IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GOVERNORS FOR THE ENGINES OF SCREW STEAMERS AND OTHER VESSELS PRO- PELLED FROM THE STERN
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Taylor, of Middlesbrough-on-Tees, in the
County of Yorkshire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
GOVERNORS FOR THE ENGINES OF SCREW STEAMERS AND OTHER VESSELS PRO-
PELLED FROM THE STERN."
Scaled the 7th July 1857, and dated the 3rd February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Taylor at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd February
1857.
I, JAMES TAYLOR, of Middlesbrough-on-Tees, in the County of Yorkshire,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
THE GOVERNORS FOR THE ENGINES OF SCREW STEAMERS AND OTHER VESSELS PROPELLED
FROM THE STERN," to be as follows:-
I fix a tube on the vessel near to the screw and connected with the outside,
or I make an opening in the vessel, so that the water may rise and fall in them
with the pitching of the vessel. In this tube or opening I place a float, which
is connected with and gives motion to the throttle or other valve of the engine..
By this means, when the screw propeller is wholly or partially out of the
water the steam. is wholly or partially shut off, and the engines are prevented

page_text: from running away; while, on the other hand, when the screw is deeply
immersed the full supply of steam is admitted to the engine.
This governor is applied in a similar way to yessels propelled by a paddle
wheel or any other propeller placed at the stern.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TAYLOR, of Middlesbrough-on-Toes, in the County of Yorkshire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said James Taylor, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GOVERNORS
FOR THE ENGINES OF SCREW STEAMERS AND OTHER VESSELS PROPELLED FROM THE
STERN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Taylor,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW. KNOW, YE, that I, the said James Taylor, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
t
.
I fix a tube on the vessel near to the screw and connected with the outside,
or I-make an opening in the vessel, so that the water may rise and fall in

page_text: them with the pitching of the vessel. In this tube or opening I place a float,
which is connected with and gives motion to the throttle or other valve of the
engine: By this means, when the screw propeller is wholly or partially out of
the water the steam is wholly or partially shut off, and the engines are pre-
vented from running away; while, on the other hand, when the screw is <leeply
immersed the full supply of steam is admitted to the engine.
This governor is applied in a similar way to vessels propelled by a paddle
wheel or any other propeller placed at the stern:
a
A convenient mode of carrying out my Invention consists in fixing near the
stern of the ship a vertical trunk, of square, or cylindrical, or other suitable
form, in which the float is capable of moving freely up and down. This trunk
is open to the water at the bottom and to the atmosphere at top. One or
both of these openings may be partially contracted or obstructed, to prevent
the float from being flung up and down with too great violence. The trunk
is placed on one side of the keel, so as not to interfere with the keel or
the propeller shaft, and it is placed as near to the propeller as it conveniently
can be... In this trunk the float works freely up and down, being guided by
suitable rods or guides. The float carries a vertical rack, which geers into
pinion on a horizontal shaft, which passes through the side of the trunk,
into which it is closely fitted, or provided with a stuffing box to prevent the
escape of any water into the vessel. This shaft carries another pinion on
the outside of the trunk, which geers into a toothed wheel, whose axis carries
à third pinion geering into a toothed segment. This toothed segment is fixed
on a shaft which carries a lever connected by a rod to a throttle valve in the
steam pipe of the engine which drives the propeller. The throttle valve is
thus opened and closed by the rise and fall of the float. When the propeller
emerges from the water the float descends and closes the throttle valve, and
when the propeller again enters the water the float rises and opens the throttle
valve. Thus, as long as the propeller is properly submerged the engines
receive their full supply of steam; but whenever the propeller rises out of the
water the steam is partially or wholly shut off, and the engines are prevented
from running away.
The mode of connecting the float to the throttle valve may be varied, and
similar modifications in the details may be made, but in all cases the throttle
valve of the engine which drives the propeller is to be controlled by the motion
of a float floating on the water in a trunk or tube or case communicating with
the external sea or water.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is,
constructing governors for the engines of screw steamers and other vessels
propelled from the stern by means of a trunk or tube communicating with the
external water and placed in a vertical' or nearly vertical position, and contain-
ing a float which is connected to the throttle valve of the engine, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
THOS. R. TAYLOR,
Middlesbrough.
JAMES TAYLOR. (L.S.)