IMPROVE- MENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS FOR STEAM CYLINDERS, AIR CYLINDERS OR PUMPS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacob Goodfellow, of the Atlas Works, Blackburn, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS FOR STEAM CYLINDERS, AIR CYLINDERS OR
PUMPS."
Sealed the 15th April 1868, and dated the 28th December 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacob Goodfellow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,, on the
28th December 1867.
I, JACOB GOODFELLOW, of the Atlas Works, Blackburn, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS FOR STEAM CYLINDERS, AIR CYLINDERS'
OR PUMPS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to pistons having an expanding metallic packing, and
consists in a novel combination by means of which I obtain a great amount'
of elasticity in the said metallic packing. The portion of the said packing
which is in immediate contact with the cylinder when in use I form of two
split rings, each ring being of a triangular or nearly triangular shape in section,
the two rings being placed in the piston with their narrowest sides or edges
in contact or nearly in contact. A third split ring is placed inside the two

page_text: outer rings, the inner surface of the said third ring being parallel or nearly
parallel with the central axis of the piston and the outer surface being formed
of two inclined faces, the form of this said outer surface being made suitable
to fit against the interior surfaces of the two outer rings. Inside this said third
ring next previously described is placed a fourth ring of a spiral form produced
from a cylinder by cutting the said cylinder in a lathe in the ordinary manner
or by other suitable means, the said spiral ring exerting an elastic pressure
against the next outer ring, which said next outer ring transmits the said
elastic pressure in addition to the pressure due to its own elasticity to the rings
in contact with the interior of the cylinder. I do not lay claim to the form
or use of any portion of the herein above described metallic packing excepting
when combined.as described. The order in which the several portions of the
metallic packing are described as being placed in the piston is not necessarily
the order in which they are to be placed in the piston when the said piston is
being put tagother or packed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jacob Goodfellow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JACOB
GOODFELLOW, of the Atlas Works, Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Jacob Goodfellow, Iler special license that I, the said Jacob
Goodfellow, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Jacob Goodfellow, my 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS FOR STEAM CYLINDES, AIR CYLINDERS OR
PUMPS," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said Jacob Goodfellow,
by an instrument in writing under my band and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: 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 I, the said Jacob Goodfellow, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the 'following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-.
My Invention relates to pistons having an expanding metallic packing, and
consists in a novel combination by means of which I obtain a great amount
of elasticity in the said metallic packing. The portion of the said packing.
which is in immediate contact with the cylinder when in use I form of two:
split rings, each ring being of a triangular or nearly triangular shape in section,
the two rings being placed in the piston with their narrowest sides or edges
in contact or nearly in contact. A third split ring is placed inside the two
outer rings, the inner surface of the said third ring being parallel or nearly
parallel with the central axis of the piston, and the outer surface being.
formed of two inclined faces, the form of this said outer surface being made
suitable to fit against the interior surfaces of the two outer rings. Inside this:
said third ring next previously described is placed a fourth ring of a spiral
form produced from a cylinder by cutting the said cylinder in a lathe in the
ordinary manner or by other suitable means, the said spiral ring exerting an
elastic pressure against the next outer ring, which said next outer ring.
transmits the said elastic pressure in addition to the pressure due to its own
elasticity to the rings in contact with the interior of the cylinder. The order.
in which the several portions of the metallic packing are described as being
placed in the piston is not necessarily the order in which they are to be
placed in the piston when the said piston is being put together or
packed.
In order that my Invention may be more readily described, and that this
present description thereof may be better understood, I have annexed here-
unto a Sheet of Drawings having similar letters of referance marked upon
corresponding parts in the various Figures.
Referring here, to the said Drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of one of
my improved pistons, the packing rings being shewn in position, and also at
Fig: 2 as when removed from their places in the piston. Fig. 3 is a sectional
view of a modification of the piston represented at Fig. 1, the packing rings
being seperately shewn at Fig. 4.. All the views above referred to represent
the pistons and rings as vertical sections taken on a straight line passing
through the centres of the said pistons and rings. Fig. 5 is.a side view and

page_text: Fig. 6 a plan of the ring described in my Provisional Specification as the
"third ring," the two Figures shewing the form of the said ring and the manner
in which it is split.
In Figs. 1 and 2 a is the body or "block" of the piston; 6 is the "junk
ring; " and c, c, are the screws for securing the said "junk ring" to the "piston
block, all of the sail parts being of any ordinary and suitable construction.
In this example the packing rings are four in number, d, d, being the two
rings which are in contact with the interior of the cylinder when in use, the
said rings being of a well-known form and being split by simply sawing or
otherwise cutting through each ring at any desired part of its circumference,
as is well understood. The third ring is shewn at e, e, and is made of the
usual form to suit the onter rings d, d, but is split in the improved manner,:
as shewn at Figs. 4, 5, and 6, instead of in the tisual manner, that is to say,.
in the same manner as the rings d. d. The fourth ring f. f, is cut into a.
spiral form, and is similar to rings which have been previously employed in
combinations different to those herein describe and illustrated in the attached
Drawings. The rings.e and fare split or cut in a lathe in the usual or nearly.
in the usual manner, with the exception that as the upward and downward.
pressures of the rings d, d, against the junk ring b and the plate or flanch g
result from the outward thrust of the ring e acting on the inclined faces of
the rings d, d, less upward and downward thrust of the rings e and fis
required, and therefore less metal is removed in the process of cutting or
splitting the said rings e and f than is necessary when the ring f is required
to act directly against flanches formel on the outer packing rings, as is usual.
The terms "upward and downward" are berein used as referring to the piston
when in the position as when working in a vertical cylinder. In place of
cutting the rings e and f with a constant pitch, so that taking for example the.
ring e, as shewn at Fig. 4, the breadth of the ring between the cuts shall be.
constant between the points marked h, h. I prefer to make the said breadth
increase for one half of the distance between the sail points and decrease for
the remaining half of the distance, so that the portion of the ring marked i in
Fig. 5 shall have the greatest breadth, a better action of the said ring being
thereby obtained. It is preferred that one of the rings e and f be cut "right
band," and the other ring "left hand." In Figs. 3 and 4 the inner ring fis
dispensed with, the remaining rings being the same as in Figs. 1 and 2 in
every respect. This piston, although not possessing elasticity to the same
extent as the piston represented at Figs. 1 and 2, is sufficiently elastic for
ordinary employment, the method of cutting the ring e herein-before described
and illustrated at Figs. 4, 5, and 6. in the accompanying Drawings greatly.

page_text: increasing the elasticity and durability of the piston as compared with the
ordinary method of cutting the said ring e in the same or a similar manner to
the two outer rings d, d. Referring here to the Figs. 1 and 2 I would remark
that the arrangement therein represented may be modified by substituting for
the ring e cut as herein-before described a ring of the same section as the said
ring e, but cut in the same manner or in a similar manner to the outer
rings d, d, the piston thus constructed consisting of a previously employed
form of piston with the ring f added thereto, but I prefer in all cases to cut
the said ring e in manner as herein-before described, and as shewn in the
attached Drawings, the effect produced being superior to that of the modified
arrangement just referred to.
Having now described the nature of my improvements, and methods of
carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood
that I claim as my Invention,-
First. The addition to pistons baving three packing rings of the same
section or of a similar section to the rings d, d, and e, as shewn in the attached
Drawings of the ring f formed and cut or split in mauner as herein-before
described and illustrated in the attached Drawings, or in any suitable
manner, the same being a mere modification of the herein-before described
methods.
Secondly. The employment of the ringe of the form shewn in the attached
Drawings or of a form being a modification thereof when cut or split in manner
as herein-before described and illustrated in the attached Drawings, or in any
manner being a mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacob Goodfellow, bave hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JACOB GOODFELLOW. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed by the said
Jacob Goodfellow in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
Manchester.