Double acting Double cylinder Oscillator

[crueby]

Thats going to be great!

[Brian Rupnow]

Doing a bit of "real time" testing here to see if the governor is spinning fast enough to take advantage of it's full range of motion with the engine running at a reasonable rpm.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocC4o6EXrfw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocC4o6EXrfw</a>

[zeeprogrammer]

Very neat! 

Is there a link to the origins of your governor?

[Brian Rupnow]

Very neat! 

Is there a link to the origins of your governor?

Zee---This is the link
https://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/threads/3-ball-governor.9474/

[Brian Rupnow]

Very interesting result this morning. I tried exactly the same test this morning (as shown in the video) but with the compression spring removed from the stem post. This gave full movement of the governor arms as I wanted, and made the governor much more responsive at a lower speed. Gravity seemed sufficient to return the balls into "low speed" mode when I slowed down the engine. The only thing I am absolutely sure of after dicking around with mechanisms like this for 50 years---Gravity only works when you are watching it. As soon as you turn your back, something screws up. I'm off now to buy a lighter compression spring.

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks for the link Brian.

[Brian Rupnow]

I have spent the entire day fitting the governor to the engine, building and mounting a bend pulley, and changing out the spring on the stem-post for a lighter spring. I'm happy with the results so far, but it has eaten an entire day to get to this stage.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xsOk4-D2zY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xsOk4-D2zY</a>

[zeeprogrammer]

I'm happy with the results so far, but it has eaten an entire day to get to this stage.

A day well spent I'm thinking. It's a neat looking governor.

What are the advantages to this design versus the traditional two-ball governor?

[Brian Rupnow]

Zee----Non really. I just think they look neater.---Brian

[zeeprogrammer]

Zee----Non really. I just think they look neater.---Brian

Works for me! 

[MJM460]

Hi Brian, I'm with Zee, a great days work.  And well worth the time experimenting to get that spring stiffness right.

I think you will find that the three ball design means you get the force from three balls under centrifugal force instead of two.  This should give you about fifty percent more force to operate the throttle valve.  This may make all the difference if you have a gland on the throttle valve that is a bit tight in order to seal.

Similarly, with the governor shaft vertical, gravity is holding all then balls downwards, so the governor has to spin faster to force the ball weights outwards.  If the shaft is horizontal, gravity helps the balls move out while below the centre line but tends to hold them in in the top half of the revolution, so reducing the average effect of the weights.  I would expect this to make for a more sensitive governor at low speed, but probably less force available to operate the throttle valve, and perhaps less stable.

A great thread,

MJM460

[Brian Rupnow]

Either the parts are getting more complicated or else I'm getting slower.---Probably both!!! I made the new front end for the governor (which will be part of the steam valve), and made the brass bushing that lines it. In the middle of all that my lathe quit, and when I went to check the glass fuse the entire fuse holder fell apart in my hands.---Fortunately for me, I knew that they had plastic fuse holder assemblies at Sayal electronics across town, so I went over there, bought one, brought it home and after a little soldering and finessing my lathe was up and running again.

[Brian Rupnow]

I spent 8 hours today doing a 1 1/2 hour job. BAH!! HUMBUG!! OINK!!! The steam valve started out with a center rod 3/16" diameter.--It leaked. Then we went for a 7/32" center rod---it leaked. Then we tried a 1/4" center rod---it leaked. Finally I went with a 9/32" center rod and it leaks such a small amount that I think it is acceptable. And of course every time I went up 1/32" in rod diameter I had to go up 1/32" in reamer size for the rod to fit into. Days like today I wish I had taken up needlepoint as a hobby instead of machining.

[Brian Rupnow]

I'm pleased to report that the governor works quite well on this engine. For projects that were built 3 or 4 years apart and never intended to run together, they work together quite well. I have some clean-up work to do and some pivot pins to shorten, and then I will make a video to post.---Brian

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hi Brian,

Looks real good on top of the engine, great job.

Have a great day,
Thomas