Improvements in the Packing Rings Employed in the Pistons of Steam-engines and Pumps and in the Pistons of other. Analogous Apparatus.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 29th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 29th July, 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Packing Rings Employed in the Pistons of
Steam-engines and Pumps and in the Pistons of other. Analogous
Apparatus.
I ALLEN RIDGE of Townley Iron Works, Bradford near Manchester in the County
Lancaster Millwright and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to the packing rings employed in the pistons of steam-engines
and in the pistons of pumps and other analogous apparatus and consists in so forming
the packing ring or packing rings of each of such pistons aforesaid that such packing
ring or packing rings may expand longitudinally and circumferentially. In accom-
plishing the object of my invention I take a tube or hollow cylinder of metal preferably
steel and of suitable diameter and length and cut or form such tube or hollow cylinder
into a spiral spring the ends of which spiral spring are formed parallel to each other.
The spiral spring formed as above-described will when placed between the flanges or
plates of the piston in which such spiral spring is to be employed and compressed to a
suitable degree within the cylinder in conjunction with which such piston is used
prevent steam or other fluid or liquid from passing such piston. I in some cases
insert filling pieces or stopping bits of any suitable form in the spiral spring aforesaid
any suitable part or parts of such spiral spring to prevent steam or other fluid or
liquid from having access to the interior of the piston to which such spiral spring is
applied.
at
I so form those parts of the spiral spring above-described which when the said
spiral spring is in use are in contact with the flanges or plates of the piston to which
such spiral spring is applied, that such parts of the said spiral spring will form flanges
of any required or suitable breadth to resist wear and maintain a tight joint but the
metal forming the remaining portion of the said spiral spring I form thinner or of
any suitable thickness so that the spiral spring shall be as elastic as may be required.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of September 1886.
W. T. CHEETHAM,
Carlton Chambers,
18, St. Ann's Street, Manchester,
Agent to the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Packing Rings Employed in the Pistons of
Steam-engines and Pumps and in the Pistons of other Analagous
Apparatus.
I ALLEN RIDGE of Townley Iron Works Bradford near Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Millwright and 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 invention relates to the packing rings employed in the pistons of steam-engines
and pumps and in the pistons of other analagous apparatus and consists in so forming
the packing ring or packing-rings of each of such pistons aforesaid that such
packing-ring or packing-rings may expand longitudinally and circumferentially. In
accomplishing the object of my invention I take a tube or hollow cylinder of metal
preferably steel and of suitable diameter and length and cut or form such tube or
hollow cylinder into a spiral spring the ends of which spiral spring are formed parallel
to each other.
The spiral spring formed as above described will when placed between the flanges
or plates of the piston in which such spiral spring is to be employed and compressed
to a suitable degree within the cylinder in conjunction with which such piston is used
prevent steam or other fluid or liquid from passing such piston.
I so form those parts of the spiral spring above-described which when the said spiral
spring is in use are in contact with the flanges or plates of the piston to which such
spiral spring is applied that such parts of the said spiral spring will form flanges of
any required or suitable breadth to resist wear and maintain a tight joint but the
metal forming the remaining portion of the said spiral spring I form thinner or of any
suitable thickness so that the spiral spring shall be as elastic as may be required.
In order that my invention may be properly carried into effect I will further
describe the same by reference to the drawing hereunto annexed in which the same
letters of reference are applied to corresponding parts throughout the whole series of
figures. Fig. 1 is an end view and Fig. 2 a side view of a tube or hollow cylinder of
metal preferably steel from which tube or hollow cylinder of metal the packing spring
to be employed in a piston is to be made. The tube or hollow cylinder a of metal may
be formed in any convenient manner.
The tube or hollow cylinder a of metal which I shall hereinafter call "the tube a,"
of which the packing spring is to be made is of a diameter slightly larger than that
of the cylinder in which such packing spring is to be employed and the length of such
tube a must be suited to the length of the packing spring to be made.-I first bore
or turn the inside of the tube a.-I then fix the said tube a upon a mandrel and turn
the outside of such tube to a diameter a little larger than the internal diameter of the
cylinder for use in which the packing spring to be made is intended and "face" the

page_text: ends of the tube a so as to make
convenient manner form slots or
opposite ends of the said tube a.
at A, through the thickness of the
a spiral slit C terminating in the slot or hole b.
I then reverse the tube a in the lathe and commencing at D cut through the
thickness of the tube a in the direction indicated by the arrow E a spiral slit F
terminating in a slot or hole c and afterwards by means of a turning tool or circular
cutter cut a spiral slit G extending from the slot or hole C to the end a of the tube a.―
I then cut a spiral slit H extending from the slot or hole b to the end a¹ of the tube a.
By the cutting of the spiral slits C. F. G. H. before mentioned a spiral strip d of metal
will have been severed from the tube a. The said spiral strip d of metal being removed
an elastic metallic spiral e will be left. I then by means of a milling cutter or in any
other suitable manner form a recess f in the elastic metallic spiral e and form the end
e of the elastic metallic spiral e of a shape to fit into the recess fas shown in Fig. 3
which is a side elevation of the elastic metallic spiral e.-I then in a similar manner
form a recess f¹ in the elastic metallic spiral e and form the end of such elastic
metallic spiral e of a shape to fit into the recess as shown in Fig. 3.
such tube a of the required length. I then in any
holes b c passing through the side of the tube a at
I then with a narrow turning tool cut commencing
tube a in the direction indicated by the arrow B,
The said elastic metallic spiral e is thus formed into a spiral packing spring.
I now if required compress the elastic metallic spirale endwise until the adjacent
edges of such elastic metallic spiral e are in contact with each other as shown in
Fig. 4 which is a side view of such elastic metallic spiral e when compressed and
placing such compressed elastic metallic spiral e in a lathe form an internal
groove or recess between the points J and K so as to form projecting flanges g. gl
upon the inside of the elastic metallic spiral e as shown in Fig. 5 which is a vertical
section of the elastic metallic spiral e and in Fig. 6 which is a plan of such elastic
metallic spiral e.
Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of a piston and a portion of a cylinder showing the
method of applying the spiral packing spring e formed as above described.-In Fig. 7
h is the piston-rod upon which is secured the block j formed with a flange j¹. Secured
to the block j by set screws is a flange or plate k. The spiral packing spring e is com-
pressed between the flange j¹ and the flange or plate k. The spiral packing spring e when
compressed between the flange and the flange or plate k and within the cylinder
will by its pressure against the flange the flange or plate k and the cylinder
prevent steam or other fluid or liquid from passing the piston formed by the block j
flange or plate k and spiral packing spring e.
k
By forming the surfaces which are in contact with the flange 1 and the flange or
plate respectively of suitable breadth I enable the packing spring e to resist wear
and maintain a tight joint between the said packing spring and the flange j¹ and flange
or plate k of the piston aforesaid.
By forming the portion of the packing spring e of any suitable thickness the
spiral packing spring e may be made as elastic as may be required.
I have above described a mode of forming the spiral packing spring e but 1 would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to such mode of forming the spiral
packing spring as the spiral packing spring may be formed in any suitable
manner.
A packing spring constructed according to my invention will when in use tend to
expand longitudinally and circumferentially and thus make a tight joint at each of its
ends with the surface in contact with such end and along its outside circumferential
surface with the interior surface of the cylinder in which it is employed. I am thus
enabled by my invention to dispense with the subsidiary rings and apparatus hitherto
ordinarily employed in conjunction with packing springs.
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 :-
==
1. A packing spring of the herein before described form for use in the piston of a
Steam engine or pump or in the piston of any other analogous apparatus and formed

page_text: as a spiral spring and so formed that such packing spring by being elastic both
longitudinally and circumferentially will when in use make a tight joint at each of its
ends with the surface in contact with such end and also make a tight joint along its
outside circumferential surface with the interior surface of the cylinder in which it is
employed.
2. A packing spring of the herein before described form for use in the piston of a
steam engine or pump or in the piston of any other analogous apparatus and formed
at each of its ends with a flange or wider portion to resist wear and maintain a tight
joint between the said end of such packing spring and the surface in contact therewith
when such packing spring is in use.
Dated this Twenty eighth day of June 1887