Improvements in Metallio Packing_employed in the Stuffing Boxes of Steam Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug. 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallio Packing_employed in the Stuffing Boxes
of Steam Engines.
I CHARLES MCLAREN of Oldham in the County of Lancaster Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said 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 this invention is to reduce and economise the packing employed in
the stuffing boxes of steam engines and to produce a packing which shall be less
frictional and more steam tight in practice than heretofore.
And in order that my invention may be more readily understood and carried into
practical effect, I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings illustrative of my
improvements and will now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the
various figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of the stuffing box of a steam engine with
my improved packing shewn applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a front view of my improved packing shewn full size and
Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views respectively on lines a b, c d.
In carrying out my invention I employ two or more hollow rings or casings a
which are for convenience, formed in halves (as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 3)
and secured together longitudinally at the desired distance apart by the longitudinal
studs or distance pieces b.
Within each of these casings a and also formed in halves is a set of brass
bushings composed of a series of segmental plates c. c. which are arranged side by
side and held in such a position with regard to each other by studs & that the
respective extremities of the segments of one bushing overlap or cover up the
extremities of the segments. of the other bushing as seen more clearly in Fig. 3.
These brass bushings are caused to forcibly embrace the piston rode by the
action of the several flat springs which are enclosed within and secured to the
casing a as illustrated and bear against and exercise pressure upon the outer edges
of the said bushings.
Instead of the segmental bushings c I may employ for small sized piston rods one
common bushing for each casing similar to that illustrated on Fig. 5 which is formed
in halves to facilitate the fixing of same but which halves are rigidly connected
together by the screws g.
In the front end of the casing a I form two holes into which the ends of two rods
are capable of screwing which serve to facilitate the introduction and withdrawal
of the packing into the stuffing box.
In this manner and by these means I produce a simple and efficient form of
metallic packing which is practically frictionless and much more steam tight in
practice than heretofore.
It will be obvious that any number of casings a and corresponding bushings may
be employed held apart by suitable stays or studs & and that the bushings as they
become worn may be replaced from time to time.
Having thus 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:-
The combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improved frictionless

page_text: packing substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
i
121 1
1001
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicant.