Early style Judson Steam Throttling Governor.

Lester Bowman · Jul 25, 2021

I haven't posted here for awhile due to Covid ( which so far I have escaped ) and getting ready for retirement and other events. But I did use the time to create pattern's for a smaller version of the first generation Judson patented throttling governor. The castings are on their way back from Cat Tail Foundry. I have prepared the shop for this long term project finally managing to clean the shop of sawdust and shavings.

These pics show a governor loaned to me by Greg Johnson a member of this site. Thanks Greg

I made full size working drawings using this as a pattern then scaled the drawings to accept either 1/4 " or 3/8" NPT in the bosses. This early steam governor has all the ribs and rounds and decorative additions all turned and polished. The patterns show these details a bit oversize to allow for this machining.

Rather than use " loose " patterns I opted this time to mount them to a Match Plate. The body is cored so you can also see the Core Box.

I'll update periodically to show my progress. After they are finished I intend to use my retirement to finish some of these steam engine projects I have... and many other things besides

220swift · Jul 25, 2021

Thanks for sharing. Pattern making is always interesting, almost a lost art.
Keep us posted on your progress.

Hal

Brian Smith · Jul 26, 2021

Looking forward to your updates, Lester.

Lester Bowman · Jul 26, 2021

Here we go

Castings arrived today mostly Cast Iron but a couple sets in Silicon Bronze just for the challenge. Next step is to sort through these and choose the best using the lesser pieces as trial pieces. Most of the castings turned out very nice with sharp detail. All these need fettling and cleaning up first. This will take awhile. I very glad the coring went well on all the body's.

Everything has a " chucking " piece added except the pulley's. It is mostly lathe work on a project like this. The drawing shows what the finished governor's will look like. The valve is a "semi balanced" valve of fairly simple construction.

These are simple projects but very time consuming and somewhat labor intense with all the polishing and turning to do. A good project nevertheless. Now you have seen my progress. It'll be awhile before I show more

Lester Bowman · Jan 22, 2022

A few pics of the progress thus far. I was relieved when I reached the stage where the 1/8" Silver steel test pin slid smoothly down through the assembly's showing excellent alignment. Chucking piece's on the castings are essential when making pattern's. The top hanger where the ball hinges still show the chucking piece in the last photo.

Still much to do. Some of it has been a challenge. The Silicon Bronze parts all ream tighter fit than the cast iron. We'll get there in the end

CalG · Jan 22, 2022

Those are looking very nice!

On first pass, I doubted the ability for the pour run into that bow framed center piece.

But that came out just fine in both materials from the pics.

NICE!

Lester Bowman · Jan 23, 2022

I was fortunate in finding another early Judson in 1/2" npt with a bronze body. Obviously it has issue's but should be a straight forward restoration. I can use the existing piece's adding to them for the new casting.

What makes this one interesting is how the valve body is marked. On one side it has the standard Judson and Son, Rochester NY marking. The other side is marked F.O. Babbitt and E.U.Whippitt (?)The last letter is obliterated and cannot be made out.

I could find no direct reference to either name or to a manufacturer of steam engines with such a name. Isaac Babbitt is known as the originator of Babbitt bearing alloy but seems to have no connection to F.O.Babbitt. I would appreciate very much any additional information on these particular names.

Asquith · Jan 23, 2022

I'm going to suggest that the name is E. U. Whipple

I commissioned Mrs Asquith to find a possible match, and she came up with an Ernest Ulysses Whipple, 1870-1945. In 1908 he was a machinist in Medford (Mass.?). In 1930 he was lodging in Pitsfield, Mass, occupation not stated.

Lester Bowman · Jan 23, 2022

Thank you Asquith and the Mrs, too. Sure gives me something to go on. It is very unusual for a steam governor to be marked this way. Maybe more research will uncover the significance.

Jim Christie · Jan 23, 2022

Here are some links from a search I tried

Farm implement news. c.1 v.7 1886. - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library
Journal of the Franklin Institute - Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, Pa.) - Google Books
Full-text Search Results | HathiTrust Digital Library

Maybe with the links found my Mrs. Asquith something more might turn up .
There are several Patents under the Whipple name but none with the initials E.U. that I found so far.
Jim

Lester Bowman · Mar 29, 2022

Just a bit more progress. Miter gears and shafts fitted. Balls are in a finished state. Now comes the Pivot arms. One of these days these will be finished and I can play with steam engines again. Playing with my balls grew wearisome..

jim rozen · Mar 30, 2022

Truly a labor of love here. Amazing stuff.

1) is the "Judson" related to the supercharger folks?

2) the fancy turning on the body of the instrument: form tools?

Lester Bowman · Mar 30, 2022

Hi Jim.

I'm unaware of any connection to the Supercharger reference. I believe Judson went the way of other steam governor companies but I'm not positive. I've spent many an hour looking back.. but failed to look forward in Judson history

All the turning was done on a 10" Logan using using a combination of a quick change and Carbide or Lantern toolpost using 1/4" High speed steel. I ground roughly twenty quarter inch bits to get the profiles. Some were left/right, others singular in shape.

Through it all I planned everything to maintain centricity of the parts using fixtures to hold parts while machining. Also the parts maintain centricity by a register between the mounting flange. It has been a rewarding project thus far. Lots of Face Plate work here.

jim rozen · Mar 30, 2022

Not sure if they're related, but:

The Judson Supercharger: history and technics

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/judson-superchargers

Home - Judson Supercharger Guru

The first link mentions the 1880s as when they first began manufacturing mechanical devices.

Lester Bowman · Apr 13, 2022

Here is an interesting link to this style of governor fitted with a Patented drive pulley.

Judson and Cogswell Governor, Patent Model | National Museum of American History

Second link shows the Patent for their later governor dated 1886. I also have one of these governors in 1/2" NPT.

US Patent: 349,847 - Governor

Pics of my 1886 Judson Governor.

Last pic shows the earlier Judson which precedes the 1886 Patent... which the small governors are patterned after.

Maltesehunter · Apr 13, 2022

The building still stands where these governors were made:

From Eyesore to Opportunity: Parazin Building – Landmark Society

M.B. Naegle · Apr 13, 2022

Very nice work! And cool to know it was done on a little ol' Logan. Had a couple for a few years and always liked them.

Lester Bowman · Apr 21, 2022

Balls need a bit more refinement in finish. Ball pivot levers are profiled and threaded. The unthreaded portion of the pivot arm will fit into a slight counterbore in the ball itself to hide the threaded portion.

My Die filer came in very handy making these small Pivot arms

Not shown are the four Silicon Bronze Balls and the Hard Drawn Brass Pivot arms. These are finished as well.

Assembly requires an assembly Jig to ensure each are identical in terms of center lines and arm angle. I will probably use JB Weld or Loctite when setting the Pivot thread depth into the balls.

Afterwards I have a bunch of small parts to make plus the valves which will be made of Phosphor Bronze. The last castings to be machined are the drive pulleys. It will be a huge step reaching a point where I can begin assembling these little governors.

jim rozen · Apr 21, 2022

Did you have the pivot arms EDM'd?

Lester Bowman · Apr 21, 2022

Hello Jim. No.. I thought about EDM but being retired I have more time then money. Also keeping in the spirit of old time machine work I did it the hard way. I used a pin in the predrilled and reamed blank to locate a template I made. A series of center lines and tiny holes in the template helped to make sure everything lined up. I thought of making a fixture for the milling machine machining them all at once but weighed the time involved in that against roughing them individually to shape so.. labor intense but I felt it was easier.

I had to have a set of centers on each blank so I could cut the 1/4-28 threads on the lathe. I used a bandsaw to rough shape the blanks and a thin grinding wheel to get closer.. then my Die filer. Here is a pic showing the Bronze balls after grinding. After each was " filed to line" on the Die Filer I used needle files to blend and clean up followed by emery cloth. I was glad when the arms were finished !

Early style Judson Steam Throttling Governor.

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