US575144A

US575144A - To the electro steam

Info

Publication number: US575144A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1914-01-12

Description

t e e h S S t e e h S 2 N O R B G M d o M 0 W APPARATUS FOR STOPPING ENGINES.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 1

G. W. BROWN. APPARATUS FOR STOPPING ENGINES.

llllllllllll l$\l XX N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GILMAN IV. BROl/VN, OF WEST NE\VBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ELECTRO STEAM APPLIANCE COMPANY, OF NEIV JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR STO PPI NG ENGIN ES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,144, dated January 12, 1897. Application filed October 4, 1895. Serial No. 564,582. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: alarm is to reduce to the minimum the lia- Be it known that I, GILMAN W. BROWN, of bility of unnecessary tampering with the ap- IVest Newbury, in the county of Essex and paratus, particularly by mischievously-dis- State of Massachusetts, have invented certain posed persons. new and useful Improvements in Apparatus To these ends the invention consists in the for Stopping Engines, of which the following improvements which I will now proceed to is a specification. describe and claim.

This invention relates to apparatus of the Of the accompanying drawings, forming a character described in Letters Patent-of the part of this specification, Figure 1 represents 10 United States No. 544,085, granted to me a side elevation of that portion of the appa- August 6, 1895, for improvements in apparatus which includes my improved mechanratus for stopping engines, said apparatus inical or speed-controlled actuator-releasing eluding a casing adapted to form a part of the means. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the steam-conduit which supplies the engine and construction shown in Fig. 1 from a different I 5 provided with a steam-outlet and with a cylpoint of view. Fig. 3 represents an elevation inder having a vent, an outlet-closing valve from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 2. within the casing adapted to be held in its Figs. 4 and 5 represent vertical sections of a closed position by the steam-pressure, avalveportion of the apparatus. Fig. 6 represents operating piston movable in said cylinderand a section on the line (3 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7

20 connected with the outlet-valve, a vent-conrepresents a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. trolling valve adapted to close said vent, a 8 represents an elevation showing an engine vent valve operating device or actuator provided with my improvements. Fig. 9 rep adapted to be set for action, and an actuatorresents a section on line 9 9 of Fig. 8. Fig. 'arrestin g trigger or trip, the arrangement be- 10 represents a section similar to Fig. 9, show- 2 5 ing such that upon the release of said actuaing the parts in a different position. Fig. 11 tor the vent will be opened, thus permitting represents aseotion on line 11 11, Fig. 8. Fig. the escape of steam from the cylinder at one 12 represents a top View of the shell or casing side of the valve-operating piston, so that the which contains the circuit-closing deviceheresteam-pressure in said casing will displace inafter referred to. Fig. 13 representsa sec- 30 the piston and close the steam-conduit, thus tion on line 13 13, Fig. 12. Fig. 14 represents shutting oif the steam from the engine and a section on line 14c 14, Fig. 12. Fig. 15 repat the same time opening the steam-outlet to resents a section on line 15 15, Fig. 9.

the atmosphere. In said patent I show elec- The same letters of reference indicate the trically-controlled means, adapted to be opsame parts in all the figures.

3 5 erated by an attendant, for releasing or un- In the drawings, (t represents a casing looking the vent-valve actuator. which forms a partof the conduit a, supply- It is the object of my present invention to ing steam to a steam-engine a a represents provide means for automatically unlocking an outlet connecting said casing with the ex the actuator by speed-controlled mechanical ternal air, said outlet having at its inner end 0 means under such an arrangement that when an annular valve-seat a the speed of the engine is unduly increased b represents the outlet-closing valve, which or exceeds a predetermined rate the actuator is formed to be seated upon the seat a and will be allowed to act. is adapted to be held upon said seat by the The invention also has for its object to prosteam-pressure in the casing under normal 45 vide means for giving an alarm prior to the conditions. 5 release of the actuator by the electrically- 0 represents the valve-operating piston,

controlled trigger-operating means set forth which is connected by a rod or stem 61 within in said patent, the apparatus being equipped the outlet-valve b and is located in a cylinwith both electrical and mechanical means der 60", which forms a part of the casing, said 50 for releasing the actuator. The object of said cylinder opening at one end, which I term the mouth of the cylinder, into the casing, and having at its other end a vent a which is preferably a pipe extending from said cylinder and provided with a valve d whereby it may be opened and closed. The piston c fits the interior of the cylinder to somewhat loosely, so that steam can pass aroundit into the cylinder, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 9, steam being thus caused to balance the piston so long as the vent a remains closed. So long as the piston is thus balanced the shut -off valves hereinafter described are held open and the outlet-valve b is closed, the latter being subjected to steampressure upon one side only. 7

The piston c is of greater area than the outlet-valve, so that when the vent of the cylinder is opened, as hereinafter described, it releases the pressure from the cylinder and thereby unbalances the piston, the steampressure exerted on the inner side of the piston displacing the latter, forcing it into the cylinder, and removing the outlet-valve from its seat, thus opening the outlet a as shown in Fig. 10, and permitting a discharge of the steam into the atmosphere. This operation relieves the pressure in the casing and in the conduit between the casing and the engine sufliciently to prevent the pressure of the steam between the casing and the engine from continuing the operation of the engine.

Between the steam-inlet end and the steamoutlet end of the casing are offset partitions (1 which project from the inlet end of the casing across the central portion thereof and are provided with two ports a a through which steam passes from the inlet to the discharge side of the casing, the valve-stem 01 passing through said ports, as shown in Fig. 9. Between the valve 1) and piston c is located a shut-off valve e,also aliixed to the stem d. hen the outlet-valve is closed upon its seat a it is separated from the port a and the shut-off valve 6 is separated from the port (L both of said ports being unobstructed, so that the steam passes through them, as indicated in Fig. 9. When the piston is unbalanced and displaced, as shown in Fig. 10, the outlet-valve closes the port a and the shut-off valve e closes the port (1, so that when the outlet at is opened the passage of steam through the casing is at the same time shut off.

The valve a which opens and closes the vent of the cylinder, is opened by an actuator, which is preferably a weight f, fitted to slide upon a Vertical guide, such as the vent-pipe a said weight having an inclined face f upon its lower portion formed to engage a lever g, which is pivoted at g to the valve-casing and bears upon the stem g of the valve. When the weightf is dropped from the elevated position shown in Fig. it moves the lever g and causes the latter to open the valve. The weight f is provided with a flange f at its upper end, which is engaged by a trigger-or trip it, pivoted at h to a fixed standard t", which may be supported in any suitable way. Said trigger has an elongated arm 71?, which projects clownwardly and is provided at its lower end with a stud h 7r represents a lever or detent pivoted at 7L5 to the casing t' and formed at its outer end to engage said stud 7L3 and thus lock the trigger. An armature h is attached to the lever or detent h, said armature being arranged in suitable proximity to the poles of an electromagnet h supported in the casing t' and included in an electric circuit. Then the circuit is broken and the armature is released, the detent IL4 is held in the position shown in Fig. 4 by gravitation and is engaged with the stud 71 on the trigger-arm, the trigger being therefore caused to hold the weight fin its raised position. Vhen the circuit is closed, the armature is attracted and raises the detent 71 causingit to release the arm 72 and the trigger h. The weight f is thus released and allowed to drop and open the valve in the vent of the cylinder.

The construction thus far described is substantially the same as in my former patent above mentioned.

My present improvements relate chiefly to the let-off mechanism whereby the weight or actuator fmay be released and allowed to act, and they comprise speed-controlled means operated by the engine for releasing the weight automatically when the speed of the engine rises above a predetermined point, thus preventing the engine from running away. To this end I provide a shaft m, which is journaled in suitable bearings in or contiguous to the casing t. To said shaft is affixed a projection m, which supports a weighted arm m the latter being pivoted at m to the projection m. The weighted arm normally stands inclined inwardly from'the pivot m toward the shaft, as shown in Fig. 4, and is supported by an adjustable stopscrew m the weight of the arm holding it in said position under normal conditions. The shaft on is connected with a moving part of the engine, so that it is continuously rotated while the engine is in operation, the connecting means here shown being a pulley m on the shaft and a belt m running from said pulley to the main shaft m of the engine, Fig. 11.

The arm m is so weighted and arranged and the shaft m is so connected with the engine that when the engine is running at a normal or safe rate the weighted arm will remain at rest on the stop m When, however, the speed of the engine exceeds a predetermined limit, the arm m is thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, as shown in Fig. 5 and by dotted lines in Fig. 4, and assumes a position which causes it to strike the detent h and raise the latter out of engagement with the trigger-arm 723, the latter being thus released and the weight f allowed to act. It will be seen, therefore, that I have provided a speed-controlled let-off which is adapted to automatically cause the operation of the enginestopping apparatus without interfering with the electricallycontrolled means for accomplishing the same result and is made operative by an increase in the speed of the engine. I believe this to be broadly new, and I therefore do not limit myself to the details of mechanism herein shown and described, and may variously modify the same without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The electromagnet 71 is included in a suitable electric circuit, comprising the circuitwires on w and a push-button or manuallyoperated circuit-closing device t, Figs. 12 and 13, adapted to be moved to close the circuit and energize the magnet, thus causing the operation of the above-described apparatus. In order to prevent the needless operation of said apparatus by mischievously-disposed persons, I provide means for giving an alarm prior to the closing of the circuit, so that the intention of any person to close the circuit will be made manifest. To this end I in close the circuit-closer if in a casing 10, having a cover u, which must be opened before ac cess can be had to the circuit-closer. In the casing are two separable terminalsn n, which, together with the wires 11 n constitute a branch of the main circuit, which includes the electromagnet h and the wires w w. The branch circuit includes an electric bell o operated by an electromagnet o of much higher resistance than the electromagnet it. When the cover it is opened, the terminal -v comes in contact with the terminal n and thus closes the circuit. Owing to the high resistance of the electric bell and the low resistance of the trigger-operating electromagnet h the bell will be operated, but the trigger will not be released until the circuitcloser t is operated, thus cutting out the branch circuit and the bell, whereupon the magnet h will operate to release the trigger. It will be seen, therefore, that no one can operate the apparatus electrically without first giving an alarm.

I claim-- 1. In an apparatus of the chararcter specified, the combination with a vent'controlling valve, of an actuator therefor, an armature serving as a detent normally restraining said actuator, and speed-controlled means actuated by the power of the engine to displace said detent by centrifugal force, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination with a vent-controlling valve, of an actuator therefor, a detent normally restraining said actuator, and speedcontrolled means actuated by the power of the engine to displace said detent bycentrifugal force, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a vent-controlling valve, an actuator therefor, an actuator-arresting trigger or trip, a locking arm or detent normally standing in position to lock the said trigger, and speed-controlled means actuated by the power of the engine to displace said detent by centrifugal force and thereby release the trigger and actuator, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination with a vent-controlling valve, of an actuator therefor, an electromagnet, a centrifugal speedcontrolled device, and a detent or trigger normally restraining the valve-actuator and located between the electromagnet and the centrifugal speed-controlled device and adapted to be actuated by either.

5. An apparatus of the character specified comprising a vent-controllin g valve, an actuator therefor, an actuator-arresting trigger or trip, a locking arm or detent which normally stands in position to lock said trigger, a shaft contiguous to said detent adapted to be driven by the engine, and a weighted arm pivotally connected with said shaft and adapted to be moved centrifugally into position to release said trigger.

6. An apparatus of the character specified, comprising a vent-controlling valve, an actuator therefor, an actuator-arresting trigger or trip, a locking arm or detent which normally stands in position to lock said trigger, an electromagnet arranged to displace said detent when energized, a shaft contiguous to said detent adapted to be driven by the engin e, and a weighted arm pivotally connected with said shaft and adapted to be moved centrifugally into position to release said trigger.

7. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a vent-controllin g valve, an actuator therefor, electrically-operated actuator-controlling means including an electric circuit and a circuit-closing device therein, a shield or casing adapted to norm ally prevent the operation of said circuitclosing device, a branch circuit which is broken by the cover of said shield when said cover is closed and is closed h automatically when said cover is opened, and an alarm included in said branch circuit and adapted to be made operative by the opening of the casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 19th day of September, A. D. 1895.

' GILMAN W. BROWN. Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN,

A. D. HARRISON.

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