Governor control mechanism

Claim 1

IN A POWER PLANT INCLUDING AN ENGINE AND A POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM DRIVEN THEREBY, SAID POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM INCLUDING AN OUTPUT SHAFT DRIVINGLY CONNECTABLE TO A VARIABLE LOAD AND HAVING OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS WHEREBY THE SPEED OF THE OUTPUT SHAFT TENDS TO DECREASE WITH THE APPLICATION OF LOAD THERETO MORE RAPIDLY THAN THE SPEED OF THE ENGINE: A CONTROL MECHANISM COMPRISING FUEL SUPPLY MEANS FOR SUPPLYING VARIABLE AMOUNTS OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE AND INCLUDING A CONTROL MEMBER MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OFF POSITION IN WHICH IT CONDITIONS SAID SUPPLY MEANS TO SUBSTANTIALLY CUT OFF THE SUPPLY OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE, AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION IN WHICH IT CAUSES FUEL TO BE SUPPLIED TO THE ENGINE AT A RESTRICTED RATE PERMITTING SAID ENGINE TO OPERATE AT A LOW IDLING SPEED, AND AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH IT CONDITIONS SAID FUEL SUPPLY MEANS TO SUPPLY FUEL TO THE ENGINE AT A MAXIMUM RATE, MEANS FOR NORMALLY BIASING SAID FUEL SUPPLY CONTROL MEMBER TOWARD ITS OPEN POSITION, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE SPEED OF THE ENGINE AND OPERABLY CONNECTED TO ACTUATE SAID FUEL SUPPLY CONTROL MEMBER IN A DECREASING FUEL DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID OPEN AND INTERMEDIATE FUEL SUPPLY CONTROLLING POSITIONS IN OPPOSITION TO SAID BIASING MEANS TO VARY THE ENGINE FUEL SUPPLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH DEVIATIONS FROM A SELECTIVELY ESTABLISHED ENGINE SPEED TO MAINTAIN SUCH ESTABLISHED ENGINE SPEED, SAID ENGINE SPEED RESPONSIVE MEANS INCLUDING MEAND FOR SELECTIVELY ESTABLISHING THE ENGINE SPEED FROM WHICH DEVIATIONS RENDER SAID ENGINE SPEED RESPONSIVE MEANS EFFECTIVE TO ACTUATE SAID FUEL SUPPLY CONTROL MEMBER, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE SPEED OF THE OUTPUT SHAFT AND INCLUDING AN OUTPUT MEMBER MOVABLE IN RESPONSES TO DEVIATIONS FROM A SELECTIVELY ESTABLISHED SPEED OF SAID OUTPUT SHAFT, A CONTROL ELEMENT MOVABLE THROUGH AN OPERATING ZONE BETWEEN A FIRST AND SECOND POSITION AND OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SELECTIVELY ESTABLISH THE OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED FROM WHICH DEVIATIONS EFFECT MOVEMENT OF SAID OUTPUT MEMBER, AND MEANS OPERABLY CONNECTING SAID ENGINE SPEED SELECTING MEANS TO THE OUTPUT MEMBER OF SAID OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED RESPONSIVE MEANS, WHEREBY SAID FUEL SUPPLY CONTROL MEMBER IS ACTUATED ALTERNATIVELY IN A FUEL INCREASING OR DECREASING DIRECTION BY SAID BIASING AND ENGINE SPEED RESPONSIVE MEANS BETWEEN SAID INTERMEDIATE AND OPEN FUEL SUPPLY CONTROLLING POSITIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACTUATION OF SAID ENGINE SPEED SELECTING MEANS BY SAID SHAFT SPEED RESPONSIVE OUTPUT MEMBER INDICATING RESPECTIVELY A DECREASING OR INCREASING SPEED DEVIATION FROM THE SELECTIVELY ESTABLISHED OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED TO THEREBY MAINTAIN THE OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED SELECTIVELY ESTABLISHED BY THE POSITIONING OF THE OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED CONTROL ELEMENT IN SAID OPERATING ZONE.