USRE9306E - Steam-enoine governor - Google Patents

Description

F. W. ROBINSON. Steam Engine Governor.

No. 9,306. Reissued July 20,- I880.

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f x I F a j P TE r OFFICE.

- FnANcIs w. nonmsou,

F RICHMOND, INDIANA.

STEAM-ENGIN E GOVERNOR.

sraomoa'rron forming part of Med Letten Ratent m. 9,806, dated my 20, Iss0.

Ol'llnll Ho. J60, dated October 14, 1819. Application for reissue filed April 9, 188).

Toellwhom itmayconcem: Be it known that I, Fnmors W. Ronnvson,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmend, Wayne county, Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engine Governors, of which the following is a specification. Y My invention .relates to that class of steamengine governors in which the centrifugal force of alls connected to arms and rotating about a vertical stem is employed to regulate the admission of steam to the piston and its object is to improve the utility and e ciency of such governors.

To this end my invention consists, first, in the improved construction of a hollow pistonvalve and of its openings and seatywhereby a more immediate and sensitive action of the governor is obtained without wire-drawing the steam; second, in the arrangement and combination of apiston valve and chamber, nonrotating and integral valve-stem having a contact-connection only in one direction with the arms of the regulating-balls, and a spring having a positive connection with the valve-stem and actuating it against the centrifugal force of the balls,

obtained in case of breakage of the belt or similar. accident; third, in the combination, with the valve, stem, and spring, so arranged and operating, of a tension-screw to regulate theforce of the spring as a means of adjusting the action of the governor .in relation to the desired speed of the engine while in motion; fourth,in the combination, with the valvechamber, piston-valve and stem connected with the regulating-balls, .of a curved spring attached at one end to'the gear-supporting frame and at its other end to the valve-stem, and a dog pivoted to the frame above the spring and arranged to hold the valve open against the force of the spring, but automatically drop out of contact and leave the spring free to act when the engine is in motion.

My invention is embodied in mechanism illnstrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- V Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved governor complete partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side section of the valve-chamber whereby lost motion is prevented, sensitive action insured, and-a quick stop of and valve in position. 4 Fig. 3 is a perspective elevation, showing the springin its depressed condition as held by the dog.-

A is thevalve-chamber, B the gear-supporting frame, 0 the hollow standard, and D D the so mountedand arranged that, when they are thrown outward by centrifugal force in their rotation the inner extremities of their arms impinge upon and depress the stem S, which is connected with the regulating-valve, the

by a spring, as hereinafter described.

The valve-chamber A is cylindrical interifitting hollow-piston, p. (Shown in Fig. 3.)

' The interior periphery of the valve-chamber is cut by a circumferential slot opening into the lateral chamber a, cast around the valve- E, through which steam is admitted.

The-piston p is similarly provided with acircumferential slot opening through its shell into the hollow interior.

Heretofore in the construction of such valves the circumferential slot was not continuous,

arated by portions of the shell, forming connecting-bars between the two portions of the valve.

This construction necessitates a comparatively wide slot and a considerable range of movement of the valve, which is therefore sluggish in its action as a regulator and fails of a most important function-to wit, that of shutting off quickly in case of breaking or flying ofl of belt.

- In order to obtain a narrower opening, I construct the hollow valve p with internal ribs, 1', which enables me to make the slot or opening in the shell of the valvecontinnous without interfering with the strength of parts. The slot is somewhat enlarged at the inner periphery of the shell, in order to compensate for the space occupied by the ribs 1' and for the rednceddiameter of the shell at that point.

When the parts are in position together these slots or openings in the valve and chamber, which are of an area equal to that of the doso that a current of steam livery-pipe, register,

view of the piston-valve; and Fig. 4 is a side but made up of a number of perforations sep-' swinging balls, of the governor. The halls are upward movement of the valve being produced orly and bored for the vertical play of a snuglychamber A, and leading to the side steam-pipe,

panning through the circumferential opening of the valve and chamber passes through the to any point or closedent-irely, as will be read.

ily seen. 1

By this construction I obtai n in practice the advantage of an exceedingly sensitive movement, by which, in connection with the action of the spring hereinafter set forth, anincrease or diminution of speed will cause a corresponding action of the regulating-valve before one revolution of the driving-shaft is completed, so that practically no variations in speed are observed in the engine, (where the power is sufficient,) even under great and sudden varia tions in the loader work performed.

The valve 1) is operated by a stem, S, secured thereto, and extending upward through an ordinary stufiing-box upon the valve-chamber A and through the hollow standard 0, and connected with the arms of the governor-balls 2 5 I) in the following manner: The stem S iscontinnous and without swivel-joints or breaks of any kind, and rigidly attached to the valve by a nut or screw connection. It is turned off at its upper end a short distance, and a snuglytitting washer, W, is slipped over the reduced end and down upon the shoulder formed by the main stem. Upon this washer W the rounded inner ends of the pivoted ball-arms have 'a contact-bearing, and, as will be seen, only to depress the valve. The stem does not rotate, but has only vertical motion, being held by the spring, as hereinafter described.

The gear-supporting frame B is cast with projections H upon one side, between which a spring, F, is secured by means'of a pin, :0, and a set-screw, g, the spring being ordinarily only of suflicient force to take up any lost motion between the head of the stem and the swing ing arms in order to insure an accurate regulating-movement, its tension being regulated by the set-screw g. The spring curves over upon itself, and, passing within the frame B,

- embraces the stem S, which it therefore tends to sustain against the tendency of the swinging balls when rotating to depress it. The connection between the spring and stem is formed by flattening a portion of the stem, which is embraced within a rectangular open slot in the end of the spring, which thus serves to prevent rotation of the stem'while it actuates it vertically, having a positive connection in both directions.

It will be obvious that with a means of regulating the force of a spring thus operating balls, the action of the governor may be perfectly regulated and controlled and adjusted to the work to be performed by the engine, and so as to overcome any tendency of the parts,

when clogged by dirt or impeded by too tightly packed steam-joints, &c., to operate imperfectly, and that by the arrangement of the against the centrifugal force of the governor parts,- as shown. this (may'be'donewhile the f engine is in motion.

[twill be observedthat whentheengine is at rest the valve is elevated and closed by the spring, so that the engine cannot .be started until the-got'ernor-valve is opened, as herein after described. An accidental opening of the throttle will therefore have no effect upon the: engine. The governor is thus, in the fullest itssmaller end depresses the spring, and, by

consequence, the stem S, and the ports stand fully open independently of the regulatingballs. Thefriction between the head of the dog and the spring holds the parts in this position for the time being .and the steam flows freely into the engine; but as soon as the balls acquire some velocity in rotation they depress the stem, and, by consequence, the spring, when the dog falls down by the weight of its handle and allows the spring to vibrate freely, except as controlled by-the regulating-balls.

It is intended to use the dog only in starting the engine. As soon as the motion of the engine is established the dog will drop automatically out of gear and allow the governor to act normally.

I am aware that in steam-engine governors a pivoted lever has been connected at one end with the valve-stem of a piston-valve, the other end being acted on bya coiled springcontained in a cylindrical case, said lever being held and automatically released by a weighted pawl; and I am also aware that a pivotedlever has been connected at one end with thevalve-stem of a piston-valve and weighted at its outer end, being held and automatically released by a weighted pawl pivoted beneath the weighted end of the lever, and such I hereby disclaim.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, in a fly-ball steam-engine governor, of a cylindrical valve-chest having a transverse lateral opening with a piston-valve continuously hollow, constructed withinternal ribs and a single continuous transverse opening widening inwardly, as set forth.

2. In a steam-engine governor, the combination of the following elements, to wit: a hollow piston-valve with continuous circumferential opening registering with a corresponding opening in' a cylindrical valve-chamber, in

which it plays, closing in both directions; an integral non-rotating valve-stem rigidly secured at one end to the valve and having contact-connection only at its other extremity with the regnlating arms, and an exterior curved ating the stem against the force of the balls, the spring and provided with a projecting banand atension-screw, d, to regulate the force of dle, eonstrueted,arranged, and operating subthe spring, arranged and operating snbstanstantially as and for the purpose specified. tially as and for the purpose specified. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5 4. In combination with the valve-chamber my hand this 31st day of March, 1880, in pres- 15 A, valve 11. stem S, and regulating-balls D, a ence of two subscribing witnesses.

curved spring, F, attached at one end to the F. W. ROBINSON. supporting-frame B, and at its other or free Witnesses: end to the valve-stem, and a dog, G, pivoted HENRY E. ROBINSON,

to to the supporting-frame above the free end of HARRY M. YEO.

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