IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING-APPARATUS FOR STEAM-ENGINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arnold Budenberg, Mechanical Engineer, of Man-
chester, in the county of Lancaster, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
REGULATING-APPARATUS FOR STEAM-ENGINES" Communicated to him from
abroad, by Christian Frederick Budenberg, in firm of Schäffer and Budenberg,
of Buckau-Magdeburg, in the German Empire
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arnold Budenberg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th November 1882.
ARNOLD BUDENBERG Mechanical Engineer of Manchester in the County of
Lancaster IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING APPARATUS FOR STEAM ENGINES,
a communication to me from abroad by Christian Frederick Budenberg, in firm
of Schäffer and Budenberg, of Buckau-Magdeburg, in the German Empire,
This Invention relates to valves and valve-gear for Steam Engines with automati-
cally variable expansion. It consists in the application of an oscillating rotary valve
opening in both directions and whose spindle is only subject to the friction arising from
its turning in its stuffing box, said valve resting against a footstep which receives the
variable steam-pressure on the area of the stuffing box. Also in the application of
a pallet or trip gear moving over an arc or sect or of a circle, and whose pallets or
disengaging levers move in a plane perpendicular to that in which the spindle or
other controlling organ of the governor moves, so that the latter has only to
overcome the smaller component of the resistance of the pallets-I prefer to place
the governor, which may be any suitable centrifugal or equivalent governor,
immediately over the casing of the equilibrated rotary valve which opens the steam-
passage at the begining of each stroke and to mount the sector or arc of circle
on the spindle of said valve and near the thrust or step bearing of the spindle the
motion of which may be derived from an oscillating slotted lever driven by an
eccentric and mounted on a shaft placed in line with the valve spindle, the arc or
sector resting with its base against two symmetrically placed levers and with its
top against two symmetrically placed curved pallets, which oscillate with the shaft,
thereby striking against a horizontal rod whose position is controlled by the
governor. The contact with this rod disengages the pallets from the sector, thereby
causing the valve to shut off the steam sooner or later in proportion to the speed
of the Governor-Each pallet is pressed against a projection or tooth of the sector
by a spring.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arnold Budenberg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th May 1883.
ARNOLD BUDENBERG Mechanical Engineer of Manchester in the County of
Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING APPARATUS FOR STEAM ENGINES"
a communication to me from abroad by Christian Frederick Budenberg, in firm of
Schäffer and Budenberg of Buckau Magdeburg, in the German Empire
This Invention relates to apparatus for automatically varying the expansion of
the steam in Steam Engines according to the position of the governor and has for its
principal object the easy conversion of existing Steam Engines having only one
slide valve into Engines with automatically variable expansion, but it may also be
advantageously applied-in constructing new Engines..
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1
represents a vertical section, Figure 2 a horizontal section, and Figure 3 a detail
of an apparatus embodying this Invention
The apparatus acts in such a manner, that at the beginning of the piston stroke
of the Steam Engine steam is admitted into the valve chest (chest containing the
main or slide valve) at full pressure and that according to the position of the
governor (the drawing shows a Buss governor) the steam is cut off sooner
or later.
The effect of the apparatus is therefore similar to that of the valve gear of
ordinary steam Engines with automatically variable expansion, except that the
steam contained in the main valve chest takes part in the expansion, which occurs
twice in every revolution of the Engine.
The special construction of this apparatus whereby it differs essentially from
other apparatus for the same purpose, is as follows :—
Fresh steam is admitted from the Boiler through the casing A into the main
valve-box, either in the direction from a to b or from b to a (generally from
b to a). At B is interposed a valve provided with slots b' for the passage of steam,
said valve being adapted for oscillating motion (round its axis), and kept closed in
its middle position by the spindle 8, the sector S fixed on the spindle, and the
contact levers xx pressed upwards by springs m, m.
The said valve B is opened towards both sides by means of the slotted oscillating
lever Z, Shaft W, carrier Y and pawls k, k', the lever Z being connected with the
main eccentric or other suitable moving part of the engine in such a manner that
the opening takes place whenever the crank is in its dead centre, therefore twice
during every revolution. Consequently there is no permanent connection between
the lever Z and the valve B, although the motion of the latter for the admission of
steam is derived from the motion of the eccentric, through the sector S and the
pawl mechanism.
The pawl mechanism or trip-gear, consisting of the said segment S and the
pawls kk', serve to render the cut-off dependent on the position of the governor.
The special construction of the pawl mechanism is as follows:-On the shaft W,
capable of turning at G in a bearing 1., (the latter being rigidly connected with the
bearing i) is fixed the carrier Y, provided with the curved pawls k and k¹. On the
spindle 8 is fixed the sector S provided with projections and e¹. As the pawls
k and are pressed against the sector by spring power (helical springs n) the
said projections and establish a rigid connection between the lever Z and the
spindle 8.
This connection, however, lasts during each travel of the lever Z only as long as
the pawls remain in gear with the sector S.
The disengagement of the pawls kand k¹ depends on the position of the adjustable
lever H, which moves up and down under the influence of the governor, and is
provided with a movable weight H.

page_text: In proportion as the governor rises higher or falls lower, the pawls k and k¹ come
in contact with the lever H sooner or later, and the steam is cut off sooner
or later.
Consequently, if the engine runs faster, the pawls are disengaged sooner, and if
it runs slower, the pawls are put out of gear later, so that the period of admission
is regulated according to the number of revolutions of the engine.
Owing to the direction in which the pawls k and meet the lever H, the up
and down motion of the latter is not disturbed by the tension of the springs acting
on the pawls, consequently the governor requires very little energy.
As the spindle s runs in an accurately fitted step-bearing i, whereby the friction
is reduced to a minimum, the apparatus is practically independent of the variable
steam pressure on the area of the stuffing box.
Herein, and in the fact, that the operation of the valve requires only a short
rotary motion, instead of an axial to and fro motion, with corresponding friction in
the stuffing-box, lies the principal advantage of the present arrangement.
It will be seen, from the drawing, that the bearing for the shaft W is made in
one piece with the step-bearing i for the valve spindle, and secured to the cover of
the valve casing by a pair of posts , on which are mounted the springs m, m
mentioned above; furthermore, that the valve B turns in a cylindrical lining or
valve seat B¹ forming part of the cover A¹.
Consequently, the valve together with the valve seat and disengaging gear may
be removed and the valve inspected, by unscrewing the cover A¹ from the valve
casing, without detaching the valve casing from the steam conduit, or removing the
governor.
The valve casing is preferably screwed with the flange a to the top of the main
valve chest. For minute adjustments of the engine speed, to be maintained by the
apparatus, it is sufficient to shift the weight H' on the lever H.
Having now described the invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, I wish it to be understood, that I do not limit myself to the exact
details shown by the drawings.
What I claim, is.
1. In apparatus for automatically varying the expansion of the steam in steam
engines according to the position of the governor, the combination of a cylindrical
rotary valve B adapted to open the steam ports while moving in either direction
and placed inside a valve seat, with pawl mechanism or disengaging gear, in such a
manner, that the axis of the rotary valve coincides with the axis of the rocking
lever Z, set in motion by the excentric or equivalent moving part of the engine, and
that the spindles of the rotary valve runs in a step-bearing i, connected with the
bearing substantially as described.
2 In apparatus for automatically varying the expansion of the steam in steam
engines according to the position of the governor, the described combination of
disengaging gear arranged symmetrically to the centre line of the apparatus, which
combination comprises the sector S provided in the centre with two projecting stops,
the oscillating carrier Y provided with the pawls k and k, and the contact-
levers, ; also the arrangement of this combination of disengaging gear with
regard to the adjustable regulating lever H, substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness thereof I, the said Arnold Budenberg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty-eight day of May A.D. 1883.