CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ellis Rowland and James Rowland, of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, for the Invention of " CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ellis Rowland and,
James Rowland at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with,
their Petition, on the 30th November 1854..
[in.
We, ELLIS ROWLAND and JAMES ROWLAND, of Manchester, in the County.
of Lancaster, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for>
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS" to be as follows:
i
Our Invention applies to-pistons-in-which-metallic rings are used as the.
means of packing, and consists in providing a perfect steam stop or stops for.
the purpose of closing the joint or junction of the ends or terminations of such
packing ring or rings as are therein employed. In an indented channel,:
turned or formed in the periphery of the piston block, an elastic ring.or
rings, cut or divided vertically, is placed, to form the packing, as in common:
use; on both ends of the divided ring we form two opposite receding incline"
planes, on the interior of the ring. Between and under the, terminations or:
ends of the ring or rings we employ a small steam stop or stops, having its
surface ground to the circumference of the cylinder, (the stop being.somewhat
larger in circumference than the sunken channel in width,) and by aid.of.a.

page_text: suitable spring within the body or bulk of the piston acting against the oppo-
site or inner surface of the stop piece, the tendency is always to thrust the stop
piece outwards. That portion of the stop piece, when inserted in the sunken
channel or space for the packing, and opposed to it, we bevil out to two
opposed surfaces, the width of the sunken channel,-and-corresponding-to-the
inclined-surfaces-of-the ends or terminations of the elastic ring or rings. It
will be evident that this improved steam stop may be applied, either used as
above explained, with one metallic packing ring, or in half rings or segments,
or in any number of rings or segments, as may be found most desirable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ellis Rowland and James Rowland in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ELLIS
ROWLAND and JAMES ROWLAND, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Ellis Rowland and James Rowland, Her especial licence, that we, the
said Ellis Rowland and James Rowland, our cxccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Ellis Rowland and James Rowland,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention. for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Ellis Rowland and
James Rowland, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Ellis Rowland and James Rowland,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention; and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
Our Invention applies to all pistons in which metallic rings are used as the
means of "packing," and consists in providing a perfect steam "stop" or
"stops" for the purpose of closing the joint or junction of the ends or termi-
nations of such packing ring or rings as are therein employed. In an indented
channel, turned or formed in the periphery of the piston block, an elastic ring
or rings, cut or divided vertically, is placed, to form the packing, as in common
use; on both ends of the divided ring we form two opposite receding incline
planes or bevilled edges on the interior of the ring. Between and under the
terminations or ends of the ring or rings we employ a small steam stop or stops,
having its surface ground to the circumference of the cylinder, (the stop being
somewhat larger in circumference than the sunken channel in width), and by
aid of a suitable spring within the body or bulk of the piston acting against
the opposite or inner surface of the "stop" piece, the tendency is always
to thrust the stop piece outwards. That portion of the "stop" piece, when
inserted in the sunken channel or space for the packing, and opposed to it, we
bevil out to two opposed surfaces, the width of the sunken channel, and corre-
sponding to the inclined surfaces of the ends or terminations of the elastic ring
or rings. It will be evident that this improved steam stop may be applied,
either used as above explained, with one metallic packing ring, or in half rings
or segments, or in any number of rings or segments, as may be found most
desirable.
In order that our Invention may be the better understood and explained in
detail, we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawing, and having similar
letters of reference marked upon corresponding parts of the apparatus through-
out the several Figures illustrated.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a piston with our_improved "stop"
attached, suitable to a locomotive steam engine; Fig. 2 exhibits a plan view
of the same, the top plate being removed, the better to illustrate the action of
the spring upon the improved "stop" piece; Fig. 3 illustrates a section of the
same; Fig. 4 represents a front elevation of a piston adapted for a stationary
steam engine; Figs. 5 and 6 being respectively a plan view (the top plate
being removed), and a transverse section of the same; Fig. 7 is a horizontal
section, taken through the improved "stop," fully illustrating the receding
inclined planes which press against the terminations of the ring of the piston,
as well as the periphery of the "stop" piece, which acts against the cylinder. a
represents the piston, and 6 the ring encircling it; c is the joint or termination
of the ring, and c*, c*, the bevilled terminations of the same; d is the improved

page_text: "stop" piece; e, e, being the receding inclined planes, and f, f, the upper and
lower peripheries of the stop piece, ground to the circumference of the cylinder ;,
9 is the spring, by which the stop piece e is continually thrust outwards, and
-against-the-ring-of-the-piston, (the inclined planes e, e, acting upon the bevilled.
terminations c*, cx, of the ring of the piston,) as well as the peripheries of the
stop piece, being firmly pressed against the side of the cylinder, thereby forming
a perfectly steam-tight joint at the junction of the ring..
Having now particularly described the nature of our Invention, and the.
manner in which the same may be performed and put into practical effect, we
wish it to be distinctly understood that we claim the application, employment,
and use of a stop piece, for the purpose of forming steam-tight joints at the
junction of the rings of pistons, having on its face two indented inclined planes
and two surfaces (upper and lower), for working against the sides of the
cylinder, as also herein particularly described and set forth, and fully illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Ellis Rowland and James Rowland,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-sixth day of May, in'
⚫ the year of our Lord-One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.