Corliss Steam-Engine Governor, Patent Model

Description:

This model was submitted to the U.S. Patent Office with the application for the patent issued to George H. Corliss, August 8, 1882, no. 262209.

The model represents a flyball governor in which the motion of the slide, owing to a change in the speed of the engine to which the governor is attached, not only changes the position of the cut-off or throttle devices to regulate the speed of the engine but also changes the gear ratio between the engine and the governor to change the speed of the governor relative to the speed of the engine.

When the governor speed is increased by an increase in the speed of the engine, the balls rise and communicate motion to a slide, which, in turn, affects the throttle or cut-off to return the engine to its lower speed. At the same time the motion of the slide shifts a friction roller on its driving disk so that the governor speed is increased relative to the engine causing an additional motion of the slide in the same direction. As a result, the governor slide is given a greater motion for a given change in speed than would otherwise result.

Reference:

This description comes from the 1939 Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States Museum Bulletin 173 by Frank A. Taylor.

Date Made: 1882Patent Date: 1882-08-08

Inventor: Corliss, George H.

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United States: Rhode IslandAssociated Place: United States: Rhode Island, Providence

See more items in: Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Bulletin 173, Engineering, Building, and Architecture, Work, Industry & Manufacturing

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Related Publication: Frank A. Taylor. Catalog of the Mechanical Collections of the Division of Engineering United States National Museum, Bulletin 173

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: MC.308715Catalog Number: 308715Accession Number: 89797Patent Number: 262,209

Object Name: governor, engine, modelpatent model, governor, steam engineObject Type: Patent Model

Physical Description: brass (overall material)wood (overall material)Measurements: overall: 7 1/2 in x 4 1/4 in x 6 1/2 in; 19.05 cm x 10.795 cm x 16.51 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a6-8819-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_847464

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.