IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECORDING THE SPEED AND THE DURATION OF STOPPAGES OF ROTATING SHAFTS AND GIVING AN ALARM IN CASE OF EXCESSIVE SPEED
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Young, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR RECORDING THE SPEED AND THE DURATION OF STOPPAGES OF ROTATING
SHAFTS AND GIVING AN ALARM IN CASE OF EXCESSIVE SPEED"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th November 1881.
DAVID YOUNG, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECORDING THE SPEED AND THE DURATION
OF STOPPAGES OF ROTATING SHAFTS, AND GIVING AN ALARM IN CASE OF
EXCESSIVE SPEED."
My Invention is chiefly applicable to the axles of tram-cars and railway
carriages, for the purpose of keeping a continuous record of the speed and the
duration of stoppages of such cars or carriages, and giving an alarm if the speed
attained should exceed a defined limit, but it may also be applied to other rotating
shafts.
It consists in fitting within a suitable casing an ordinary governor, by preference
a centrifugal ball governor, which is driven by means of a belt passing over a
pulley fixed on its spindle, and another pulley fixed on the axle or shaft, the speed
of which is to be recorded. The double arm of a forked lever takes into the circular
slot in the sleeve or sliding bush of this governor, and the lever turns upon a
fulcrum fixed to the frame carrying the governor or to the casing. To the single
arm of the forked lever is attached a connecting rod, the other end of which is
attached to another lever turning upon a fulcrum fixed to the casing. This lever is
provided with suitable parallel motion for operating a pencil, the movements of
which are recorded upon paper carried by a roller or rollers caused to revolve by
means of suitable clockwork. This paper is graduated vertically to represent
revolutions per minute or miles per hour, as may be desired, and horizontally to
represent periods of time. An alarm bell is fixed in the casing, and arranged in
such a manner that should a certain limit of speed be exceeded the bell will ring
until the speed is decreased to the defined limit.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said David Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th May
1882.
DAVID YOUNG, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECORDING THE SPEED AND THE DURATION
OF STOPPAGES OF ROTATING SHAFTS, AND GIVING AN ALARM IN CASE OF
EXCESSIVE SPEED."
My Invention relates to apparatus which is chiefly applicable to the axles of
tram-cars and railway carriages, for the purpose of keeping a continuous record of
the speed and the duration of stoppages of such cars or carriages, and giving an
alarm if the speed attained should exceed a defined limit, but it may also be applied
to other rotating shafts for similar purposes.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of an apparatus made according to my
said Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, with the top or cover removed.
Figure 3 is a detail view showing a modification.
the
According to my said Invention, within a casing A is fitted an ordinary
centrifugal ball governor B, or any other description of governor suitable for the
purpose may be employed. Upon the spindle a of this governor is fixed a grooved
pulley b to receive a belt or cord, which is also passed over a pulley upon the axle
or shaft whose speed is to be recorded. A lever C is pivoted upon a pin or stud c,
fitted in or formed on a bracket c', and is forked at one end and so constructed
that projectious upon the two arms will take into the circular slot d in the sleeve
or sliding bush D of the governor. To the straight arm of the lever C is attached
one end of the connecting rod E by means of a single and double eye or other
suitable joint. The other end of the connecting rod E is attached in a similar
manner to a lever F pivoted upon a pin or stud e carried by a bracket f fixed to the
casing A in any suitable manner. A link or connecting rod G is jointed to the
other end of the lever F and to a similar lever F pivoted upon a pin or stude¹
carried by a bracket f', the object of this arrangement being to provide parallel
motion for a pencil g which is carried by the link or connecting rod G, and thus
cause the said pencil to move in a straight line, and also make the travel of the
The
pencil greater than that of the sleeve D upon governor spindle a.
pencil is made of metal in the ordinary manner for marking on prepared
paper, and is preferably arranged to be held against the paper by means
of a small spiral spring, so that it will not be materially affected by the vibration
of the machine or vehicle to which the apparatus is applied. The paper is carried
upon the rollers or barrels H, H', which are arranged to slide on
spindles h, h', and the said spindles are provided with the nuts h or other suitable
means for connecting the rollers H, H, with the said spindles, so as to be rotated
with them. The roller H is fitted and may be secured upon a tubular spindle h
forming a portion of or fixed to the barrel I, within which is fixed one end of a
coiled spring, the other end of the spring being attached to the spindle J in a
similar manner to the main spring of an ordinary clock. The barrel I is provided
with a flange i, around the periphery of which are suitable teeth gearing with the
pinion j, which forms part of a train of clockwork controlled by an escapement
wheel, balance, and pendulum spring in the ordinary manner, the spindle J having
a ratchet-wheel fixed upon it, and a pawl or click being provided upon a part of
the frame-work, to which a suitable spring is attached for holding the said pawl
in gear with the ratchet-wheel; but any suitable description of clock work may be
employed in place of that shewn, the spring being of sufficient power to rotate the
or off the

page_text: rollers or barrels carrying the paper, in addition to actuating the clockwork, the
said clockwork being provided so as to cause the paper to travel at the required
speed and at a uniform rate. The spindle J is also extended, so that the square
end J¹ will project beyond the roller or barrel H to facilitate the winding up of the
coiled spring. A support L for the paper is fixed in any suitable manner within
the casing, so that the paper as it travels will slide upon one side of the said
support, and the pencil will bear upon the centre thereof.
The apparatus above described may be made to record the speed of a shaft or
vehicle for eight hours or more without renewing the paper, but if it is desired to
record the speed for a period of only two hours or thereabouts before the paper is
renewed, one roller or barrel may be employed instead of two, it being fitted in a
similar manner to the barrel H, and provided with suitable means for placing and
securing a sheet of paper upon it. The said roller or barrel would then be placed
so that the pencil g would bear radially upon its periphery. The paper may be
graduated transversely to represent revolutions per minute or miles per hour,
according to the record required, and longitudinally to represent hours, or minutes,
or any other periods of time as desired.
In order that an alarm may be given in case the machine or vehicle should
exceed a certain limit of speed, I fix a bell of any suitable description within the
casing, and provide means whereby the action of the governor, when the centrifugal
force has caused the balls to fly outward to a sufficient extent to indicate an
excessive speed, will cause the said bell to ring and thereby give an alarm. By
preference I provide an ordinary electric bell apparatus, of which the bell M and
its operating mechanism are fitted within the casing A, and the battery may be
placed either within the casing or at any suitable position outside thereof. The
lever C is extended so that when a certain speed is attained it will make contact
with the metallic spring m, and will remain in contact therewith until the speed
is reduced within the desired limit. The spring m is connected with one pole of
the battery by the wire n, and a wire n' passes from the other pole of the battery
around the electro-magnet of the mechanism for operating the bell (which
mechanism is not shown in the Drawing), and is connected to the plate p or to any
suitable part in metallic connection with the lever C, so that the contact of the
lever C with the spring m will complete the circuit, and cause the bell M to be
sounded; but any other suitable means may be provided, whereby the circuit will
be completed when the centrifugal force has caused the balls of the governor to fly
outward to the desired limit.
Other means may be provided for giving the pencil g a parallel motion, and a
modification is shown in Figure 3, in which this result is obtained by means of a
guide N, in which a block P carrying the pencil g is free to slide, a link O
connecting the said block with one end of the lever F. In this case the lever Fis
dispensed with.
If desired, ordinary clockwork may be employed to cause the paper to travel, and
the roller or barrel H may be connected with the main arbor of the said clockwork.
or with the arbor of any wheel in gear therewith.
The speed recording apparatus hereinbefore described may be used without the
alarm apparatus if desired. It may also be used with any suitable and well known
device for indicating the speed upon a dial; for instance, the governor may be
connected with a toothed segment gearing with a pinion fixed upon a spindle
carrying an index or pointer in the manner set forth in the Specification of former
Letters Patent granted to me, and dated 7th October 1881, No. 4359.
In some cases I fix the pulley b upon a separate spindle carried in suitable
bearings, and provided with a gear-wheel meshing with a pinion upon the governor
spindle a, or with a pinion meshing with a gear-wheel upon the said governor
spindle in the manner set forth in the Specification of the said former Letters
Patent.
The rollers or barrels H, H', may if preferred be placed further apart, and the
governor be fitted between them.

page_text: Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I wish it understood that I do not claim broadly
an apparatus for recording the speed of rotating shafts, in which a pencil is
operated by the movements of a governor, as I am aware that this is not new, nor
do I claim the devices for obtaining parallel motion, except in combination with
other parts; moreover I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details herein set forth, but I claim,-
First. An apparatus for recording the speed of rotating shafts, in which a governor
operated by the shaft whose speed is to be recorded gives to-and-fro motion to a
pencil by means of levers and connections in such a manner that the travel of the
pencil is greater than that of the sleeve upon the governor spindle, suitable devices
being provided for causing the pencil to move in a straight line, substantially as set
forth.
Second. The combination with an apparatus for recording the speed of rotating
shafts of an electric bell or other alarm apparatus, whereby an alarm is given when
the speed of the shaft to which the apparatus is applied exceeds a defined limit,
substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with an apparatus for recording the speed of rotating
shafts of an electric bell apparatus, and means whereby the electric circuit will be
completed when the governor balls fly outward sufficiently to indicate any given
speed, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination with a governor of the lever C, connecting rod E,
levers F, F¹, link G, and pencil g, arranged to operate substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Fifth. The combination with a governor of the lever C, connecting rod E, lever F,
link O, block P, guide N, and pencil g, arranged to operate substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
Sixth. The combination with a governor of the lever designed to make contact
with the spring when a certain limit of speed has been attained, and thereby
complete the circuit of an electric bell apparatus, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Young, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.