Equilibrium and Automatic Floating Packing.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 27tn Mar.. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Equilibrium and Automatic Floating Packing.
EVAN TADMAN FERRIER 19 St. Andrew's Crescent Cardiff Colliery Proprietor
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is for the purpose of making an improvement in
floating packing, used on piston, valve, and other rods, and pumps. There are two
floating packings, made in suitable metal. Each packing is made in three
segments, and when bored to fit the rod, it forms a steam tight bush or ring.
Each segment joint is fitted with a tongue piece, intercepting it so as to prevent
the escape of steam by the rod. The segments are placed in a cylindrical metal
box, which is made in halves, and is fitted with two covers, one top and bottom.
The halves are secured together, by means of dogs driven into suitable holes
drilled, one on each side of the box, and cover joints, drawing them tightly
together.
Dowels may be fitted into the covers and box. Inside the packing box, there is
a ledge, or shoulder, which act as distance piece, or seat between the two packings,
thereby forming two distinct chambers in the packing box, when the covers are on,
and fitted to the rod.
The covers and the internal ledge, or shoulder, are bored larger than the
diameter of the rod, and the packing chamber is of greater diameter than the
outside diameter of the packing, thereby allowing it sufficient room to float, and
follow the rod.
The floating metallic packing is so fitted in its seat, that it will move freely
between the covers, and the internal ledge, or shoulder, similar to a piston packing
ring.
The top packing is equilibrium, and is made so, by having two or more half
circular grooves bored in the inner surface next the rod, to the extent of nearly
equalising the area on the back and face of the packing, allowing a little more
aren on the back that the packing may be pressed to the rod, when stean is
admitted into the chamber.
The bottom or second packing is automatically adjusted by means of flat
circular springs, about of a circle, or coach springs may be used.
I also purpose using Hating elastic packing, automatically adjusted by the same
kind of springs, as the above, which may be placed in the packing box, or
independent of it
Either of these packings may be fitted to the rod, combined, or singly.
The top cover of the packing box, has two knife edge rings turned on the
outside, as close to the inside edge of the cover as possible, next the rod, the
purpose of which is, that when the packing and box are put on the rod, anl
placed in the stuffing box, it will be tightened up by the gland, and by pressing
the knife edge rings against the cylinder neck ring it will form a steam tight joint,
thereby retaining the steam which escapes between the neck ring and the rol, 11
the space between the inside of the kuife edge on the top cover, the rod, and top
of the floating packing.
The steam is admitted into the top chamber through a few small holes, drille m
the inside edge of the top cover, next the rod, with cross holes drilled to neet

page_text: them, from the inside of the cover, forming right angular holes, which gives direct
communication between the top, or equilibrium packing and the cylinder.
Steam is admitted between the packing and the rod, between the segments, or
by holes drilled in the back of the packing.
The equilibrium packing may be converted into automatic, or combined, at will,
or may use floating elastic packing combined with metallic, or the floating elastic
packing may be used by itself, with a small metal clip to go over the joints.
Grooves will be made in the face of the lower, or automatic packing.
Dated this 26th day of March 1896.
I, EVAN TADMAN FERRIER of No. 19 St. Andrew's Crescent, Cardiff, in the
County of Glamorgan, 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 present invention relates to improvements in equilibrium and automatic
floating packing, such as are used on the rods of pistons, valres, pumps and
the like.
Referring to the accompanying figures, which are to be taken as part of this
specification and read therewith:-
Figure 11s a sectional view, taken after a portion of the packing has been
broken away to show the internal portion of it.
Figure 2 is a transverse section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modification of the combination illustrated in
Figure 1. A portion of the packing has been broken away to show the internal
construction of it.
Figure 4 is a plan of the inner segmental ring.
A is a piston rod; B, its stuffing box; C, the gland; and D, the neck bush.
E is the inner segmental ring so called because it stands at the bottom of the
stuffing box or next to the neck bush and because it is built up of two or more
segments. In cross section, it has the contour of a right angled triangle, the
hypothenuse replaced by an arcual line having the same radius as the concave
corner a at the bottom of the stuffing box. This ring E is further provided with
a packing ring e packing up against the rod A. F, F, are a series of recesses in
the convex face o the ring, and concentric with it. Each one receives a flat
bent spring. The function of these springs is to keep the said ring up to its work
and to prevent it moving with the rod A, as well as to keep all the rings of the
combination together during the return stroke of, say a piston, for the steain
pressure, is then off.
Up to the flat side of the segmental ring E, and between the stuffing box B and
the rod A, there fits a second segmental ring H having a concentric lip I on the
outer edge of it, at right angles with it, and on the side opposite to the segmental
ring E.
K is a ring having a cross section of the same contour as the joint cross section
of the segmental ring E, the ring H and the lip I. It fits up to the gland C and
between the stuffing box B and the rod A.
Between the rings H and K, there is a further ing or circular box J standing
just within the lips I and k and bearing against both rings and lips H, I and k.
L, L are the packing rings, one on each side of an annular diaphragm P which,

page_text: projecting inwardly from the box J, divides the cavity of it into two equal portions.
These rings L, L, slide easily and smoothly upon the adjacent flat faces of the
rings H and K and diaphragm P; and are under constant pressure up towards the
rod A. This pressure is exerted by single piece -prings M, M, one acting upon each
ring L, and bearing against the box J as a base. A spring M is of flat or
other suitable cross section but is waved or serpentine throughout its length.
My invention does not limit me as to the exact direction of the serpentine, but
I prefer that it should be as illustrated in Figure 2, that is, with bold convex curves
bearing against the box J and sharper and almost angular ones bearing against the
spring L. The two ends of the single piece spring are locked together by a hooke
joint S; the compression being adjusted by inserting a plug or pin at the back of
the hooked joint, or a ring may be placed around the back of the spring in the
event of the packing ring becoming worn.
N is a groove in the inner face of each of the packing rings L. Its function is
to reduce the ring surface in contact with the rod A and to present sharp edges to
the latter in the periphery of contact.
Each packing ring L is a segmental one, and special provision is made to keep
the joints between the several segments steam-tight. One of them has an annular
groove in its inner face, in which groove there is fitted an internal segmental
packing ring N1, the joints between the segments of the latter standing inter-
mediate of the joints in the ring L. It is preferred that the internal packing
ring N' be fitted in the inner packing ring L, that is the one nearest to the neck
busb, and in the corner of it adjoining the ring H and the rod A, as shown in
Figure 1.
The other packing ring L has an annular groove in its inner face, in which
there is a ring of soft packing N' with which there may be combined a ring n
adapted to hold it up to the rod A.
O, O are tongue pieces and dogs of the well known type covering the various
joints between the segments of the rings H and K as well as between those of the
box J, and holding them together.
The modification illustrated in Figure 3 consists in there being no diaphragm P,
only one packing ring L as a consequence, a collar R on each end of the box Jandí
adapted to bear against the lips 1 and k respectively and have them bearing
against themselves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of metallic
packing ring segments and a waved spring adapted to press them up to the rod to
be packed; as set lorth.
2. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of a metallic
packing ring or rings and ring outside each and at right angles therewith over
the adjacent flat faces of which the respective packing ring, can stide; as set
forth.
3. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of a segmental
packing ring; an internal segmental packing ring, and a ring of soft packing; as
set forth.
4. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination therewith of a
segmental ring adapted to fit up to the neck bush and springs in recesses in that
face of it which adjoins the said bush, as set forth.
5. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of a metallic
packing ring or rings; a waved spring for each such ring adapted to press it up to
the rod to be packed; and rings outside each of the packing rings and at right
angles therewith over the adjacent flat faces of which the respective packing ring
can slide; as set forth.
6. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of metallic

page_text: packing ring or rings; a waved spring for each such ring adapted to press it up to
the rod to be packed: rings outside each packing ring and at right angles
therewith over the adjacent flat faces of which the respective packing ring can
slide; an internal segmental packing ring, and an internal ring of soft packing;
as set forth.
7. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of metallic
packing ring or rings; a waved spring for each such ring adapted to press it up to
the rod to be packed; rings outside each packing ring and at right angles
therewith over the adjacent flat faces of which the respective packing ring can
slide; an internal segmental packing ring; an internal ring of soft packing; a
segmental ring adapted to fit up to the neck bush and springs in recesses in that
face of it which adjoins the said bush; as set forth.
8. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of a metallic
packing ring or rings; rings outside each and at right angles therewith over the
adjacent flat faces of which the respective packing ring can slide; an internal
segmental packing ring and an internal ring of soft packing; as set forth.
9. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of a metallic
packing ring or rings; rings outside each and at right angles therewith over the
adjacent flat faces of which the respective packing rings can slide; internal
segmental packing ring; an internal ring of soft packing; a segmental ring
adapted to fit up to the neck bush and springs in recesses in that face of it which
adjoins the said bush; as set forth.
10. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of a segmental
packing ring; an internal segmental packing ring; an internal ring of soft packing;
a segmental ring adapted to fit up to the neck bush; as set forth.
11. In a metallic packing of the class specified; the combination of a segmental
packing ring, an internal ring of soft packing and an intermediate spring adapted
to hold the latter up to its work, as set forth."
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.