Improvements in Governors for Marine and other Steam Engines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1897--Accepted, 31st July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Governors for Marine and other Steam Engines.
I, EDWIN BURGER THORBURN, residing at 228 Stockton Street, Hightstown, in the
County of Mercer, and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Engraver, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to governors for marine and other steam engines, and the object
thereof is to provide an improved device of this class by means of which the speed of
the engine inay be regulated at all times, regardless of the condition under which it
is operated, and which is adapted to prevent variation in the operation thereof, which
is frequently occasioned by the rolling of the vessel in rough weather, and in which
these and other desired objects are accomplished by means of air pressure as herein-
after described.
The invention is fully described in the following specification of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement
are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the views, and in
which
Fig. 1, is a sectional side view of my improved governor; and,
Fig. 2, a section on the line 2, 2.
In the drawing forming part of this specification, reference being made to Fig. 2,
I have shown at 5, a steam pipe by means of which steam is conveyed to the cylinder
of the engine, and said pipe is composed of two sections which are provided at their
ends with flanges or rims 6, and in the practice of my invention I provide a governor
in which I employ a casing 7, which is preferably cylindrical in form, and which is
bolted between the flanges or rims 6.
The casing 7, is open at one side as shown at 8, and the opposite side thereof is
provided with transverse slots or openings 9, and mounted in said casing is a valve 10,
which is oblong in form, and which is adapted to slide between the side walls of the
opening 8, and said valve is provided with transverse openings 11, and connected with
the lower end of the valve 10, is a valve rod 12, which passes downwardly through a
tubular extension 13, formed on the lower side of the casing 7, and through a packing
box 14, and secured to the casing 7, are two downwardly directed screw threaded
parallel rods 15, to the lower ends of which is secured a cylinder 16, in which is
mounted a piston 17, with which the valve rod 12, is connected.
Mounted on the screw threaded parallel rods 15, is a cross bai 18, which is provided
with a central hub 19, through which the valve rod 12, passes, and the ends of the
cross bar 18, are provided with tubular heads 20, in which are mounted nuts 21,
through which the rods 15, pass, and by manipulating the nuts 21, the cross rod 18,
may be raised or lowered on said rods 15, and between the piston 17, and the central
hub 19, of the cross rod 18, is a spiral spring 22.
Formed in the walls of the cylinder 6, is an annular chamber 23, and communi-
cating with said chamber are pipes 24, and 25, and in practice, water is forced through
one of said pipes into said chamber under pressure, and leaves said chamber through
the opposite pipe, the object of thus circulating the water through the annular
chamber 22, being to keep the cylinder 16 cool at all times.

page_text: Communicating with the cylinder 16, near the lower end thereof is an air pipe 26,
and on the opposite side of said cylinder and adjacent to the lower end thereof is
secured a tubular casing 27, the outer end of which is closed by a screw threaded
plug 28, and the interior of said casing is in communication with the lower end of the
cylinder 16, by means of a small port or passage 29, and said casing is provided
adjacent to its inner end with ports or passages 30, which open outwardly, and passing
through the screw threaded plug 28, of the casing 27, is a valve rod 31, the inner
end of which is provided with a valve 32, which is adapted to close the port or passage 29,
and between the valve 32, and the end of the plug 28, is a spring 33, which
operates to force the valve 32, inwardly so as to close the port or passage 29, and the
pressure on the valve 32, may be regulated as desired, by means of the screw threaded
plug 28.
The lower end of the cylinder 16, is closed by a cylindrical plug 34, which is
provided with a downwardly directed valve casing 35, and said valve casing is provided
with a downwardly directed extension 36, and passing centrally through the plug 34,
and the valve casing 35, and the downwardly directed extension 36, thereof, is a
longitudinal bore or passage 37, and mounted in the valve casing 35, is a valve 38,
which is adapted to close the port or passage 37, and secured to the valve casing 35,
is a quadrant shaped plate 39, in which is formed a segmental or circular slot 40, and
the valve 38, is provided with a lever 41, which is provided with a set screw 42, which
passes through the slot 40, whereby the lever 41, may be locked in any desired
position.
The piston 17, may be of any desired form or construction, and the valve rod 12,
passes loosely through the hub 19, of the cross rod 18, and by means of said cross rod
the pressure of the spring 22, on the piston 17, may be regulated as desired, the
object of this spring being to normally hold the piston 17, adjacent to the bottom of
the cylinder 6, or in such position that it will not close the passage through the pipe 26,
and the port or passage 29, and in practice, the pipe 26, is connected with an air
pump, and the operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description
when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the following state-
ment thereof.
In the normal position of the parts, the piston 17, is at the lowest point of its
movement in the cylinder 16, and the steam is free to pass through the valve casing 7,
and when it is desired to run the engine to its maximum speed, the valve 38, is
wide open; and by adjusting the lever 41, any desired speed may be obtained, it
being understood that when the valve 38, is closed or partially closed, the pressure of
the air beneath the piston 17, will force said piston upwardly, and with it the valve 10,
and the flow of the steam through the pipe 5, will be partially cut off, and this
movement of the piston may be regulated at will by means of the lever 41, of the
valve 38, and the operation of the engine may thus be controlled at all times, and
under all conditions.
The object of the valve 32, is to provide an escape for the air from the lower end of
the cylinder under certain conditions of pressure, and is particularly adapted to
relieve back pressure caused by the momentum of the engine after the steam supply
is cut off.
The water flowing through the chamber 23, in the walls of the piston, keep said
piston at a proper temperature at all times, and prevents the same from becoming
heated by conduction from the valve casing.
4
My improved governor is simple in construction and operation, and perfectly
adapted to accomplish the result for which it is intended, and it will be apparent that 5
changes in, and modifications of the construction described, may be made without
departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacrificing its advantages.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the saine is to be performed, I declare that what İ
claim is

page_text: 1. A governor for steam engines, consisting of a valve casing, a sliding valve
mounted therein, a cylinder connected with said casing, a piston mounted in said
cylinder, a rod by which said valve and said piston are connected, a spring mounted
on said rod, and bearing on said piston, and provided with means for adjusting the
pressure thereof, and an air pipe which communicates with the lower end of said
cylinder, and is adapted to supply air under pressure thereto, and escape passages for
said air, and means.for.controlling-the same, substantially as shown and described.
2. A governor for steam engines, consisting of a valve casing, a sliding valve
mounted therein, a cylinder connected with said casing, a piston mounted in said
cylinder, a rod by which said valve and said piston are connected, a spring mounted
on said rod, and bearing on said piston, and provided with means for adjusting the
pressure thereof, and an air pipe which cominunicates with the lower end of said
cylinder, and is adapted to supply air under pressure thereto, and escape passages for
said air, and means for controlling the same, the walls of said cylinder being also pro-
vided with an annular chamber, and water egress and ingress pipes communicating
therewith, substantially as shown and described.
3. A governor for steam engines consisting of a valve casing, a sliding valve mounted
therein, two screw threaded side rods connected with said casing, a cylinder connected
with said rods, a piston mounted in said cylinder, a cross rod mounted on said side
rods and adjustable thereon, a rod connecting said piston and said valve, and passing
through said cross rod, a spring mounted on said rod between said piston and said
cross rod, and means for supplying air under pressure to the lower end of said cylinder,
substantially as shown and described.
4. A governor for steam engines consisting of a valve casing, a sliding valve
mounted therein, two screw threaded side rods connected with said casing, a cylinder
connected with said rods, a piston mounted in said cylinder, a cross rod mounted on
said side rods and adjustable thereon, a rod connecting said piston and said valve, and
passing through said cross rod, a spring mounted on said rod between said piston and
said cross rod, and means for supplying air under pressure to the lower end of
said cylinder, said cylinder being also provided with escape ports or passages for said
air, and means for controlling the same, substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 21st day of June 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.