US639450A - Governor mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

No. 639,450 Patented Dec. I9, |899. R. SHIRREFFS.

GOVERNOR MECHANISM.

(Application led .Tune 20, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Smets-Sheet I.

Patented Dec. I9, |899.

R. SHIHREFFS.

GOVERNOR MECHANISM.

(Application filed June 20, 1899.)

2 Sheets-sncat 2.

(No Model.)

and State of Virginia, have invented certain UNITED STATES PATENT GEEIcE.

REUBEN SIIIRREFFS, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

GOVERNOR IVIECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,450, dated. December 19, 1899.

Application lcd J'nne 20, 1899. Serial No. 721,254. (No model.)

Be it known that I, REUBEN SHTRREEES, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico new and useful Improvements in Governor Mechanism, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to improvements in governor mechanism chiefiyintended for governors for water-wheels, and particularly, though not exclusively, adapted for side-supply turbine water-wheels. My improved governor is also adapted for use in connection with steam-engines for controlling the valves thereof.

The object of the invention in connection with water-wheels is to provide governor mechanism of novel construction and mode of operation capable of delicate operation to correct the slightest deviation of the wheel from normal speed and exerting progressivelyincreased force according to the degree of the deviation from the normal speed, and for this purpose operating` to open and close the gates of the water-wheel smoothly and without shock or jar and with great accuracy opening or closing the gates to just the degree required to correct the evil. Then employed in connection with steam-engines, the governor will perform the usual functions in a novel and improved manner.

To these ends the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, arrangement, and mode of operation of parts, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended clauses of the claim, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figurc l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in central section, illustrating mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a View looking at the face of the water-gates and showing the manner of their connection with the rods for opening and closing them. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view of the valvechest on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, illustrating the electromagnets for operating the valves. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electromagnets', the circuits thereof, and the contactlever for making and breaking the circuits.

In the drawings Ihave illust-rated and will now describe the best embodiment now known to me of my invention, and in which the governor mechanism is arranged in connection with a two-turbine-water-wheel installation wherein the wheels are arranged on a horizontal shaft; but I desire it understood that the essence of my invention may be embodied in arrangements adapted for use with waterwheels of other construction or in connection with a single side-supply turbine wheel or wheels arranged on a vertical shaft to have a horizontal rotation. The governor is adapted, furthermore, for application to steam-engines.

I d0 not confine myself to the particular details of construction and arrangement hereinafter described otherwise than as specifically sot forth in the claims.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral l indicates the shaft of the water-wheels, 2 the water-wheels, which are conventionally illustrated in dotted lines, and 3 the gates of the water-wheels. As these parts in themselves constitute no part of my invention,they need not be more fully shown or referred to. The said gates 3 are capable of movement longitudinally of the shaft to regulate the admission of water to the turbine wheels, increasing or diminishing the supply automatically, according to the increase or decrease of the speed of the water-wheels as compared with the normal speed thereof. The gates are so moved through the medium of rods 4, connected thereto, as shown, and provided with piston-heads 5, located in and adapted to traverse the piston-cylinders G. The piston-rods extend out of the cylinders and have their free ends provided with racks 7, and said rods pass through stu'l'iing-boxes 8, carried by the cylinder-heads, to afford fluidtight packings. Mounted upon a countershaft 9 are gear-wheels l0, only one ot' which is shown, which mesh with the racks 7 of the piston-rods to cause said rods and the watergates connected therewith to move in precision and equally.

The numeral ll indicates a single valvechest divided in the example shown by partitional walls l2 into four valve-chambers 13 13 and la la, the valve-seats being indicated by the numeral l5, three valve-seats being arranged in each valve-chamber in alinement IOC) to exhaust.

sie 639,450

and graded in area to form graded ports 1G, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

As will hereinafter fully appear, the valves arranged in the two right-hand valve-chainbers 13 13 operate to admit the motive fluid to throw the pistons to open the gates and increase the supply of water thereto and to exhaust from the opposite sides of said pistons, and those valves 22 221l arranged in the two left-hand chambers operate to admit the fluid to the pistons in the reverse direction to close the gates and decrease the supply of water to the wheel and to exhaust from the opposite sides of said pistons.

The numerals 18 18n designate the valves disposed in the two valve-chambers 13 13 at the right of Fig. 1, 18 being the inlet-valve for the motive 'fluid and 18 the exhaustvalve. The valves are arranged in pairsinlet and exhaust--pivotally connected by stems 19 to the opposite ends of tilting arms 20, carried by posts or pedestals 21 on the valve-chest, and in the example illustrated are disposedin series of three pairs, the valves being in alinement and graded in size to correspond with the areas of the ports 1G, as clearly shown in Fig. The numerals 22 22 indicate a similar series of valves arranged in the valve-chambers 11 11 at the left of the valve-chest in Fig. 1, the numeral 22 indicating the duid-inlet valve and the numeral 22 the exhaust-valve. These valves are mounted in pairs in like manner to the valves 18 18 and are graded in size to cover the graded ports also in like manner to said valves 18 18a.

The numeral 23 indicates a closed tank or reservoir for the storage of the motive iuid, which may be water, oil, or air or other fluid under pressure. The pressure is maintained by a suitable pump 24, conventionally shown in the drawings. This tank 23 is an elevated one, and it is possible under some conditions, where water or oil is the motive fluid employed, that there will be sufficient'. head or drop to perform the operation required thereof, the pump serving to supply the tank with water or oil, as will be apparent. l prefer, however, a closed tank and to have the motive fluid under pressure. The conduit from the pump to the tank is indicated by the numeral 25. A pipe or conduit 26 leads from the tank or reservoir to conduct the motive fluid to the valve-chest and thence to pass to actuate the pistons and the gates carried thereby when required by the operation of the governor. rlhe pipe or conduit opens in to the valve-chest at the outside chambers 13 and 14, as shown at 2G and 26h.

By arranging or grouping the valves in a single valve-chest, as described, I am enabled to simplify the construction and operation, since, as shown, it is necessary to employ but two pipes for conducting the motive fluid to the pistons for operation thereof and also The piston-cylinders are, even when the water-wheel is moving at normal results in a cushioning, as it were, of the pistons, whereby they are steadied or supported on both their sides. This is accomplished by connecting together the inlet and exhaust valves, as shown. The course pursued by the motive iiuid when the valves 18 18 are opened, as shown at the right hand of Fig. 1, to actuate the pistons to open the water-gates when the speed of the wheel is below normal, and thus increase the supply of water to raise the speed to normal, is indicated by the full-line arrows, the course being from pressure-tank 23 through conduit 2o', past the valve 1 8,and through pipe 27, one part going through the mouth 28 of said pipe and entering in front of one piston 5, forcing the same to the left and opening` the gate connected therewith. Another part of the motive fluid continues through the pipe 27 and` enters behind the other piston forcing it to the right and opening the gate to which its rod is connected. The course of exhaustfrom a supposed previous and opposite movement of the pistons is also indicated by the fullline arrows, t-he same being from the pistoncylinders into the pipe 30, past the valve 18, and to t-he pump through the pipe 3l, whence it is again forced into the tank for future use. Should the speed of the water-wheel be too great, the governor, operating as hereinafter described, will close the valves 1S 18 and open the valves 22 22, when the travel of the motive fluid will be in the reverse direction to that described, and consequently operating the pistons in the reverse direction to close the gates, the then course being indicated by the dotted-line arrows and the exhaust being also indicated by arrows in dotted lines. lVhen the motive fluid enters at one side of the pistons, it will be observed that the exhaust from the opposite side is a forced one, or, in other words, the exhaust fluid is forced or driven by the piston through the exhaustport in the valve-chest, which is arranged above the piston-cylinder. The valves are controlled for the function thus ascribed to them by a novel mechanism operated by the governor, as will be now referred to.

An ordinary ball or similar governor is conventionally shown and indicated by the numeral 32, its specific construction not being important to this invention, and any suitable centrifugal governor may be employed. The governoris driven from the shaft of the waterwheel in any convenient manner, such as a belt-and-gearconnection Electromagnets 31- are arranged in two series in cooperative relation to the valves, each series comprising in the present example three electromagnets, the armatures 35 of which are carried by the tilting valve-arms 20, so that when energized the attraction of the armatures by the magnets will operate to open the corresponding pair of valves, and when the magnets are deenergized the weight of the armatures, which are carried at one end of the tilting arms, will lOO IIO

operate to close said valves. lVhen the governor is moving at normal speed, all the valves are of course in closed position against their seats and by reason of the manner of their coupling in pairs are practically balanced, so that their operation is much facilitated.

The numeral 3G indicates a battery which I prefer to employ, though do not restrict myself thereto, as other source of electrical energy may be adopted within the scope of my invention. To this battery are connected one terminal of the windings 37 of each electromagnet employed, the other terminals being connected to mercury-cups 3S. Suitably pivoted on a support (not shown) is a contactlever 3U, one end of which is connected with a ring 40, freely movable up and down upon the governor-staff 4l, according to the speed of the governor, and this connection operates to tilt the contact-lever in one or the other direction. The lever-is in electrical connection with the battery and carries two series of contact-Wires 42, arranged on opposite sides of its fulcrnm-point and adapted, according to the direction and degree of tilt of the lever, to make and break contact with one or more of the corresponding series of mercury-cups, and thus make and break the energizing-current through the magnet-windings whose terminals are connected to said mercury-cups. As shown, these contact-wires are of different lengths, in order that they may successively make contact with the mercury-cups, whereby the valves of either series 18 1S or 22 22a may be opened in succession, according to the demand made for piston-actuating motive fluid by the speed of the governor, which, as stated,

receives its movement from the water-wheel shaft.

As hereinbefore stated, the valve-ports and the valves in each set or series are graded in size in order to admit passage of a greater or less quantity of the motive fluid, and it is designed, as illustrated, that contact shall rst be made with the mercury-cup in circuit with that magnet which controls the valve closing the port of least area, and this is desirable, first, because the supply of motive fluid afforded by a port of least area may be sutiicient to correct the speed ol the Water-wheel, and,secondly, in cases Where it is not suflicient such supply will serve at all events to start the movement of the piston, whereupon it will be promptly assisted by an increased .dow of the motive fluid through the valves which are opened in succession by the making of contact with the other mercury-cups in the series, and thus all shock which would otherwise occur bythe sudden vforceful movement of the pistons is avoided. The arrangement is also advantageous in that when the speed of the water-wheel has been approximately brought to normal the breaking of contact will first occur in the circuit which controls the valve closing the port of greatest area and the other ports successively, thus obviating the danger of opening or closing the gates to a greater degree than required and instead ot correcting the speed of the wheel creating an evil on the other side by causing it to move too slow or too fast, as the case may be. Such a defective operation would result in an almost constant deviation of the speed of the wheel from normal, and therefore an almostconstant movement of the pistons and gates. For instance, if the faultwhich is sought to be corrected is that the wheel is moving too rapidly, then when the gates have moved to approximately the closed position desired and that circuit is broken which is necessary to permit the port of greatest area to close, the motive fluid supplied by the other ports of smaller area until closed is sufficient to move the gates to pre.- cisely that degree of closing` which is essential under the circumstances without too greatly closing them, which, as will be obvious, would cause the evil o1" the wheels moving too slowly, and this having to be corrected the result would be an almost constant deviation of the speed of the wheel and movement of the pistons and gates.

The arrangement shown of the tilting lever and the mercury-cup connection for making and breaking the circuits of the electromagnets is a very satsfactory one and is speciiically claimed by me; but in the broader aspect ot my invention l do not conne myself to this arrangement, as other suitable means for making and breaking the circuits of the magnets to be operated by the governor may be employed.

In a two-wheel installation four cylinders G are employed, onepairbeing arranged above the other, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the invention is embodied in connection with a one-wheel installation, the two upper cylinders are omitted. But one cylinder and piston is necessary when the governor is applied to steam-engines, and the piston-rod will be connected to the throttle-valve or other valve to be controlled in any usual manner known to those skilled in the art. Except in that the piston-rod will be connected to a throttle or other valve instead of a gate-valve of a water-wheel the governor mechanism is constructed, arranged, and operates in the manner hereinbeicre set forth.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim 11sl. In governor mechanism,the combination with a piston-cylinder and piston, of a valvechest, pipes communicating with the valvechest and with the piston-cylinder at opposite sides of the piston, each of said pipes serving as supply and also as exhaust pipes for the piston-cylinder, tilting arms carried by said valve-chest and provided with an armature, valves hung` at opposite ends of said tilting arm, electromagnets arranged in operative relation to said tilting arm, means for making IOS and breaking the circuit of said magnets, and a fluid-pressure supply for opera-ting the piston, substantially as described.

2. In governor 1nechanism,the combination with a piston-cylinder and piston, a valvechest, and means for supplying fiuid under pressure to the piston-cylinder through the valve-chest, of a tilting arm carried by said valve-chest, inlet and exhaust valves hung at opposite ends of said arm, and electromag netic mechanism for tilting said arm to operate said valves, substantially as described.

3. In governor mechanism,the combination with a piston-cylinder and piston, of a tank for supplying fiuid under pressure to operate said piston, a valve chest provided with valves and interposed between said tank and said piston-cylinder, means for operating the valves, pipes communicating with said valvechest and said piston-cylinder for conducting the motive fluid to the piston-cylinder and exhausting therefrom, a pipe conveying the motive liuid from the tank to the valve-chest and a pipe for conducting the exhaust from the valve-chest back to the tank, and a fluidcirculating pump, substantially as described.

4. In governor mechanism,the combination with a piston-cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to the piston-cylinder comprising a valve-chest in com munication with the piston-cylinder, a plurality of' inlet and a plurality of exhaust valves arranged in said chest, and means for controlling the valves, substantially as described.

5. In governor mechanislmthe combination with a piston, of means 'for supplying fluid under pressure for operating said piston cmbodying inlet and exhaust valves hung together at opposite ends of a tilting arm, an armature carried by said arm, electromagnetic mechanism for controlling said valves, and means for making and breaking the circuit thereof, substantially as described.

6. In governor mechanism, the combination with a pistoircylinder and piston, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the pistoncylinder comprising inlet and exhaust valves hung at opposite ends of a tilting arm, of eleetromagnets for controlling said valves, and a tilting lever connected to a speed-governor for making and breaking the circuits of the magnets, substantially as described.

7. In governor mechanism, the combination with a piston, and a cylinder in which said piston is arranged, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinder embodying inlet and exhaust valves hung at opposite ends of a tilting arm, electromagnets for controlling said valves, a speed-governor, and a tilting lever connected therewith and carrying contact-wires for making and breaking the circuits of said magnets, substantially as described.

8. In governor mechanism, the combination with a piston-cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder embodying valves graded in size, and means for controlling said valves, substantially as described.

il. In governormechanism, the combination with a piston-cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder embodying valves graded in size, and electromagnetic mechanism l'or controlling said valves, substantially as described.

10. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fiuid under pressure to said cylinder comprising a plurality of series of valves graded in size, and means for controlling said valves, substantially as described.

Il. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder comprising a plurality of series of valves graded in size, a plurality et series of electromagnets operatively arranged with relation to said valves, a circuit making and breaking mechanism comprising a plurality of series of contacts for successively making and breaking the circuits ot the magnets whereby the valves are successively opened and closed, substantially as described.

I2. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means for supplying duid under pressure to said cylinder comprising a single valve-chest, a plurality of inlet and a plurality of exhaust valves arranged in said chest, pipes leading from the valve-chest to the piston-cylinder, and means for controlling the valves, substantially as described.

lf3. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder comprising a single valve-chest, a plurality of inlet and a plurality of exhaust valves arranged in said chest, pipes leading from the valve-chest to the piston-cylinder, and electromagnetic means for controlling the valves, substantially as described.

ll. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder, comprising two sets of' inlet and exhaust valves, each set containing a series of valves for admitting` the motive fluid to opposite sides of the piston and exhausting from the reverse sides, and means for controlling said valves, substantially as described.

15. In governor mechanism, the combination with acylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder, comprising two sets of inlet and exhaust valves, each set containing a series of valves for admitting the fluid to opposite sides ol the piston and exhausting from the reverse sides, and electromagnetic means for controlling said valves, substantially as described.

16. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder comprising independentinlet and exhaust IOO IIO

IZO

valves graded in size, and means for individually orindependently opening and closing said valves, substantially as described.

17. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder comprisingindependent inlet and exhaust valves graded in size, and electromagnetic mechanism for opening and closing said valves, substantially as described.

18. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder embodying inlet and exhaust valves graded in size, electromagnets for controlling said valves, and contact mechanism for successively opening and successively closing said valves, substantially as described.

19. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means lor supplying iiuid under pressure to said cylinder embodying inlet and exhaust valves graded in size and hung together in pairs on tilting arms, armatures carried by said arms, electromagnets, and means for successively energizing and deenergizing said magnets to open and close said valves, substantially as described.

20. In governor mechanism, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder comprising a single valve-chest, pipes leading from said valve-chest to the pistoncylinder, a plurality of series of inlet and exhaust valves graded in size and hung in pairs on tilting arms, armatures carried by said arms, electromagnets, and a lever connected to and operated by a speed-governor and contacts carried thereby to successively make and break the circuits of the electromagnets, whereby the graded valves are opened and closed in succession according to the direction and degree of the tilt of the contactlever, substantially as described.

21. In mechanism for governing waterwheels, the combination of rods connected to the wheel-gate, cylinders through which said rods pass, pistons upon said rods within said cylinders, racks upon the ends of said rods, gear-wheels in mesh with said racks causing the rods to movev in precision, a single valvechest containing a plurality of inlet and exhaust valves, a pair of pipes leading from said valvechest to the piston-cylinders, and y electromagnetic means for opening and closing the valves, substantially as described.

22. In mechanism for governing waterl wheels, the combination with rods connected l to the wheel-gate, cylinders through which said rods pass, pistons upon said rods within said cylinders, racks upon the ends of said rods, gear-wheels in mesh with said racks causing the rods to move in precision, a single valve-chest containing a plurality of series of valves graded in size, a pair of pipes leading from said valve-chest to the pistorncylinders, and electromagnetic means for opening and closing the valves in succession, substantially as described.

In mechanism for governing waterwheels, the combination with rods connected to the wheel-gate, pistoncylinders through which said rods pass, pistons on the rods within the cylinders, racks on the ends of said rods, gear-\vheels in mesh with said racks, a single valve-chest, a plurality of inlet and eX haust valves arranged in said chest, electromagnetic means for opening and closing said valves, a pressure-tank communicating with said valve-chest, a pair of pipes leading from the valve-chest to the piston-cylinders, an ex* haust-pipe leading from the valve-chest, and a pump for forcing the exhaust Huid into the pressure-tank, substantially as described.

2i. In mechanism for governingatwo-wheel waterwheel installation, the combination with rods connected with the gates of the wheels, piston-cylinders through which said rods pass, pistons on said rods, racks on the ends of said rods, gear-wheels in mesh with said racks, a valve-chest, a plurality of inlet and exhaust valves in said chest, pipes leading from the valve-chest to the piston-eylinders, a pressure-tank in communication with the valvc-chcst,a p u m p,an exhaustpipe leading from the valve-'chest to the pu mp, a conduit frcm the pump to the pressure-tank, and electromagnetic mechanism for opening and closing the valves, substantially as described.

25. In governor mechanism, the combination with a plurality of pairs of piston-cylinders, of pistons arrangeiil therein the rods of which extend out of the cylinders and are pro vided with racks, gear-wheels mounted on a counter-shaft and meshing with the piston rod racks to cause the pistons to move in precision and equally and means for operating the pistons, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

REUBEN SHIRR'EFFS. Witnesses:

B. H. Davis, CARY SnnrrannQ

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