US399653A - Oliver h - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) Y l 0r. H. CASTLE.

STEAM ENGINE GOVERNOR.

No. 399,653 Patented Mar. 19, 1889.

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OLIVER H. CASTLE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA,

STEAM-ENGINE GOVERNUR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,653, dated March 19, 1889. Application filed July l2, 1888. Serial No. 279,727.' (No model.)

.T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, OLIVER H. CAsTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engine Governors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of steam-governors in which a reciprocating valve is operated by means of two suspended revolving balls whose circle of roA tation widens as the speed of the engine increases.

The objects of my improvement are, first, to provide improved means for suspending the balls and for connecting them to the reciprocating valve-stem, whereby the action of the governor is made more sensitive than heretofore; second, to provide an improved regulator for controlling the action of the governor, and, third, to provide an improved means for pivoting the regulator to the housing or frame.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure l represents a side elevation 5 Fig. 2, a vertical section at a, Fig. l; and Fig. 3, a section through l), Fig. 2, showing the manner of pivoting the regulator to the main frame.

A is the frame of the governor, which terixiinates at its upper end in a hollow shaft, B.

C is the valve, which may be of any wellw known construction.

D is the valve-stem, which extends from the valve upward through and projects above the hollow shaft B.

E is a sleeve, which is mounted on the upper end of shaft B, so as to turn and to slide longitudinally thereon. The upper end of sleeve E is screw-threaded to receive the hollow nut F. y

I is a sleeve fitted to turn freely on shaft B, and provided on opposite sides with lugs j j.

K K are a pair of forked links, which are pivoted at their lower ends to the lugs jj of sleeve I. To the upper ends of each of the links K K a ball, L, is pivoted at a point, e, above its center. 'lhe balls LL are attached to opposite sides of sleeve E by means of iiat flexible springs m m, which are rigidly secured at their upper ends to the Ysleeve by screws n n, and at their lower ends to the balls,

at a point below the pivotal connection of the balls with the links KK, by screws o 0.

Sleeve I is rotated on shaft B by means of a pair of bevel gear-wheels, Q and R, one of which is mounted so as to turn on the shaft,

and to which the sleeve is secured, or a bandwheel mounted on the shaft and secured to the sleeve may be substituted for the bevel gear-wheels.

Sleeve I is prevented from moving longitudinally along shaft B by a collar, p, secured to the shaft.

S is a right-angled bracket pivoted at its angle by a pivot, m, to lugs t t, projecting from the main frame A. To the horizontal arm of said bracket one end of a iiat spring, u, is rigidly secured, and the other arm is provided with a set-screw, o, which impinges against the side of the frame A. The free end of spring u is forked and enters a groove in the collar fw, which is secured to the valve-stem, the arrangement being such that as set-screw c is forced against the main frame the bracket is tilted backward and the free end of spring u operates with greater or less force to resist the downward movement of the valve-stem.

For the purpose of easily and cheaply pivoting the bracket S to the main frame, I adopt the following plan: The pivot fr consists of a straight cylindrical bar of sufficient length to pass through the bracket S and both of the lugs t In the middle of pivot c a notch, y, is cut, as shown in Fig. 3, corresponding in width to the width of spring u, so that when putting bracket S in position on the main frame the pivot .r is first passed through the lugs t t and the bracket. Spring u, being then secured to the bracket, passes through the notch y and retains the pivot in position.

In operation, sleeve I, carrying links K K, balls L L, springs vm m, and sleeve F. being rotated by connection with the engine to which the governor is attached, balls L L tend to move outward and downward in arcs of circles having links K K for radii, an d also tend to move outward and upward on arcs of circles having pivots z e as their centers. The tendency of the balls to move in both of the paths indicated above is resisted by the flat springs m m, and sleeve E being free to slide on shaft B, the result is that the balls move outward in a nearly-horizontal path, tending down- IOO ward, and springs m 'm being curved and put in tension thereby, sleeve E and the valvestem are drawn downward, thus closing the valve when the maximum speed has been reached. The maximum speed at which the valve will be closed is controlled and regulated by means of set-screw n, bracket S, and spring u. /Vhen the balls are at rest, the inner end of the set-screw stands a little clear of the main frame, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the iirst downward movement of the valve-stem does not put the spring u in tension, but operates only to tilt the bracket S until the end of the set-screw comes in contact with the frame, thus leaving the valve-stem free until the inertia of the balls is overcome. It is obv vious that the sooner the set-screw comes in contact with the frame the greater will be the tension of the spring and its consequent resistance to the closing of the valve. As soon as the speed slackens, the momentum of the balls being lessened, they tend, by the force of gravitation, to swing downward and inward on their pivots z, which movement is assisted and modified by the recoil of the springs mm and spring u, so that sleeve E is raised and the valve is again opened.

The novel method of mounting the balls here shown, whereby the force of gravitation assists both in the opening and the closing ot the valve, renders this governor very sensitive and prompt to respond to variations of speed in the engine.

I claim as my inventionl. In a governor, the combination of the following elements, namely: a main frame terminating in a hollow shaft, a reciprocating valve-stem mounted in said frame and passing through said shaft, a valve attached to said valve-stem, asleeve attached to the valvestem and arranged to turn and to slide longitudinally on the shaft, a pair of iiat springs secured to opposite sides of said sliding sleeve, balls secured to the free ends of the springs, a sleeve mounted on the shaft so as to turn thereon, but iXed as to longitudinal movement, a driving-wheel secured to said fixed sleeve, and a pair of links, each pivoted at one end to the fixed sleeve and pivoted at the other end to a ball at a point beyond the point of attachment of the ball to the flat spring, all arranged t-o co-operate substantially as set forth.

2. In a governor, the combination, with the main frame, the valve, the stem for operating the valve arranged to slide longitudinally in said frame, and means for reciprocating the stem in the frame, and thereby opening and closing the valve, of a two-armed bracket pivoted to the frame, a set-screw mounted in one arm of the bracket and arranged to engage the frame, and a flat spring secured at one end t-o the other arm of the bracket, and having its free end connected to the reciprocating valve-stein, whereby the sliding of the valve-stem in one direction is adj ustably resisted, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a governor, the combination of the main frame having lugs t t, bracket S, setscrew n, spring u, and pivot x, having notch y, all substantially as specified.

4. In a governor, the combination of a pair of revoluble sleeves, one of which is free to move longitudinally and the other of which is iiXed as to longitudinal movement, a pair of links, each of which is pivoted at one end to said Xed sleeve, so as to swing thereon in a path at right angles to its path of rotation, an

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