Patent GB-780945-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to sealing glands
Inventor: RICHARDS ARTHUR BRUCE FRASER G
IPC: F16L5/02
Filed: 1954-10-18
Abstract: 780,945. Stuffing-box substitutes. BRITISH INSULATED CALLENDER'S CABLES, Ltd. Oct. 17, 1955 [Oct. 18, 1954], No. 29985/54. Class 122 (5). A sealing gland for limiting the escape of fluid under pressure from a vessel through an outlet in its wall during the passage of a cable therethrough comprises an inner housing or cartridge which is removably positioned in an outer housing -r gland body and retained therein by releasable means, and, mounted in the cartridge, one or more soft rubber bushes which are apertured for the passage of the cable and under the action of fluid pressure applied to their external surfaces are pressed into engagement with the cable. As applied to continuous vulcanizing apparatus for rubbercovered cables, the gland is fitted at the outlet of a vulcanizing tube or cooling tube or between two such tubes, and in one arrangement (Fig. 1, not shown) is constructed as shown in Fig. 1 of Specification 780,946, the cartridge being secured in the gland body either by a screw-threaded cap or bayonet joint ; as in the other Specification, fluid pressure supplied through an inlet in the gland body presses a soft rubber ring against a soft rubber bush surrounding the cable. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the gland body 19 is connected between a vulcanizing tube 33, to which steam is fed, and a water cooling tube 2. The cartridge 1 is clamped in the body 19 by a cap 34 which serves as a screw-threaded coupling between the body and tube 2 and forces an annular abutment 39 on a metal bush 37 into engagement with the cartridge. Cooling water is supplied to the tube 2 through an inlet 42 and longitudinal passage 43 in the body 19, annular cavity 44 surrounding the bush and radial passages 45 in the latter. A sealing ring 47 in a recess in the cartridge prevents the leakage into the cooling water system of pressure fluid supplied through an inlet 17 for sealing the rubber bush against the cable. In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the gland body 50 is mounted between the tube 33, to which steam is fed through an inlet 56, and tube 2 to which cooling water is supplied through an inlet 53, annular recess 59 between the body 50 and cartridge 119, and radial holes 63 in the cartridge. The cartridge, which is generally similar to that shown in Fig. 4 of Specification 780,946, is provided at its inner end with two axially-spaced tapered surfaces 51, 52 engaging a tapered bore in the body 50 so as to provide fluid-tight seals. Pressure fluid for compressing the inner rubber bush on to the cable is supplied through an inlet 54 leading to the space between the surfaces 51, 52 and thence through oblique passages 55. The cartridge is retained in the body by a clamping ring 65 which is screw-threaded on the tube 2 and has an outer sleeve 66 slidable over the outer end of the body and an inner sleeve 67 bearing against the end of the cartridge ; the joint between the ring 65 and end of the gland body is made by a U ring 84 which is open to fluid pressure from the recess 59 through a clearance space. The ring 65 is drawn on to the gland body by a claw coupling comprising a sleeve 74 which can be rotated relatively to the body so that circumferentiallyspaced ribs 71 on a ring 72 secured to the sleeve engage correspondingly-positioned cams 68 on the body and cause a flange 75 on the sleeve to urge the ring axially to clamping position. The cartridge is locked against removal so long as the gland is under fluid pressure by causing a detent 86 to engage a serrated surface on the ring 72 ; fluid tapped from either the cooling water inlet or pressure fluid supply to the interior of the cartridge is led to a cylinder 87 to urge the detent to locking position. The whole gland is enclosed in a removable cylinder 94 which is provided with a drain outlet 99 and, at the inlet end, an end wall 96 secured to a sleeve 97 slidable on a tubular jacket 98 which surrounds the tube 33 and is closed by an end flange 100 ; this arrangement may be modified by ending both the tube 33 and jacket 98 at the flange 100 and providing the gland body with a flange whereby it may be bolted to the flange 100. The cartridge has a number of radial pegs extending outwardly into engagement with a shallow key way in the gland body, and the correct location of the soft rubber bush in the cartridge is provided by a locating key between the bush and an adjacent metal ring 48 and between the ring and cartridge. The device shown in Fig. 3 may be used at the outlet end of the tube 2 by altering its internal arrangement to permit insertion of the cartridge in the direction of travel of the cable. Further modifications consist in (a) feeding pressure fluid to the interior of the cartridge through an annular recess in the end wall of the cartridge or gland body and providing only one port in these members, and (b) constructing the gland body of two axially-movable parts which are drawn together by a claw coupling and each houses a part of the cartridge. The cartridge may, alternatively, comprise a cylindrical member enclosing an assembly of rubber bushes as described in Specification 651,634 and having provision for the admission of pressure fluid for causing the bushes to engage the cable.