Improvements in Stuffing-boxes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THOMAS TRIPP, of Avon, Massachusetts, United States
of America, Mechanical Engineer.]
Improvements in Stuffing-boxes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
My invention relates to stuffing boxes for use upon the piston and valve rods of
engines and pumps; and it has for its object the thorough packing and lubricating of
such rods, especially of the piston rods of pumps, used for the pumping of noxious
liquids or gases under high pressures, such as the pumping of ammonia for ice making
purposes.
It is believed that all difficulties now experienced in the packing and lubricating
of the piston rods of ammonia pumps will be overcome by the use of my invention.
In the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 represents the stuffing box in central vertical section, the rod being
shown in elevation.
Figure 2 represents the stuffing box in elevation, the nozzle and the flange being
shown in central vertical section.
Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the upper packing case, and
Figure 4 is an inverted plan of same.
Figure 5 is a central vertical sectional view of the intermediate case, and
Figure 6 is an inverted plan of same.
Figure 7 is a central vertical sectional view of the lower packing case, and
Figure 8 is a plan of the same.
Figure 9 is an elevation of one of the sliding rings, and
Figure 10 is a plan of the same.
Figure 11 is an elevation of one of the packing springs, and,
Figure 12 is a plan of the same.
Figure 13 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the packings, and
Figure 14 is a plan of the same.
Figure 15 represents one of the packing pieces composing the packing, in side
elevation, and
Figure 16 is a plan of the same.
The lower cylinder or pump head 20 represented in section, is provided with the
stuffing box 21, which is provided with the interior chamber 22, designed to receive
the packing sleeve 23, said sleeve being firmly and tightly held between the pump
head and projection 24, of the gland 25, the gland being securely bolted to the
ears 26 of the stuffing-box by means of the stud bolts 27. The tin washer 28 is placed
between the upper end of the packing sleeve and the pump head, and the tin washer 29
is placed between the circular face of the stuffing-box and the inner face of the gland for
the purpose of making tight joints. The pump rod 30 extends through the openings in
the pump head packing sleeve, and gland, each of the said openings having preferably
a greater diameter than the pump rod.
The packing sleeve 23, made of cast iron, is composed of the upper packing
case 31, the intermediate case 32 and the lower packing case 33.
The upper packing 31, is provided with the spring pockets 34, adapted to receive.
the spiral springs 35, upper face 36, lower ground shoulder face 37, and the interior
packing receiving chamber 38, designed to receive within it the packing 39 and the.
wo sliding rings 40 and 41.
The intermediate case 32 is provided with the spring pockets 42, adapted to receive.

page_text: the spiral springs 43, upper ground shoulder face 44, upper ground face 45, lower
ground shoulder face 46 and interior lubricating chamber 47, to which the holes 48,
extend through the walls of the case.
The lower packing case 33, is provided with the upper ground shoulder face 49,
ground face 50, face 51, and the interior packing receiving chamber 52, designed to
receive within it the packing 53, and the two sliding rings 54 and 55.
The packing 39 represented on an enlarged scale by figures 13, 14, 15 and 16, is
constructed in accordance with British Letters Patent No. 2442 A.D. 1887 and
No. 15629 A.D. 1888, and it is made of cast iron, and tin, with steel springs, as
foliows.
The packing is composed of four pieces of the single lip and flange type each piece
having a side lip 56, and a flange 57, the entire lip and the greater portion of the
interior surface of the flange being of tin, the remainder being of cast iron. Other
kinds of metals, or alloys may be used; but for use abont rods of ammonia pumps
the packing
preferably made, as stated, of tin and iron. The small flange 58 and
pins 59 are used to prevent the fouling of the clamp springs 60 (one of which is
represented in elevation and plan by figures 11 and 12 respectively) which are placed
about the packing pieces to keep the packing in contact with the rod.
It will be noticed that the packing pieces are radially interlocked by the projecting
side lips and flanges so that the packing pieces are compelled to move radially in
unison. The packing is provided with the ground upper face 61, and the ground
I lower face 62.
The packing 53 is a duplicate of packing 39 and in a like manner is provided with
the ground upper face 63, and the ground lower face 64.
The sliding rings 40, 41, 54, and 55, one of which is represented in side elevation
and plan, by figures 9 and 10 respectively, are alike in diameter and thickness and in
having the hole 65, which is a little larger than the rod around which it fits. Rings 40
and 54, have their upper faces plain and their lower faces ground, while the rings 41
and 55 have their faces ground.
The parts composing the stuffing box are assembled as follows:-
--
The upper tin washer 28, is placed in its position against the pump head, the
upper packing case 31 is then placed in its position against the upper tin washer,
within the spring pockets 34 are placed the spiral springs 35, and within the upper
packing are placed the sliding ring 40 packing 39, and sliding ring 41; the intermediate
case 32, the spring pockets 42, of which are provided with the spiral springs 43, is
then placed in its position below the upper packing case; then the lower packing
case 33, within which the sliding ring 55 packing 53, and sliding ring 54 have been
placed, is placed in its position below the intermediate case; then the three cases 31, 32,
and 33, which compose the packing sleeve 23, are firmly held in their respective
positions by means of the gland 25, and stud bolts 27.
The parts assembled as stated are proportioned so that when the gland 25 is made
up by means of the stud bolts against the end of the stuffing box, between which and
the gland is placed the lower tin washer 29, and against the lower face 51 of the
lower packing case, the following tight joints are made; between the gland and
stuffing box; the gland and lower packing case; the upper packing case and pump
head; and at the same time the following ground joints are made, between the lower
packing case and intermediate case: and between the intermediate case and the
upper packing case. And at the same time by the making up of the joints as stated,
and by reason of the action of the spiral springs 43 and 45, ground joints are made
up as follows: Between the ground face 50 of the lower packing case and the sliding
ring 55; the sliding ring 55 and the packing 53; the packing 53 and the sliding
ring 54 the ground face 46 of the intermediate case and the sliding ring 41; the
sliding ring 41 and the packing 39; and the packing 39 and the sliding ring 40.
The stuffing box having been constructed and assembled as shown and described
about the pump rod, oil or other suitable lubricating material, is then forced or is
permitted to flow into and fill the interior case or chamber 22 from any suitable source
of supply through the pipe 66 which is supplied with the valve 67. The oil thus

page_text: forced into the chamber will entirely fill the space between the packing sleeve and the
interior of the nozzle, and it will also fill the lubricating chamber and the space
between the packing 53 and the lower packing case.
The operation of my invention is as follows: When the pump is in operation the
pump rod reciprocating in the stuffing box, the ammonia (or other liquid) will be
forced around the rod into the space between the outside of the packing 39, and the
interior of the upper packing case. Any ammonia escaping, by reason of leakage, by
the tin washer joint between the upper packing case and the pump head, and by the
ground shoulder joint between the upper packing case and the intermediate case, or
by the packing 39 would be absorbed by the oil, and therefore would not pass into
the atmosphere. The oil when it becomes useless as a lubricant, on account of the
action of the ammonia, can be readily drawn off or removed and new oil forced in
through the oil pipe.
The object of the packing 53 is to prevent the oil from escaping around the rod.
It will be observed that the oil not only serves to absorb the escaping ammonia ;
but it also thoroughly lubricates the rod. This is a matter of the greatest importance
especially in the pumping of ammonia at high pressures.
The packings to be used are preferably of the styles as patented by me by said
Letters Patent and may be composed, as the case may require, of any even number of
pieces of either the single or double lip and flange type..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a stuffing-box the upper packing case provided with the spiral springs,
the intermediate case, provided with the lubricating chamber and spiral springs, and
the lower packing case, in combination with the packings substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Second. In a stuffing box in combination, the packing sleeve 23, provided with
the packing 39, and sliding rings 40 and 41; lubricating chamber 47; and the
packing 53 and sliding rings 54 and 55; and operative mechanism, substantially as
shown and described.
Third. In a stuffing box, the packing sleeve 23, composed of the three cases 31, 32,
and 33, and provided with the spiral springs 35 and 43 in combination with the
packing 39 having the sliding rings 40 and 41, and the packing 53 having the sliding
rings 54 and 55, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 19th day of November 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.