required point in the
travel of the pendulum. With this arrangement the pendulum moves the valve
in both directions. When both these motions of the valve C are required to be
performed whilst the pendulum is moving from aft to forward, or, say, from left to
right in drawing, the two motions would be accomplished by means of the two
pawls e and e³, first the one and then the other being put into gear by their
respective cam plates. But when one of the motions of the valve C is required to
be made whilst the pendulum moves in one direction, and the other whilst it moves
in the other direction, the two motions are accomplished by means of the two
pawls e and e³ first one and then the other being put into gear as before, the third
pawl being in each case kept constantly out of gear.
In Sheet 3, Figs. 22, 23, and 24 show an arrangement for making the connection
between the pendulum and the cylinder by means of electricity. In this
modification the pendulum B will be very small, as the only work it has to do
is the making of contact in the electric conductors; ff, are sliding blocks preferably
of some insulating material, and which are adjustable in the slides by means of the
milled nuts 1, 1, and the screws k, k, Fig. 23; a, a, are the moveable contact pieces
which are touched by the pendulum rod B as it oscillates to and fro; Figs. 25, 26,
and 27, show the slides and contact pieces to an enlarged scale; a, a, are made of
some insulating material and are pivoted on the staples g, Figs. 25 and 27. They are
kept in position shown in Fig. 27 by means of the springs i¹ and 22, one on each
side. A piece of brass or other conducting material is fitted in das shown, and
to this piece is led one of the conductors from a battery or other source of
electricity. The springs 1 and 2, also form part of the circuit. When the
pendulum B, Fig. 27, comes in contact with d and pushes it to one side, the piece j
makes contact with one of the springs 1, 2, and thus establishes a current through
one of the solenoids ml, m², Fig. 24, causing o¹ or o² to be sucked into its respective
solenoid, and thereby moving the steam valve C and putting the governor into
action. When the conductor is attached to the binding screw h² a current will only
be established when d is moved towards h2, and by shifting the conductor to the
binding screw h¹ the current will only be established when d is moved towards h¹.
One of the contact pieces d influences one of the solenoids m³, and the other
influences m². The diagram, Fig. 28, shows clearly the course of the currents.
Electro magnets and armatures may be used instead of solenoids, everything else
remaining the same.
Figs. 29 and 30 show another mode of making mechanical connection between
the pendulum and the cylinder. The rod D is made free to turn on its axis, but
on a thickened part a groove is cut, into which a stud or pin t is fixed so that
the rod D cannot be moved endwise without also turning spirally round. The
spring S acts so as to press the rod D towards one particular point, but from
which D can be moved in either direction; and g, are sleeves capable of being
moved along D, and fixed at any required point. They are made with a feather
projecting parallel with the axis of D, the feather on p being in the path of the
pendulum rod B, and the feather 9 so placed that when D is pushed towards t the

page_text: feather will engage with one of the catches x¹, x², and thus prevent D from running
back by the force of the spring S until the pendulum disengages the catch by
means of the links u and v and the thumb screws w¹ and w². One of the thumb
screws w¹ and w² is capable of disengaging a¹, and the other 3. By reversing the
position of q on D it can be made to engage either with a¹ or 2, and therefore the
pendulum can be adjusted so as to release D either when it is moving to the right
or to the left, as may be necessary to suit the nature of the sea.
.
In some cases it will be unnecessary to use a steam cylinder, the force of the
pendulum being alone sufficient to do the necessary work of controlling the main
engines. In such cases a pendulum and its accompaniments, as herein described,
may be used without a separate steam cylinder for governing purposes, the motion
of the rod D being transmitted direct to the main engines so as to control them in
rough seas.
Having now described my Invention with the best mode known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim broadly the
principle of using a pendulum to control a marine engine as that is old in theory,
though I am not aware of any successful application of the idea previous to mine;
that what I believe to be new and desire to claim as my Invention to be protected
by Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination in a marine engine governor of a pendulum or pendulous
weight and a subsidiary cylinder whose valve is operated by the said pendulum,
and whose piston rod or its equivalent directly or indirectly controls the admission
of steam to a marine engine, substantially as described.
66
Second. In marine engine governors. The combination of a spring pawl and
rack or their mechanical equivalent, one being attached to the valve rod of a motive
power cylinder, and the other to a pendulum working in such manner that the
spring pawl" engages in the "rack" and causes the valve rod of the motive
power cylinder to be moved until a kicking gear is put in action by one of the
moving pieces, which gear throws the pawl or its equivalent out of gear and allows
the valve rod to run back ato its original position by the force of a spring weight,.
steam acting against a piston on the rod, or a mechanical equivalent of these.
Third. The mode of and apparatus for regulating kicking gear for the purposes
described for this purpose, also the brake arrangement for preventing the piston
and valve from being too suddenly brought over when released, substantially as
described and illustrated.
Fourth. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming a governor
for preventing the racing, substantially as described and shown.
Fifth. The several modifications of the pendulum gear, substantially as set forth
and illustrated in the Drawings, whether applied to actuating the valve rod of a
subsidiary cylinder or connected direct to a marine engine.
* 41
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Mudd, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
THOMAS MUDD.
(L.S.)