Improvements in Piston and Valve Rod Packing for Steam Engines.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Piston and Valve Rod Packing for Steam
Engines.
I ALEXANDER MAC LAINE of N° 1 Queens Elms, Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ship owner do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON AND VALVE ROD PACKING FOR STEAM ENGINES" to be
as follows:-
I construct packing for piston and valve rods of steam engines of canvas or
other suitable material at each end of the stuffing box and in the central portion of
same I introduce a ring or blocks or other arrangement, by preference composed of
metal, to hold the packing at the ends apart and leave vacant a belt or circle round
the rod into which vacant space I conduct oil or other lubricant from a receiver
under steam pressure, so that the rod works in a belt of lubricant under pressure
and is thereby maintained steam tight with a minimum of friction; and I may
employ a column of mercury or other means of obtaining pressure upon the
lubricant.

page_text: Improvements in Piston and Valve Rod Packing for Steam
Engines.
I ALEXANDER MAC LAINE of N° 1 Queens Elms, Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ship owner do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PISTON AND VALVE ROD PACKING FOR STEAM ENGINES and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
I construct packing for piston and valve rods of steam engines at each end of
the stuffing box of canvas or other suitable material and in the central portion
of the stuffing box I introduce a ring or blocks, by preference composed of metal,
to hold the packing at the ends apart and leave a vacant belt or circle round the
rod into which space I conduct oil or other lubricant from a receiver under steam
pressure, so arranged that the rod is made to work in a belt of lubricant under
pressure and is thereby maintained steamtight with a minimum of friction.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood I shall now
proceed to describe the drawing upon the sheet hereunto annexed showing a
sectional elevation of a stuffing box and piston rod fitted with my Invention, in
which drawing a is the piston rod-b is the packing of canvas or other material at
the ends of the stuffing box-c is a ring or blocks holding said packing apart and
leaving vacant a circle or belt d round the rod into which the lubricant is con-
ducted from the receiver e through the tube f and the steam pressure upon the
lubricant in the receiver is obtained from any convenient source through the
tube g.
The pressure upon the lubricant may be obtained from the weight of a column
of mercury or from steam introduced through the tube for obtained in various
other obvious ways, and by preference one receiver is made to supply several
stuffing boxes with lubricant and it is also preferred to compress the packing in
the usual way with bolts, nuts, and a gland.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
The combined arrangement of a ring or blocks with a belt of lubricant round
the rod under steam or other pressure so as to cause the rod to work steam tight
with a minimum of friction, substantially as described and shown on the drawing
hereunto annexed.
Dated this twentieth day of November 1885