US1095146A - Engine-controlling apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

A. ESPLEN.

ENGINE CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D, c.

NT STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER ESPLEN, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

ENGINE-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER EsrLnN, a subject of the King of England, residing at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to controlling the operation of power engines, such as the propelling engines of steamships, by or through the telegraphic apparatus, or a similar apparatus extending between the place of command of the ship, on which the transmitting or actuating instrument is placed,andthe englne room; and 1t has for its ob ect to provide improvements, hereinafter described in connection with the starting of the engines in opposite directions either ahead or astern, and stopping them, and of obtaining direct control from the bridge or like part of the ship, of the action of the engines, and also of controlling their speed.

Assuming the invention is to be applied to, and used in connection with the engine room of a telegraph worked from the bridge, there is used in the engine room and in some cases in the receiver instrument, a part which operates a valve controlling the operation of the piston of a cylinder or like means connected with, and for operating a throttle or like valve, say the ordinary throttle valve; and this device is adapted to come into operation at some point between the slow and stop positions of the telegraph receiver, so that after the receiver pointer is in this region, the steam or power to the engines or motor is automatically cut off, or closed, so that the engines will be stopped. Then, if the telegraph and apparatus be moved farther in the same direction, namely, toward the slow position, for starting the engines in the opposite directions, a valve is operated so as to move or actuate-say through a pilot cylinder and piston-the controlling means of an engine reversing gear (generally comprising a steam or other prime power cylinder, and a hydraulic controlling cylinder), and connected up with the engine valve links. or reversing gear of the engine; so that this reversing gear is moved over, say to the fullest position; and

soon after this, by the further movement of" the telegraph apparatus, a valve is'operated.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 25, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914. Serial No. 802,892.

byit, or a part connected with it, by which the throttle valve actuating cylinder or its valve, will be so operated as to open the throttle, so-that this throttle valve will be opened by the time the order pointer, or the like, has arrived at the slow position. These actions are arranged to take place in both directions, that is, when the telegraph is moved from ahead to astern, and conversely fro-1n astern to ahead; and the throttle valve is closed without reversing the engines if the telegraph is moved only to the stop positions.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate it.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the application of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing a part of the apparatus comprising the controlling valve operated from the transmitting or operating mechanism.

The apparatus shown in the figures illustrates a case where the operating instrument from the bridge or other place of command may be assumed to be the ships telegraph instrument for transmitting orders or communications to the engine room, and where this apparatus operates a receiving instrument in the engine room; and also a part of the apparatus for operating the valve which governs the action of the throttle or like valve operating means, and also the engine reversing gear.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the transmitting instrument worked by the commander of the ship, say from the bridge; and 2 represents the communicating chains or connections, through which motion isv transmitted from the transmitter to the receiving instrument 3 in the engine room, and also to the controlling valvular apparatus; which, in the case illustrated is shown separate from the receiver; the valvular apparatus being connected up to the communicating or motion transmission chains or means 2 by chains or connections 4.

5 represents a power cylinder, the action of which is controlled by this apparatus, and is connected with and operates the throttle or other valve, controlling supply of steam or power to the main engine; and 6 represents a power cylinder controlled by this valvular apparatus, for operating the reversing engine 7, which actuates the reversing gear of the main engine, which may be assumed to be of any well known kind operating upon a Stephenson link motion.

The controlling valve operated from the transmitter 1, in the case shown, consists of a plug valve 10, the plug valve of which has connected with it a spindle 11, on which are fixed chain wheels 12 over which the chains or connections 1 are passed, and by which they are revolved; so that the plug is turned one way or the other according to the direction of movement and actuation of the transmitter 1 and chains 1; and this valve has a pipe 13 connected with it, which is connected up to the source of power, say the condenser of the steam engine with which it is connected, and also two pipes 14, one leading to one end of the throttle valve actuating cylinder 5, and the other to the other end. The ports of this valve 10 will be so arranged and formed that the pipe 13 connected with the condenser will be put in communication with one or other of the pipes 1 1, and so with one or other of the ends of the cylinder 5, slightly before the pointer or indicator of the telegraph comes to the stop position 16 (Fig. 1) the position referred to, in the case shown is marked 17, and represents a stand-by position, one of which is provided on each side of the stop position. The next telegraphic position and order on either side of these two stand-by positions, is the slow position. Thus by the ports and passages of the valve 10 being so arranged as to operate the cylinder 5, when the telegraph apparatus has been moved to about the positions specified, the efieet is that the throttle valve will be closed when the telegraph reaches a stand-by position, and before the telegraph enters the stop position, indicated on the telegraph dial; while when the telegraph indicators or pointers move so as to pass from the stand-by position to the slow position, the ports and passages are so arranged that the piston of the throttle valve actuating cyllinder 5, Will be moved so as to open the throttle valve; and these actions take place when the telegraph pointers or indicators are moving into and out of these positions in either of the ahead field of orders, or the astern field.

The cylinder 6 and its piston, which con trol and efiect the action of the reversing gear cylinder and piston or engine 7 is actuated by a mechanical mechanism consisting of an arm or tappet 20, fixed on the spindle 11 which actuates the valve 10, and operates upon a double armed or yoked lever 21, pivoted at 22, and operating through a rod 23, a valve 2 1; this valve being a species say of piston or slide valve, having pipes 25 connected with its opposite ends,

and with the opposite ends of the cylinder 6; and a pipe 26 connected up with the pipe 13, which leads to the condenser. The valve is so arranged that as it is moved either in one direction or the other, it will, through the pipes 25, put one or the other end of the cylinder (3 in conmiunication with the condenser.

The arm 20 (or projection or pin on it) is adapted to actuate the lever 21, and so the valve 2 and piston of the cylinder (3, when the telegraph is moved from the stop position into the stand-by field, and just prior to the throttle valve cylinder 5 being actuated; and it is only moved when the telegraph moves from the stop position, i. c. not when it is moved into it. For instance, assuming the telegraph is at the stop position, and the lever 21 is in the position shown, having been moved over to the left hand sidewhich say is the ahead direction, and that the telegraph is then moved in the ahead direction. The reversing gear being in the ahca d position, will not be affected; that is, the lever 21 will not be actuated when the telegraphic apparatus is moved. But, as aforesaid, the throttle valve actuating cylinder 5 will be actuated when the telegraph moves from the standby position to the slow position and will remain in this position when the telegraph is in the fields of all the rest of the orders, such as half speed and full speed.

Assuming, however, instead of the engine being moved in the ahead position, the telegraph were moved to the astern field of orders; then, in this case, the arm 20 would strike the right hand arm of the lever 21 before the throttle valve cylinder 5 was actuated by the controlling valve 10; and it will reverse this lever 21, and the valve 24, and move the piston of the cylinder 6 so as to actuate the reversing gear 7 and move it to the opposite direction to that in which it formerly stood; and the c0nditions for running the main engines would thus be reversed; and immediately afterward, the throttle valve 5 would be operated and opened by the valve 10, in the manner above described.

In the case shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, the operating cylinder 6 of the reversing gear actuates the valve for controlling the supply of power applied to and from the actual reversing cylinder 7 through the lever 8, the rod, of distributing valve of the cylinder 7 being marked 9. In the case shown, the actions specified are directly accomplished from the bridge by the commander or person in charge of the ship, both the actions specified, as well as that of the telegraph receiver being actuated from one transmitter 1; but in other cases, the transmitter or controlling instrument for ellecting the actions of the throttle valve, and reversing gear, may be entirely separate from those for operating the telegraph receiving instrument.

In the case just described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the throttle valve will be fully open for the whole part of the movement of the telegraph beyond the slow position to the full speed position in each direction; but in another and modified arrangement and method of working hereunder, the throttle valve will be opened only a certain amount, when the telegraph reaches the slow position; a further amount when it reaches half speed position; and a full amount when it reaches the full speed position. That is to say, in this case, the throttle valve or the reversing gear will be moved a certain and limited amount for each order, so that the engines shall run at the required difi'erent speeds, corresponding with the orders and as required.

The parts or mechanisms used for operating the throttle valve and reversing gear, will have connected with them, a step by step gear or mechanism, so arranged and adapted, and controlled by the telegraph (or an equivalent mechanism) operated from the bridge or place of command, that these parts or mechanisms for operating the throttle or reversing gears will be operated for a limited amount, according to the order or position the telegraph or equivalent mechanism is moved to. V

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the

" throttle valve actuating cylinder and piston or its equivalent, is assumed to be operated by a vacuum, obtained by connecting it up with the condenser of the steam engine, in the case of the invention being applied to steam power.

I am aware that mechanism for controlling the action of engines or motors from a bridge or other place of command of a ship or the like has been hitherto proposed, and I make no general claim for same; but what is claimed as novel in respect of this invention, are the characteristics as a whole, specified in the respective claiming clause concluding the specification.

What is claimed is An apparatus for controlling the operation of engines comprising in combination a throttle-control valve, a gearing-control valve provided with a rocking arm for actuating same, a rotatable spindle, a main valve suitablyconnected with said throttle-control valve and adapted to be operated by said spindle, a swinging lever carried on said spindle and adapted to cooperate with the rocking arm of said gearing-control valve, and means for rotating said spindle whereby when it is moved in one direction the swinging lever cont-acts with said rocking arm to actuate said gearing-control valve and when further moved in the same direction the main valve is operated to actuate said throttle-control valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER ESPLEN.

Witnesses:

SoMERvILLn GooDALL, EDWARD HUGHES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0.

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