Improvements in Mechanism for Regulating the Speed of Motive Power Engines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 25th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th Apr., 1887.
RESERVE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Regulating the Speed of Motive
Power Engines.
We WILLIAM MICHAEL RYE, of the Low Moor Iron Works, Oldham, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, and JAMES DEARDEN, of the same place, Engine Driver, do
hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR
REGULATING THE SPEED OF MOTIVE POWER ENGINES to be as follows:
In applying our improved mechanism to a steam engine we connect one end of a
rod to the governor; this rod carries at its other end a worm which gears with
a toothed quadrant at the end of a rod or lever employed to alter the cut-off of the
steam admission or equilibrium valve; on the rod connected to the governor is secured
a boss with radial arins, preferably four; loose on the rod, one on each side of this
boss are two bevel wheels which gear into a third bevel wheel keyed to a shaft at right
angles to the rod. This shaft is driven continuously by a band or otherwise from any
convenient part of the engine. The two loose bevel wheels are held in gear with the
third wheel by a forked bracket, and each of the two loose wheels carries a stud.
While the engine maintains its normal speed the studs on the bevel wheels revolve
clear of the arms on the boss, but when the rod from the governor is raised or lowered
by the action of the governor as the speed of the engine increases or diminishes, one
of the arms on the boss comes against the stud on one or other of the revolving bevel.
wheels and so the boss is carried round and with it the rod, the worm on which moves
the toothed quadrant and the valve rod or lever thus cutting off steam sooner or later
as required to bring the engine back to its normal speed.
Instead of the three bevel wheels a ratchet motion could be employed in which case
a boss provided with right and left hand ratchet teeth at each end and a plain or
smooth portion in the middle is fixed on the rod and a ratchet pawl with two working
ends actuated to and fro by any suitable mechanism rests when the engine is at its
normal speed upon the smooth central part of the ratchet; but as the rod is raised or
lowered by the governor either the right or the left hand ratchet comes under its pawl
which turns the ratchet and the rod thus operating the worm and quadrant in the
manner previously described.
Dated this 24th day of June 1886.

page_text: We WILLIAM MICHAEL RYE, of the Low Moor Iron Works Oldham in the County
of Lancaster Engineer and JAMES DEARDEN of the same place Engine Driver, do
hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR
REGULATING THE SPEED OF MOTIVE POWER ENGINES, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
Our invention relates to improvements in mechanism for regulating the speed of
motive power engines and has for its object to effect the prompt regulation of the
speed as determined by the action of the governor occasioned by variations in
the load.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will describe the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of mechanism embodying our Improvements as applied
to a steam engine worked expansively.
Figure 2 is an end elevation and Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Figure 4 is an end elevation and Figure 5 is a plan of our improved mechanism
as applied to a steam engine not working expansively but governed by means of a
throttle valve.
Figure 6 is a plan on an enlarged scale of a star wheel or boss with radial arms
forming part of our improved mechanism.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 3.-a designates a pivoted lever which is connected
to and operated by the governor of the steam engine; to the end of the lever a is
pivoted a rod or spindle which is made in two pieces b₁ respectively which are
connected together by the coupling 62 in such manner that the lower portion is free
to turn axially independently of the upper portion the whole rod working
vertically up or down as the governor balls rise or fall. Mounted loosely on the rod b,
and supported in a stationary bracket c are two mitre or bevel wheels dd' respectively
which are driven in opposite directions by a third mitre wheel d which is secured on
a sleeve d³ mounted loosely on a stud or short shaft and is driven constantly by the
train of gears e e e e as shown or by a band or otherwise from the shaft / which
is driven as hereinafter described or from any convenient part of the engine.
Fixed on the rod between the two mitre wheels d d is a boss with radial arms

page_text: or star wheels shown on an enlarged scale in the plan Figure 6 and two studs or
pegs g g respectively are fixed one on each of the wheels dd..
On the rod 6 is formed. or secured a worm which gears into a worm quadrant j
and supported on a shaft is a nest of four mitre wheels kkkk or Jack in the
box" motion, of these the boss of the wheel is mounted loosely on a stud j¹ to which
the worm quadrant j is secured and the wheel is supported by another stud ja on
which it is mounted loosely and is free to revolve both the studs being secured to
or formed with a boss loose on the shaft ; the wheel is keyed on the shaft on
which is also keyed an eccentric m and the wheel has a long boss or is keyed on a
sleeve which is mounted loosely on the shaft 1.
The shaft is driven from and at the same speed as the crank shaft of the engine by
means of the gears which is secured on or formed with the sleeve or boss of the
mitre wheel and motion is transmitted from this wheel 3 through the wheels k k¹ to
the wheel k² and so to the shaft and the cam or eccentric m keyed upon it. A strap
and pulley may be employed to drive the shaft 7 instead of gearing as herein indicated.
The cam or eccentric m secured on the shaft is connected to and by its connections
not shown actuates the valve or valves of an auxiliary cylinder the piston of which
operates the cut off or steam admission valve or valves of the engine. It is however
obviously not essential than an auxiliary cylinder should be employed for the purpose
specified.
While the engine maintains its normal speed the pegs gg revolve clear of the arms
of the star wheel / but when the engine speeds-i.e. runs above its normal speed-the
rod bb is moved vertically up or down say downward and the star wheel fixed on
the rod is brought down into contact with the peg g' on the revolving wheel d¹
thereby causing the lower portion of the rod to be rotated and as the worm his
fixed thereon it is also rotated and moves the worm quadrant j downward and oscillates
the two mitre wheels about the shaft thereby causing the cam or eccentric m to
advance in its time of action upon the valve or valves of the auxiliary cylinder thus
insuring an earlier and more prompt cutting off of steam from the main cylinder.
In like manner when the normal speed of the engine is decreased the rod bb¹ is
raised the star wheel engages the pegg and the rod is rotated in the reverse
direction and a reverse action is obtained through the gearing above described thereby
causing a later cut off and regulating the engine.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate an arrangement of our improved mechanism as applied
to an engine not working expansively but governed by a throttle valve.
In the previous arrangement Figures 1 to 3 the mitre wheel d² was shown mounted
on a sleeve d³ in this arrangement it is shown secured directly upon a stud or short
shaft at the other end of which is keyed the bevel wheel e which is driven by the
bevel wheel o mounted on the shaft n driven from the crank shaft or other convenient
shaft of the engine.
じ
In this arrangement the "Jack in the box" mechanism is dispensed with and the
quadrant is connected directly to the lever p which is pivoted to the standard t and
operates the governing valve w which may or may not be a throttle valve.
When the rod 6 descends through the action of the governor due to the speeding of
the engine and the quadrant is actuated as already described the lever p is depressed
thereby closing or partially closing the valve w and reducing the speed of the engine
as required.
When the normal speed of the engine from any cause be reduced the reverse action
takes place.
It will be noticed that in our arrangement the rod band worm / transfer any
movement of the lever a direct to the quadrant j and so to the shaft and eccentric m.
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―
1. The improved mechanism consisting of a rod connected to and receiving a
rising and falling motion from the governor and free to be rotated when required

page_text: a star wheel or equivalent fixed on said rod and free to engage when required with
one or other of the pegs on two toothed wheels mounted loosely and constantly
revolving on said rod on which also is formed or fixed a screw or worm in combination
with means such as the quadrant "Jack in the box" and other mechanism described
with reference to Figures 1 to 3 for communicating motion to the cut off valve or
valves or of means such as the quadrant and lever and other mechanism described with
reference to Figures 4 and 5 for operating the throttle or other governing valve of a
motive power engine.
2. The several constructions arrangements and combinations of parts constituting
our improvements in mechanism for regulating the speed of motive power engines sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein doscribed with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.