US730350A - Governor. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED- JUNE 9, 1903,

A. R. DODGE GOVERNOR.

APELIGATION FILED BBPT. 3, 1902.

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PATENTED JUNE 9, 1903.

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No. 730.350. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1903.

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APILIUATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1902.

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PATENT O FICE.

AUSTIN R. DODGE, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GOVERNOR.

ZZZEGIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 730,350, dated June 9, 1903.

Application filed September 2, 1902. Serial No. 121,734. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN R. DODGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Governors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to governors for engines, and more especially to those employed for regulating the supply of energy to elastic-fluid turbines; but it is not to be construed as being limited thereto, for it is applicable to other kinds of machines wherein it is desired to maintain a constant speed. I 5 The object of the present invention is to provide a governor which is simple in construction, powerful and reliable in its operation, and free from objectionable internal friction.

For a consideration of what I consider to be novel and my invention attention is called to the description andclaims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form or embodiment of my invenz 5 tion, Figure 1 is an elevation of a steam-tun bine together with a governor for regulating the admission of steam. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the governor. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are perspective views of minor details. Fig. '7 is a partial plan view of a turbine, showing the levers for transmitting motion from the governor to the controlling-valve. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the governor when 3 5 used with an inertia-wheel. Fig. Sis an end view of the governor. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail showing the connecting means between the governor-weights and the inertia-wheelf Fig. 11 is a perspective View illustrating'the arrangement of the ends of the coil. Fig. 12

is a side elevation of the governor, showing balancing devices. Fig. 13 is an end elevation of a balancing-ring, and Fig. let is a detail of an'adjustable link.

1 represents the casing of a turbine having an outboard bearing 2 for the main shaft 3. On the end of the shaft is a governor which is arranged to act on the lever 4, Fig. 7. The lever is provided with an adjustable stop 5,

which carries a grease-cup 6, it being desir able to lubricate the surface of the stop and also that of the governor.

The lever 4 is pivotally supported by an extension on the bearing and is connected by the adjustable rod 7 with the bell-crank lever 8. The lever is pivot-ally supported by the bearing and is connected to the valve-stem 9 by a suitable joint. It maybe ad justably supported, if desired. The controlling-valve is situated within the valve-casing 10, and the extension to spring 11 tends at all times to bring the parts to the position shown and hold the adjustable stop 5 against the actuating part of the Referring more especially to Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, 12 represents a supporting head or base for the governor. This head is provided with a socket 1.3, which is arranged to receive the end of the wheel-shaft. Formed integral with the head and situated diametrically opposite are-hook- like projections 14 and 15, which receive the knife-edges formed on th e weights. The hooks are preferably hardened at the point where they engage with the knife-edges and are provided with flat sides to receive the 7 5 retaining-plates 1c, the latter being secured by screws and act to prevent endwise movement of the knifeedge pivots on the weights. The plates being small and situated at the center of motion of the pivots, the friction is negligible. Moreoven'a' slight clearance is provided between the ends of the pivots and the plates, which permitsof a small amount of lateral movement." The arrangements described prevent excessive internal friction at this point.

The governor-weights resemble in their external appearance a split cylindrical rod, each. part being provided with a knife-edge projection 17, of suitable length, which en- 9c gages with a hooklike projection on the head. The knife-ed go is long enough to make a good working joint with the head, and sufficient clearance is provided at theends. to prevent it from rubbing on the end plates 16, EX- 5 tending radially from eaclrweight -is' a proj ection 18, which enters or passes through the link 19. The projection has a groove which is engaged by a knife-edge 20 on the link. On the outer end of the weights are pins 21, which prevent them from contacting under the action of the spring. The pins also serve to prevent the knife-edges 17 from moving away from the corner formed in the headhooks 14. The weights are slotted at 22 to permit them to move outward without interfering with the action of the links and other parts of the governor.

The links 19 are made of thin rectangular bars having end slots, and the end wall of each slot is formed into a knife-edge 20. The end of the governor is closed in by a cylindrical plate or disk 23, and secured thereto at diametrically opposite points are detachable grooved hooks 24, which engage with knifeedges 25 on the links 19. In the present governor the hooks are held in place by bolts, so that they can be removed and new ones substituted; but they can be formed integral therewith, if desired. are prefer. bly hardened to reduce wear. The hooks are mounted on projections 26, which also engage with the governor-spring and prevent the parts from moving laterally. In the center of the disk or plate is a small removable piece or projection 27, which engages with the adjusting-screw 5 on the valve-actuating lever. Owing to the fact that this part revolves with the wheel-shaft while the screw is stationary, it is better to make it removable, although it can be a part of the disk, if desired.

To oppose the outward movement of the weights, aheavy compression-spring 28 is provided, which surrounds the moving parts, and in addition to opposing the weights it acts as a guard and protects the moving parts from injury. It also serves to prevent the Weights from flying outward in case of breakage of the minor parts within the governor. In order to obtain the best results, care must be exercised in making the spring to see that it is perfectly balan cedthat is to say, the ends must terminate at opposite points and the tapered portion should be the same and begin at corresponding points. Care should also be exercised to give the spring the same flexibility throughout its length. After the spring is completed it should be properly balanced by adding weight at one place or taking it off another, as the conditions demand.

The periphery of the head 12 is screwthreaded to receive the adjusting-nut 29. The latter is provided with spanner-holes 30 or other means for adjusting it in order to give the proper compression to the spring. The nut is provided with a cylindrical extension 31, which is situated between the spring and the links and prevents the former from engaging with the links and also serves to center it. It is slotted at points opposite the links to enable them to be readily assembled in place.

In assembling the governor the weights are mounted in place, the links placed over the hooks on the weights and end plate or disk, the spring slipped into place, and the nut adjusted. If in the assembling of the parts the links become disarranged,they can be slipped The links and hooks into place by a tool inserted through the slots in the cylindrical extension 31 of the nut or through holes in the end plate 23. It is to be understood that the spring is not under compression when this action is taking place.

The governor described will regulate for speed changes within certain limits, which limits are narrower than those usually prescribed for commercial operation; but where especially close regulation is desired I add to the governor shown in Figs. 1 and 2 an inertia wheel or disk. The inertia-wheel preferably surrounds the spring and is arranged to work on the weights in a manner to accelerate their action. In other words, it causes quicker action of the weights either to cut off the supply of motive fluid or to increase it, as will hereinafter appear.

Referring to Figs. 8 to 10, inclusive, 12 represents the head or base as before, and its hub is somewhat elongated to receive the hub of the inertia-wheel 32. The head has two slots 33, located at diametrically opposite places, and through these slots extend the pins 34, which transmit motion between the governor-weights and the inertia-wheel. As here constructed the pins 34 are screw-threaded to the project-ions 18 on the weights and extend through the slots in the head and also through the cam-slots 35 in the inertia-wheel. The ends of the pins are slightly reduced in cross-section, and mounted on this portion is a roller which engages with the inertia-wheel. In the present form of governor the hooks 15 are slotted and the pins pass through them, suitable clearance being provided. The wheel v shown comprises a ring and a disk which are suitably united. The disk has a hub that surrounds that of the head and is prevented from independent longitudinal movement by means of a shoulder formed on the head and a collar 36. Secured to the inertia-wheel and extending parallel with the cam-slots 35 are wear-plates 37, which engage the rollers on the pins 34.

' The action of my invention is as follows: When the speed of the turbine-wheel or other apparatus to be governed increases beyond the point for which the governor is set, the weights overpower the spring to a certain extent and the end plate moves inward, due to the links 19. When this action takes place, the extension-spring 11 causes the adj ustingscrew 5 to follow up the movements ofthe plate and also to decrease the supply of energy to the turbine or other apparatus. Decreases in speed cause the weights to approach and to cause the end plate to be moved outward and force the controlling mechanism to admit more energy to the turbine or other apparatus. If the load is suddenly increased, the speed of the wheel-shaft would naturally tend to decrease; but the inertia of the mass in the moving wheel traveling at a given speed tends to hold that speed and in so doing causes a slight movement of the wheel independent of the governor, and as a result more energy is admitted to the apparatus; The governor would do this without the wheel, but it would take longer. hen the load suddenly decreases, the inertia-wheel will, before the governor has had time to assert itself, act on the controlling device in a manner to decrease the supply of energy.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the inertia wheel acts on sudden changes in speed, while permitting the governor to regulate in the ordinary manner for slow changes.

I attribute the success of my improved governor in a large measure to the fact that the end disk and the parts attached thereto are capable of moving laterally toa slight extent without causing the parts to bind. The disk is preferably balanced; but this flexibility will permit it to revolve about its own center of gravity. It is preferable to balance all of the parts as nearly as possible before assembling.

It is old to surround governor-weights with a stationary fixed casing; but so far as I am aware it is new with me to surround the weights with a coiled spring which opposes the action of the weights. Where the weights are exposed, particularly where they have thin surfaces or edges, they are liable to do damage if anything happens to engage therewith. waste used in wiping, which waste impairs the action of the governors.

A spring constructed as described can be balanced statically and is satisfactory for most kinds of work; but where especially accurate governing is required I find it desirable to balance the spring dynamically as well as statically. \Vitha spring wound in the manner described the cross section of metal at every point measured in a radial plane would be the same as that of every other point measured in a corresponding plane. This will cause the spring to be balanced statically but not dynamically, because where the crosssection at one place is thin, as at 40, Figs. 11 to 13, that of the part 41, which is directly in line therewith, is enough larger to make the sum total of the two equal to the cross-section of the body of each turn of the spring. In other words, the spring is in balance when it is on a testing device; but when it rotates at a high speed the part 41, being slightly heavier than the part 40, tends to twist the spring as a whole around a center formed at the intersection of the axis of rotation and a plane passing diagonally through.

They are also liable to retain pieces of trifugally-acting weights, with a coiled spring the ring can be balanced. It sometimes happens that the spring does not have the same flexibility at all points, and to compensate for this I provide the links 19 with adjustable devices whereby their length can be varied.

Referring to Fig. 14, 19 represents the twopart rod, having loops 45 formed in the ends, with a turnbuckle 46, that unites the parts. Adjusting the nut 16 will correspondingly decrease or increase the over-all length of the connection.

In accordance. with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other and equivalent means.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1.,In a governor, the combination of centrifugally-acting weights, with a coiled spring which completely surrounds the weights and opposes their action, and is free to find its own center of rotation at its outer end, and a rotating head for the opposite end of the spring.

2. In a governor, the combination of cenwhich surrounds the weights and opposes their action, and is free to find its own center of rotation at its outer end, and an inertiawheel which also acts on the weights.

In agovernor, the combination of centrifugally-acting weights,.with a spring which surrounds the weights and opposes their ac- .tion, an abutment acted upon by the spring,

and means for connecting the abutment with the weights.

4. In a governor, the combination of a head, weights pivotally supported thereby, an abutmentv which is free to find its own center of rotation, link connections between the weights and the abutment, and a coiled spring which surrounds the weights and is situated between the head and the abutment, and is free to revolve about its own center.

5. In a governor, the combination of ahead, a hook carried thereby, weights having knifeedges which engage with the hooks, an abutment, links connecting the abutment with the weights, and a spring which surrounds the weights and rests on the headand the abutment.

6. In a governor, the combination of a head,

.weights pivotally supported thereby and in line with the axis of rotation of said head, radially-extending projections on the weights, a movable abutment which is free to find its .own center of rotation, links which connect the projections with theabutment, and a coiled spring situated between the head and the abutment which surrounds the weights.

7. In a governor, the combination of a head,

weights pivot-ally supported thereby and in line with the axis of rotation of said head, a coiled spring which su rrounds the weights a nd tends to move them toward each other, and means carried by the weights for holding the ends thereof a fixed distance apart.

8. In a governor, the combination of moving weights, a spring which surrounds the weights and opposes their movement, and a guard which extends between the weights and the spring for preventing them from interfering with each other.

9. In a governor, the combination of a support, weights carried thereby, an abutment moved thereby, a spring which incloses the weights and engages the abutment, a nut for adjusting the spring, and a cylindrical extension which extends between the spring and the weights and forms a guard.

10. In a governor, the combination of a support, weights pivotally supported thereon, a plate which forms an abutment, link connections between the weights and the abutment, a spring which surrounds the weights, an adj usting-nut for the spring, and a cylindrical extension which is carried by the nut and extends between the weights and the springs.

11. In a governor, the combination of moving weights with a spring which incloses them and is composed of a number of complete turns and has ends which are correspondingly beveled.

12. A governor-weight having a projection 17 which forms a part of a knife-edge connection, and a projection. 20 which extends radially beyond said projection and terminates in a part of a second knife-edge connection.

13. A governor-weight having a projection 17 which forms a part of a knife-edge connection, a projection 20 which extends radially beyond said projection and terminates in a part of a second knife-edge connection, a slot or depression 22, and a pin or projection for holding the weight in its proper position.

14. In a governor, the combination of a shaft, a head mounted thereon, an abutment which moves toward and away from the head and is also capable of a limited amount of eccentric movement with respect to the shaft, weights situated between the abutment and the head, a spring engaging with the head and the abutment, and a link which forms the sole support for the abutment and causes it to move toward and away from the head.

15. In a governor, the combination of movable weights, a spring which surrounds the weights and opposes their action, an inertiawheel, and pins carried by the weights which engage with the wheel.

16. In a governor, the combination of movable weights, a slotted head to which the weights are secured, an inertia-wheel which is sleeved on the head and is capable of a slight angular movement independent thereof, and pins mounted on the weights which extend through the slots and enter cam-slots formed in the wheel.

17. In a governor, the combination of a head, weights pivotally secured thereto, radial projections on the weights which terminate in a part of a knife-edge connection, a movable abutment, a spring between the abutment and the head, links connecting the abutment with the radial projections, an in ertia-wheel which surrounds the weights and is provided. with cams, and pins which are mounted in the radial projections and engage with the cams on the wheel.

18. In a governor, the combination of moving weights, a support therefor, a spring which surrounds and protects the weights and opposes their movements, an inertia-wheel which is loosely sleeved on the support and surrounds and protects the spring, and means for transmitting motion between the weights and the wheels.

19. In a governor, the combination of a spring which is balanced statically, devices which are arranged to balance the spring dynamically, and centrifugal weights acting in opposition to the spring.

20. In a governor, the combination of a spring having correspondingly-beveled ends with balancing rings having heavy portions disposed in such manner with respect to the ends that they balance the spring dynamically.

21. In a governor, the combination of a coiled spring having correspondingly-beveled ends with balancing rings placed at opposite ends of the spring, each ring being loaded at diametrically opposite points to balance the spring dynamically.

22. In a governor, the combination of a base, a coiled spring, a movable abutment, pivoted weights, and adjustable links which are situated between the spring and the weights and attach the latter to the abutment.

In witness whereof I have hereunto placed my hand this 29th day of August, 1902.

AUSTIN R. DODGE.

Witnesses:

EDW'ARD WVILLIAMs, Jr. GEORGE A. THORNTON.

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