IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF PACKING FOR STUFFING BOXES AND OTHER PARTS OF MACHINERY REQUIRING TO BE PACKED
Year: 1881

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Frederic des Voeux, of Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, for an Invention of IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF
PACKING FOR STUFFING BOXES AND OTHER PARTS OF MACHINERY REQUIRING
TO BE PACKED." A communication from abroad by George Van Wagenen,
of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic des Voeux at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd June 1881.
FREDERIC DES VEUX, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF PACKING FOR STUFFING BOXES AND. OTHER
PARTS OF MACHINERY REQUIRING TO BE PACKED." A communication from
abroad by George Van Wagenen, of the City, County, and State of New York,
United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to furnish a durable and elastic packing for
stuffing boxes and other parts of machinery requiring to be packed, and consists
in a metal spiral forming a hollow core, and a covering therefor of fibrous or
metallic material.
The packing may be cut off in pieces of suitable length to form rings, or it might
be made in coil form, and, being inserted in either of these forms into a stuffing
box or packing space, is, by the pressure of the gland or follower, expanded
transversely and caused to exert a pressure upon the rod or other part sufficient
to pack the same tightly, and prevent the leakage of steam or other fluid.
The spiral may be composed of steel, brass, or other suitable elastic metal, and
of any desirable length. Upon the spiral is braided a covering of one or more
layers or thicknesses of suitable material, or it may be composed of a strip or
strips of canvas or similar material wrapped upon the spiral core, or of strips of
any antifriction metal wrapped around the said core.. The covering may be or not
saturated with lubricating substances.
If the packing be cut in rings, the joints between the ends of the pieces which
form the several rings should be broken, that is, they should be so placed that the

page_text: unbroken parts of alternate rings will come opposite or away from the joints in
the intermediate rings.
If the packing were of a size to just fill the stuffing box, the gland would only
have to be screwed down very lightly at first, and gradually as the gland is
screwed down and the covering which bears against the rod becomes worn off, the
transverse section of the packing ring is changed from a circular to an elliptical
form in a direction transverse to the rod.
If the packing were made too large to slip easily into the stuffing box, it would
have to be compressed in entering, so as to give it an elliptical transverse section,
the longest dimension being in a direction parallel with the rod. The packing
then by its own elasticity will tend to assume a circular transverse section, and
hence the gland need only serve to retain the packing in the stuffing box. As
the covering is worn away the gland must be screwed down to compress the rings
in the direction of the length of the rod, and thereby expand them in a direction
transverse thereto.
The elasticity of this packing is such that it will readily adapt itself to
irregularities in the stuffing box, or in the size of a worn rod, and it is free from
the evils of other elastic packings, which soften at a moderate heat, and thereby
lose their elasticity.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed-
by the said Frederic des Voeux in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1881.
FREDERIC DES VEUX, of Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF PACKING FOR STUFFING BOXES AND OTHER
PARTS OF MACHINERY REQUIRING TO BE PACKED." (A communication from
abroad by George Van Wagenen, of the City, County, and State of New York,
United States of America.)
The object of this Invention is to furnish a durable and very elastic packing for
stuffing boxes and other parts of machinery.
The Invention consists in a packing composed of a metal spiral forming a hollow
core, and a covering therefor of fibrous or metallic material. The packing may be
cut off in pieces of proper lengths to form rings, or it might be cut in form of coil,
and, being inserted in either of these forms into a stuffing box or packing space, is,
by the pressure of the gland or follower, expanded transversely and caused to exert
a pressure upon the rod or other part sufficient to pack the same tightly and
prevent the leakage of steam or other fluid. The manner of making and applying
the improved packing is clearly illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a stuffing box and a rod working
through the same, and Figure 2 represents a side view and partial section of a
straight piece of the packing.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both the Figures.
A designates a stuffing box which may project from any part of an engine or other
machine, and B designates the gland thereof; C designates a rod working through
the stuffing box, and which may be supposed to be the piston rod of an engine.
Referring more particularly to Figure 2, which represents a straight piece of
packing, a designates a spiral, which may be composed of steel, brass, or other
elastic metal, and of any desirable length. Upon the spiral a is applied a
covering b. This covering may be composed of one or more layers or thicknesses
of material braided upon the spiral, or it may be composed of a strip or strips of
canvas or similar material wrapped upon the spiral core a, as seen clearly in Figure 2,
or it may be composed of strips of any anti-friction metal wrapped around the said
core a. The covering b may be or not saturated or coated with lubricating
substances.
If said packing be cut in rings, the joints between the ends of the pieces which
form the several rings should be broken, that is, they should be so placed that the
solid parts of alternate rings will come opposite or away from the joints in the
intermediate rings.
If the packing were of a size to just fill the stuffing box, the gland B would
only have to be screwed down very lightly at first, and gradually as the gland is
screwed down and the covering b which bears against the rod becomes worn off,
the transverse section of the packing ring is changed form a circular form to
elliptical in a direction transverse to the rod.
If the packing were made too large to slip easily into the stuffing box, it would
have to be compressed in entering, so as to give it an elliptical transverse section,
the longest dimension being in a direction parallel with the rod. The packing
then by its own elasticity will tend to assume a circular transverse section, and
hence the gland need only serve to retain the packing in the stuffing box. As the
covering b is worn away the gland must be screwed down to compress the rings,
and in the direction of the length of the rod, and thereby expand them in a
direction transverse thereto.

page_text: The elasticity of this packing is such that it will readily adapt itself to
irregularities in the stuffing box or in the size of a worn rod, and it is quite free
from the evils of other elastic packings, which soften at a moderate heat, and
thereby lose their elasticity.
Having now described the said Invention as communicated to me from abroad,
I would have it understood that what I claim on behalf of the said George Van
Wagenen is the manufacture of a packing composed of a metal spiral, and a
covering of fibrous or metallic material, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic des Vœux, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 30th day of November, in the year of our Lord 1881.