US636764A

US636764A - Engine-governor.

Info

Publication number: US636764A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rudolph Conrader
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1898-11-25
Filing date: 1898-11-25
Publication date: 1899-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 1916-11-14

Description

Patented Nov. l4, I899.

R. CUNRADER.

ENGINE GOVERNOR. (Application filed Nov. 25, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Mil/[N709 W BY WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH OONRADER, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENGINE-GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 636,764, dated November 14, 1899.

Application filed November 25, 1898. Serial No. 697,427. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH CONRADER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Governors; and -I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to en gine-governors; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction thereof, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed ontin the claims.

More particularly, my invention relates to that class of governors known as throttling governors. In carrying out my invention I utilize the centrifugal force incident to rotating weights as opposed to a centripetal force arranged to balance or approximately balance the centrifugal force incident to the rotation of the weights. Two means have been utilized for effecting this purposenamely, a spring tensioned and arranged to exert centripetal force upon the weights and weighted levers also so arranged. Combinations of these two means have also been used. In theory the centripetal force should exactly equal the centrifugal force of the weights rotating at the desired speed at all positions of the weights. This has been approximated with springs by giving them what is known as theoretic tension, or a tension which comes to zero with the centers of gravity of the weights at the axis of rotation with the strength and angle of the springs arranged to increase in tension in the same ratio-as the force of the weights with each movement of the weights at the desired speed. This result has been approximated with weighted levers by so connecting the weighted lovers to the centrifugally-actin g weights as to change arm or leverage of the weighted lever in ratio to change in centrifugal force incident to the rotation of the weights at their several positions.

While in theory theoretic tension should give an exactly even rotation of the engine at all loads, its operation in practice is not satisfactory, because with the slightest change in the speed of the engine the change induced in the centrifugal force causes a movement of the nicely-balanced parts not merely to a position which will accommodate the new load, but to the extreme ends of the travel of the weights, and this overreachin g of the movement of the weights, and consequent action of the controlling-valve, causes a return movement of the weights to the opposite extreme, and this being repeated gives to the engine an alternately higher and lower speed than that desired. This action of the governor is commonly called racing. Two means have been utilized for preventing this action. In one of them a dash-pot or retarding device is used, which prevents a rapid change in the position of the weights, and consequently brings them to rest at the point Where the load is accommodated, so that the engine is brought to its normal speed, thus balancing the cen-" trifugal and centripetal elements. This method is objectionable because of the slowness of the governor to act, which slowness causes a momentary, but perceptible, change of speed of the engine where there is a sudden change of load. It is also objectionable when applied to throttling-governors because the proximity of the governor to the steam-supply so heats the fluid used in the dash-pot as to seriously interfere with its successful operation. The other means of overcoming racing is to have the centripetal element increase in strength at a greater ratio than the centrifugal force incident to a change in the position of the weights, and vice versa. While this has the desired result of preventing rac ing, it is objectionable because it gives to the engine a diiferent speed at difierent loads.

The objects of my invention are to obviate in a large degree these defects, particularly when the centripetal element comprises a weighted lever or a spring acting upon a lever mechanism having changing-arm with each change in position; also, to so arrange the parts of a lever-operated governor as to inclose them in the weights when the governor is at rest, as well as details of construction and arrangement, as will more particularly appear in the claims.

A governor illustrating my invention is shown as follows: I

Figure 1 shows a section on the lines 1 1 in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 shows a section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a section on ICO the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4: shows an elevation of the weight looking from the right or left of Fig. 1.

A marks a valve-casing; A, a valve-chamber inclosed by said casing; B, the valve; 0, the Valve-stem; A an upright or frame supported by the valve-casing; A a bridge-piece connecting said upright with a similar one (not shown) at the opposite side of the casing. These parts are as commonly made.

On the top of the stem 0 is a head 0, having the slot 0 therein. A lever F is fulcrumed at f on a post A extending upwardly from the valve-casing, and is loosely pivotally connected with the head 0 atf within the slot 0. A sliding weight F is arranged on the lever F and is provided with a set-screw f A revolvinghead or carrierD is journaled by means of the sleeve D in the bridge-piece A A gear D is secured to the lower end of the sleeve and meshes a gear E, which is carried by a shaft (see dotted lines) journaled in the frame A A drive-pulley E is secured to said shaft and is to be driven by the engine to be governed. The revolving head is provided with the lugs or ears (1, in'which are pivoted the weights G through the medium of the pins 9 and arms 9. The arms g straddle the steadying-arms d. Bearings formed by the rollers d are placed on these arms and extend beyond the surface of the same, with just suflicient play between the arms g to escape contact 011 the opposite side from which pressure is exerted.

The head a has a cup or socket c at its upper end, in which rests a stem 0. The stem C extends upwardly through the sleeve D and head D. It has the cross-block c at its upper end, to which links 0 are pivoted by means of the pins 0 These links are also pivoted to the weights at a. At the closed position the centers of gravity of the weights are preferably nearer the axis of the carrier than the pivots g and at the extreme outward position indicated by dotted lines are outside the pivots g. This eliminates largely the gravity of the weights from the problem of correctly balancing the parts. Vhat little effect of gravity there is helps in effecting the regulation of the governor, as hereinafter explained. It will readilybe seen that as the weights move outwardly the links 6 are brought nearer to a straight line, so that a greater movement of the stem 0 effects a smaller movement of the weights G. This change in direction and relation of the links changes the leverage of the weight F in approximately the ratio of the change of centrifugal force with said movement of the weights at the desired speed. This change in leverage is not, however, in a constant ratio to the change in centrifugal force, but the forces operating upon the weights, including the gravity of the weights, may be represented by curves which cross at or near the point in the traverse of the weights where the governor is positioned to accommodate the normal load.

At each side of this point the lines representing the forces recede from each other. The effect of this arrangement is to give theoretical tension or an approximately equal centripetal and centrifugal force at the position of the weights accommodating the normal load. From this point these forces do not change in the same ratio. This gives to the governor within the limits of its usual labor so nearly theoretic tension as to insure a very rapid change of the parts with each change of load and at the same time makes such a divergence from theoretic tension with each change of position of the weights as to prevent racing. This eifect is produced by the relation of the centers of gravity of the weights to the pivots g and also by the relation of the pivots c? to the.pivots g, the arc movement of the pivots c changing the usual toggle-joint effect.

The bearings formed by rollers 01 are preferably placed at approximately the same height as the centers of gravity of the weights, so that the inertia forces incident to a change of speed of the weights are sustained directly by the rollers. This is quite important, because the inertia forces are present just at the time a movement of the weights is desired.

It will be noted that when the governor is out of use it is automatically closed, so that the working parts are protected from dust, and at the same time is so proportioned and shaped as to present a very neat appearance.

Vhat I claim as new is 1. In an engine-governor, the combination with a rotative carrier of a stem, 0', arranged to actuate the valve,said stem passing through said carrier at its axis; the links connecting said stem with the centrifugally-acting governor-weights; and centrifugally-acting governor-weights arranged to inclose said links when said weights are in their closed position.

2. In an engine-governor, the combination of a rotative carrier; weights pivoted on said carrier with their centers of gravity above their pivots; a stem for-communicating movement from said weights to the valve, said stem passing through said carrier at the axis; said valve; and links connecting said stem with said weights; said weights beingarranged to inclose said links and their connections when said weights are in theirinner position.

3. In an engine-governor, the combination of a rotative carrier; a centrifugally-acting weight pivoted on said carrier, said weight being arranged to move toward and from the axis of said carrier under the influence of cen trifugal and centripetal forces; and a roller journaled on said carrier arranged to sustain the inertia forcesincidentto a change of speed of said weight.

4:. In an engine-governor, the combination of a rotative carrier; a centrifugally-acting weight pivoted on said carrier, said weight being arranged to move toward and from the axis of said carrier under the influence of centrifugal and centripetal forces; and a bearing arranged to sustain the weight and to relieve the pivot of inertia forces incident to a change of speed of said weight.

5. In an engine-governor, the combination of a rotative carrier; a centrifugally-acting weight pivoted on said carrier, said weight being arranged to move toward and from the axis of said carrier under the influence of centrifugal and centripetal forces; and a roller journaled on said carrier, said roller being arranged to sustain the weight and relieve the pivot of the inertia forces incident to a change of speed of the weight.

6. In an engine-governor, the combination of the lever, F; weight, F, on said lever; fulcrum for said lever; a governor-valve; astem comm unicating with said valve, said stem be ing arranged to be actuated by the lever, F; stem, 0, also being arranged to be actuated by the lever, F; block, 0 on the stem, 0; links, 0 pivoted to said block; the rotative carrier, D; the weights, G, pivoted on said cari'ier with the arms, g, straddling the arms, 01, on said carrier; the rolls, d in said arm, 01; and the pivots, a, connecting the links, a, with the weights, G.

7. In an engine-governor, the combination of the lever F; weight, F, on said lever; fulcrum for said lever; a governor-valve; a stem communicating with said valve, said stem being arranged to be actuated by the lever, F; stem, 0, also being arranged to be actuated by the lever, F; block, 0 on the stem, 0; links, 0 pivoted to said block; the rotative carrier, D; the weights, G, pivoted on the carrier with their centers of gravity above their pivots; an arm extending from said carrier; the rolls, (1 in said arm; and the pivots, a, connecting the links, 0 with the weights, G.

8. In an engine-governor, the combination of the lever F; weight, F, on said lever; fulcrum for said lever a governor-valve a stem communicating with said valve, said stem being arranged to be actuated by the lever, F; stem, 0, also being arranged to be actuated by the lever, F; block, 0 on the stem, 0; links, 0 pivoted to said block; the rotative carrier, D; the weights, G, pivoted on the carrier with their centers of gravity above their pivots, said weights being adapted to inclose the block, 0 and links, 0 when the weights are in their inner position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUDOLPH CONRADER.

Witnesses:

H. Z. LORD, M. BURY.