Improvements in Stuffing Boxes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct.. 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th July, 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stuffing Boxes.
I, DONALD BARNS MORISON, of Hartlepool Engine Works, Hartlepool, in the
County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
A stuffing box according to my invention, comprises a main or inner stuffing box,
a supplementary or outer stuffing box, and an interposed outlet for conducting to
an appropriate receptacle or place any fluid that may escape past the inner or main
packing, the object being to prevent such fluid being ejected into the atmosphere
around the projecting part of the pump plunger piston rod or shaft of the apparatus
to which my invention is applied.
In one arrangement the gland of the inner or main stuffing box or its metal lining
is constructed with an annular cavity or recess from which an exit passage
extends to the exterior of the gland where it is adapted to receive a pipe or pipe
connection by which it can be placed in connection with a suitable receptacle or
place, as for example the hot well of the feed water pump of a marine engine.
By this arrangement any water or other fluid leaking past the packing in the
inner or main stuffing box, will enter the said annular recess or chamber in the
gland, whence it will be led away to a suitable place, through the exit passage,
the packing in the supplementary stuffing box serving to prevent the water in the
annular chamber, which in the case of the before mentioned pump is only subjected
to the pressure due to the head of water in the exit pipe leading to the hot well,
from escaping directly into the atmosphere around the plunger.
The exit passage may conveniently be formed by drilling an inclined hole
through the flange and body of the main gland and a horizontal hole through the
flange, the upper end of the inclined hole being closed by a screw plug and the
outer end of the horizontal hole being fitted with a pipe connection or union.
According to an alternative arrangement a ring of approximately I form in cross.
section and having the web portion perforated at one or more parts, is arranged
between the top of the packing in the stuffing box and the under or inner side of
the gland, so as to form two connected annular passages that are in communication
with an exit passage formed through the wall of the stuffing box and to the outer
end of which is fitted the discharge pipe or pipe coupling.
Dated this 17th day of October 1894.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stuffing Boxes.
I, DONALD BARNS MORISON, of Hartlepool Engine Works, Hartlepool, in the
County of Durham, Engineer, 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':-
A stuffing-box according to my invention, comprises a main or inner stuffing-box,

page_text: a supplementary or outer stuffing-box, and an interposed outlet for conducting to
an appropriate receptacle or place any fluid that may escape past the inner or
main packing, the object being to prevent such fluid being ejected into the
atmosphere around the projecting part of the pump plunger, piston rod or shaft of
the apparatus to which my invention is applied.
In the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, Fig. 2 a vertical section, and Fig. 3 a plan showing a
stuffing-box according to my invention as arranged for a plunger pump.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation to a smaller scale, showing such a pump applied to a
hot well or vessel containing the water to be pumped.
A is the pump plunger arranged to work through the inner or main stuffing-box B
of the pump barrel in the usual manner. The gland is provided with a chamber
or recess D communicating with an exit pipe E, which extends to any desired
reservoir or place, escape of fluid from the said chamber or recess along the plunger
being prevented by the packing in a supplementary or outer stuffing-box F* formed
in the gland C and having an auxiliary gland F
By this arrangement any water or other fluid leaking past the packing in the
inner or main stuffing-box B, will enter the said chamber or recess D in the
gland C, whence it will be led away through the exit pipe E to a suitable place,
and rendered available as feed water for the boiler, it may be to the hot well or
vessel E' (Fig. 4) containing the water to be pumped, the packing in the supple-
mentary stuffing-box F* serving to prevent the water in the annular chamber from
escaping directly into the atmosphere around the plunger.
The exit passage from the chamber D may conveniently be made by drilling a
diagonal hole H through the body of the main gland, and a horizontal hole I
through the flange of the gland, the former being provided with a screw plug J,
which can be removed for the purpose of cleaning out the chamber, and the
latter being provided with a screw union K or other means of attachment for the
exit pipe E.
Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 2, showing a modified arrangement in which a
ring M of approximately I form in cross section and having the vertical web
portion perforated as shewn, is arranged between the top of the packing in the
stuffing-box B, and the under or inner side of the gland D so as to form two
connected annular passages or chambers that are in communication by the exit
passage H with the exit pipe E, the packing in the supplementary stuffing box F*
serving to prevent water or other fluid escaping directly into the atmosphere around
the plunger. I do not consider the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 so advantageous
as that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, as it has the disadvantge of reducing the
effective depth of the stuffing-box B.
Figs. 6, and 8 are respectively an elevation, a vertical section, and a sectional
plan, showing my invention applied to a gland of a steam cylinder from which
loss of water is equivalent to a decrease in economy, as well as being a source of
inconvenience to those in charge of the machinery. In this arrangement the
chamber D is formed in the gland C as in the arrangement shown in Figs. 12
and 3, with such chamber communication being effected by a hole or passage I
drilled horizontally in the flange C₁ of the gland to which is attached by the screw
union K, the exit pipe E which leads the escaping water to any desired reservoir,
such as the hot well, whence it can he again pumped to the boiler. F* is the
supplementary stuffing-box with gland F' as before.
Thus it will be seen that by my invention, the loss of water at the glands of
marine feed pumps and steam cylinders which, with the high steam pressures at
present in use, is often considerable, is prevented or lessened in a simple and ready
manner. As the loss of water at the parts mentioned has to be made up from the
sea direct, thereby adding to the feed water the salt and other matter contained in
the sea water, or from a specially carried tank, or from an evaporator in which sea
water is distilled, the great importance of preventing or minimizing such loss on
board steam ships will be at once apparent.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I do not claim
broadly the use of a double gland, as I am aware such an arrangement has been
used for purposes of lubrication, but what I do claim is:
:-
1. A stuffing-box having its gland provided with an outlet adapted to carry
away fluid escaping past the inner or main packing in suchwise as to prevent such
fluid being ejected into the atmosphere around the projecting part of the pump
plunger, piston rod, or shaft of the apparatus of which the stuffing-box forms a part
and so as to render it available for use as feed water for a boiler.
2. Stuffing-boxes with glands and pipe connections constructed, arranged and
operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference respectively to and
shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, in Fig. 5, and in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive of the
accompanying drawings.