IMPROVEMENTS IN LEAK STOPPERS FOR BOILER TUBES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McConnell, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEAK
STOPPERS FOR BOILER TUBES."
Scaled the 29th September 1877, and dated the 31st March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McConnell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st March 1877..
JOHN MCCONNELL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEAK STOPPERS FOR BOILER TUBES."
This Invention under one modification consists of a tube, by preference bell
shaped or enlarged at each end, and provided with elastic packing rings that
are V shaped in cross section, placed on the enlarged end of the tube with their
annular V grooves facing each other, with collars behind them to retain the packing
in position, and capable of being expanded against the sides of the boiler tube and
the enlarged or bell-shaped portion of the stopper by pressure of steam or water,
the object being to provide a leak stopper that may be placed in a boiler tube for
stopping a leak without materially interfering with the efficiency of the tube, the
higher the pressure maintaining the greater tightness of the stopper.
The stopper tube may be of any required length, so that the packing ends are
beyond or encompass the leakage portion of the tubo and moved by any convenient
means to the leak, and placed so that one of the collars is on each side of the leak,
when the pressure of the steam or water will force the rubber rings outwards and
throw the lips or flanges formed by the grooves against the inner surface of the
boiler tube and the stopper, thus confining the leakage to the mail annular space
that surrounds the stopper.
In the modification described the tube stopper being hollow allows the boiler
tube to be used, only protecting or covering the defective part; but a solid wood or
other stopper plug might be used with the bevelled or bell-mouthed grooves turned
in its end for the insertion of the india-rubber packing rings, which would stop
the leak without permitting the flame or heated gases to pass through the tube.

page_text: Another improvement or modification consists in the combination of a packing
device with a short section of tube in such a nanner that, when the tube is placed
in the boiler flue, packing rings may be compressed between the exterior of the
short section or stopper tube and the interior of the boiler tubo in such a way as to
stop the leak and not impair the utility of the tube for heating purposes.
The stopper tube is provided with an outer bevelled collar in one end and a
thread and nut upon the other end, with compressing bevelled rings or glands with
a separating sleeve between them, their bevelled sides facing towards the end of
the tube and with a compressing ring V shaped on one side, which comes in contact
with the packing ring, and flat upon the opposite side which rests against the nut,
packing rings or gaskets being placed between the bevelled rings and the bevelled
end of the tube, provided with annular chambers to admit a small quantity of water
to prevent burning the packing, and which are screwed up by the end nut to a
tightness to grip the tube of the boiler on each side of the defective or leaky part,
the high pressure within acting on the bevelled rings between the packing, making 1
it perfectly tight at both ends, and the pressure being in both directions in this
and the former modifications, prevents any tendency of the stopper tubes shifting
within the boiler tube.
Another modification consists in bevelling the compressing rings to a greater or
more acute angle, so as to act with greater power within metallic rings bevelled 2
on the inner surface to suit these, and so press out the metallic ring with great
force against the inner surface of the boiler tube on each side of its defective or
leaky part, making it perfectly tight, substantially otherwise as described in
reference to the preceding modifications.
The operation of my Invention is as follows:-The tube carrying the glands and 2
packing rings is adjusted to the boiler tube, so that it will require some force to
carry it to its place; it is then forced into the leaky tube until one of the packing
rings is on each side of the leak. The nut is then turned with a suitable wrench
or spanner which engages with its turning lugs; this compresses the packing rings,
thereby stopping the leak.
3
Another modification consists in making a short hollow tube or solid plug, with
outer bevelled or conical head fitting a conical packing and stopping ring, and
having a nut on its inner end, and compressing and retaining ring between it and
the conical packing ring, which is split to allow it to expand, all for the purpose
of stopping or compressing leaky tubes at their ends; or it might be expanding or 3
tightening them at their ends in the tube plate when burned or thin by turning
either the screw nut or the short tube or plug itself upon the nut by a suitable
wrench, so as to force the conical packing ring up upon the conical head of the tube
or plug tight against the inner end of the boiler tube.
The advantages claimed for these stoppers are, that they are inexpensive to
manufacture, and may be placed in a boiler tube when the boiler is under full
working pressure; another advantage is that they do not obstruct or materially
impair the efficiency of the tube to which they are applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John McConnell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
September 1877.
JOHN MCCONNELL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN LEAK STOPPERS FOR BOILER TUBES."
"
My said Invention relates to improvements in leak stoppers to be applied to
boiler tubes when these get fractured or leaky, and which stoppers are more easy i
of application when the boiler is under full working pressure, and less expensive
than the stoppers hitherto used, and under several of the modifications they can
be applied without materially obstructing or impairing the efficiency of the tube.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall now
proceed to describe the several Figures on the accompanying Slicet of Drawing
which I have hereunto appended, for the purpose of showing the best modes and
means I am at present aware of for putting the Invention into effect or practice.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 are a longitudinal section, cross section, and side elevation
respectively of one modification of my said leak stopper with \ shaped india-rubber
packing rings.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a leak stopper, with india-rubber packing
rings for stopping both ends of the tube.
Figures 5 and 6 are longitudinal and cross sections respectively of another modi-
fication of leak stoppers, with V shaped or bevelled metallic packing rings, Figure 7
being a longitudinal section of another modification thereof, while Figure 8 is a
longitudinal section of another modification of leak stopper, for stopping leaks in
the tube plates of boilers or expanding the ends of the tubes, as desired.
Referring to the modification shown in Figures 1 to 3, my said Invention consists
of a tube or leak stopper A, by preference V shaped, or enlarged at each end A¹,
and provided with elastic packing rings B that aro V shaped in cross section, placed
on the enlarged ends A¹ of the tube, with their annular V grooves B₁ facing each
other towards the centre, with collars C on the tube behind them to retain the
packing rings B in position, the packing being capable of being expanded against-
the sides of the boiler tube D and the enlarged (or bell-shaped) portion A¹ of the
stopper A by pressure of steam or water; the object being to provide a leak stopper
that may be placed in a boiler tube for stopping a leak without materially inter-
fering with the efficiency of the tube, the higher the pressure maintaining the
greater tightness of the stopper.
The stopper tube A may be of any required length, so that the packing ends A¹
are beyond or encompass the leaky portion D¹ of the tube D, and moved by any
convenient means to the leak, and placed so that one of the collars A¹ is on each
side of the leak, when the pressure of the steam or water will force the rubbor
rings B outwards and throw the lips or flanges b formed by the grooves B against
the inner surface of the boiler tube D and the stopper A, thus confining the
leakage to the small annular space that surrounds the centre or body of the
stopper.
In the modification referred to the leak stopper A being hollow allows the boiler
tube D to be used, only protecting or covering the defective part D'; but a solid
wood or other stopper plug might be used with bevelled or bell-mouthed grooves
turned in its end for the insertion of the india-rubber packing rings B, which
would stop the leak without permitting the flame or heated gases to pass through
the tube.
Referring to Figure 4, the stopper A. for plugging up the tube D at both ends,
when so defective that it cannot be used, is constructed substantially similar to that
described in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, except that instead of being inserted
into the boiler tube D to the position of the leak it is screwed on to the rod F,
passing through the tube from end to end, the end rings or gaskets G, G¹, in this
case being solid and V shaped in section to grip the mouth of the tube D, as seen
in this Figure 4.
Another improvement or modification, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, consists in
the combination of a metallic packing device with a short section of tube A in such
a manner that, when placed in the boiler flue D, packing rings B may be compressed
between the exterior of the short section or stopper tube A and the interior of the
boiler tube D, in such a way as to stop the leak and not impair the utility of the
tube for heating purposes.
The leak stopper A is provided with an outer bevelled collar H in one end and
a thread and nut I, I, upon the other end, with compressing bevelled rings or
glands with a separating sleeve J between them, their bevelled sides facing towards
the ends of the tube, and with a compressing ring K, V shaped on one side k,
which comes in contact with the packing ring B, and flat upon the opposite side k³,

page_text: which rests against the nut I, packing rings or gaskets B being placed between
the bevelled rings J and the bevelled end of the tube or chamber A, the rings B
being provided with annular chambers L to admit a small quantity of water to
prevent burning the packing rings B, the whole being screwed up by the end
nut I to a tightness to grip the tube D of the boiler on each side of the defective
or leaky part D¹, the high pressure within acting on the bevelled rings J between
the packing, making it perfectly tight at both ends, and the pressure being in both
directions in this and the former modifications prevents any tendency of the stopper
tubes to shift in the boiler tube.
Another modification, as shown in Figure 7, consists in bevelling the compressing
rings B to a greater or more acute angle, so as to act with greater power within
the metallic rings J bevelled on the inner surface to suit these, and so press out the
metallic ring J with great force against the inner surface of the boiler tube D on
each side of its defective or leaky part D¹, making it perfectly tight, substantially
otherwise as described in reference to the preceding modifications. The leak
stopper A carrying the glands and packing rings B is adjusted to the boiler D,
so that it will require some force to carry it to its place. It is then forced into the
leaky tube until one of the packing rings B is on cach side of the leak; the nut I'
is then turned with a suitable wrench or spanner which engages with its turning
lugs ; this compresses the packing rings, thereby stopping the leak.
Another modification, as shown in Figure 8, consists in making a short hollow
tube A, with outer bevelled or conical head A¹ fitting a conical packing and
stopping ring B, and having a nut I' on its inner end, and compressing and
retaining ring J between it and the conical packing ring B, which is split at z to
allow it to expand, all for the purpose of stopping or compressing leaky tubes at
their ends; or it might be for expanding or tightening them at their ends in the
tube plate Z when burned or thin by turning either the screw nut I'³ or the short
tube or plug A. itself upon the nut by a suitable wrench, so as to force the conical
packing ring B up upon the conical head A¹ of the stopper or plug A tight against
the inner end of the boiler tube D.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated; but what I consider novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The general construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of
leak stoppers and the method of inserting and fixing the same in boiler tubes,
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The general construction and application of a combined leak stopper and
tube expander, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in
Figure 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McConnell, havo hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand cight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
JOHN BROWN,
Patent Agent,
96, Buchanan Street,
Glasgow.
JOHN MCCONNELL. (L.S.)