Improvements in connection with the Packing, Construction, and Lubrication for, and of Stuffing Boxes of, Engines, Pumps, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with the Packing, Construction, and
Lubrication for, and of Stuffing Boxes of, Engines, Pumps, and
the like.
We CHARLES THORNES PHILLIPS Manufacturer and ROBERT ARCHER
Engineer both of Flushdyke near Ossett in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is the more perfect lubrication of the piston rods
and valve rods of steam engines, pumps, gas engines and the like; so that there is
a reduction of the wear of such rods and their guides, and less frictional resistance
in such guides, whilst there is a reduced liability to the blowing through such
guides of steam, gas, water, air or other fluid, which may be present at one or other
end or any part of the guide.
Such guide is usually formed by the stuffing box and its connections. Now our
invention consists in an arrangement for forming a reservoir for the oil within such
guide, and connecting the same to a lubricator, in means for preventing any escape
of oil from either end of such guide or stuffing-box, and in a special method of
manufacturing the packing.
The oil reservoir is most conveniently formed between two annular discs, the
inner and outer diameters of which are respectively equal to the diameter of
the piston rod and the inside diameter of the stuffing box. They are kept at a
suitable distance apart by means of distance pieces, cast on or attached to the
inner face of one of the discs.
The outer sides of these discs and the ends of the bush and gland facing
towards the discs, are wedge shaped; the ridge of the wedge may be a circle
of the mean radius of the disc, or the ridge of the wedges may be arranged to
be close to the circumference of the piston rod, or close against the inside of the
stuffing box.
Or we may form the oil reservoir in the body of the gland next to the piston
rod. One end of the reservoir space is closed by an inside projecting ledge of the
gland, the other end however is closed by a ring which can be taken out, and when
replaced can be secured by set screws or other suitable means, or this end may be
cast solid as a portion of the gland, in which case the wrapped cord packing is
dispensed with. The ends of the glands are likewise formed wedge shaped as above
described. The outer end of the gland however may be recessed to contain
additional packing, and this is covered by a supplementary gland or bush, which
can be screwed up to the flange of the gland.
The spaces on both sides of the reservoir, (ie, towards the bush and gland), may
be packed with hemp or twine in the usual manner, or with special packing
hereinafter described.
Between the annular discs the piston rod is packed by wrapping cords of hemp,
twine, (or tape) or the like, of comparatively small diameter (or thickness) tightly
round the piston rod. The wrapped cords are put on for a distance equal to about
one and one half times the distance between the discs, so that when these are put
on the rod and the gland tightened up, the wrapped cord is compressed laterally
until it has only two thirds of its original breadth.
The space between the discs and the outside of the wrapped cord is connected
with a vessel or lubricator by means of a vertical pipe, and two horizontal pipes
passing from the vertical pipe to the lubricator or oil vessel. The vertical pipe is
closed at the top by means of a screw plug. When this is removed,. by means of a
long rod or pricker, it can be ascertained whether the oil passage to the stuffing.

page_text: box is free and open.
Cocks are placed above and below the oil vessel to admit
oil to the vessel and from the same to the stuffing box.
Our invention further relates to a special form or construction of packing. This we
make in annular discs of suitable width and diameters by using the packing material
in the form of tape, braid, or ribbon, or lead ribbon, which we coil tightly round a
mandril of the diameter of the piston rod. When the disc has thus been formed,
so that its outside diameter is the same as that of the stuffing box, the mandril is
removed, and the disc stitched through radially. It is then cut across in a radial
line, and two or three of these are used together, so placed as to break joint with
each other.
The object of this mode of constructing the packing, as also the wrapping of the
thin cord round the piston rod, is to ensure uniform compression when the packing
is tightened up laterally. The ordinary method of coiling thick rings round the
piston rod causes the inner part of the packing next the rod to be compressed more
tightly than the outside, along which steam or oil can escape; whilst the friction
on the piston rod is unnecessarily increased.
Further the compression next the rod is often so tight, that the packing is too
solid next the piston rod, and the elasticity of the packing, which would adjust
itself to any inequalities in the piston rod, is destroyed. These disadvantages are
obviated by our invention, and in addition the oil in the reservoir can readily
penetrate through the packing, so as to keep this properly lubricated round the
piston rod, reducing both the wear and friction.
Dated this 11th day of February 1891.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with the Packing, Construction, and
Lubrication for, and of Stuffing Boxes of, Engines, Pumps, and
the like.
We CHARLES THORNES PHILLIPS Manufacturer and ROBERT ARCHER
Engineer both of Flushdyke near Ossett in the County of York do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of our invention is the more perfect lubrication of the piston rods
and valve rods of steam engines, pumps, gas engines, and the like; so that there is
a reduction of the wear of such rods and their guides, and less frictional resistance
in such guides, whilst there is a reduced liability to the blowing through such
guides of steam, gas, water, air, or other fluid, which may be present at one or
other end or any part of the guide.
Such guide is usually formed by the stuffing box and its connections. Now our
invention consists in an arrangement for forming a reservoir for the oil within such
guide, and connecting the same to a lubricator or supply oil vessel, and in means
for preventing an escape of oil, or the steam or other fluid from either end of such
stuffing box, and in a special method or methods of forming or manufacturing the
packing.
The oil reservoir is formed between two annular discs, the inner and outer
diameters of which are respectively equal or approximately equal to the diameters
of the piston rod and the inside of the stuffing box. They are kept at a suitable
distance apart by means of distance pieces, cast on or attached to the inner face of
one of the discs."
The outer sides of these discs and the ends of the bush and gland, facing towards
the discs, are wedge shaped; the ridge of the wedge may be a circle of the mean

page_text: or approximately mean diameter of the discs; or the ridge of the wedges may
be arranged to be close to the piston rod or to the inside of the stuffing box.
The spaces on both sides of the internal oil reservoir, (i.e. towards the bush and
the gland), may be packed with hemp or twine & the like in the usual manner, or
preferably with the special coarse packing hereinafter described.
Between the annular discs the piston rod is packed by wrapping cords of soft
hemp, twine, or tape, or the like, of comparatively small diameter (or thickness)
tightly round the piston rod. The wrapped fine cord is usually put on for a
distance equal to about one and a half times the distance between the annular discs,
so that when these are put on, and the rod and the gland tightened up, the
wrapped cord is compressed laterally until it has only two thirds of its original
breadth. Or more preferably the two annular discs (with the fine cord packing
between them) are drawn together by temporary screw bolts; special holes (see m
in the drawing) being provided for these in the discs. The annular discs are then
secured permanently at the proper distance apart by pins passed radially through
the loose annular disc and the turned ends of the distance pieces. This method
avoids any necessity for excessive tightening up of the gland and undue com-
pression of the coarser packing.
The internal oil reservoir is connected by a pipe with the supply oil vessel or
lubricator.
Our invention further relates to a special form or construction of packing, which
we more especially apply to the coarser packing. This we make in annular discs
of suitable width and diameters, by using the material in the form of tape, braid, or
ribbon, which we coil tightly round a mandril approximately of the diameter of the
piston or other rod to which it is to be applied. When the disc has thus been
formed, so that its outside diameter is practically the same as the inside diameter
of the stuffing box, the mandril is removed, and the disc tied or stitched through
radially to secure it from unwrapping.
The object of this mode of constructing the packing, as also the wrapping of the
thin cord round the piston rod, is to ensure greater uniformity in the compression
when the packing is tightened up laterally. The ordinary method of coiling thick
packing rings round the piston rod causes the inner part of the packing next the
rod to be compressed more tightly than the outside; along which latter steam
or oil may escape, whilst the friction on the piston rod is excessively increased.
Further the compression next the piston rod may thus be made so tight, that the
elasticity of the packing, (which would adjust itself to any inequalities in the
piston rod), is destroyed. These disadvantages are obviated by our invention, and
in addition the oil in the reservoir, which surrounds the soft cord packing, can
readily penetrate through and saturate the packing, thereby keeping this and the
piston rod properly lubricated.
By making the annular discs somewhat smaller than the inside of the stuffing
box, the fine cord packing is free to vibrate with the piston rod, should this move
laterally owing to wear of the guides, gland, or bush lining; whilst the outer
coarser packing prevents any escape of oil from the internal reservoir, the elasticity
of such packing not being destroyed in our invention from excessive tightening up
of the gland.
And in order that our invention may be more fully and clearly understood we
have annexed hereto the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a stuffing box constructed in accordance with
our invention, Fig. 2 being a cross section on line A B of Fig. 1.
a a are the annular discs.
bb are the distance pieces, shewn fixed to one of the discs by an ordinary screw
connection.
c is the piston rod.
d is the stuffing box, and e is the gland.
ffare brass liners or bushes.
o is the nacking of fine hemp or twine cord.

page_text: h is the supply oil vessel or lubricator.
i is the annular space between the fine cord packing and the inner side of the
stuffing box forming the internal oil reservoir.
jis the coarser packing formed by coiling the material in the form of tape, braid,
or ribbon, as described.
k is a screw plug which can be withdrawn to ascertain whether the passage to
the internal oil reservoir is free and open.
is a discharge opening (on the underside of the stuffing box in horizontal
engines) for emptying the internal oil reservoir i.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1° The method of packing piston and other rods with two kinds of packing; the
one of soft fine cord (or thin tape) coiled close upon and tightly round the piston
rod, but not filling up the whole of the space between the piston rod and the inside
of the stuffing box; the other of coarser inaterial on both sides of the first and
filling up the whole of the space between the piston rod and the inner side of the
stuffing box; the two descriptions of packing being kept separate by annular discs
containing the soft finer cord packing between them.
2° The method of packing piston rods claimed in Claim 1°, so arranged as to
forin an internal oil reservoir in the space enclosed between the outside of the soft
fine cord packing and the inner side of the stuffing box, and between the two
annular discs.
3° The use and construction of packing consisting of flat discs formed by coiling
the material in the form of tape braid or ribbon tightly round a mandril of about
the diameter of the piston rod, and afterwards secured from unwrapping by tying
or stitching.
4° The construction and arrangement of a lubricating stuffing box substantially
as herein Eet forth, and also as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 4th day of September 1891.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON, A.R.S.M., Wh. Sc.,
2, East Parade, Leeds, Agent for Applicants.