IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN CONNECTION WITH PACKING FOR STUFFING BOXES
Year: 1885

page_text: I FRANKLIN HOCKING of 16 Spellow Lane, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND IN CONNECTION WITH PACKING FOR STUFFING BOXES, to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in and in connection with
packing for stuffing boxes of working parts of machinery, where metallic, or
packing of wood, or other hard material are desirable and employed to prevent
the escape of fluids, or liquids that may be operating the machinery, or being
operated upon by the machinery and which may be under employment in
machinery.
The improvements in and in connection with packing for stuffing boxes consists
in providing in combination with ordinary packing, such as what is known as
"Tucks or soft packing, or pliable packing and which may be formed of a partly
pliable and partly non pliable material; with a ring, or rings of suitable hard
material such as soft, white, or babbit, or equivalent metal, or hard wood constructed,
or arranged or made up as hereinafter more particularly described in the form of
comparatively small pieces, or portions, and the improvements also consist in the
formation, or construction of such rings.
The packing may be employed for stuffing boxes of pistons and valve rods and
spindles of steam, hydraulic and pneumatic engines and working joints of pipes, or
ducts containing and used for conveying liquids, or fluids.
A packing according to my Invention is made up of a number of pieces of metal,
or wood of the species above described the pieces being so formed that as they are
applied and also as they become worn, they are able to collectively embrace and
encircle the rod and adjust themselves, or can be adjusted and so bear upon the
rod, or other working part. This is effected by forming such pieces with parallel,
or nearly parallel sides, or of nearly equal thickness from the front to the back.
The pieces are preferably constructed of equilateral triangular form or approxi-
But I do not contine
mately of this form for the purposes hereinafter set forth.
myself to this feature of the forin so long as they maintain the principal feature,
namely having a straight bearing edge and being angular. The pieces are provided
with a means whereby they are held together and whereby the rings made up of

page_text: the pieces can be applied to stuffing boxes in one strand. This may be effected by
the pieces being threaded upon a wire, cord, or their equivalents, or otherwise
attached to a retaining strip, or piece either through, or to the outside of the pieces.
The pieces may be held together by their being joined together by a small strip,
or connecting piece when being formed.
The sides of the pieces may be of plain, or irregular formation.
An instance of application of my Invention consists as follows.-The form of
piece in this case may be equilateral triangular of about a quarter of an inch in
thickness and threaded upon a piece of wire. I pass the pieces upon the wire
round say a piston rod of a marine engine and bring the first and last piece
together and thread, or pass the ends of the wire again into the opposite boles, thus
forming completing and maintaining the ring. The ring thus complete is inserted
into the stuffing box either at the top, or bottom or between portions of the pliable
packing, or in any combination therewith. One, or more of these rings may be
used. On the top and bottom of each ring I provide a split, or overlapping thin
strip, or shield of any suitable metal. By this means any fibrous or other material
of which the pliable packing may be formed, or in connection ther with is
prevented from getting between the pieces of the ring, or rings. In most cases
I prefer to employ a ring, or rings made up as described at the top and bottom of
the packing in the stuffing box to prevent particles of the pliable packing from
being forced out of the stuffing box.
The pieces which make up the rings are preferably made in moderately varying
sizes according to the size of working part to which it is to be applie 1, or according
to the purpose of its application.
Dated this seventh day of Sentember 1885

page_text: I, FRANKLIN HOCKING of 16 Spellow Lane, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in and in connection with
packing for stuffing boxes of working parts of machinery where metallic, or
packing of wood or other hard material are desirable and employed to prevent
the escape of fluids, or liquids that may be operating the machinery, or being
operated upon by the machinery and which may be under employment in
machinery.
This Invention relates most nearly to that type of packing for stuffing boxes in
which rings of metal are employed around the rod or part to be packed and which
form what is known as a 'metallic" packing. This type of metallic packing is
almost entirely made up of rings which are divided in two three, or four parts, or
segments which together span, or encircle the rod and the rings are generally
arranged in multiple layers, or tiers, the segments breaking joint with one another.
These rings are kept up to the rod, or other working surface by various means and
devices The use of rings, of this type it will be seen necessitates their being
constructed of special and various formations and dimensions circumferentially for
varying sized rods and other like working surfaces. Hence the use of such rings
entails a considerable expense above ordinary packing, particularly as most metallic
packings have in order to make them efficient to be carefully and truly made and
fitted.
It is to effect the avoidance of the necessity of this expense in the employment
of this type of packing and the simplification of the packing of the kind above
described that my Invention is directed and to this end the improvements in and
in connection with packing for stuffing boxes according to my Invention consist in
the construction and arrangement of ring, or rings which being of suitable hard
material such as soft, white, or "babbit," or equivalent metal, or hard wood
constructed or arranged are made up as hereinafter more particularly described of
comparatively small pieces, or portions, which pieces are made of such widths (such
as those hereinafter defined) so that they may, if desired be formed of one uniform
dimension in respect of their width for circumferential bearing surface which width'
may be used and applied to nearly all and every size of rod, or other like surface
to be packed without "working up! or "fitting." Hence as will be seen by the
following description a uniform width of piece may be made by casting, stamping
or other suitable means of manufacture and employed to pack small, or large rods,
or other like working surfaces, it being only necessary to provide the requisite
number of pieces to encircle the rod, or other like surface and form a complete
ing, the larger rods requiring a larger number of pieces and the smaller a lesser
number. Thus it is I am enabled to effect the avoidance of the necessity of
the expense and great cost which generally attends the employment of what is
"

page_text: ordinarily understood as metallic packing. And the Improvements also consist in
the formation or construction of such rings and pieces and in their combination
with ordinary packing such as what is known as "Tucks" or soft packing, or
pliable packing and which may be formed of a partly pliable and partly non pliable
material.
The packing may be employed for stuffing boxes of pistons and valve rods and
spindles of stean, hydraulic and pneumatic engines and working joints of pipes, or
ducts containing and used for conveying liquids, or fluids.
A packing according to my Invention is made up of a number of pieces of metal,
or wood of the species above described, the pieces being so formed that as they are
applied and also as they become worn they are able to collectively embrace and
encircle the rod and adjust themselves, or can be adjusted and so bear upon the
rod, or other working part. This is effected by forming such pieces with parallel,
or nearly parallel sides, or of nearly equal thickness from the front to the back.
The pieces are preferably constructed of equilateral triangular form, or approxi-
mately of this form for the purposes hereinafter set forth. But I do not confine
myself to this feature of the form so long as they maintain the principal feature
namely having a straight bearing edge and being angular. The pieces are provided
with a means whereby they are held together and whereby the rings made up of
the pieces can be applied to stuffing boxes in one strand. This may be effected by
the pieces being threaded upon a wire, cord, or their equivalent, or otherwise
attached to a retaining strip, or piece either through, or to the outside of the pieces.
The pieces may be held together by their being joined together by a small strip or
connecting piece when being formed.
The sides of the pieces may be of plain, or irregular formation.
An instance of application of my Invention consists as follows. The form of
piece in this case may be equilateral triangular of about a quarter of an inch in
thickness and threaded upon a piece of wire. I pass the pieces upon the wire
round, say, a piston rod of a marine engine and bring the first and last piece
together and thread, or pass the ends of the wire again into the opposite holes,
thus forming completing and maintaining the ring. The ring thus complete is
inserted into the stuffing box either at the top, or bottom, or between portions of
the pliable packing, or in any combination therewith. One, or more of these rings
may be used. On the top and bottom of each ring I provide a split, or overlapping
thin strip, or shield of any suitable metal. By this means any fibrous, or other
material of which the pliable packing may be formed, or in connection therewith is
prevented from getting between the pieces of the ring, or rings and a tendency to
allow free inter working of the angle pieces of the rings is effected. In most cases"
I prefer to employ a ring, or rings made up as described at the top and bottom of
the packing in the stuffing box to prevent particles of the pliable packing from
being forced out of the stuffing box.
In order that this Invention may be more clearly understood, I will now
proceed to describe the same with the aid of Drawings and show how the same
can be carried out into practical effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet
of Drawings making a part of this Specification and to the letters and figures of
reference marked thereon. Like letters and figures are used to denote the same, or
corresponding parts throughout the various views and figures of the Drawings.
.

page_text: Figure 7 shows packing according to my Invention provided with pieces shown
in Figure 4 in a modified arrangement.
.
Figure 8 shows packing according to my Invention arranged with "pieces” as
shown in Figures 4 and 5 combined.
Figure 9 shows a modified arrangement of packing illustrated at Figure 8.
With reference to the Drawings A designates a ring of packing made up of
'pieces" a. b is the retaining wire cord, or band. c are the shields made of thin
metal.
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate an instance of the application of my Invention. The
form of the pieces a are triangular and of about a quarter of an inch in thickness
and are threaded upon a flexible wire rod b, the ends of which overlap as shown
in Figures 2 and 3. The rings A encircle the rod D and are inserted into the
stuffing box B with portions of pliable packing C between them. At the bottom of
each ring A I provide a thin split sheet metal shield c of any suitable metal such
as brass.
By this means the fibrous, or other material of which the pliable
packing C may be formed is prevented from working out of place, and a tendency
to allow free interworking of the angle pieces a of the rings is effected.
At each
end of the stuffing box there; is provided a ring A by which means particles of the
pliable packing are prevented from being forced out of the stuffing box.
Figure 3 shows the ring A and shields c whose ends overlap. The wire b with
its overlapping euds is also seen in the opened out ring A.
Figures 4 and 5 show two examples of the shape of the pieces of the packing.
It will be seen that their chief feature of shape or configuration as above set forth,
namely their independent circumferential bearing surface is circumferentially small
comparatively, also they are provided with inclined, or angular surfaces to give
them their self adjusting character when pressure is brought upon them in the
stuffing box.
In Figures 1 and 2 the rod represents a piston rod of 3 inches diameter the
circumferential width of the piece a being a quarter of an inch. These dimensions
present approximately the relative sizes of the pieces which I prefer to employ.
In the case of small rods a smaller width of piece would be preferably employed:
and on the other hand where rods of larger diameters are used, the pieces a would
be of greater width. The width of pieces which I prefer to employ varies between
of an inch as a mininum and 8 of an inch as maximum These dimensions
furnish a width of range from the use of which good and suitable results may be
obtained, but I would have it understood that these precise dimensions are not given
as absolute limits, nor do I confine myself to the sizes and proportions above stated
for they may be varied from in degree without departing from my Invention of
a ring such as A made up of elements, or pieces substantially as herein set
forth.
The packing illustrated in Figure 6 consists as will be seen of rings A made up
of pieces of the form shown in Figure 5 and interspaced with pliable or soft
packing, division plates, or shields c being provided between the alternate rings
and soft packing.
.
In Figures 7. 8 and 9 are shown three examples of the combinations or arrange-
ments of rings made up of the different shapes, or configurations of the pieces
illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. As will be seen Figure 7 shows a packing made up
of a number of rings, or strauds the pieces a being of triangular shape. The
strands, or rings A in this case are inserted in the stuffing box in successive
inverse arrangement. In Figures 8 and 9 the packing is made up of a number of
rings, or strands A of alternate similar shape, that is to say of rings made up of
triangular pieces and rings made up of the pieces as shown in Figure 5. Figure 8
shows the triangularly pieced rings arranged to form the bearing surfaces for the
rod, whilst the rings made up of pieces as shown in Figure 5 shown an arrangement
to form the bearing surfaces in Figure 9. In each of the arrangements shown at
Figures 7. 8 and 9 a quantity of soft, or pliable packing C is provided between the
first ring, or strand A and the gland.

page_text: :
In the above description hard wood is mentioned as a material of which the
pieces a may be made, but I would have it understood that this material would be
used as a packing material in cases where liquids such as water and fluids of low
temperatures are being used under manipulation.
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
First. The use of a packing ring or rings made up of pieces, or elements such as a
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Second. A packing ring consisting of a number of pieces or elements a and
bound, or held together substantially as set forth.
Third. A packing ring consisting of pieces a being provided with holes through
which a wire band b is threaded substantially as set forth with reference to the
Drawings.
Fourth. The use of shields such as c substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
Fifth. A split or divided shield c constructed of thin metal and having over-
lapping ends substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination of a packing ring of the type herein described and a
shield, or shields such as c substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Seventh. A packing consisting of rings such A and a layer, or layers of soft, or
pliable material such as C arranged substantially as set forth with reference to
Figures 1, 2 and 6 of the Drawings.
Eighth. The arrangement of packing rings constructed substantially as herein
described as set forth with reference to Figure 7 of the Drawings.
Ninth. The arrangement of packing rings substantially as herein described as set
forth with reference to Figure 8 of the Drawings.
Tenth. The arrangement of packing rings constructed substantially as herein
described as set forth with reference to Figure 9 of the Drawings.
Dated this seventh day of June 1886.