US818711A - Steam-engine governor. - Google Patents

Description

No. 818,711. PATENTED AIB. 24, 1906. W. N. RUMELY. STEAM ENGINE GOVERNOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. 1905.

/ WWW Inventor Attorney Witnesses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEAM-ENGINE GOVERNOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed September 20, 1905. Serial No. 279,213.

To all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, NILLIAM N. RUMELY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ii-aporte, Laporte county, Indiana, (postofiice address Laporte, Indiana,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engine Governors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, relating to improvements in steam-engine governors of the Pickering type, will be readily understood from the fol lowing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the upper portion of a steam-engine governor of the Pickering type embodying my improvement; Fig. 2, a plan of the head; and Fig. 3, a plan of one of the governor-weights in conjunction with its guard-loop and the guardsleeve, the stud appearing in horizontal section.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the housing; 2, the fixed hollow stud rising therefrom; 3, the whirl fitted to turn freely on the lower portion of the stud; 4, a bevel-gear fast on the whirl; 5, the pulley-shaft 6, a bevel-gear fast on the pulley-shaft engaging the gear on the whirl; 7, the governor-head mounted to turn and reciprocate on the principal end of the stud; 8, the valve-stem extending freely through the stud and governor-head; 9, a button on the upper end of the valve-stem; 10, a cap forming a part of the governorhead engaging over the button, and 11 a spring compressed between the governorhead and the lower surface of the button and serving to maintain the valve-stem in con stant vertical relationship with the governor-head while permitting the head to rise somewhat independent of the stem. All of the parts thus far referred to are or may be constructed and arranged in the usual manner and subject to any of the usual or proper variations.

Proceeding with the drawings, 12 indicates radial notches in the whirl and governor-head, the illustration showing four of these notches in each of the parts; 13, blocks in these notches and fitting them sidewise and presenting flat outer faces; 1 .1, horizontal pivots crossing the notches and having the bloc is pivoted upon them; 15, flat metallic springs, preferably laminated, the upper end of each spring being secured to a block in the governor-head while its lower end is secured to a corresponding block below it in the whirl; 16, governor-balls, one being attached to each spring at about its middle length; 17, a coiled spring surrounding the stud and compressed between the whirl and the governor-head; 18, the usual guard-loops attached to the governor-weights and reaching inwardly around the stud and serving to limit the outward movement of the governor-weights, these loops in the present case being much wider than usual; 19, a sleeve surrounding the spring 17 in the general plane of revolution of the governorweights, the guard-loops encircling this sleeve, peripheral flanges on the sleeve serving by engagement with the upper and lower guard-loops to prevent the vertical displacement of the sleeve, and 20 the usual collar on the stud to prevent the vertical displacement of the whirl. The spring 17 furnishes the centripetal force, while the balls furnish the centrifugal force. Spring 17 tends to elevate the governor-head and hold the balls inwardly and hold the valve-stem in its highest position. Centrifugal force tends to throw the balls outwardly and lower the governorhead and valve-stem, all as usual in the Pickering type of governors.

In governors of the Pickering type as usually constructed the springs 15 were formed each of a number of thin ribbons of steel laid together, the upper end of the laminated spring thus formed being secured fixedly to the governor-head against a surface parallel with the axis of the head, while the lower end would be secured against a similar surface of the whirl. In such case the flexibility of the laminated springs was depended upon to permit of the freedom of movement of the parts as the balls moved outwardly and inwardly and as the governonhead moved downwardly, there being no joints of articulation about the springs. The practical effect of this action, especially in governors working under circumstances involving frequent changes in speed to be taken care of, was to break the springs where they joined the governor-head and the whirl as the flexation of the springs became largely concentrated near the points of juncture, resulting in the breaking of one lamina and the consequent imposure of extra duty upon the unbroken ones, which in turn would also successively yield to the bending and breaking strains. In the present case, however, while the flexibility of the springs is involved in the movement of the parts it is supplemented by joints of articulation connecting the springs with the governor-head and thewhirl, the blocks 13 forming end armatures for the springs and serving as means by which the ends of the springs are pivoted to the governor-head and whirl. By means of this construction a concentration of the bending of the springs near their upper and lower ends is avoided, and they may perform their duty by bends of large curvature fairly distributed throughout the length of the springs.

The blocks and springs are so constructed that when the springs are in normal condition, corresponding with a stationary condition of the governor, the springs are out wardly flexed to some degree and the outer surfaces of the blocks instead of being parallel with the aXis of the stud are at angles such that the face of the block on the governorhead converges outwardly toward the face of the corresponding block on the whirl, the result being that the faces of the blocks and the ends of the springs attached to them correspond substantially with the normal outward curve of the springs. The result of this arrangement is that flexation of the material of the springs at points near the governor-head and the whirl becomes serious only as the balls move outward to considerable degree. The presence of the centripetal spring 17 is found to be somewhat inconsistent with the action of the usual guard-loopsdepending upon contact with the stud 2, and therefore in the present case the sleeve member is em ployed, which permits the proper action of the guard-loops, notwithstanding the presence of the spring. The purpose of this sleeve member is simply to furnish a stop turning with the governor-weights cooperatingdwith the guard-loops independent of the stu I The number of governor-balls is immaterial. The illustration provides for four of them, and it is generally customary in governors of the Pickering type to provide for three or more governor-balls. The so-called blocks 13 will be recognized as mere pivotbearings provided at the ends of the springs 15. While the bending of the ends of the springs 15 to form pivot-eyes to engage the pivots 14 might be substituted for the attached blocks and form an equivalent for them, the separately-formed construction is deemed preferable, as it avoids the necessity for bending the material of the springs and avoids pivotal wear upon the material of the springs.

I claim as my invention In a governor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a rotary governorhead mounted for movement in line of its axis, a governor-weight pendulously connected with said governor-head, a helical spring surrounding the axis of rotation of the governor-head and engaging the governor-head, a sleeve member loosely surrounding the spring in the general plane of revolution of the governorweight,and a guard projecting inwardly from the governor-weight and adapted to engage the side of said sleeve member farthest from the governor-weight and limit the outward movement of the governor-weight.

' WILLIAM N. RUMELY.

Witnesses:

ELMER R. SI-IIPLEY, M. S. BELDEN.

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