Metallic Packing for Stuffing-boxes, Pistons, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 7th Feb., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Metallic Packing for Stuffing-boxes, Pistons, and the like.
I, FRANK HUGHES of the firm of Hughes Eli and Hughes 76 Chancery Lane
London W.C., Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication to me from abroad by Gustave Pickhardt, of Bonn on the Rhine in
the German Empire Engineer) and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof
that is to say :-
My invention relates to metallic packing for stuffing boxes, pistons and the like
and has for its object to provide a material which has important advantages over
packings such as heretofore used.
This metallic packing consists of a plait made of wire and asbestos, cotton hemp
or other thread or yarn as shown in the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a front view of the said plait and
Fig. 2 a section of the same.
Fig. 4 is a section of a stuffing box and piston rod provided with my improved
packing material.
These plaits are formed into rings &c. having a diameter corresponding with
that of the rod required to be packed, a number of these rings being placed on the
top of one another according to requirements and tightly pressed so as to form a
solid mass as clearly shown in Fig. 4, in which rr... &c. are the packing rings
placed around the rod R in the stuffing box B.
I may instead of using a solid plait such as shown in Fig. 1 plait the strands
directly over the piston rod R cut their ends off and subsequently compress the
packing in the stuffing box B this packing assuming before compression the
appearance shown in Fig. 3 which is a section of the same.
Referring to Fig. 1 P is the packing cord composed of a series of strands ss... &c.
plaited in the manner shewn and secured together at one end by a wire coiled
thereon at w.
The metallic packing hitherto used owed their deficiency to the fact that they
could not be sufficiently compressed and hence allowed leakages to occur, they were
moreover neither flexible nor elastic. These defects are entirely obviated with my
improved packing as the same consists of substances which are both flexible and
elastic while being at the same time tenacious and durable, such as metallic wire,
asbestos cotton or hemp threads or yarn.
The resulting packing facilitates lubrication which can then be effected uniformly
and regularly, while it is absolutely steam tight which is an essential and important
feature of this invention.
The advantages of my improved packing over other similar material such as
heretofore used are more particularly enumerated hereunder viz.:
1. Increased capillarity which is regular and thorough and promotes the
uniform lubrication of the parts and the preservation of the lubricant.
2. The material can be easily and uniformly packed and compressed.
3. The material being as above explained thoroughly flexible and elastic, the
same can be compressed in thicker bulk and thus ensure perfect tightness.
4. The mode of forming my improved packing material imparting thereto great
resiliency and uniformity and producing a plait which when arranged in superposed
layers forms a uniform and steam-tight surface upon the part which is being
packed.
5. Regular and uniform lubrication whereby the parts work easily without any
loss of power resulting from the development of a hard and irregular friction
between the same

page_text: 6. Owing to the method of its formation this packing is much lighter than any
other solid metallic packing being from 50% to 35% less in weight and yet being
equally as strong and as hard as the latter.
7. The best material is used for its manufacture. I prefer generally to make use
therefor of 25% of bronze wire combined with about 75 of asbestos, cotton and
hemp threads or yarn.
10
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The improved packing material for stuffing boxes pistons and the like consisting
of a plait formed of a combination of 25% of bronze wire with 75% of asbestos,
cotton and hemp threads or yarn, this material being coiled in the shape of a solid
cord upon the part requiring to be packed and compressed, or strands formed of the
above wire and threads being plaited directly upon such part and subsequently
compressed substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying
drawings and for the purpose set forth.
2. A packing material for stuffing boxes, pistons and the like consisting of a
mixture or combination of metallic wires and asbestos cotton and hemp threads or
yarn substantially as herein described and shown and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 6th day of January 1890.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.