Improvements in and relating to Packing Rings for Pistons.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Aug.; 1892
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1893-Accepted, 17th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Packing Rings for Pistons.
I, THOMAS SMITH, of 579 Govan Road, Govan, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in the construction or arrange-
ment and combination of the parts of spring packing rings for the pistons of
marine and other fluid pressure engines, and which will be more simple and
efficient than the piston packing rings heretofore in use.
The improvements essentially consist in the fitting and use of a circumferential
or horizontal spring or springs interposed between circumferential open inner
central frames placed between the piston rings, and of a series of transverse
helical or spiral springs placed centrally between the extreme parts or rings
forming these frames, and in the construction and arrangement of the jointing
tongue pieces, all so as to have one set of springs for pressing out the rings
circumferentially and another set for pressing out the rings laterally.
In carrying these improvements into practice under one arrangement a circum-
ferential open frame would be fitted intermediate between the inner flanges of
the two piston rings, and this frame would preferably be made in two separate
segmental parts or sections. Each section would consist of a solid bearing part
acting against the flange of one of the rings and a parallel loose or separate
part acting against the flange of the other piston ring, and jointed at its ends
to cross over transverse solid ends on the other part by screw pins and wide or
slotted holes which permit lateral movement against the flange of the ring. A
series of transverse acting spiral or helical springs would be fitted internally
within the frames round guide pins, so as to press out the two parallel sides of
these frames against the flanges of the piston rings to keep them bearing tight
against the flange and junk ring of the piston. While a horizontal or circum-
ferential acting helical spring or springs would be fitted round a guide pin
between the ends of the sectional frames on opposite sides of the piston the pin
being fixed in one of the frames, to allow motion of the spring and the other
section, so as to press the circumferential face of the rings out against the
cylinder, while a blade or D shaped spring is or may be fitted between these
circumferential springs and one of the rings to keep the former against the other
piston ring, and keep an equal pressure all round the flanges of the rings. At
the division of the upper packing ring one end is made deep enough to bear on
the horizontal spring, which bears itself on the blade or ☐ spring. The bottom
ring is of same section all round and has its tongue piece the same as upper
ring. The upper ring is formed with a broad flange part opposite the horizontal
or circumferential springs and a recessed or countersunk part is formed in the
ring to receive a segmental tongue piece which may be of 1 shape, and a
parallel slot is formed in the broad flange to receive the tongue of the jointing
tongue piece. The tongue piece which is secured by screws over the split ring
part at one end has its tongue or stem placed through the slot and adjustably
secured by a transverse pin and bearing, so as to press properly on the ring, the
slot being wide enough to permit play of the ring on the tongue piece in expanding.
Dated the 12th August 1892.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Packing Rings for Pistons.
I, THOMAS SMITH, of 579 Govan Road, Govan, Lanarkshire, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has reference to improvements in the construction or arrangement
and combination of the parts of spring packing rings for the pistons of marine and
other fluid pressure engines, and the like, and which will be more simple aud
efficient than the packing rings and fittings heretofore in use.
The improvements essentially consist in the fitting and use of a circumferential
or horizontal spring or springs interposed between circumferential open inner
central frames placed between the piston rings, and of a series of transverse helical
or spiral springs placed centrally between the extreme parts or rings forming these
frames, and in the construction and arrangement of the jointing tongue pieces, all
so as to have one set of springs for pressing out the rings circumferentially and
another set for pressing out the rings laterally.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheets of drawings, in which the same reference letters
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figure 1
on Sheet 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 a sectional plan view of spring
packing rings for pistons and their fittings as constructed in accordance with one
arrangement of my improvements, Figure 1 being taken on the irregular line 2-2
Figure 2. Figures 3 to 7 show sectional views of tongue pieces and details of the
fittings as hereinafter referred to. Figures 8 and 9 on Sheet 2 show a sectional
elevation and plan view respectively of a piston valve or small piston with spring
packing rings and fittings in accordance with my improvements, and Figures 10
to 12 show detail detached views of the tongue pieces hereinafter referred to.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 on Sheet I of the drawings:-In carrying these
improvements into practice under this arrangement a circumferential open ring
frame is fitted intermediate between the inner surface of the flanges B' of the two
piston rings B, B', and this frame is preferably made in two separate segmental
parts or sections A, A', and A, A', circumferentially and laterally.. Each
section consists of a solid bearing part A acting against the inner turned
face of the flange B₁ of one of the rings B, B, and a parallel loose or
separate part A¹ acting against the inner turned face of the flange B₁
of the other piston ring B, B, and jointed at its ends a¹ to cross over
transverse solid ends a on the other part A, by screw pins a" and wide or slotted
holes a² in one of the flanges a¹ or a and guide studs and slots a³ at the other ends
of the flanges a a' which permit lateral movement against the flanges B₁ of the
rings B, B
A series of transverse acting spiral or helical springs C, preferably
of rounded or elliptical shape and made of round section, are fitted internally
within the frames A, A', round guide pins e so as to press out the two parallel
sides A, A', of these ring frames against the flanges B', B', of the piston rings B, B',
to keep them bearing tight against the flange and junk ring of the piston, not shown
in the drawings. While a horizontal or circumferential acting helical spring or
springs D, preferably of elliptical section would be fitted round a guide pin d
between the ends a, a, of the sectional ring frames A, A¹, on opposite sides of
the piston, the pin being riveted or otherwise fixed as shown at in the
flange a in one of the ring frames A and to allow motion of the spring D
and the other section, which moves loose at d on the other end of the
pin d, so that the edges of these sections A, A, press the circumferential
face or edges of the rings B out against the cylinder as more particularly
seen in side and edge sections of these flanges a, a', in Figure 3.

page_text: a,
a'.
For larger sizes of pistons three, four, or more sets of sectional frames A, A',
may be used with a corresponding number of springs D between their ends
As seen in the sectional views Figures 4 and 5 one of the rings B, B', is formed
with a broad flange part B' shown at B" as riveted to the inner face of the
flange B near the split B' in the ring, a recessed part A' being formed in the
inner ring frames to allow of this radial flange part B' passing through; and a
recessed or countersunk part is formed in this as a slot B to receive the stem 2
of a segmental tongue piece b, b', which may be of L shape, as shown in elevation,
section, and plan detached in Figure 6. The tongue piece b, b', which is shown in
Figure 2 as secured by screws or rivets at over the other end of the split ring
part has its tongue or stem placed through the slot B and adjustably secured
by a transverse pin or screw bolt e and a bearing plate or spring e', so as to press
properly on the inner face of the ring B', the slot B being wide enough to permit
play of the free end of the ring B, B₁, on the tongue piece b, b, 62, in expanding,
as seen more particularly in Figures 4 and 5, where the spring plate e, of the
tongue piece is shown as secured by a radial screw and nut and lock pin e², instead
of the lateral screw e shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6.
Figure 7 shows side and edge views and a section of a tongue piece detached
as formed of the web piece without the flange b' and shown as applied in the
detail views Figures 4 and 5.
The inner circumferential surface of the flange B' of the packing rings B, B',
may be corrugated as shown at F in Figure 2 or be formed with slotted parts as
at F1, to give increased elasticity in their action..
Referring to the piston valve arrangement shown in the figures on Sheet 2 of the
drawings, this shows the body of the piston P itself with the solid flange P', and
portable junk ring P2, between which the flanges B', of the packing rings B, B
are pressed by the helical springs C and duplex inner pressing ring frames A, A',
substantially as described in reference to the arrangement on Sheet 1 except that
the outer ring which bears steam tight on the circumferential surface of the cylinder
is made of one ring the whole depth of the piston and projects at p even over the
flange P and junk ring P2; while the other inner ring B, B', is mounted
telescopically within the outer ring and presses the outer ring against the cylinder
by the circumferential pressure of the helical spring D between the end flanges a, a',
of the inner duplex pressing ring frames A, A1; and the two rings although
expanding circumferentially are secured together by two short stud bolts and
nuts E, E', on opposite sides of the split B³ of the outer ring B, with an elongated
slot E to permit of the circumferential movement of the rings, as seen particularly
in Figure 9. In this arrangement the tongue pieces are fitted at the opposite
edges of the split B' of the outer packing ring B, as shown in Figure 10 at the
left hand side of Figure 8, and have an additional flange piece 6" sunk into the
outer edges of the ring B, the segmental part of the tongue piece extending
down past the junction of the inner ring to prevent the possible admission of the
steam through the split B³ of the ring B. The inner ring B, B', which is shown
as split on the opposite side to the outer ring in dotted lines in Figure 11 at the
right hand side of Figure 8, is only shown with an ordinary flat segmental tongue
piece over its split B³, on the entering steam side of the piston; and all these
tongue pieces as in the former arrangement have one end secured by screws or
rivets to the one end of the ring B, while the other end of the ring moves circum-
ferentially on the tongue piece or vice versa. Otherwise the parts are constructed
and act substantially as described in reference to the figures on Sheet 1 of the
drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The construction or arrangement and combination of circumferential and
lateral acting internal pressing ring frames and circumferential and lateral acting

page_text: helical springs, and jointing tongue pieces to form spring packing rings for pistons,
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. The construction and use of portable circumferential and lateral acting
internal pressing ring frames made in sections to form packing rings for pistons,
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Third. The arrangement of portable circumferential and lateral acting internal
pressing ring frames made in sections in combination with circumferential and
lateral acting springs, to form packing rings for pistons, substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In spring packing rings for pistons formed of circumferential sectional
ring frames, the arrangement and use of segmental web tongue pieces and their
fittings at the split ring parts, substantially as herein described in reference to and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated 13th May 180A
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.