Improvements in Packing for Steam and other Engine and Machine Glands.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 27th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1888
Improvements in Packing for Steam and other Engine and Machine
Glands.
I HOWARD FIELD of Southall in the County of Middlesex Mechanical Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of my invention is to provide packing suitable for glands and stuffing
boxes generally, which shall be without the defects inherent in the metallic packings
hitherto used. That defect, stated shortly, consists in the packing settling down in a
solid mass at the bottom of the stuffing box and thus becoming liable to heat the piston
rod or moving part, and when metal wire or the like forms part of the packing to seize
the piston rod or moving part and cause material damage.
To avoid the defects above named I construct packing of any desired form in cross
section of asbestos or other fibrous material spun, woven, braided or otherwise interlaced
with one or more preferably several hollow metallic tubes filled with asbestos or other
fibrous material embedded therein.
On the wearing away of the asbestos or other fibre surrounding the said metallic
tubes the metal is gradually brought into contact with the piston rod or moving part.
In the event of the friction between the piston rod or moving part and the packing
being great the comparatively thin metal of the tube or tubes is rapidly worn through
and the piston rod or part comes into contact with the filling and thus friction is
reduced and danger from seizing avoided.

page_text: I HOWARD FIELD of Southall in the county of Middlesex Mechanical 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide packing suitable for glands and stuffing
boxes generally which shall be without the defects inherent in the metallic packings
hitherto used. The defect stated shortly consists in the packing settling down in a
solid mass at the bottom of the stuffing box and thus becoming liable to heat the
piston rod or moving part and when metal wire or the like forms part of the packing
to seize the piston rod or moving part and cause material damage.
To avoid the defects above named 1 construct packing of any desired form in cross
section, of asbestos or other fibrous material spun woven braided or otherwise interlaced
with one or more preferably several hollow metallic tubes filled with asbestos or other
fibrous material embedded therein.
On the wearing away of the asbestos or other fibre surrounding the said metallic
tubes the metal is gradually brought into contact with the piston rod or moving part.
In the event of the friction between the piston rod or moving part and the packing
being great the comparatively thin metal of the tube or tubes is rapidly worn through
and the piston rod or part comes into contact with the filling and thus friction is
reduced and danger from seizing avoided.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of packing under my invention where a soft metal tube a
filled with asbestos bis embedded in woven asbestos c.
Fig. 2. is a perspective view of a modification of packing in which an annulus of
soft metal tubes a filled with fibrous material bis embedded in fibrous asbestos c the
whole being held in place by a braided cover d.
Fig. 3. is a plan of packing where there are three soft metal tubes a fiilled with
fibrous material b and surrounded with woven asbestos c.
Fig. 4, is a plan of woven packing c having embedded in it near one edge a series
of soft metal tubes a filled with fibrous material b.

page_text: It will be obvious that many modifications of packing may be made under my
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect I claim :-
Packing consisting of spun woven braided or otherwise interlaced fibrous material
having embedded therein one or more metallic tubes filled with fibrous material for
the purpose set forth.