IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC REVOLUTION INDICATORS AND COUNTERS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arnold Budenberg, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
IN PNEUMATIC REVOLUTION INDICATORS AND COUNTERS." A communication
from abroad by Christian Frederick Budenberg and Bernhard August Schaeffer,
L
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arnold Budenberg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st March 1881.
ARNOLD BUDENBERG, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC REVOLUTION INDICATORS
AND COUNTERS." [A communication from abroad by Christian Frederick Budenberg
and Bernhard August Schaeffer, both of Buckau-Magdeburg, in the German
Empire.]
This Invention relates to revolution indicators for use on board steam vessels
and other similar purposes, and consists in arrangements whereby the speed of the
engine is indicated at a distance, as for example upon the bridge of a steamer.
A duplex air compressor is provided in the engine room or other convenient
position near to the screw or other shaft, the revolutions of which are required to
be counted, and by which the air compressor is driven by suitable gearing.
The air compressor consists of an air tight casing divided into two distinct
compartments, each containing a separate compressor. A tube is led from each
portion of the compressor to a reservoir or chamber which is also divided into two
compartments, one for each half of the air compressor. Air valves are connected
to each portion of the reservoir which allow a certain amount of air to be
discharged therefrom.
Variations in the speed of the engines produce in this reservoir corresponding
variations of air pressure. Leading from each compartment of the reservoir is a
pipe, one being connected to the indicator in the engine room, and the other with
the indicator on the bridge. These indicators are similar to the well-known
CD 071

page_text: pressure and vacuum gauges. These gauges are by preference placed in the centre
of the engine telegraph dials. The dials of the gauges are graduated with the
numbers of revolutions instead of lbs. to the inch, and the dials of the telegraphs
may be graduated in a similar manner, the lines of graduation being concentric.
When the engines are running “ahead" the air will be under pressure, and the
needles of the gauges or indicators will be deflected to one side of the zero mark to
a distance corresponding to the pressure of the air, and consequently to the number
of revolutions. On the other hand when the engines are running "astern" the
finger will be deflected to the other side of zero to a distance corresponding with
the amount of vacuum, and therefore to the number of revolutions.
If the captain or other person on the bridge turns the handle of his telegraph so
that the finger points to the number of revolutions he requires, he will be enabled
at once to ascertain if the engine is running at the required speed, as in that case
the finger of the gauge will indicate that speed. In like manner the engineer by
looking at the indicator in the engine room will at once see if the speed is faster or
slower, or exactly that which is desired. In steamers with twin screws the
indicator will also show if the speed of each screw is alike.
A revolution counter may be added to the indicator and be worked by an
independent air compressor. This air compressor consists of two metallic discs,
having between them an elastic diaphragm, the edges of which are clipped by the
two halves of the compressor casing. The diaphragm receives a reciprocating
motion from the rod of an eccentric fixed upon the driving shaft of the duplex
compressor. A small tube is led from this second compressor to a small cylinder
attached to the indicator; within the small cylinder is a piston which is actuated
by the second compressor, and the resulting reciprocating motion of the piston is
transmitted by means of a piston rod to the lever of the counter.
$
The end of the cylinder is closed by means of a cover which may be removed
when it is desired to put the counter out of action.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arnold Budenberg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th September 1881.
ARNOLD BUDENBERG, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC REVOLUTION INDICATORS
AND COUNTERS." A communication from abroad by Christian Frederick Budenberg
and Bernard August Schaeffer of Buckan Madgeburg, in the German Empire.
These, improvements relate more especially to apparatus employed on board
steamers for the purpose of indicating and counting the speed of the engines, but
they are also applicable to other similar apparatus employed for the like
purposes.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 is a side view
of an air compressor which is placed in the engine room or other convenient
position and actuated from the main shaft of the engines. This air compressor
consists of a cast iron or other casing which is divided into two compartments
A, A, within each of which revolve two drums, having formed upon their
peripheries a number of projections similar to the teeth of a spur wheel. These
projections gear into each other, and as in the well known Root blower deliver air
when they are put into motion at the required pressure. The two compartments
of this apparatus thus form two separate air compressors from which the compressed
air is delivered by the outlets H, H, and suitable pipes to a reservoir, which is
shown in section in Fig. 3, and in plan in Fig. 11. This reservoir is also divided
into two independent portions, each of which is fitted with an air valve or
regulator C, C, through which a regular volume of air is continually discharged,
and thus the pressure of the air in the reservoir is always proportionate to the
speed of the engine. The outlets of the reservoir B, B, communicate respectively
by the pipes R, R, with revolution indicators on the bridge of the steamer and in
the engine room. These revolution indicators are similar in construction to the
well known pressure and vacuum guages, and may be constructed on the Schaffer
or the Bourdon or other system. The indicators are represented in Figs. 4 and 7,
where they are marked with the letter O. The indicator on the bridge occupies
the centre of the telegraph dial, which with its pillar and the indicator is shown in
plan in Fig. 4, and in section in Fig. 5. The engine room indicator and telegraph
is shown in plan in Fig. 7, and in section with the alarm bell in Figs. 6 and 8.
Both of the telegraph dials and indicators have corresponding divisions and
indicators.
When the engines are running "ahead" the air compressor forces air through
the reservoir against the springs of the indicators, the fingers of which then
indicate the speed at which the engine is running, but when the engines are
reversed the compressors act as air pumps and the air is withdrawn from the
reservoirs. The springs of the indicators then move in the opposite direction under
the influence of the partial vacuum, and the fingers show on the dial the speed at
which the engine is running "astern."
By placing the indicator in the centre of the telegraph dial on the bridge a
different method of operating the telegraph has to be adopted. The handle G is
placed at the side of the pillar and actuates the local telegraph and the telegraph in
the engine room by means of there bevel wheels, so that the movements of the
handle are indicated on both telegraphs simultaneously by the needle and hollow
dial X. The officer in charge operates the telegraph by means of the handle G, so
that the needle indicates on both telegraphs the speed ahead or astern at which

page_text: he desires the engine to run. The engineer then regulates the speed of the engine
until the needle of the indicator corresponds with or indicates the same speed as
the needle of the telegraph both on the bridge and in the engine room. The officer
can thus see at a glance if his orders have been carried into effect. Where twin
engines are employed the apparatus will also show whether both are making the
same speed.
As an additional precaution an ordinary counter F, Fig. 4 is applied to the
telegraph on the bridge. This counter is worked by a direct acting air compressor,
shown in Fig. 9, which is put in motion by means of an eccentric placed upon the
shaft of the rotating air compressor. This compressor consists of two concave
metallic discs, between which is fixed an india rubber diaphragm having on each
side a metallic plate to which the eccentric rod I is attached. On the opposite side
of this compressor to that bearing the gland through which the eccentric rod passes
is a small tube communicating with the telegraph pillar on the bridge, where it is
connected to a small copper cylinder represented in Fig. 10, and in dotted lines in
Fig. 4.
This cylinder is provided with a piston and piston rod K which is
connected with the lever of the counter. When by the rotation of the eccentric
the india rubber diaphragm is moved upwards and downwards. The air below the
diaphragm and in the tube is alternately compressed and attenuated, and the
piston in the cylinder is driven forward and drawn backwards, and thus the counter
is actuated.
The cylinder is provided with a moveable cover N, Fig. 9, which may be removed
when it is required to put the counter out of action.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, I
claim,―
First. The duplex reservoir, described and shewn in Figs. 3 and 11 of the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. The air compressor to be used in conjunction with an ordinary counter,
as described and shewn in Figs. 4 and 10 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The use of a pressure and vacuum guage for indicating the speed of
engines in combination with an air compressor and reservoir, substantially as
herein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The combination of a speed indicator and telegraph, substantially as
herein described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arnold Budenberg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty ninth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
ADNOLD
DUIDENDEDA
ADNOLD
TIDENDEDA
(2.5.)