USRE2064E - Improvement in steam-engine governors - Google Patents

Description

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

EOEEET w. GARDNER, oE QUINGY, 1LLIno1s.

IMPROVEMENT INL s TEAM-ENGINE GOVERNORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,579, dated August 14, 1860; Reissue No. 2.061, dated September 5, 1865.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, -RQBEET W. GARDNER, of Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Governors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawin gs, forming partot'this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the saine. 4

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

In all governors for steam-engines and other machines as now constructed there are necessarily a number of separate'parts acting on each other by means ot' numerous joints, slid in g and bearing surfaces, all of which, in order that the governor may not be impeded in its action and not have its sensitiveness impaired by undue friction, must have a certain degree of play or looseness, the amount of which com- 'i bined makes up a considerable quantity of 10st motion77 before a change of motion in the governor can act on the valve, so that a very considerable change of velocity of the' engine is permitted while the governor is taking up the lost motion and before it is brought to bear on the valve.

The object of this invention is .to obviate these defects, thereby rendering the governor extremely sensitive to the slightest variations in the speed ofthe engine and transferring its motion without loss to the valve.

The chamber d, which contains the cylinldrical balance-valve c, connects by a suitable pipe, a, with the steamboiler and bya passage, i

b, with the steam-chest. The valve c is iitted near its lower edge on a conical seat in the sleanrpassage, which is thereby closed when the valve is down, and when said valve is 'raised the steam passes by the annular openl ing above thc valve-seat and between the serrated teeth in the lower edge ofthe valve. lt (the valve) is provided with apertures in its top, which serve to equalize the pressure above and below. 'lhe valverod @passes up through 5 a stuiling-box, f, to the head g, and the several I parts of the governor work within the standard or frame h.

The hollow shaft i revolves in the pillar of.

the standard h, having its driving-pulley or gear-wheel k at its lower extremity and the cap at its upper end, which supports th'two arms or levers l, from the outer extremities of which the balls are suspended and which work on the pivots m as filiera. The cap of the hollow shaft i is bored smooth, and the block' n, aixed as a head on the spindle o, plays up and down within it, bearing against the short ends or toes l of the pendnlunrarms l.

The head g of the valve-rod has a slot in which the lever 19 is inserted, constantly pressing it upward by the action of the adjustable weight q on the opposite side of the link-fulcrum r. The end of the spindle o is not connected with the head of the valve-rod g, but merely rests and revolves on it, a cavity being formed round it to retain the oil.

The sliding weight q is adjusted in such a the weight of the valve-rod and the moving parts ot' the governor, and, the principal part ofthe weight being thus sustained by a single point, the broader bearing-surfaces are re lieved and thereby an important saving in friction is effected; but the main object of this arrangement is the entire obviation, et' the lost motion, which is attained by the several ,joints and bearing-surfaces being constantly i pressed against each other in the same direction by the action of the weight q, so that '1, whether the-balls are ascending or descending by the varying velocity ofthe engine tbejoints or fittings, however loose they may have been made or may have become by weai, are never relaxed so as to allow ot' the slightest play or lost motion.

The balls cause the valve to move in one and the weight in the opposite direction, and by this combination I amenabled to use a valve with a verysmall range of motion, like the one shown in the draw in though my governor is applicable to valves of any other description. l1`urthermore, by this arrangement the steam can be shut ott'and thcengine stopped with greatfacility,independently ofthe action of the governor, in case oi'a sudden emergency, by means ofthe lever p, which, with `the addition ot'a cord or other cont-rivance, can be position on the lever p as nearly to balance made available in any part ofthebuilding and the power of stopping the engine at any moment be at hand without the delay of calling on the engineer. The speed of the engine may also be regulated by adjusting the position of the weight q so as to balance more or less of' ythe weight of the governor, thereby giving a dilerent opening of the valve to the saineelevation of the balls.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The governor, operated as describeduamely, by using the centrifugal force of the pendulum-balls to close the valve and the gravitation of the adjustable weight ou the lever to open said Valve, the two forces Working against and independent of each other, substantially'as herein specified.

2. The spindle o of the governor, supported on the head of the valve-stem but unconnected therewith, incombination with a weighted '2 lever tending to keep the several parts in close l contact and partly balancing the weight of the moving parts of the governor, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The toes l' on the upper end of the pendulous arms l in their arrangement witlrthe sliding block or cap 'n and vertical valve-rod o, constructed and operated substantially as described, whereby the upward Vibration of the governor-arm is caused to act immediate] y an d independently to close the valve in opposition to the influence of the weighted lever.

'4. The combination of the lever p, adjustable weight q, link r, step g, valve-rod e, f spindle o, and pendulumarms l, all constructed 'g and operating substantially as and for the l' purpose herein specified.

\ ROBT. W. GARDNER. Witnesses J oHN ROBERTSON,

SAM. S'rEvENsoN.

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