Year: 1888

page_text: I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad
by Oliver H. Castle, of Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States of America,) and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to that class of steam engine governors in which a recipro-
cating valve is operated by means of two suspended revolving balls, whose circle of
rotation widens as the speed of the engine increases, the objects being first, to provide
improved means for suspending the balls and for connecting them to the reciprocating
valve-stem, whereby the action of the governor is made more sensitive than heretofore:
second, to provide an improved regulator for controlling the action of the governor ;
and, third, to provide improved means for pivotting the regulator to the housing or
frame.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood, I will describe how it can
be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation.
Figure 2 is a vertical section, and
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line a, b of figure 2, illustrating a steam engine
governor constructed according to this invention.
Figures 4 and 5 are detached views of some of the parts showing the manner of
pivotting the regulator to the main frame.
A is the frame of the governor which terminates at its, upper end in a hollow
shaft B. 1 is the valve which may of any suitable construction. D is the valve-stem
which extends from the valve upward through and projects above the hollow shaft B.
E is a sleeve which is mounted on the upper end of the shaft B so as to turn and to
slide longitudinally thereon. The upper end of the sleeve E is screw-threaded to
receive a hollow nut F. I is a sleeve fitted to turn freely on the shaft B, and
provided on opposite sides with lugs J, J. K, K are a pair of forked links, which
are pivotted at their lower ends to the lugs J, J of the sleeve I. To the upper end of
each of the links K, K a ball L is pivotted at a point above the centre of the latter.

page_text: The balls L L are attached to opposite sides of the sleeve E by means of flat flexible
springs M, M which are rigidly secured at their, upper ends to the sleeve by
screws N N and at their lower ends to the balls at a point below the pivotal connection
of the balls with the links K, K by screws. The sleeve I is rotated on the shaft B
by means of a pair of bevel gear wheels Q and R, one of which is fastened by suitable
means to the said sleeve, while the other is fastened to a shaft turning in an arm of
the housing or frame and projecting beyond sufficiently to receive a pulley adapted to
receive a belt from the engine from which motion is received. It will be evident that
if the frame be placed in a horizontal position, the bevel gear and shaft can be
dispensed with and the driven pulley be fastened to the sleeve I thereby simplifying
the construction.
The sleeve I is prevented from moving longitudinally along the shaft B by a collar P
secured to the shaft.
S is a right angled bracket pivotted at its angle by a pivot X to lugs t, t projecting
from the main frame A. To the horizontal arm of the said bracket one end of a flat
spring U is rigidly secured and the end of the other arm is provided with a set
screw which impinges against the end of an abutment lever W. The free end of
the spring U is forked and enters a groove in a collar Y which is secured to the valve-
stem, the arrangement being such that as the set screw V is forced against the abut-
ment lever W, the bracket is tilted backwards and the free end of the spring U
operates with greater or less force to resist the downward movement of the valve
stem. For the purpose of easily and cheaply pivotting the bracket S to the main
frame, I adopt the following arrangement. The pivot consists of a straight cylindrical
bar of sufficient length to pass through the bracket S and both of the lugs t, t. In
the middle of the pivot X, a notch O is cut as shown in figure 5 corresponding in
width to the width of the spring U so that when putting the bracket S in position on
the main frame the pivot X is first passed through the lugst and the bracket-spring U
is then secured to the bracket, passes through the notch O and prevents the pivot from
changing its position while in operation the sleeve I carrying links K, K, balls L, L,
spring M, M, and sleeve E being rotated through connection with the engine to
which the governor is attached. The balls L, L tend to move outwards and down-
wards in arcs of circles having the links K, K for radii, and they also tend to move
outwards and upwards in arcs of circles having the pivots as their centres. The
tendency of the balls to move in both of the paths indicated above is resisted by the
flat springs M, M and, the sleeve E being free to slide on the shaft B; the result is
that the balls move outwards in a nearly horizontal path. The springs M, M are
thereby curved and put in tension and the sleeve E and the valve-stem are drawn
downwards, thus closing the valve when the maximum speed has been attained. The
maximum speed at which the valve will be closed is controlled and regulated by means
of the set screw V, the bracket S and the spring U. As soon as the speed slackens,
the momentum of the balls being lessened, they tend by the force of gravitation to
swing downwards and inwards on their pivots, which movement is assisted and
modified by the recoil of the springs M, M and spring U, so that the sleeve E is
raised and the valve again opened.
An idle pulley G rests upon the belt leading from the engine. This idle pulley turns
upon one end of a bent rod H, the other end of which passes through holes in the
lugs t, t, lug collars Z, and abutment lever W.
The lever W is fitted loosely on the rod H and has two projecting lugs 6 and 7.
The collar Z is fastened to the rod H and is provided with a lug 5, operating between
the lugs 6 and 7. In the end of the lever W, a depression is formed to serve as a
seating for the end of the screw V.
The operation of the parts is as follows:
The lever W is placed in position to allow the screw V to rest against its
end which forms an abutment admitting of the position of the bracket S being
adjusted, the resulting tension of the spring U which supports the weight of
the valve 1, stem D, and collar C, holding the latter against its seating in the
nut F.

page_text: By adjusting the screw the tension of the spring U can be varied for the different
speeds required. Should the belt be broken the idle pulley G will drop carrying with
it the rod H until the lug 5 on the collar Z strikes the lug 7 and moves the lever W.
upwards against the main frame; or downwards against the collar Y if the position of
the rod H is reversed. In either case the valve drops and closes the steam passages
resulting in the stoppage of the engine.
The novel method of mounting the balls above shown, whereby the force of
gravitation assists both in the opening and closing of the valve renders this
governor very sensitive and prompt to respond to the variations of speed of the
engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
(1). In a governor, the combination of the following elements, namely: A main
frame, terminating in a hollow shaft, a reciprocating valve-stem mounted in the said
frame and passing through the said shaft. A valve attached to the said valve-stem, a
sleeve attached to the valve-stem and arranged to turn and to slide longitudinally on
the shaft, a pair of flat springs secured to opposite sides of the said sliding sleeve,
balls secured to the free ends of the springs, a sleeve mounted on the shaft so as to
turn thereon, but fixed as regards longitudinal movement, a driving wheel secured to
the said fixed sleeve, and a pair of links each pivoted at one end to the fixed sleeve
and pivoted at the other end to a ball at a point beyond the point of attachment of
the ball to the flat spring, all arranged to co-operate substantially as set forth.
(2). In a governor, the combination with the main frame, the valve, the stem for
operating the valve, arranged to slide longitudinally in the said frame, and means for
reciprocating the stem in the frame and thereby opening and closing the valve, of a
two armed bracket pivoted to the frame, a set screw mounted in one arm of the bracket
and arranged to engage a lever pivotted to the frame, and a flat spring, secured at one
end to the other arm of the bracket, and having its free end connected to the recipro-
cating valve-stem, whereby the sliding of the valve-stem in one direction is adjustably
resisted substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
(3). In a governor, the combination of the main frame, having lugs tt, the
bracket S; the set screw V, the spring U, and the pivot X having a notch Y, all
substantially as set forth.
(4). In a governor, the combination of a pair of revolving sleeves, one of which
is free to move longitudinally and the other of which is fixed as regards longitudinal
movement, a pair of links, each of which is pivoted at one end to the said fixed sleeve
so as to swing thereon in a path at right angles to its path of rotation, a pair of balls
forming weights pivoted at the free end of the said links so as to swing thereon in the
same plane therewith, and a pair of flat springs rigidly secured at opposite ends―
respectively to the said weights and the sliding sleeve, whereby the sliding sleeve is
moved longitudinally by the combined swinging movement of the links and weights,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
(5). In a governor the combination of the rod H, the collar Z having a lug 5,
the lever W, having lugs 6 and 7 and the lugs tt on the main frame, when
combined with a set screw V, bracket S, pivot X and spring V substantially as
set forth.