IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING THE VALVES OF THE GOVERNORS OF STEAM AND OTHER LIKE MOTIVE POWER ENGINES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAID VALVES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Tangye, of Illogan, in the County of Cornwall,
Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING THE
VALVES OF THE GOVERNORS OF STEAM AND OTHER LIKE MOTIVE POWER
ENGINES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAID VALVES."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Tangye at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th November 1878.
JAMES TANGYE, of Illogan, in the County of Cornwall, Mechanical Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING THE VALVES OF THE GOVERNORS OF STEAM AND
OTHER LIKE MOTIVE POWER ENGINES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAID
VALVES."
My Invention has reference to the working and the construction of the valves by
which the governors of steam engines and other like motive power engines are
worked, such for example as engines worked by compressed air, or by gases, or by
other vapours than steam.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a steam engine.
My said Invention consists, first, of improvements on an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to me, bearing date the 15th day of June 1869,
No. 1846, and I will first describe that part of my present Invention which has
reference to the said patented Invention.
In the mechanism described and represented in the Specification of the said
Patent a slight irregularity of action is produced in the governor, in consequence of
the valve not being balanced, the piston of the valve being operated upon by the
varying pressure of the steam in the boiler, while the rod of the said piston is
exposed only to the pressure of the atmosphere. Further, there is some difficulty
in keeping the stuffing box through which the said piston rod passes steam tight,
excepting by packing it so tightly as to produce an undesirable amount of friction."

page_text: The object of the first part of my present Invention is to remedy these defects.
This I effect by the following arrangement of parts :-
I enclose the piston rod in a case on the top of the valve box. The said case is
of a cylindrical figure, and of such a size that the piston rod works freely in it; in
order however to secure a pressure of steam on the top of the piston rod equal to
that acting on the piston, the piston rod has one or more longitudinal grooves in it,
by which the steam from the valve box passes freely to the top of the piston rod.
The valve is thus perfectly balanced. Near the top of the piston rod is a hole, in
which the end of a lever engages. This lever is also enclosed, and is fixed upon the
rocking shaft, which carries at its end the lever by which the motion of the said
rocking shaft is transmitted to the hollow sliding shaft of the governor. The
rocking shaft in passing through the casing of the first described or encased lever
works in a seated or conical bush, the pressure of the steam in the casing causing
the steam tight working of the shaft at the said seated bush. Between the outside
lever on the end of the rocking shaft and the said bush a coiled spring is placed to
produce the required pressure when a vacuum or exhaust is formed in the casing.
The outside lever is bent at its end into a nearly semi-circular figure, and is
.attached by shackle joints to the swivel of the hollow sliding shaft of the
governor.
By the arrangement described the governor valve, and consequently the governor
itself, is made to work with great sensitiveness, and with little friction. This part
of my Invention is applicable to other valves for working governors besides the
particular valve claimed in the Patent before referred to.
The second part of my Invention consists of the following improvements in the
construction of the valves of steam engine and other governors:
I make the valve seat of a. vertical hollow cylinder closed at top, and having
openings in its cylindrical surface and near its top for the passage of the steam.
The valve consists of a cylindrical cap sliding upon the seat described and covering
inore or less the steam passages as it falls or rises. The said cap has holes in its top
to permit of the passage of steam to its underside to keep it in balance. The valve is
guided in its motion by a balanced stalk working in a cylindrical recess in the cap
of the valve case. The motion of the valve is transmitted to the governor in the
way described with respect to the first part of my Invention.
The improvements in balancing the valves of the governors of steam and other
engines herein described, although particularly applicable to valves of the kinds
described, are also applicable to governor valves of other constructions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Tames Tangye in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th May
1879.
JAMES TANGYE, of Illogan, in the County of Cornwall, Mechanical Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING THE VALVES OF THE GOVERNORS OF STEAM AND
OTHER LIKE MOTIVE POWER ENGINES, AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAID
VALVES."
My Invention has reference to the working and the construction of the valves by
which the governors of steam engines and other like motive power engines are
worked, such for example as engines worked by compressed air, or by gases, or by
other vapours than steam.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a steam engine.
My said Invention consists, first, of improvements on an Invention for which
Letters Patent were granted to me, bearing date the 15th day of June 1869,
No. 1846, and I will first describe that part of my present Invention which has
reference to the said patented Invention.
In the mechanism described and represented in the Specification of the said
Patent a slight irregularity of action is produced in the governor, in consequence of
the valve not being balanced, the piston of the valve being operated upon by the
varying pressure of the steam in the boiler, while the rod of the said piston is
exposed only to the pressure of the atmosphere. Further there is some difficulty
in keeping the stuffing box, through which the said piston rod passes, steam tight,
excepting by packing it so tightly as to produce an undesirable amount of friction.
The object of the first part of my present Invention is to remedy these defects.
This I effect by the following arrangement of parts:-I enclose the piston rod in a
case on the top of the valve box. The said case is of a cylindrical figure, and of
such a size that the piston rod works freely in it. In order however to secure a
pressure of steam on the top of the piston rod equal to that acting on the piston the
piston rod has one or more cylindrical grooves in it, by which the steam from the
valve box passes freely to the top of the piston rod. The valve is thus perfectly
balanced. Near the top of the piston rod is a hole in which the end of a lever
engages. This lever is also enclosed and is fixed upon a rocking shaft, which carries.
at its end the lever by which the motion of the hollow sliding shaft of the governor
is transmitted to the rocking shaft. The rocking shaft in passing through the
casing of the first described or encased lever works in a seated or conical bush, the
pressure of the steam in the casing. causing the steam tight working of the shaft
at the said seated bush. Between the outside lever on the end of the rocking shaft
and the said bush a coiled spring is placed to produce the required pressure when a
vacuum or exhaust is formed in the casing. The outside lever is bent at its end
into a nearly semi-circular figure, and is attached by shackle joints to the swivel of
the hollow sliding shaft of the governor. By the arrangement described the
governor valve, and consequently the governor itself, is made to work with great
sensitiveness, and with little friction. This part of my Invention is applicable to
other valves for working governors besides the particular valve claimed in the
Patent before referred to.
The second part of my Invention consists of the following improvements in the
construction of the valves of steam engine and other governors.
I make the valve seat of a vertical hollow cylinder closed at top, and having
openings in its cylindrical surface and near its top for the passage of the steam.
The valve consists of a cylindrical cap sliding upon the seat described, and covering
more or less the steam passages as it falls or rises. The said cap has holes in its
top to permit of the passage of steam to its underside to keep it in balance. The
valve is guided in its motion by a balanced stalk working in a cylindrical recess in
the cap of the valve case. The motion of the valve is effected by the governor in
the way described with respect to the first part of my Invention.

page_text: The improvements in balancing the valves of the governors of steam and other
engines herein described although particularly applicable to valves of the kinds
described are also applicable to governor valves of other constructions.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section, and Figure 2 partly in elevation and partly
in vertical section, a governor of a steam engine of the kind described and claimed.
in the Specification of the Patent before referred to, the valve of the said governor
being worked according to my present Invention. The sectional parts of Figures 1
and 2 are taken at right angles to one another. Figure 3 represents a plan of a
part of the governor taken on the line a, a, of Figure 2; and Figure 4 represents a
horizontal section of a portion of the same taken on the line b, b, of Figure 1.
- The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
c is the balanced valve or piston of the governor, on the upper and lower sides of
which steam presses, and also upon its rod or spindle, as herein-after explained;
c is the seat of the valve or piston e situated on the top of the cylindrical steam
way d; e is an annular channel opening into the steam passages f, f, in the valve
-box g, by which the steam is conveyed to the engine. The valve or piston c is
represented in its highest position and steam permitted to pass to the engine by
the passages f. f. On the top of the valve box g is a case h, in which the valve or
piston rod c³ works, the said case also enclosing the lever i and greater part of
the rocking shaft k. The valve rod c³ works freely in the cylindrical part at h² of
the case h, as best seen in Figures 1 and 4. The valve rod c³ has one or more
longitudinal grooves in it, or parts of its cylindrical surface are made flat, by which
steam from the valve box d passes freely to the top of the said piston rod. By this
ineans the case h is filled with steam, and an equal pressure of steam secured on all
parts of the valve or piston, and the said valve or piston is thereby perfectly
balanced. The rising and falling motion of the valve or piston c, whereby it is
lifted from and depressed upon its seat e² when required, is effected by the following
imechanism -The lever i inside the case his attached to or made in one piece with
the rocking shaft k, the inner end of the said lever i working in a hole or recess in
the top of the valve rod c³, as represented. The rocking shaft works in a seated
or conical bush in the case h, as best seen in Figure 4, the pressure of steam in the
case causing the steam tight working of the shaft k in the said seated bush 7.
The plug m containing the steel bush is screwed into the lever case h, in the
manner represented in Figure 4. By means of the arrangement described of the
bearing parts of the rocking shaft 7 the said shaft works steam tight on its seat
without packing. A coiled spring n situated between the end of the bush land
the outside lever p, p², tends to force the shaft outwards, when a vacuum or
exhaust is formed in the case h, and keep it firmly to its seat at the inner end of the
bush. The outside lever p, p², has the form best seen in the plan Figure 3. The
end p of the said lever is pinned or connected to the outer end of the rocking
shaft, and the other end 22%, which has a semi-circular figure, as represented, is
connected by screw pins at q, q, to the shackle 7, the upper part of which shackle is
connected by the swivel at 8 to the sliding shaft t of the governor.
When by the rapid rotation of the shaft or rod u the weighted arms or pendu-
Jums v, v, rise, the fingers of the said pendulums v, v, acting on the shaft or rod t,
cause the latter to descend. By the descent of the shaft t it operates through the
swivels and shackle upon the outside lever p, 22, which lever by its downward
motion gives motion to the rocking shaft k, and the latter acting upon the inside
lever i causes it to descend and depress the valve or piston rod c. The valve or
piston c is thereby lowered upon its seat c2 and made to partially or completely
close the annular steam channel e, and partially or completely cut off steam from
the boiler to the engine through the steam channel e and passages f. f. As soon
as the speed of the engine is diminished by the cutting off of the steam the sliding
shaft t is raised by the pressure of the coiled spring w, when the valve or piston c
is raised through the operation of the parts 8, r, p², p, k, and i, and the steam
с

page_text: passage e is again opened and the several parts made to occupy the respective posi-
tions represented in the Drawings.
Instead of using the seated bush 2 for the rocking shaft k to work in and against
an ordinary packing may be used, but I prefer to employ the arrangement of parts
described and represented. Although I have only described and represented this
part of my Invention in connection with the patented governor before referred to,
yet the arrangement or combination of parts described and illustrated may be used
for working other governor valves.
Figure 5 represents in vertical section my improvements in the construction of
the valves of steam engine and other governors.
h is the case in which the valve rod e" and actuating lever i-work, as herein-before
described. a is the valve seat, consisting of a vertical hollow cylinder closed at top, and
having openings or ports b, b, in its sides for the passage of steam into the steam pipe c
to be conveyed to the engine. The valve seat a is fixed in the valve case d, as repre-
sented; e is the valve, consisting of a cylindrical cap sliding closely upon the cylindrical
seat a. In the top of the said valve e are holes f, f, for the passage of steam into the
said valve for balancing it. The valve rod or spindle e² is balanced in the manner
herein-before described with respect to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. When by the
descent of the sliding rod or shaft t of the governor (Figures 1 and 2) the valve e
descends it closes or partially closes the ports b, b, in the valve seat, and thereby
completely or partially cuts off steam froin the steam passage c, and the speed of
the engine is diminished. When by the rising of the rod or shaft t (Figures 1
and 2) the valve e is raised the ports b, b, are uncovered and steam passes freely by
the passage c to the engine.
This construction of valve may be applied to governor valves worked differently
from that described and illustrated in the Drawing.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention of
improvements in working the valves of the governors of steam and other like
motive power engines, and in the construction of the said valves,--
First. The construction and combination of parts, substantially as herein-before
described, and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying Drawings,
for working the said governor valves.
Secondly. The construction and combination of parts, substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings, con-
stituting the valves of the said governors.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Tangye, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
FREDK. W. STURGE,
Illogan,
Cornwall.
JAMES TANGYE. (L.S.)