Improvements in Controlling Engines for Raising or Lowering Loads.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Controlling Engines for Raising or Lowering Loads.
1, GEORGE DONKIN, of St. Andrew's Iron Works, in the City and County of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The objects of this invention are to give perfect control of steam, or other power,
engines used for raising and lowering loads: so that overwinding is prevented, the
load may be arrested at any position of its travel without jerk or shock, that the
speed of the engine may be increased or reduced and that the apparatus is in every
respect and at all times under perfect control of the engineer in charge and to enable
him to see the position of the load.
The invention is applicable to any engine adapted for raising and lowering loads,
but having special reference to ash hoisting engines on board steamships, it is
hereafter so described in one form of construction. In addition to the ordinary
distributing valve, worked by a single fixed eccentric, there is fitted a starting and
reversing valve which controls the admission of steam to the steam chest and this
valve is opened, or partially opened, by operating a hand wheel in one direction or
the other, so as to admit steam to either side of the piston and, being continuously
so operated, to keep the controlling valve open until the load; being raised or lowered,
has reached the required position, indicated by a pointer upon an index, when the
band wheel being released the engine, by suitable gearing on the crank shaft,
automatically closes the valve, steam is shut off and the load is brought to rest.
The action is as follows:-
The engine being at rest and the load, say, at its lowest position, the hand wheel
is operated to open, or
partially open, the reversing valve and admit steam so as to
cause the engine shaft, upon which is the chain drum, to wind on the chain; a
worm upon the shaft working into a worm wheel the neck of which forms a nut,
revolving in a fixed bearing, and in the thread of which nut works a screw cut on
the end of the valve operating shaft, so that constantly tends to close the valve but
this is counteracted by the operation of the hand wheel which revolves the valve shaft
by a hollow sleeve screwed externally, which works in another fixed nut, the hollow
sleeve being fitted upon "feather" key in the valve shaft so as to revolve it and
having also simultaneously a reciprocating movement upon it as the screw travels in
the fixed nut. The engineman continues to revolve the hand wheel, and with it the
valve shaft in the nut of the worm wheel, thus neutralising the action of the latter,
until a pointer, which is freely connected with the hollow sleeve, indicating the ash
bucket having arrived at the door of the ventilator or at any intermediate position
where it is required to be arrested when the hand wheel which may have been so
operated as to have partially closed the valve and reduced the s; eed, is released and
the engine, by the operation of the nut of the worm wheel on the screw of the valve
shaft, automatically closes the valve and brings itself to rest. The same action takes
place when the empty bucket is being lowered, the hand wheel being turned in the
opposite direction. The valve shaft will preferably be attached to the spindle of
the valve itself by a coupling which will allow it to revolve without revolving the
valve spindle, which has only a reciprocating motion, and also to enable the valve
shaft and the screwed sleeve of the hand wheel to be made of such diameters as will
allow for frictional wear of the threads. The pitch of the threads on the hollow sleeve

page_text: and in its fixed nut will be proportioned to the height of lift of load and to the length
of travel of the indicating pointer. The actuating parts just described may be
somewhat varied in their arrangement and construction to effect the required operations
as, for instance, the controlling action of the hand wheel may be direct, as we prefer
and as described or, to suit certain engines, it may be applied through bevel or other
gearing.
troming Engines for Raising or Lowering Loads.
1, GEORGE DONKIN, of St. Andrew's Iron Works, in the City and County of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 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 statement :-
The objects of this invention are to give perfect control of steam, or other power,
engines used for raising and lowering loads; so that overwinding is prevented, the
load may be arrested at any position of its travel without jerk or shock, that the
speed of the engine may be increased or reduced and that the apparatus is in every
respect and at all times under perfect control of the engineer in charge and to enable
him to see the position of the load.
The invention is applicable to any engine adapted for raising and lowering loads,
but having special reference to ash hoisting engines on board steamships, it is
hereafter so described in one form of construction. In addition to the ordinary
distributing valve, worked by a single fixed eccentric, there is fitted a starting and
reversing valve which controls the admission of steam to the steam chest, and, this
valve is opened, or partially opened, by operating a hand wheel in one direction or
the other, so as to admit steam to either side of the piston and, being continuously
so operated, to keep the controlling valve open until the load, being raised or lowered,
has reached the required position, indicated by a pointer upon an index, when the
hand wheel being released the engine by suitable gearing on the crank shaft,
automatically closes the valve, steam is shut off, and the load is brought to rest.
The action is as follows:-
The engine being at rest and the load, say, at its lowest position, the hand wheel
is operated to open, or partially open, the reversing valve and admit steam so as to
cause the engine shaft, upon which is the chain drum, to wind on the chain, a
worm upon the shaft working into a worm wheel the neck of which forms a nut,
revolving in a fixed bearing, and in the thread of which nut works a screw cut on
the end of the valve operating shaft, so that it constantly tends to close the valve, but
this is counteracted by the operation of the band wheel which revolves the valve shaft
by a hollow sleeve screwed externally, which works in another fixed nut, the hollow
sleeve being fitted upon a "feather" key in the valve shaft, so as to revolve it, and
having also simultaneously a reciprocating movement upon it as the screw travels in
the fixed nut. The engineman continues to revolve the hand wheel, and with it the
valve shaft in the nut of the worm wheel, thus neutralising the action of the latter,
until a pointer, which is freely connected with the hollow sleeve, indicating the ash
bucket having arrived at the door of the ventilator or at any intermediate position
where it is required to be arrested when the hand wheel which may have been so
operated as to have partially closed the valve and reduced the speed, is released, and

page_text: shaft, automatically closes the valve and brings itself to rest. The same action takes
place when the empty bucket is being lowered, the hand wheel being turned in the
opposite direction. The valve shaft will preferably be attached to the spindle of
the valve itself by a coupling which will allow it to revolve without revolving the
valve spindle, which has only a reciprocating motion, and also to enable the valve
shaft and the screwed sleeve of the hand wheel to be made of such diameters as will
allow for frictional wear of the threads. The pitch of the threads on the hollow sleeve
and in its fixed nut will be proportioned to the height of lift of load and to the length
of travel of the indicating pointer. The actuating parts just described may be
somewhat varied in their arrangement and construction to effect the required operations,
as, for instance, the controlling action of the hand wheel may be direct, as we prefer
and as described, or, to suit certain engines, it may be applied through bevil or other
gearing.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, shews a side elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus arranged
vertically, and Figs. 2 and 3 face and side views, also partly in section, of the
round nut S. (on Fig. 1) to an enlarged scale, by which the height of the lift is
adjusted and indicated. Only those portions of the mechanism are shewn which
constitute the invention, the other parts being similar to engines of ordinary
construction.
A. is the starting and reversing valve enclosed in a steam chest carried on a
bedplate B. bolted against a bulkhead or other support, the steam and exhaust
ports CC and D communicating with the main steam chest which contains tho
ordinary distributing valve and steam enters from the boiler at E. The bedplate B.
also carries a bracket F. in which are two bearings G. and H. The bearing G.
carries the neck of a worm wheel J. which gears into a worm K. upon the crank
shaft L. on which is the chain drum, and the neck is internally threaded to receive
the screwed end of the spindle M. which is attached by a rotary disc coupling N.
to the valve spindle O. The bearing H. is internally threaded to receive the sleeve P.
which is externally threaded and has on one end the hand wheel Q. by which it
is rotated. The spindle M. has fitted in it a feather key R. by which the spindle
is rotated when the screwed sleeve P. is rotated by the hand wheel, and thus the
tendency of the worm gear on the crank shaft to close the valve is counteracted
by the operation of the hand wheel. The sleeve P. has also a reciprocating movement
upon the feather key in the threaded hearing H. When the pointer Z. marks on
the index the proper position of the load the man in charge releases the hand wheel
and the engine by the operation of the worm gear instantly and automatically closes
the valve A. and brings itself to rest without jerk or shock.
In order to adjust the travel of the load to the required extent the distance X
between the bracket H. and the hand wheel Q. is adjusted by the following mechanism
shewn on Fig. 1. and enlarged on Figs. 2 and 3.
The maximum height of lift allowed by the arrangement will vary as the
revolutions of the hand wheel, the number of such revolutions being determined by.
the pitch of the screw on the outer circumference of the hand wheel sleeve P. having
the traverse X of the said sleeve for a limit. The maximum height of lift may,
however, be diminished to any desired extent, which will be effected by propelling
the round nut S. farther on to the hand wheel sleeve. The mode of securing the
round nut in position on the sleeve is as follows:-There are four grooves 1, 2, 3,.
and 4 placed equidistant around the outer circumference of the band wheel sleeve,
running as a helix around or direct and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the
said sleeve. There are also three similar grooves 5, 6, and 7, placed equidistant
around the inner circumference of the round nut S. These grooves may be '
rectangular, semi-circular, or of other convenient form, and in number there may be
four and three in the sleeve and nut respectively, as shewn (or vice-versa) giving
twelve adjustments for one revolution, or there may be any combination of differential -

page_text: numbers in accordance with the number of adjustments required per revolution. The
round nut being in desired position on the sleeve to 'suit the required lift, and one
groove of the former being immediately opposite one groove in latter, as
numbers 1 and 5 as shewn, a key T. of easy sliding fit will be inserted in the aperture
formed by the two grooves, and so prevent the round nut from revolving on the
. sleeve. The said key T. will then be fixed in position by inserting a "grub"
screw U. passing through the round nut S. as shewn, and by its inner end
engaging with a recessed part in the key T. which is thus locked in both
directions.
A groove V. is formed around the outer circumference of the round nut S. the
said groove intersecting a slot in the outer end of the "grub" screw U; the latter
.will then be locked in position by spring collar W. which being a sliding fit
in the said groove, and having one or both of its ends cranked as shewn, will also
form the pointer Z. to indicate the position of the load by reason of the said
cranked ends sliding longitudinally in a slot in the index plate Y. as the hand
wheel Q. is revolved.
Referring now to Sheet 2, Eigs. 4 and 5 (the latter to an enlarged scale) shew an
alternative form of the apparatus in which two round nuts S S are used to effect the
adjustment of the height of the lift. Here the operation of the worm gear by the
engine is the same as already described, but the sleeve P. does not travel in the fixed
bearing H. in which it only rotates and also rotates the spindle M. on the feather
key R. by the worm wheel (the equivalent of the hand wheel in Fig. 1) operated
by a worm Q on a counter shaft Q on one end of which is a hand wheel. Above
the fixed bearing H. the sleeve P. is prolonged and has an external screw thread P¹
upon it and forms a sleeve through which the screwed spindle M. passes into the
screwed neck of the worm wheel J. which works into the worm K. on the crank
shaft L. The sleeve.P. is secured in the fixed bearing H. by a nut P which allows it
to rotate but not .to move end wise. The two nuts SS, one of which is fitted with
a pointer, are internally screwed to work on the threads P of the sleeve P. and in
their outer edges a number of notches T (10 as shewn) are formed (see Fig. 5) with
which two guide ridges Y in the index 'plate Y. engage and prevent the nuts
revolving but.allow them to travel upon the threads of P
The maximum height of lift will vary, as in the first arrangement, already
described, by the revolutions of the hand wheel, the proportions of the intervening
worm gear, and the pitch of the screwed sleeve P1, and the extent of travel of the
nuts SS thereon, but may be diminished to any desired distance by moving said
nuts further apart by rotating them 'upon the threads of the 'screw which is effected"
by releasing the notches from the ridges Y', by removing the index plate Y, which
now clears the pointer Z, which is fixed in a groove in the nut S by the spring:
clip Y. The height of the lift is now limited by one or other of the nuts S. or S
abutting against the fixing nut P2 of the sleeve P. at one end, or against a fixed.
collar P on top end of the screwed sleeve at the other end.
In an alternative form the non-indicating traversing nut S. may be dispensed with
and the traverse of the indicating nut S regulated by the substitution of the
adjustable stop nut S. and its accessories (excepting the cranks on 'the ends of the
spring collar W.) described in No. 1 arrangement, (see Sheet 1) for the fixed collar.P³.
In such case the ridge guides Y¹ on the index plate Y. (Fig. 5, Sheet 2) would
likewise be dispensed with as also the notches T in the circumference of the indicating
traversing not S' and likewise the pointer Z. with its spring clip Y2, and as a
substitute for the said ridge guides, notches, and spring pointer, the indicating
traversing nut may be provided with a screw or stud or other projection permanently
fixed at one point of its outer circumference, and such projection sliding longitudinally
in the slot of the index-plate will serve the twofold purpose of the load indicator and
of preventing the indicating traversing nut from revolving with the worm wheel
sleeve when the latter is in motion.
Referring to Sheet 3, Fig. 6 shews an elevation partly in section of another modified
form of the apparatus. Here the worm gear operated by the automatic action of the
'5

page_text: engine is replaced by mitre wheels J. and K. with similar action, and the spindle M.
is attached to a crosshead N¹ with a sliding guide shoe N2 on the lower fixed bracket F.
and the valve spindle O. is guided in its stuffing box. The apparatus is operated by
hand by a pair of mitre wheels P1 P2, one with a sleeve P. rotating in the fixed
bearing H. and also rotating the spindle M. by the feather key R. the other on one
end of a screwed shaft carried in fixed bearings H' H on an extension of the
bracket F. The other end of the screwed shaft P3 is fitted with a hand wheel Q.
In this arrangement the extent of the lift is adjusted by either altering the thickness
of the tapped nut S. with square base to prevent it revolving which travels on the
screwed shaft P. until it abuts against one or other of the fixed brackets H' or H in
raising or lowering the load, or the travel may be adjusted by fitting "washers" of
suitable thickness against the inner faces of the brackets H' and H2, and this form of
the apparatus is very suitable where the extent of the lift is first fixed, and does
not require much adjustment, and it is adaptable to other modified forms of the
invention.
The invention as described has special reference to its application to raising and
lowering ash buckets on board steamships, but its adaptation to raising and lowering
loads generally will be readily understood, the arrangement and operation of its
essential mechanism being only so far modified as to suit different cases.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The improvements in controlling engines for raising and lowering loads,
having special reference to ash hoists, comprising a starting and. reversing valve,
separate from the main distributing valve, operated automatically by the engine which
constantly tends to close said valve, such tendency being counteracted by mechanism
operated by the engineman, which opens the valve to start the engine in either
direction and keeps it open till the load reaches the required position, when the
controlling action ceasing, the engine instantly and automatically closes the valve
and brings itself to rest substantially as described.
2nd. In controlling engines for raising or lowering loads, the combination with the
main distributing valve of the separate starting and reversing valve A. freely
connected by its spindle O. to the screwed spindle M. working in the screwed neck
of the worm wheel J. gearing with the worm K. on the engine shaft L; the
externally threaded sleeve P. revolved by the engineman turning the hand wheel Q.
and having also reciprocating movement in the screwed bearing H. and revolving
with it by a feather key in the spindle M. in the neck of the worm wheel J. in such
manner as to neutralise the automatic action of the engine to close the valve A. until
the proper time (as shewn on Fig. 1 Sheet 1); or the combination (shewn on Fig. 4,
Sheet 2) comprising the sleeve P. revolved by the worm gear QQ by a hand wheel
on the end of the shaft Q operated by the engineman, said sleeve P. having only
revolving movement, and revolving also, by a feather key, the screwed spindle M. in
the screwed neck of the worm wheel J. the sleeve P. being prolonged to form an
external thread P¹ the controlling action on the valve being the same as described
with reference to Fig. 1, Sheet 1; and the combination (shewn by Fig. 6, Sheet 3)
in which bevil wheels P1 P2 transmit the operation of the hand wheel Q. to the
screwed spindle M. and thence to the valve A. to control the engine as described with
reference to Figs. 1 and 4, Sheets 1 and 2.
3rd. In combination with such controlling mechanism for engines for raising and
lowering loads depending upon the differential action of automatic gear, worked
by the engine, and of hand gear worked by the engineman, the mechanism by
which the extent of the travel of the load may be adjusted and being so adjusted,
its position indicated automatically on an index or dial comprising the differentially
divided round nut S. and hand wheel sleeve P. relatively to each other, as described
and shewn with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1 (the maximum travel being as
shewn by X Fig. 1) and the prolonged externally screwed sleeve P" with two round

page_text: nuts S S' adjustable thereon, the distance between said nuts determining the travel,
the maximum being when they are close together, (as shewn on Figs. 4 and 5,
Sheet 2); or the alternative adjustment as described, but not shewn, by which only
the indicating traversing nut S¹ is used regulated by the substitution for the non-
indicating traversing nut S. of the adjustable stop nut S., described with reference to
Figs. 1, 2, and 3.Sheet 1; or the simple arrangement shewn by Fig. 6, Sheet 3, in
which the travel of the nut S. on the screwed spindle P³ between the fixed
points H'H' is varied by the introduction of thickness, washers, or other stops, the
maximum travel being as shewn.
Dated this 19th day of December 1896