Adjustable centrifugal governor speed control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470232-B2
Application number	US-201214110361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2012
Priority date	Apr 7, 2011
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A rotational speed governor for an air motor comprises a housing, a valve, a shaft, a cross-bar, a plate and a pair of weights. The housing has an air inlet and an air outlet. The valve is disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet. The shaft extends along an axis within the housing. The cross-bar is connected to the shaft. The plate intersects the shaft between the valve and the crossbar. The weights are rotatably connected to the crossbar at pivot points. Each weight comprises an arcuately profiled edge extending beyond the crossbar to engage the plate. The arcuately profiled edges are shaped to increase a moment arm on the plate as the weights pivot away from the shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A centrifugal governor comprising:
a housing;
a valve seat mounted within the housing;
a governor shaft mounted to the housing to rotate along an axis;
a centrifugal arm rotatably linked to the governor shaft at a pivot point so as to be extendable in a radial direction from the axis, the centrifugal arm including an arcuately profiled edge that is non-uniformly disposed with respect to the pivot point; and
a valve stem mechanically resting against the arcuately profiled edge within the housing to engage the valve seat;
a lifting plate through which the governor shaft extends and positioned between the profiled edge and the valve stem;
a first bearing positioned around the governor shaft between a first end of the governor shaft and the housing; and
a second bearing positioned around a second end of the governor shaft between the valve stem and the lifting plate;
wherein rotation of the centrifugal arm displaces the valve stem with respect to the valve seat.

2. The centrifugal governor of claim 1 wherein the governor shaft further comprises:
a crossbar rigidly joined to the governor shaft, the crossbar including the pivot point.

3. The centrifugal governor of claim 1 wherein the centrifugal arm comprises:
a connector portion comprising a plate for joining to the governor shaft at the pivot point; and
a mass portion extending from the connector portion so as to be pivotable away from the governor shaft;
wherein the connector portion includes the arcuately profiled edge.

4. The centrifugal governor of claim 1 wherein the governor shaft extends coaxially into the valve stem, and the valve stem extends coaxially into the valve seat.

5. The centrifugal governor of claim 1 and further comprising:
a crossbar rigidly joined to the governor shaft;
a first centrifugal arm pivotably joined to the crossbar at a first pivot point such that a first profiled edge extends beyond the crossbar towards the valve stem; and
a second centrifugal arm pivotably joined to the crossbar at a second pivot point such that a second profiled edge extends beyond the crossbar towards the valve stem.

6. The centrifugal governor of claim 1 wherein the valve seat is adjustably mounted to the housing to change a distance the centrifugal arm can displace the valve stem.

7. A centrifugal governor comprising:
a housing;
a valve seat mounted within the housing;
a governor shaft mounted to the housing to rotate along an axis;
a centrifugal arm rotatably linked to the governor shaft at a pivot point so as to be extendable in a radial direction from the axis, the centrifugal arm including an arcuately profiled edge that is non-uniformly disposed with respect to the pivot point;
a valve stem mechanically resting against the arcuately profiled edge within the housing to engage the valve seat and including a cam mounted to the housing in a socket offset from the axis to prevent rotation of the valve stem;
a lifting plate through which the governor shaft extends and positioned between the profiled edge and the valve stem and including a slot in which the arcuately profiled edge rides so that the lifting plate rotates with the governor shaft; and
wherein rotation of the centrifugal arm displaces the valve stem with respect to the valve seat and wherein the governor shaft extends coaxially into the valve stem, and the valve stem extends coaxially into the valve seat.

8. A centrifugal governor comprising:
a housing;
a valve seat mounted within the housing;
a cap having a bore coupled to the housing to contain the valve seat within the housing;
a valve seat post threaded into the bore in the cap;
a knob joined to the valve seat post to rotate the valve seat;
a governor shaft mounted to the housing to rotate along an axis;
a centrifugal arm rotatably linked to the governor shaft at a pivot point so as to be extendable in a radial direction from the axis, the centrifugal arm including an arcuately profiled edge that is non-uniformly disposed with respect to the pivot point; and
a valve stem mechanically resting against the arcuately profiled edge within the housing to engage the valve seat;
wherein the valve seat is adjustably mounted to the housing to change a distance the centrifugal arm can displace the valve stem.

9. A centrifugal governor comprising:
a housing;
a valve seat mounted within the housing;
a governor shaft mounted to the housing to rotate along an axis;
a centrifugal arm rotatably linked to the governor shaft at a pivot point so as to be extendable in a radial direction from the axis, the centrifugal arm including an arcuately profiled edge that is non-uniformly disposed with respect to the pivot point;
a valve stem mechanically resting against the arcuately profiled edge within the housing to engage the valve seat;
a channel extending through the valve seat from a first end to a second end;
an inlet extending into the housing so as to be fluidly coupled to the first end of the channel; and
an outlet extending into the housing so as to be fluidly coupled to the second end of the channel;
wherein rotation of the centrifugal arm displaces the valve stem with respect to the valve seat and wherein the arcuately profiled edge is configured to rotate to push the valve stem into the channel between the first end and the second end to restrict airflow from the inlet to the outlet.

10. A rotational speed governor for an air motor, the governor comprising:
a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet;
a shaft extending along an axis within the housing;
a crossbar connected to the shaft;
a plate intersecting the shaft; and
a valve disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet, the valve comprising:
a valve seat disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet, the vale seat including a channel;
a valve stem engaged with the plate and having a stem post extending towards the channel of the valve seat;
wherein the valve seat is adjustable with respect to the housing so as to change a distance between the stem post and the channel;

a pair of weights rotatably connected to the crossbar at pivot points, each weight comprising a profiled edge extending beyond the crossbar to engage the plate, the profiled edges being shaped to increase a moment arm on the plate as the weights pivot away from the shaft;
a first bearing positioned around the shaft between a first end of the shaft and the housing; and
a second bearing positioned around the shaft at a second end between the valve stem and the plate;
wherein the plate intersects the shaft between the valve stem and the crossbar; and
wherein the shaft extends coaxially into the valve stem, and the valve stem extends coaxially into the valve seat.

11. The rotational speed governor of claim 10 wherein the profiled edges are arcuate and non-uniformly disposed with respect to the pivot points.

12. The rotational speed governor of claim 10 wherein each weight comprises:
a connector portion comprising a plate for joining to the crossbar at the pivot points; and
a mass portion extending from the connector portion so as to be pivotable away from the shaft;
wherein the connector portion includes the profiled edge.

13. A centrifugal governor comprising:
a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet;
a valve disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet;
a shaft extending along an axis within the housing;
a crossbar connected to the shaft;
a plate intersecting the shaft between the valve and the crossbar and including a slot;
a pair of weights rotatably connected to the crossbar at pivot points, each weight comprising a profiled e

Assignees

• Bullock Geoffrey Alexander
• Ingebrand John Russell
• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Bullock Geoffrey Alexander
• Ingebrand John Russell

Classifications

• F04D17/00 Primary

  Radial-flow pumps, e.g. centrifugal pumps; Helico-centrifugal pumps (F04D21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01F15/00525

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F01C20/24 Primary

  characterised by using valves for controlling pressure or flow rate, e.g. discharge valves (F01C20/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01C1/344

  with vanes reciprocating with respect to the inner member · CPC title

• G05D13/10

  Centrifugal governors with fly-weights · CPC title