IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING. THE RACING OF MARINE ENGINES
Year: 1885

page_text: Marine Engines.
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING. THE
RACING OF MARINE ENGINES a communication to me from abroad by Bradish
J. Carroll of New Brighton in the County of Richmond and State of New York,
United States of America, Student to be as follows:-
"
"
"
This invention is designed, for the purpose of preventing the "
racing" of
marine engines, when by the motion of the ship, the screw or propellor is lifted
from the water. Its main principle lies in the direct application of a column of
water, in connection with that outside the ship to make and break apparatus by
an electric circuit in which an electro magnet controls the valve, which shuts off*
steam from the engine. The invention consists also in certain improved details
of construction, whereby the invention is more effectually and economically
embodied.
In some portion of the main steam pipe, situated between the boiler and the
throttle valve is an auxiliary valve, the rod of which is connected to a lever,
having its fulcrum on a standard attached to said main steam pipe by a band or in
any suitable way. The lever is connected by a pitman to the yoke of a
pair of
cores of an electro magnet. These coils it is preferred to make one foot in diameter
with holes preferably four inches in diameter. The cores move freely toward and
from fixed cores in which they slide. A spring connected to the lever, and attached
at some other point, say to the main steam pipe, is employed, and is of sufficient
strength to open the auxiliary valve, when the circuit is broken. Within the
circuit is a battery, and the wires from opposite poles of the battery, one of them
including the magnet, are connected to contact points which are insulated by
means of a hard rubber block, upon the cap which is screwed upon the top of
a pipe. This pipe is set vertically and in it slides freely a closely fitting metallic ▸
float carrying a vertical stem which passes through a stuffing box, and carries a
metallic disc which is held at a proper point on the stem by a screw. The disc is
adapted to bear upon the contact points when the float falls a suitable distance in
whatever way the float be turned.

page_text: Thus when the float rises so as to lift the disc off from the contact points, the
circuit will be broken, and will be closed when the float falls, so as to let the disc
rest upon the points. The pipe in which the float rises and falls is turned at the
bottom, and passes through the side or stern of the ship, preferably near the shaft
of the screw or propellor. It is provided with a grating over the end of it with
openings large enough to admit of the free passage of the water, but sufficiently
small to exclude any floating debris. A screw plug is set in the tube so that if by
any chance the disc should become loose, the float could not fall to the bottom of
the tube.
Supposing the water to be at any point where it will cover or approximately
cover the screw or propellor. The column of water in the tube will lift the float and
hold the disc away from the contact points so as to break the circuit and while the
parts are in this position the spring before mentioned will hold the auxiliary valve
open. But when the stern of the ship rises so as to cause the column of water to
fall in the tube sufficiently to let the disc fall to the contact points the circuit will
be closed, the cores of the magnet drawn down and the valve instantly shut, and
this operation will be repeated as often as the column of water falls.
Thus the position of the disc on its spindle in connection with the float will
determine the point or rise of the ship at which the circuit will be closed and in
practice this must be set so as to cause the circuit to close at a limit of immersion
sufficient to prevent racing of the engine.
In order that there may be no vacuum formed in the top of the pipe, an air
tube is provided which supplies air above the float when the latter falls. This pipe
may be carried to any safe point above the water level.
As the governor is applied to an auxiliary valve its movements do not interfere
with the properly regulated movement of the ordinary throttle valve. The
auxiliary valve is either thrown wide open or quite closed, as the screw is
immersed, or on the water, but the ordinary steam regulator still remains.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Preventing the "Racing" of
Marine Engines.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature 3
of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by Bradish J. Carroll of
New Brighton in the County of Richmond and State of New York, United States
of America Student) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention is designed for marine engines for the purpose of preventing the 4
" racing" of the engine, when by the motion of the ship the screw is lifted from
the water. Its main principle lies in the direct application of a column of water,

page_text: in connection with that outside the ship to make and break apparatus by an
electric circuit in which an electro magnet directly controls the valve which shuts
off steam from the engine.
The invention consists also in the certain improved details of construction
whereby the invention is more effectually and economically embodied.
To clearly explain the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings
which show the apparatus in side elevation in connection with the section of the
main steam supply pipe the portion of this apparatus containing the column of
water being partly in section.
In this figure the line y-y represents the stern of the ship, and at Y is represented
the screw propeller in dotted lines. A section of the steam pipe located between
the boiler and the throttle valve is represented at A. This section is provided with
valve B, auxiliary to the ordinary throttle valve, the stern E, of which is connected
to the lever D, having its fulcrum on a standard supported upon the pipe A by a
band C, or in any suitable way. The lever D is connected by a pitman I, to the
yoke of a pair of cores G. of an electro magnet F F. These coils I prefer to make
one foot in diameter with holes preferably four inches in diameter. The cores G. G.
move freely toward and from the fixed cores H. H. A spring Z connected to the
lever D, and attached at some other point, say to the main steam pipe is of
sufficient strength to open the valve B, when the circuit is broken. Within the
circuit is a battery J, and the wires from opposite poles of the battery, one of them
including the magnet are connected to contact points K, Q. These points are
insulated by means of a hard rubber block L, upon the cap M, which is screwed
upon the top of the pipe N. The pipe N is set vertically, and in it slides freely a
closely fitting metallic float S, carrying a vertical stem O, which passes through
a stuffing box P, and carries a metallic disc T, which is held at a proper point on
the stem by a screw U. The disc T, is adapted to bear upon the contact points K
and Q, when the float falls a suitable distance, in whatever way the float be
turned.
Thus when the float rises so as to lift the disc T off from the contact points, the
circuit will be broken, and will be closed when the float falls, so as to let the disc T
rest upon the points. The pipe N in which the float rises and falls is turned at the
bottom and passes through the stern of the ship, preferably near shaft of the screw.
It is provided with a grating R over the end of it with openings large enough to
admit of the free passage of the water, but sufficiently small to exclude any floating
debris. A screw plug V is set in the tube N, so that if by any chance the disc T
should become loose, the float S cannot fall to the bottom of the tube. Supposing
the water at the point X on the ship or at any point so as to cover or approximately
cover the screw, the column of water in the tube N, will lift the float, and hold the
dise T away from the contact points K, Q, so as to break the circuit, and while the
parts are in this position the spring Z will hold the valve B open. But after
the ship rises so as to cause the column of water to fall in the tube N, sufficiently
to let the disc T fall to the point the circuit will be closed, the cores G. G. drawn
down and the valve B instantly shut, and this operation will be repeated as often
as the column of water falls.
Thus the position of the disc T, on the spindle O in connection with the float
will determine the point or rise of the ship at which the circuit will be closed, and
in practice this must be set so as to cause the circuit to close at a limit of immersion,
sufficient to prevent racing of the engine.
In order that there may be no vacuum formed in the top of the pipe N, I provide
an air tube Y which supplies air above the float S, when the latter falls. This pipe
may be carried to any safe point above the water level.
As the governor is applied to an auxiliary valve its movements do not interfere
with the properly regulated movement of the ordinary throttle valve. The
auxiliary valve is either thrown wide open or quite closed, as the screw is immersed,
or on the water, but the regulator of the steam supply for ordinary work remains
the same.

page_text: I am aware that it is not new to control the valves of marine engines by means
of the electro magnet in a circuit opened and closed by the motion of the ship, and.
I do not broadly claim this invention.
I am also aware that it has been proposed to use a chamber divided by a
diaphragm in the upper part of which chamber is a stem resting upon the diaphragm
and operating the lever adapted to make and break the electric connections, the
lower part of the chamber being connected by a pipe with the water outside the
ship, and I do not claim broadly a pipe opening to the water outside the ship
whereby the column of water is adapted to operate the devices which make and
break the circuit. My invention on this point is limited to a float directly in
contact with the water, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my Foreign Correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
1. In combination, a valve in a steam supply pipe, an electro magnet connected
to said valve and in a suitable battery circuit and devices for opening and closing
said circuit connected to a float operated by a column of water and directly in
contact therewith in communication with the water outside of the ship.
$
2. The tube N, having its opening to the outside near the shaft of the screw, a
float in said tube, the stem of which carries a disc adapted to close the circuit,
when the float falls, and an electro magnet and means for opening and closing the
valve through the said magnet substantially as described.
3. The tube N opening to the outside near the shaft of the screw, the float S
having a metallic disc upon its stem an air tube Y, points K and Q, in connection
with the wires of the circuit, all substantially as described.
4. In combination with the steam supply pipe, a valve in the steam supply pipe
auxiliary to the ordinary throttle valves, an electro magnet connected to the
auxiliary valve and in a suitable battery circuit and device for opening and closing
said circuit by the rise and fall of the ship all substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of January 1886