January/February 1958
LUCIUS C. SWEET
Alden, Minnesota
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LIKE THE STEAM ENgine itself, the throttling governor was
invented and first used in England. Watts first governor made in
that country, was of crude type without valve and valve chamber
being built integral with the revolving ball assembly, as American
governors were made. It was of the plain, gravity-type head,
usually mounted on the engine frame and was connected to a
butterfly valve which might be placed anywhere on the steam line
leading to the engine, by a rod with suitable linkage to fit the
engine to which it was attached.
It might be said, that a Watt engine was governed by remote
control, as often the governor was located several feet distant
from the butterfly valve. American governor 'builders discarded
the old butterfly valve and substituted a valve of the dual-disc
type and placed this valve in a chamber directly connected with the
governor head itself.
In this country about the first attempt to make a throttling
governor was made by Judson in 1848 at Rochester, New York.
This governor used the gravity-type of ball head, the balls were
of large size and of sufficient weight to pull the governor valve
wide open (whenever the engine throttle was closed) by the force of
gravity alone, no springs were employed in its design to raise the
valve from its seat.
In 1859 Robert Gardner designed a gravity-type governor quite
similar to the old 'Judson' and his governor, known to the
trade as the 'Gardner Standard Governor' was built and sold
by The Gardner Governor Co., of Quincy, Illinois, for many
years.
The two governors named above, were the leaders for years, on
the American market, or until the 'spring type' governor
was developed.
The first 'spring' governor was invented by Thomas
Pickering in Connecticut in the year 1861. Mr. Pickering was a
stationary engineer, running the power plant at a factory in which
steady speed was very desirable. He was not satisfied with the slow
and sluggish action of the 'gravity' governor on his
engine, so he decided' do something about it.
He conceived the idea of using springs to 'spark' the
movement of a governor valve, his first governor used three wooden
springs (of hickory) about sixteen inches long passed through
rectangular slots cut through the center of three wooden croquet
balls, the lower ends of these springs were securely fastened to
the revolving, gear driven spindle of the governor, while the upper
ends were attached rigidly, to a loose sleeve surrounding the
spindle which was free to move vertically on same in obedience to
the inward and outward movement of the governor balls, the valve
stem passed up through the spindle and made contact with the loose,
sliding sleeve near top of the governor, by this means, as the
balls moved outward from center, the valve stem was lowered and the
valve pushed toward its seat.
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