CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS." PROVISIONAL SPECIFIC
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bower, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County
of Lancaster,. Ironmoulder, and John Qualter, of Dukinfield, in the
County of Chester, Blacksmith, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bower and John
Qualter at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 3rd April 1862.
We, GEORGE BOWER, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster,
Ironmoulder, and JOHN QUALTER, of Dukinfield, in the County of Chester,
Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PISTONS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention is designed for the purpose of maintaining a steam-tight
packing between the piston and cylinder in steam engines, and the improve-
ment is of particular importance when wedges and screws are employed
to act upon and expand the packing rings as described in the Specifica-
tion of the Letters Patent granted to George Bower, No. 1098, dated May 1,
1860.
Our improvements consist, first, in the novel application, employment, and
use of a spring constructed similarly to a "coach spring" (that is composed
of plates of metal) and interposed between the interior surface of the V pack-
ing ring, and the wedges, screws, or other mechanical medium that may be

page_text: employed to expand the packing rings. This spring, composed of a series
of plates, as a "coach spring," being the peculiar feature of our Invention,
we would remark that it is applicable to most descriptions of pistons, and
we employ it in contradistinction to any spring consisting only of one plate
inasmuch as the combination of plates is more evenly elastic and more
serviceable.
Secondly, our Invention consists in the novel employment and use of a
cam or cams or eccentrics within the piston to act upon and expand the
packing, their action being governable from the exterior or interior of the
piston.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Bower and John Qualter in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
BOWER, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Ironmoulder,
and JOHN QUALTER, of Dukinfield, in the County of Chester, Blacksmith,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two; in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
George Bower and John Qualter, Her special license, that we, the said George
Bower and John Qualter, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said George Bower and John Qualter, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC
PISTONS," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said George
Bower and John Qualter, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Qualter, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by, the fol-
lowing statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
Our Invention is designed for the purpose of maintaining a steam-tight
packing between the piston and cylinder in steam engines, and the improve-
ment is of particular importance when wedges and screws are employed to
act upon and expand the packing as described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to George Bower, No. 1098, dated the First day of May
Eighteen hundred and sixty.
Our improvements consist first in the novel application, employment, and
use of a spring constructed similarly to a coach spring (that is, composed
of plates of metal) and interposed between the interior surface of the V pack-
ing ring, and the wedges, screws, or other mechanical medium that may
be employed to expand the packing rings. This spring composed of a
series of plates as a "coach spring" being the peculiar feature of our
Invention, we would remark that it is applicable to most descriptions of
pistons, and we employ it in contradistinction to any spring consisting only
of one plate, inasmuch as the combination of plates is more evenly elastic
and more serviceable.
Secondly, our Invention consists in the novel employment and use of a
cam or cams or eccentrics within the piston to act upon and expand the
packing, their action being governable from the exterior or interior of the
piston.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, similar letters
of reference being marked upon corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a piston having the springs composed of plates
of metal applied thereto, such springs being acted upon by inclined planes
interposed between them and the piston block, and actuated by a screw
passing through the piston cover; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3
is a second arrangement, also exhibiting the laminated spring, but acted upon
by means of a cam or eccentric moved from the outside of the piston cover;
Fig. 4 being a plan view; Fig. 5 is a third arrangement wherein the laminated
springs by an internal annular wedge interposed between them and the piston
block, which is conically formed, a screw being employed to obtain the pressure;
Fig. 6 is a plan of the same.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a, a, is the piston block, b, b, the packing rings, c, c, the
V-ring used to keep the rings b, b, in contact with the interior of the cylinder

page_text: as in ordinary use; d, d, are the laminated springs composed of plates of metal
similar to a "coach spring" and used to sustain an elastic pressure upon
tho ring which is obtained by means of the wedges e, e, and screws,f,f,
passing through the cover 9. In Figs. 3 and 4 the pressure upon the lami-
nated springs d, d, is obtained and regulated by means of the cams h, h,
terminating in a screw and lock nut, passing through the piston cover for
ready adjustment, the springs being here shewn as uncompressed by the
cams. In Figs. 5 and 6 no V-ring is employed, but the terminations of the
laminated springs d, d, are formed to fit the internal inclines of the packing
rings b, b, the springs d, d, being acted upon by the annular wedge i,
encircling the conical piston block a, a, the required pressure being obtained
and regulated by the screws f, f.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, we would remark in
conclusion that we claim,-
First, the application and use of springs consisting of a series or combina-
tion of plates for the purpose of sustaining an elastic pressure upon the
packing either directly as in Fig. 5, or with a V-ring interposed in con-
tradistinction to the employment of springs consisting of one plate only.
Secondly, we claim the novel employment and use of cams or eccentrics
to act upon and expand the packing and governable from the exterior of
the piston, and also the combination and general arrangement of the whole
as herein-before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings
attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Qualter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN QUALTER. (L.S.)