Improvements in Mechanical Governors.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1898-Accepted, 25th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Governors.
I, MARK ANTHONY REPLOGLE, of the City of Akron, in the County of Summit
and State of Ohio, United States of America, Mechanical and Electrical 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:-
My invention relates to that class of mechanical governors which are used in
regulating the speed of steam engines, or in setting into or out of operation
stronger regulators such as are used at modern water power plants, and its objects
are to render such governors more sensitive to changes of speed, more prompt in
action and more efficient generally. My improvements will be readily understood
from the following description taken in connection with the drawings in which,
Fig. 1 shows a side elevation, with parts removed, of a governor exemplifying
the principal features of my invention.
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the pendulums and weight illustrating part
of the operation of the device by the dotted lines.
Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic top view of the same illustrating further the operation
of the device.
Fig. 4 is a top view taken on the liners of Fig. 1 illustrating the structure of
the operating lever in its relation to the circular weight used in the device.
Fig. 5 is a detail view taken partly in cross-section on the line z z of Fig. 1 show-
ing the structure and relation of the sleeve and sliding support used in the device.
Fig. 6 is a view partly in diagram and partly in cross-section taken on the
liney of Fig. 1 and illustrating the operation of the circular weight by dotted
lines.
Fig. 7 is a view partly in cross-section taken on the line tu of Fig. 5 illustrating
the sliding support and its means of attachment to the revolving weight and
operating lever of the device.
In the drawings A designates the belt wheel by which the governor is run and
BB the ordinary pendulums which are swung from the cross-head d rigidly
attached to the revolving spindle D which is revolved by the beveled gear a¹
rigidly attached to it and geared with a similar bevel rigidly connected with the
belt wheel A the spindle D being journaled at g and gl to the main frame G
which frame is bolted to the base plate M. C designates a weight preferably made
in circular form and suspended from the pendulums by flexible connections b b
consisting of links pivotally attached at 61 and 62 making of the connections
easily working universal joints. The weight C is provided with a central sleeve c¹
rigidly connected to the periphery or rim by means of the radials c c, the
spindle D sliding loosely in said sleeve. The lower part of the sleeve e is provided
with an annular groove in which the U shaped sliding support c³ is adapted to
fit so as to permit of a sliding motion. This slide is provided at opposite sides

page_text: with pins or lugs e which are adapted to support the lever E fulcrumed at f
or f to the arm rigidly connected with the frame G. This lever E is further
provided with a sliding weight H adapted to be moved lengthwise of the lever and
attached to it by means of a set screw. J designates a rack adapted to engage
with a toothed wheel K supported by the journal stand L bolted to the base
plate M; the said wheel K being designed when turned one way to increase the
power supply and when turned the opposite way to decrease the power supply.
The parts J, K and L are not essential parts of my invention but are simply
inserted here to more fully exemplify the operation of the device, and I do not
wish to be confined to the exact construction of the flexible supports or weights
suspended from them as herein shown, the principal requirement of the supports
being that they be each a universal joint, and of the weight C, that it be suspended
by universally jointed supports from revolving centrifugal weights or pendulums,
and that the operation of the power supply be effected through a connection to
the sleeve of the said weight c.
The operation of the governor is described as follows: The pendulums B B
are revolved and operated in the usual manner and at high speed lift the weight C
with all its connections as indicated in the diagram Fig. 2. In addition to utiliz-
ing this means of raising and lowering the sleeve the inertia of the weight C is
utilized. Upon any sudden increase of the speed of the machinery the pendulums
are carried forward slightly faster than the weight C in the direction of the arrow
in Fig. 3 thus throwing the flexible supports b b into more oblique positions on
account of the lag produced by the inertia of the weight C, which retrogrades it
in its relation to the pendulums, as shown by dotted lines Fig. 3; and it is evident
that these supports cannot become more oblique without at the same time raising
upward the said weight C and the sleeve rigidly attached to it and this upward
motion last named is independent of any outward motion of the pendulums and
is utilized in my device to correct slight rises in speed without waiting for the
upward motion of the pendulums. Further, on account of the resistance of the
air and the attachments to the sleeve, the weight at normal speed is always
lagging somewhat, in the direction of the lower arrow Fig. 6, so that the flexible
supports are not in a plane with the pendulum rods but lag outside of the plane
as shown in exaggeration by the dotted lines in Fig. 6. Now, this condition
existing, when there is a slight decrease in speed the said weight C, again on
account of its inertia, will not slack in speed as suddenly as the revolving
pendulums; and will accordingly advance in its relation with the said pendulums
until the flexible supports are more nearly or altogether into the plane of the
pendulum rods; and at the same time, the weight with its connections are thus
lowered by gravity and more power turned on, without waiting for the downward
motion of the pendulums. The advantage of this is very considerable; because,
in this way I secure the minimum of resistance in the mechanical parts or joints
of the governor at the right time, while in ordinary governors as now constructed,
the first tendency in change of speed, is to cramp the bearings and produce the
greatest resistance on their part at the time they should resist the least. I thus
secure in addition to the ordinary rising and lowering of the operating part of the
governor an additional and much more prompt action without sacrificing any of
the efficiency of the usual governor. If very high speed is used the lever E may
be fulcrumed at f¹ instead of at f or the weight H may be moved toward the
outer end of the lever E; and if it is desired to govern at a slower speed the lever E
may be fulcrumed at f or the weight H moved inward of the lever; or both the
fulcrum and the weight may be moved so as to utilize their combined effect. It
is evident that by means of this lever E, the upward and downward motions of
the governor proper are amplified, thus adapting it for making electrical or other
connections for setting into operation heavier regulating devices, capable of moving
water wheel gates and the like. The connections with the power supply may also
be made directly with the sleeve C as in ordinary governors thus dispensing with
the lever E.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a governor the combination with revolving pendulums of a weight
suspended from them by universal joints the said weight adapted to perform the
operation required of the governor independent of a rise or fall of the pendulums
by reason of retrogression or advancing of the said weight in its relation to the
said pendulums.
2. In a speed governor, the combinations of centrifugal weights, having
suspended from them, by universally jointed supports, an inertia weight, the said
inertia weight being integrally made with a sleeve sliding on the spindle of the
governor, and adapted to rise and fall in conjunction with the centrifugal weights,
and also to rise and fall independently, in its relation to them, in the manner
described, and for the purposes set forth.
3. In a mechanical speed governor the combination of centrifugal weights or
pendulums, designed to be affected by greater changes of speed, a weight suspended
from them adapted to be raised or lowered in conjunction with said pendulums;
and in addition thereto, adapted to be moved upwards or downwards in its relation
to said pendulums by minor changes in speed, by means as specified.
4. The herein described mechanical governor consisting of a spindle, adapted
to revolve centrifugal weights, centrifugal weights suspended therefrom, and an
inertia weight suspended from said centrifugal weights, said inertia weight being
integrally made or rigidly attached to a sleeve sliding upwards and downwards of
said spindle, and attached to a lever intermediate of its fulcrum and operating
end, for the purpose of amplifying the action of the governor, substantially as
specified.