US297873A - Water-wheel regulator - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

0. F. THAYER.

\ WATER WHEEL REGULATOR. 7 No. 297,873. Patenged Apr 29, 1884.

WITNESSES; INVENTOR,

6 m MIVL N, PETERS Phalwumn n hvr, Washinglun. ac

' UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. THAYER, or NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

WATER-WHEEL REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,873, dated April 29, 1884.

' Application filed November 26, 1883. (No model.)

fully set forth and described in thefollowing specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My improvements relate particularly to that class of devices known as speed-regulators or speed-governors, my immediate object being to provide extremely simple and inexpensive mechanism which, when properly attached to a water-wheel, will automatically control and regulate the flow of water as it enters the wheel and keep the speed at any desired rate. To attain the best results, the governing mechanism should act on the gate (to cut off or admit the supply of water) in the quickest manner possible; otherwise the speed is continually varying and unsteady, In my new device I dispense with the train of inter- .mediate mechanism as used in most of the known governors, and so connect the wheelgate with a fly-ball governor that the slightest movement of the vertical shaft operated-by said governor will instantly act to open or close said gate. Inasmuch as the movement of the vertical governor-shaft above referred to must of necessity be very slight, I have arranged anew form of wheel-gate so constructed that a very slight movement opens saidgate to its greatest extent or shuts off the entire body of water.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the form of ball-governor which I prefer to use with my device, and also shows the connecting-lever and counter-balance. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a turbine wator-wheel containing my new gate, a portion of the case and flume being cut away to expose said gate. Fig. 3 is a detached view of my movable gate, showing the side from which the water enters. Fig. 4 is a vertical edgewise section of Fig. 3, taken on line 00 00, and also shows in dotted circles the relative position of the friction-rolls against which the movable gate bears. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached view of both the movable and fixed gates,

taken on line 00 x, the gate being shown partly opened. Fig. 6. shows the gate as closed.

In place of a gate constructed of a single metallic plate, as commonly used in turbine wheels, I provide two plates, a b, plate a being fixed rigidly at or near the point where the water leaves the flume B'to enter the wheel, plate b being located on the outer side of a-and adapted to move vertically a distance sufficient to open and close said gate, as explained hereinafter. Both these plates or b are provided with a series of horizontal openings or slots, 0 c, which, when the gate b is adjusted to admit the water, are open to each other, (see Fig.

5,) the size of the opening and body of water admitted being governed entirely by the greater or less movement of the sliding gate b. By such an arrangement the entire flow of water can be cut off with a movement of gate b equal to the width of a single slot, 0, the ribs or solid part of b being then immediately in front of slots 0 (in a) and preventing the water from entering. (See Fig. 6.)

It will be evident that the pressure of water against gate b would naturally force it against a, generating such a degree of friction that b could not be easily moved unless some provision is made to overcome said friction.

tle resistance tothe main body of water.

When gate b is open to its greatest extent, a movementequal to the width of a single slot, as before stated, shuts off the entire supply of water, so that in agate having aseries of four slots, each two inches wide, a two-inch movement of said gate would entirely close all the openings, or, in other words, the eight inches of open space would be closed by a two-inch movement of the gate and gate-shaft, whereas in wheels as commonly constructed the gate must be actually raised eight inches to admit the same supply of water.

-While I prefer to open and close my new form of gate by a vertical movement, as described, it will be easily seen that the slots c and ribs h could be arranged in vertical rows instead of horizontal, and the movable gate be operated by a lateral movement. Both of the gates a b could be constructed to move (in opposite directions) to cut off or admit the water quickly; but, as such forms would necessitate other and somewhat complicated mechanism to operate them satisfactorily, I prefer to use an arrangement, substantially as shown.

In place of slots 0 a, circular, square, or any desired shape of holes could be used, but would occasion extra care and labor in adjusting the two gates, so that said holes would open to each other and register correctly when the movable gate was raised.

In suddenly connecting or throwing off heavy machinery throughout the mill a'considerable movement of the gate must now be made before the wheel feels the difference in the head and volume of water, whereas with my new gate the distance traveled to accomplish the same result is so slight that the wheel feels the change in a fraction of the time required by the solid gate.

My device may be actuated by any form of governor now in use; but, on account of its simplicity and quick action, I prefer to use the general form of fly-ball governor shown in Fig. 1, in which, as the balls 0 (J are raised or lowered by an increase or decrease of speed, the vertical shaft (1 is raised or lowered to correspond. This vertical movement of shaft d, I utilize to raise or lower gate I), a sufficient movement of said shaft being obtained to produce the desired result.

The gate-shaft E could in some places be connected direct to the governor-shaft d,- but as it is not usually convenient to locate the flyball governor directly over the wheel, I provide the lever-arm F, by means of which the governor may be located at any desired point.

' Said lever-arm is fulcrumed, preferably, at or is immediately increased, the balls 0 O are thrown outward and upward, and shaft d is correspondingly depressed. This forces the lever-arm F downward, raising its outer end, which, being connected with the gate-shaft, causes gate b to rise, thus reducing the volume of water entering the wheel and causing the speed to return to its normal rate. Should the speed become reduced by the addition of extra or heavy machinery in the mill, the slower action of balls 0 O raises rod (1, and gate 1) is opened to admit a greater supply of water to bring up the speed.

It will be noticed that when the lever-arm F is used the movement of gate b to close it is up instead of down, as commonly used.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination with a water-wheel, as a means for securing quick action to admit or exclude the supply of water, the two-part gate a I), part a being secured rigidly in the case of the wheel, said part I) being adapted to slide vertically, both of said parts a I) having horizontal slots or openings, which, as gate 1) is raised or lowered, are opened to each other or closed, as hereinbefore described.

2. In combination with a water-wheel having a fixed slotted gate, as at a, a vertically-sliding slotted gate, as at b,andaseries of frictionpulleys, a, so located that said sliding gate acts against said pulleys to reduce friction in the act of raising or lowering b, as described.

3. In combination with awater-wheel having a fixed slotted gate, as at a, an auxiliary slotted gate arranged to be raised or lowered to admit or excludethe supply of water,andhaving on its outer side, between slots c,V-shaped ribs h,as described, and for the purpose specified.

4. In combination with a water-wheel having a slotted fixed gate, the sliding gate 1), having V-shaped ribs, and the friction-rolls c, all arranged as and for the object specified.

5. In combinationwith awater-wheelhaving the fixed slotted gate a and vertically-sliding slotted gate 1), the gate-shaft E, lever-arm F, counter-balance G,and a suitable fly-ball governor, all so arranged and connected, as hereinbefore described, that said fiy-ball governor acts to raise or lower gate 1), as and for the purpose specified.

CHARLES F. TH AYER.

Vitnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, SILAS H. DEWEY.

Images