IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR CON- TROLLING THE SPEED OF STEAM ENGINES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Kirby and Mark Ellis Kirby, both of
Thwaitegato, near Leeds, in the County of York, for. the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR CON-
TROLLING THE SPEED OF STEAM ENGINES."
Sealed the 17th November 1874, and dated the 25th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by. the said John Kirby and Mark
Ellis Kirby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 25th July 1874.
We, JOHN KIRBY and MARK ELLIS KIRBY, both of Thwaitegate,
5 near Leeds, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUŠ POR
GOVERNING OR CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows ––
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The object of our Invention is to govern or regulate-the-speed of
steam engines without the aid of a throttle valve, allowing thereby-the
steam-in the steam chest to be at or nearly the same pressure.as-it-is-in=
the boiler, producing also a great saving of fuel.
=

page_text: Our improvements consists in an apparatus for regulating the cut off
of steam at different points of the engines' stroke, and is as hereafter
described.
The governor is arranged to act on a float working in a vertical
cylinder or box. The cylinder or box is connected by means of a port {
or ports or equivalents with a cylinder placed horizontally, in which
cylinder a piston is provided actuated by a cut-off or expansion valve
which is fitted at the back of the ordinary slide valve of the engine and
worked or moved by a friction clip connected or attached to the main
slide valvo spindle.
The vertical cylinder is supplied with a quantity of water, oil, mercury,
or other equivalent fluids, and the float as it is raised or lowered by the
action of the governor causes the fluid to be displaced, and being con-
nected with the horizontal cylinder the fluid rises or falls thercin to a
corresponding level with the fluid in the vertical cylinder.
The height of the fluid in the horizontal cylinder determines at what
point of the engine's stroke the steam is cut-off which admits of the
steam working expansively in the cylinder instead of the unnecessary
use of steam caused by the application of tho ordinary throttle valve.
]
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said John Kirby and Mark Ellis Kirby in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JOHN
KIRBY and MARK ELLIS KIRBY, both of Thwaitegate, near Leeds, in
tho County of York, send greeting.
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Kirby and Mark 3
Ellis Kirby, Her special licence, that we, the said John Kirby and
Mark Ellis Kirby, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, tho said Jolin Kirby and Mark Ellis Kirby, our

page_text: 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
5 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR CONTROLLING THE SPEED OF STEAM
ENGINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
Kirby and Mark Ellis Kirby, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and
O seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of tho
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 we, the said John Kirby and Mark Ellis Kirby
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and.
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked
Othercon, that is to say :-
The object of our Invention is to govern or regulate the speed of
steam engines without the aid of a throttle valve, allowing thereby the
steam in the steam chest to be at or nearly at the same pressure as it is
in the boiler, producing also a great saving of fuel.
Our improvements consist in an apparatus for regulating the cut-off
of steam at different points of the engine's stroke, and is as bercafter
described.
The governor is arranged to act on a float working in a vertical
cylinder or box. The cylinder or box is connected by means of a port
) or ports or equivalents with a cylinder placed horizontally, in which
cylinder a piston is provided actuated by a cut-off or expansion valvo
which is fitted at the back of the ordinary slide valve of the engine and
worked or moved by a friction clip connected or attached to the main
slide valve spindle.
The vertical cylinder is supplied with a quantity of water, oil, mercury,
or other equivalent fluid, and the float as it is raised or lowered by the

page_text: action of the governor causes the fluid to be displaced, and being con-
nected with the horizontal cylinder the fluid rises or falls therein to a
corresponding level with the fluid in the vertical cylinder.
The height of the fluid in the horizontal cylinder determines at what
point of the engine's stroke the steam is cut-off, which admits of the 5
steam working expansively in the cylinder instead of the unnecessary
use of steam caused by the application of the throttle valve.
In order that our Invention may be more completely understood
reference is given to the two accompanying Sheets of Drawings.
On Sheet 1 Fig. 1 represents a cross section; Fig. 2, a half longi- 10
tudinal section and elevation; Fig. 3, a sectional plan through A, B,
and C, D, Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4, a plan looking at the top.
с
The governor is arranged to act on a float or plunger a placed in a
vertical cylinder or box 6 containing water, oil, mercury, or other
equivalent fluid. The vertical cylinder or box bis connected by a port 18
or ports o tó a cylinder & fixed horizontally. The horizontal cylinder d
is provided with a piston e, which is connected to the cut-off or ex-
pansion valve or valves, which will be described hereafter. By preference
we place the port or ports c which connect the vertical cylinder or box b
with the horizontal cylinder d at the lowest point of each respectively, 20
and in such a position with regard to the horizontal cylinder & that the
piston e cannot in any position of its motion shut or cover the whole of
the port or ports c, so as to stop communication between the vertical
cylinder or box 6 and the horizontal cylinder d. Wo, by preference,
also place the port or ports o equidistant from each end of the horizontal 28
cylinder d. We provide in the horizontal cylinder d on the upper.
side thereof a port or ports f in such a manner as to be open to the
atmosphere; these ports faro also placed in such a position that the
piston e cannot in any position shut or cover them completely so as to
stop communication between the external atmosphere and the interior 30
of the cylinder or cylinders. These ports fare for the purpose of
allowing the air to enter the horizontal cylinder d which air is admitted
at the end from which the piston e is retiring, and after it has passed
the end of either of the ports c so as to allow the fluid in the horizontal
cylinder & to rise or fall to a corresponding level with the fluid in the 38
vertical cylinder or box 6, we place the port or ports fequidistant
from each end of the horizontal cylinder d. We place a passage or

page_text: passages 9 having an adjusting cock g' or plug at each end of the upper
side of the horizontal cylinder & for the purpose of letting out air and
cushioning the piston e. The passage or passages are provided with
pipes or tubes / for the purpose of conducting any water, oil, mercury,
or other equivalent fluid into the cylinder or box 6 which might pass off
when the apparatus is in operation.
cushioning the piston e. The passage or passages are provided with
pipes or tubes & for the purpose of conducting any water, oil, mercury,
or other equivalent fluid into the cylinder or box which might pass off
when the apparatus is in operation.
The herein-before described apparatus is applicable to steam engines
with the ordinary slide valve, steam engines with piston valves, also
applicable to steam engines capable of being reversed.
Sheet 2 shows the mode of applying the apparatus.
Figs. 1 and 2 show the mode of attaching the apparatus to the
governor or regulator.
Figs. 1 and 3 show the application or mode of connecting the appa-
ratus to slide valves.
The piston e of the apparatus is shown connected directly (though it
is not necessary to be so) with the expansion valve or valves i. The
piston e and the expansion valve or valves i aro made by the aid of
friction clipj to reciprocate in equal times with the ordinary valve or
valves %, and to move through the whole or part of its or their stroke as
required.
The friction clip jis arranged to clip either the main or ordinary valvo
or valves spindles 2, the cut-off or expansion valve or valves spindles. m,
or to some part that reciprocates in equal times as the main or ordinary
valve or valves in such a manner as to allow the ordinary or main
valve or valves & to move through the wholo of its or their stroke, whilst
the cut-off or expansion valve or valves i move through the whole or
only part of its or their stroke. In all cases the friction clip is pro-.
vided with the means for adjustment so as to be able to obtain the proper
amount of friction.
When applying our Invention to engines with the ordinary slide
valves we make the expansion valve or valves i to work on the back of
the ordinary or main slide valve or valves ; these valves being-pro-
vided with steam ports n. The expansion valve or valves i are: so
arranged that the steam could be admitted through the ports of the
slide valve or valves / to each end of the engine's cylinder without

page_text: altering tho relative position of the slido valve or valves & and the cut-
off or expansion valve or valves i.
In carrying out our Invention we make the governor or regulator of
the engine to act upon the float or plunger a through the rods o and p,
and lever q (other equivalent means may be employed for connecting
them), in such a manner that when the engine is at its normal speed tho
float or plunger a is partly immersed in the fluid in the vertical cylinder
or box b, and if the speed of the engine be increased beyond its normal
speed the governor or regulator would cause the float or plunger a to
sink further into the fluid. Should the speed of the engine be decreased
the governor or regulator would cause the float or plunger a to rise in
the fluid. The rising or falling of the float or plunger a causes the
fluid to rise or fall in the vertical cylinder or box b, causing simultane-
ously a corresponding rise or fall in the horizontal cylinder d. Such
rising or falling in the horizontal cylinder a determines at what part of:
the engine's stroke the steam is cut-off.
When working our Invention the steam is admitted through the ports
of the ordinary or main valve or valves k. The main or ordinary valve
or valves &, and the cut-off or expansion valvo i move together by the
aid of the clip until the time for cutting-off the steam, at which time
the piston e of the horizontal cylinder & has passed the ports c and con-
fined the fluid until it has filled the end of the horizontal cylinder d.
The piston e suddenly stops and being connected with the cut-off or
expansion valve or valves i causes that or them to stop suddenly also.
The ordinary or main valvo or valves & continue their movement and a
cut off the steam.
Having now described the nature of our Invention and the manner in
which the same may be performed, we do not limit ourselves to the exact
limits, details, and configuration of the parts we have explained and
shewn as the same may be varied or modified without in any way departing
from the nature of our Invention, but what wo do claim and desiro
to bo secured to us by Letters Patent is :—
First. The arrangement, construction, and application of the vertical
cylinder or box 6 and horizontal cylinder & and parts connected there-
with for governing or regulating the speed of steam engines, sub-
stantially as herein sct forth and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.

page_text: means of a friction clip, substantially as and for purposes herein set
forth.
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Third. The arrangement, construction, and combination of the various
parts forming the complete apparatus, substantially as and for purposes
herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Kirby and Mark Ellis Kirby,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day of January,
!
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
JOHN KIRBY.
(L.S.)
MARK ELLIS KIRBY. (L.S,)