IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON AND PUMP RODS, AND
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Nicol Angus, of Stoke-upon-Trent, and
William Henry Hammersley, of Leek, both in the County of Stafford,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON AND PUMP RODS, AND
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Nicol Angus
and William Henry Hammersley at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 16th May 1874.
We, ROBERT NICOL ANGUS, of Stoke-upon-Trent, and WILLIAM
HENRY HAMMERSLEY, of Leek, both in the County of Stafford, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PISTON AND PUMP RODS, AND IN GLANDS FOR THE SAME," to be as follows, :—
This Invention relates to the construction of piston rods, pump rods,
or other similar rods having a longitudinal sliding motion, and of the
glands or stuffing boxes through which they work, the objects of the
said Invention being,—
T
11
11

page_text: cotter hole, where it is fastened to the cross head (which is its weakest
part).
And, Secondly. To compensate for the wear of the rod or gland (or
both), so as to keep the gland always steam or water tight and the rod
always central.
In the first place instead of reducing the diameter of the piston or
pump rod at the end where it is attached to the cross head, so as to form
a shoulder in the usual manner, we make the rod rather thicker at
this part, so that after the cotter hole is made through it the rod is as
strong at this as at any other part, and we form the end tapering, so
that when fitted in a similar tapering hole in the cross head, and the
cotter driven through it is perfectly firm and requires no shoulder.
Secondly. We bore out the gland of the stuffing box larger than the
rod, the hole not being bored parallel or of the same diameter all through,.
but conical, the largest diameter being towards the interior of the stuffing
box. Inside the gland we fit a similarly conical or tapered brush,
bored out to fit the rod, and of such a depth that its inner or larger end
bears against the packing when the gland is screwed into the stuffing
box. This bush is made in two halves, a space being left between
their adjacent surfaces, as in the brasses of an ordinary bearing; and it
will be evident that as the surface of the rod or bush (or both)
becomes worn a slight screwing up of the gland will tighten both the
conical bush and the packing and keep the rod steam or water tight at
the same time that it always maintains its central position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Robert Nicol Angus and William Henry
Hammersley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
NICOL ANGUS, of Stoke-upon-Trent, and WILLIAM HENRY HAMMERSLEY, 30
of Leek, both in the County of Stafford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year
"

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Robert Nicol Angus and
William Henry Hammersley, Her special license that we, the said
Robert Nicol Angus and William Henry Hammersley, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Nicol
Angus and William Henry Hammersley, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON AND PUMP RODS,
AND IN GLANDS FOR THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that
wc, the said Robert Nicol Angus and William Henry Hammersley, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or
one of our or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
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 William Henry Hammersley (on'
behalf of myself and the said Robert Nicol Angus, do hereby declare
the nature of 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) :-
This Invention relates to the construction of piston rods, pump rods,
or other similar rods having a longitudinal sliding motion, and of the
glands or stuffing boxes through which they work, the objects of the In-
vention being,
Firstly. To prevent the breaking of the piston or pump rod at the
cotter hole, where it is fastened to the cross head (which is its weakest :
part).
And, Secondly. To compensate for the wear of the rod or gland (or.
both), so as to keep the gland always steam or water tight and the rod
always central.
Such being the nature and object: of our said Invention we will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which. the same is

page_text: to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order
that the same may be clearly understood we have annexed hereunto a
Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with
figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following-
explanation thereof:-
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 is an clevation of that end of a piston.
or pump rod by which it is attached to the cross head.
Fig. 2 is a section through the gland; and Fig. 3 is a front view of
the gland, the piston or pump rod being shown in section.
In the first place instead of reducing the diameter of the piston or
pump rod a, a, at the end where it is attached to the cross rod, so as to
form a shoulder in the usual manner, we make the rod rather thicker
at this part, as shown at b, b; Fig. 1, so that after the cotter hole c, c,
is made through it the rod is as strong at this as at any other part,
and we form the end tapering, as shown, so that when fitted in a similar
tapering hole in the cross head, and the cotter driven through it is
perfectly firm and requires no shoulder.
,
Secondly. We bore out the gland d, d, of the stuffing box larger than
the rod a, a, the hole not being bored parallel or of the same diameter
all through, but conical, as shown at Fig. 2, the largest diameter being 2
towards the interior of the stuffing box. Inside the gland d, d, we fit a
similarly conical or tapered bush f, f, bored out to fit the rod a, a, and:
of such a depth that its inner or larger end at *, *, bears against the
packing when the gland is screwed into the stuffing box.
This bush f,f,
is made in two halves (see Fig. 3), a space being left between their 2
adjacent surfaces, as in the brasses of an ordinary bearing, and it will
be evident that as the surface of the rod a, a, or the bush f,f, (or both):
becomes worn a slight screwing up of the gland d, d, will tighten both
the conical bush and the packing and keep the rod steam or water tight
at the same time that it always maintains its central position.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, we wish it to be understood
that we claim as our Invention,―
Firstly. The enlarged conical end b, b, at that end of the piston or a
nump rod where it is connected to the cross head.

page_text: And, Secondly. We claim the conical or tapered bushf, f, inside the
gland, constructed, fitted, and used, substantially in the manner and for
the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Hammersley (on
behalf of myself and the said Robert Nicol Angus) have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.