Control System for synchronizing engines

Claim 2

Apparatus for use in correcting speed and/or phase differences between a master engine and at least one slave engine characterized by means for connection to said master and said slave engines operative to sense and continuously compare the speed and phase relation thereof comprising means producing an output signal corresponding to any difference in the speed and/or phase relation of said master and said slave engines, in the operation thereof, said last named means including means effective to produce said signal in a modulated form in the event that the difference in the speed or out-of-phase relation of said engines is below a predetermined level, and means for receiving and directing said signal in a form applicable to induce the correction necessary to eliminate the indicated speed and/or phase difference in the operation of said engines.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized by said receiving means including a circuit having at least two channels one of which is operative to receive and route therethrough only those signals indicative of overspeed of said slave engine and the other of which is operative to receive and route therethrough only those signals which are indicative of underspeed of said slave engine.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 characterized by said receiving means including means which evaluate the level of signals received in said channels and route them accordingly.

Claim 5

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 characterized in that said receiving means includes speed servo means and phase servo means which are operatively connected to receive a signal transmitted through one of said channels by way of means providing that the phase servo means and speed servo means mutually or singly respond in accordance with the nature and/or level of the signal.

Claim 6

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 characterized by said receiving means including a circuit embodying at least two channels for transmitting said signal, one of which two channels is adapted to receive signals indicative of an overspeed relation and the other of which is adapted to receive signals indicative of an underspeed relation of said slave engine with respect to said master engine and means embodied in said receiving means in connection with said channels operative on receipt of a first said signal to block the passage of potentially interfering signals through said channels until the speed and/or phase difference indicated by said first signal is corrected.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said receiving means includes a circuit embodying a plurality of channels each of which is arranged to selectively accept a particular type of said signal and to reject others, and in that speed servo means and phase servo means are provided in connection with said channels to singly or plurally receive and further direct the signal received in accordance with and dependent on the nature and level of the signal.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 6 characterized by means interposed between said channels and said speed servo means to block the flow of a signal to said speed servo means which is representative of a difference in speed between said slave engine and said master engine which is below a predetermined level, means providing for the routing of the signal so blocked to operate said phase servo means and means utilizing the action of said speed servo means and/or said phase servo means to produce an output signal capable of initiating a corrective action in correspondence with the level of the signal which is transmitted through one of said channels.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 1 characterized by said means for connection to said master and said slave engines including a timing generator embodying shaft means for connection with and drive by said master engine, which shaft means mounts a slip ring having conductive and non-conductive portions, brushes having a circumferentially spaced contacting relation with the conductive portion of said slip ring one of which connects to a source of power and the other of which is connected to a pair of brushes in circumferentially spaced contact with a conductive portion of a second slip ring driven by further shaft means adapted for connection with and drive by said slave engine, said second slip ring including a segment of its outer periphery made of non-conductive material having normally in contact therewith a further pair of circumferentially spaced brushes which on contact thereof by a conductive portion of said second slip ring will selectively transmit an appropriate signal of an underspeed or overspeed and/or out-of-phase operation if said slave engine with reference to said master engine, said receiving means being characterized by a circuit having at least two channels one of which is operative to receive and route therethrough only signals indicative of overspeed of said slave engine and the other of which is operative to receive and route therethrough only signals indicative of underspeed of said slave engine and said further brushes in contact with said second slip ring being respectively connected to one of said channels.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 8 characterized in that said second slip ring includes circumferentially spaced conductive portions bridged by means providing that signals of differences in speed and/or phase relation of said engines, in the operation thereof, which are below a predetermined level will be modulated in the production thereof.

Claim 11

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said means for receiving and directing said signal has in connection with the output portion thereof a governor incorporating magnetic biasing means having in operative connection therewith means for eliminating the indicated speed and/or phase difference in the operation of said engines, in correspondence with the form of the signal appearing at the output of said receiving means.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 10 characterized in that means are provided to establish a reference current value in said magnetic biasing means, which current value is changed in correspondence with the nature and level of the signal transmitted to said magnetic biasing means by way of said receiving means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 11 characterized by said means in operative connection with said magnetic biasing means including valve means within said governor, which valve means are adapted for operative connection to said slave engine and so as to be placed in a null position in correspondence with a synchronized condition or operation of said master and said slave engines, flyweight means in said governor arranged for operative connection with said slave engine and to rotate in correspondence with the condition of operation thereof, said flyweight means being simultaneously in operative connection with said valve means and said magnetic biasing means to normally balance in correspondence with the said null position of said valve means when said engines are operating in a synchronized condition, and said flyweight means being oriented to have tip portions thereof adjacent said magnetic biasing means and arranged to respond to a change in the current value of said magnetic biasing means to adjust said valve means, which are conditioned thereby to apply the necessary influence to produce a correction of an out-of-synchronized condition of said slave engine with reference to said master engine.

Claim 14

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 characterized by said receiving means including means for selectively routing said signal through said receiving means, in accordance with the nature of the necessary correction indicated thereby, to an output portion thereof by way of means functioning to block interfering signals.

Claim 15

Apparatus for use in correcting speed differences between, and/or an out-of-phase relation of, a master engine and a slave engine characterized by means for connection to said master and said slave engines operative to sense and continually compare the speed and phase relation thereof comprising means for producing an output signal corresponding to any difference in their speed and/or an out-of-phase relation thereof, and means for receiving and directing said signal in a form applicable to induce the correction necessary to eliminate the indicated speed difference and/or out-of-phase operation of said engines, said receiving means including a circuit embodying a plurality of channels each of which is arranged to selectively accept a particular type of said signal and reject others.

Claim 16

Apparatus for use in correcting speed differences between, and/or an out-of-phase relation of, a master engine and a slave engine characterized by means for connection to said master and said slave engines operative to sense and continually compare the speed and phase relation thereof comprising means for producing an output signal corresponding to any difference in their speed and/or an out-of-phase relation thereof, and means for receiving and directing said signal in a form applicable to induce the correction necessary to eliminate the indicated speed difference and/or out-of-phase operation of said engines, said receiving means including a circuit embodying a plurality of channels each of which is arranged to selectively accept a particular type of said signal and reject others.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 14 wherein said plurality of channels include two channels one of which is operative to receive and route therethrough only those signals indicative of overspeed of said slave engine and the other of which is operative to receive and route therethrough only those signals which are indicative of underspeed of said slave engine.

Claim 18

Apparatus as in claim 14 wherein said receiving and directing means incorporates means functioning on receipt of a first signal accepted by one of said channels to block interfering signals from passage through said channels until said first signal is routed through and from said receiving and directing means to effect a correction of the out-of-synchronized condition of said engines represented by said first signal.

Claim 19

Apparatus as set forth in claim 14 characterized in that said receiving and directing means includes speed servo means and phase servo means in connection with said channels providing that said servo means singly or plurally receive and further direct the signal received in accordance with and dependent on the nature and level of said signal.

Claim 20

Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said means for connection to said master engine and said slave engine comprise a timing generator including shaft means adapted for connection with said master engine and drive thereby, said shaft means mounting a slip ring, said slip ring including a conductive portion having in bearing circularly spaced contact therewith a pair of brushes one of which is adapted for connection with a source of power, the position of said slip ring with reference to said brushes being indicative of the output speed of said master engine, the other of said pair of brushes being electrically connected with a second pair of brushes, a second slip ring including conductive and non-conductive segments in the circular extent thereof, said second pair of brushes being in continuous bearing contact with a conductive segment of said second slip ring, a third pair of brushes normally, upon a synchronized condition of said master and slave engines, being engaged in a bearing contact with a non-conductive portion of said second slip ring, said second slip ring being adapted to move circularly with reference to said third pair of brushes in response to an underspeed, overspeed or out-of-phase condition of said slave engine with reference to said master engine to provide that a portion of a conductive segment thereof is brought into contact with one of said third pair of brushes, whereupon to produce a resulting signal which is in direct correspondence with and representative of the overspeed or underspeed and/or out-of-phase condition of said slave engine with reference to said master engine.

Claim 21

Apparatus as in claim 18 characterized in that the conductive segment of said second slip ring which is continuously engaged by said second pair of brushes is a first arcuate segment thereof the extent of which is greater than 180° and in that said second slip ring includes further conductive segments which are circumferentially spaced from each of the respective ends of said first arcuate segment and separated therefrom by non-conductive segments of said second slip ring and from each other by a further non-conductive segment of said second slip ring, said first arcuate segment and the adjacent end spaced further conductive segments of said second slip ring being bridged by conductive means to provide that the engagement of one of said third pair of brushes with one of said further conductive segments will produce an output signal which is modulated to indicate a low level of overspeed or underspeed and/or out-of-phase condition of said slave engine with respect to said master engine.

Claim 22

Apparatus for detecting an out-of-synchronized condition of a master engine and a slave engine comprising a timing generator including shaft means adapted for connection with the master engine and drive thereby, said shaft means mounting a slip ring including a conductive portion having in bearing contact therewith a pair of circularly spaced brushes one of which is adapted for connection to a source of power, the position of said conductive portion with reference to said brushes corresponding to the output speed of said master engine, the other of said brushes being electrically connected to a second pair of brushes, a second slip ring including conductive and non-conductive segments having a conductive segment thereof in continuous bearing contact with said second pair of brushes, a third pair of brushes normally, in a synchronized condition of said master and slave engines, being in contact with a non-conductive segment of said second slip ring, said second slip ring mounting to shaft means adapted to be connected with and driven by said slave engine, said second slip ring being adapted, on the occurrence of an overspeed or underspeed and/or out-of-phase relation of said slave engine with reference to said master engine, in accordance with the degree thereof, to move with reference to said third pair of brushes to cause an appropriate conductive segment thereof to come into contact with one of said third pair of brushes, producing an output signal by way thereof which is directly representative of the nature and degree of the overspeed or underspeed and/or out-of-phase condition of said slave engine with reference to said master engine.

Claim 23

Apparatus for detecting an out-of-synchronized condition of a master engine and a slave engine comprising a timing generator including shaft means adapted for connection with the master engine and drive thereby, said shaft means mounting a slip ring including a conductive portion having in bearing contact therewith a pair of circularly spaced brushes one of which is adapted for connection to a source of power, the position of said conductive portion with reference to said brushes corresponding to the output speed of said master engine, the other of said brushes being electrically connected to a second pair of brushes, a second slip ring including conductive and non-conductive segments having a conductive segment thereof in continuous bearing contact with said second pair of brushes, a third pair of brushes normally, in a synchronized condition of said master and slave engines, being in contact with a non-conductive segment of said second slip ring, said second slip ring mounting to shaft means adapted to be connected with and driven by said slave engine, said second slip ring being adapted, on the occurrence of an overspeed or underspeed and/or out-of-phase relation of said slave engine with reference to said master engine, in accordance with the degree thereof, to move with reference to said third pair of brushes to cause an appropriate conductive segment thereof to come into contact with one of said third pair of brushes, producing an output signal by way thereof which is directly representative of the nature and degree of the overspeed or underspeed and/or out-of-phase condition of said slave engine with reference to said master engine.

Claim 24

Apparatus as in claim 20 wherein said conductive segment of said second slip ring in continuous bearing contact with said second pair of brushes is a segment thereof the arcuate extent of which is greater than 180° and said second slip ring includes further conductive segments which are circumferentially spaced beyond each of the respective ends of said first arcuate segment and separated therefrom by non-conductive segments of said second slip ring and from each other by a further non-conductive segment of said second slip ring, said first arcuate segment and the adjacent end spaced further conductive segments of said second slip ring being bridged by conductive means to provide that the engagement of one of said third brushes with one of said further conductive segments will produce an output signal which is modulated to be indicative of a low level of overspeed or underspeed and/or out-of-phase condition of said slave engine with reference to said master engine.