Improvements in Packing or Joint Rings or Washers for Pipe Joints.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1886.
Complete Left, 9th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 11th Jan., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Packing or Joint Rings or Washers for Pipe Joints.
I, CLAUDE CARTER of Albert Road Levenshulme in the County of Lancaster
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My improvements relate to rings or washers placed as packings between the flanges
of steam or other pipes for making the joints and consist in a combination of india
rubber rings or washers with other rings made of soft metal and with special. shapes
or sections. Where india rubber rings alone are used, the rubber is liable to be
squeezed partly out of the joints into the inside of the pipes or out on the outer edges
of the flanges, and remains exposed to the internal pressure in the pipes tending to
force it out of the joint and to the action of the steam or fluids contained in the
pipes, which in many cases rapidly deteriorate the rubber and causo the joint to
become leaky. In order to obviate these defects, I combine indiarubber rings with
soft metal rings of special shape, which when the joint is tightened up by the bolts
fit against the flanges and enclose the india rubber both on the inside and the outside
and thus protect it against the action of the fluids contained in the pipes and prevent
it being squeezed out of the joint.
One combination for this purpose consists of an indiarubber ring of rectangular
section having a circular V shaped groove formed in the middle of its inner and outer
surfaces and into this groove I place the corners of an external and internal ring
made of lead, soft copper or soft metal alloys suitable for the fluid and pressure in the
pipes. These rings may have a diamond shaped or rhomboidical or a triangular
section with straight or curved sides but so arranged that one corner fits into the
groove in the indiarubber ring and two other corners bear against the flanges when
these are drawn together by the bolts. The groove is of such depth that the rubber covers
only a part of the sides of the metal ring placed in it leaving a conical hollow between
the rubber and the metal ring on each side, and the indiarubber ring is made of such thick-
ness that, when the combined joint ring is placed between the flanges of two pipes and
these are drawn together by bolts till they touch the corners of the metal rings, the
rubber fills these conical spaces or nearly fills them. When the bolts are further
tightened, the corners of the metal rings are flattened by the flanges and as the rubber
cannot expand or escape laterally, it is strongly pressed against the flanges and makes

page_text: a tight joint against them. At the same time the metal rings exclude the steam or
other fluid in the pipe from acting on the rubber on the inside and protect it from the
action of the air or damage through oil or grease on the outside of the joint.
The rings may also be made of a lense shaped section with two convex sides and the
groove in the india rubber ring made concave but of less depth than tho convex sides
of the ring fitting into it.
Instead of fitting into V shaped or concave grooves as hereinbefore described, the
metal rings may be formed at their middle parts next to the rubber with flat rinis or
projections extending into the rubber ring, which in that case may be moulded with
recesses for their reception or more conveniently made in two picces placed on each
side of the metal rings and cemented together.
Another modification of my improved joint ring consists in using one metal ring
having a section as the diamond shaped or triangular or lense shaped inner and outer
rings hereinbefore described connected at the middle by a thin cross bar, so as to
form an inner and outer diamond shaped or triangular or lense shaped rim connected
by a flat washer. On each side of this I place an india rubber ring or washer and
cement it or otherwise fasten it to the flat part of the metal ring.
The effect of tightening up the joint with these modified arrangements of joint rings
is the same as herein before described with reference to the first arrangement.
EMMOTT & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. .
Improvements in Packing or Joint Rings or Washers for Pipe Joints.
I CLAUDE CARTER of Albert Road Levenshulme, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer 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 :—
My improvements relate to rings or washers placed as packings between the flanges
of steam or other pipes for making the joints and consist in combinations of india-
rubber rings or washers with other rings made of soft metal or alloy and with special
shapes or sections. Whero indiarubber rings alone are used, the rubber is liable to
be squeezed partly out of the joints into the inside of the pipes or out on the outer
edges of the flanges and remains exposed to the internal pressure in the pipes tending
to force it out of the joint and to the action of the steam or fluids contained in the
pipes which in many cases rapidly deteriorates the rubber and causes the joint to
become leaky. In order to obviate these defects, I combine the india rubber rings or
washers with soft metal rings of special shape, which, when the joint is tightened up
by the bolts, fit against the flanges and enclose the india rubber both on the inside
and the outside and thus protect it against the action of the fluids contained in the
pipes and prevent it being squeezed out of the joint.
In order that my invention may be more readily ascertained and carried into effect,
I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference.
One combination for the purpose herein before set forth is shown by figure 1 in
section and by figure 2 in plan and consists of an india rubber ring a of rectangular
section having a circular shaped groove formed in the middle of its inner and outer
surfaces and into these grooves, I place the corners of an internal ring b and an external
ring c made of lead or soft copper or soft metal alloys suitable for the fluid and
pressure in the pipes. These rings may have a diamond shaped or rhomboidical
section as shown on figure 1 or a triangular section with straight sides as shewn on
figure 4 or may have curved sides but must be so shaped that one corner fits into the
groove in the india rubber ring and two other corners bear against the flanges when
these are drawn together by the bolts. The groove is of such depth that the india
rubber covers only a part of the sides of the metal ring placed in it, leaving a conical
hollow de between the rubber and metal ring on each side, and the india rubber ring
is made of such thickness that when the combined joint ring is placed between the
flanges of two pipes and these are drawn together by bolts till they touch the corners
of the metal rings, the rubber fills these conical hollow spaces d and e or nearly fills
them. When the bolts are further tightened, the corners of the metal rings arc
flattened by the flanges and as the rubber cannot expand or escape laterally, it is
strongly pressed against the flanges and makes a tight joint against them. At the
same time the metal rings exclude the steam or other fluid in the pipe from the rubber
on the inside and prevent it from acting on the rubber, while the outer ring protects
it from the action of the air or against damage through oil or grease on the outside of
the joint.

page_text: The rings may also be made of a lense shaped section with two convex sides and
the grooves in the india rubber ring made concave, but of less depth than the convex
sides of the rings fitting into it, as shewn in section on figure 3.
Instead of fitting into V shaped or concave grooves as herein before described, the
metal rings may be formed at their middle parts next to the rubber with flat rims or
projections extending into the rubber ring, which in that case may be moulded with
recesses for their reception or more conveniently made in two pieces placed on each
side of the metal rings and cemented together. Figures 5, 6 and 7 show sections of
joint rings made in this manner.
Another modification of my improved joint ring consists of one metal ring having
a section as the two diamond shaped or triangular or lense shaped inner and outer
rings connected at the middle by a thin crossbar, so as to form a flat washer with an
inner and outer rim with sharp.corners, and two india rubber rings or washers, one of
which is placed on each side of the metal ring and cemented or otherwise fastened
to the flat part of the ring. Figure 8 shews a section of a joint-ring with diamond
shaped rims and figure 9 a section of a joint ring with lense shaped rims made
according to this modification. Figure 10 shews one side of the ring shewn by
figure 8 placed between the flanges m n of two pipes with the bolts screwed up,
so that the corners gg and hh are flattened and the rubber compressed, the effect
of screwing the bolts up being the same with these modified arrangements of joint
rings as that herein before described with reference to figures 1, 2 and 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
Firstly, in packing or joint rings or washers for pipe joints the combination of an
india rubber ring and an inner and outer ring of soft metal or alloy substantially as
herein before described with reference to figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 and for the
purposes set forth.
Secondly, in packing or joint rings or washers for pipe joints the combination
of a ring of soft metal or alloy with sharp cornered inner and outer rims and two
india rubber rings or washers, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference
to figures 8, 9 and 10 and for the purposes set forth.
EMMOTT & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.