IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON ROD AND OTHER PACKINGS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PISTON ROD AND OTHER PACKINGS." A communication from abroad by
Leopold Katzenstein, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America.
Sealed the 25th July 1879, and dated the 18th April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at:
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON ROD AND OTHER PACKINGS." [A com-
munication from abroad by Leopold Katzenstein, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America.]
This Invention has for its object to produce a sectional packing for piston rods
and other moving parts of machinery which will be easily repaired and replaced,
and which will ensure a proper tight joint.
Piston rod packings have heretefore already been made of semi annular pieces of
antifriction metal, but the pieces were mostly of such form and arrangement as to
render the entire packing useless if one part were injured or broken.
This Invention consists of a series of semi-annular plates arranged in sections of
four pieces to each section, the corresponding pieces in all the sections being exactly
alike, so that any piece broken, injured, or worn, is easily replaced. These sections
are so placed as to leave intermediate annular recesses, within which water of
condensation may be collected, and which, moreover will permit the entire packing
to be reset from time to time as the parts are wearing off.
Each section consists of two outer and two inner semi-annular pieces; each
outer semi-annular piece is substantially four sided in cross section, the base and
outer periphery being at right angles to each other, and of substantially equal
lengths in cross-section, the upper edge being at right angles to the periphery, but
only about one fifth the length of the base in cross section, while the inner periphery
is slanting. The two pieces are alike, and form, when placed in the same plane end
to end, a complete, but expansible and contractable annulus of the cross section of

page_text: any one of said pieces, and of an outer diameter equalling substantially the interior
diameter of the stuffing box.
Each inner semi-annular piece is also substantially four sided in cross section, the
inner periphery being about as long in cross section as the outer periphery of the
outer semi annular pieces. The upper surface is at right angles to the inner
periphery, and about of equal length in cross section as the same. The base is at
right angles to the inner periphery, but only about one fifth the length of the same
in cross section.
The outer periphery is slanting. The two pieces are alike, and form when placed
in the same plane end to end a complete but expansible annulus of the cross section
of any one of said pieces, and of an inner diameter equalling substantially the
diameter of the piston rod.
When the pieces of the outer ring are placed into the box the pieces of the inner
ring are next put in, so that the slanting outer face of the inner ring comes against
and bears upon the slanting inner face of the outer ring. This finishes one section
of the packing; another inner ring is next placed upon that first put in, so that the
faces of these two are contiguous, and then another outer ring is placed over the
inner, finishing the next section of the packing. The next section is precisely like
the first, and the next like the second section, and so on. It will be observed that
the rings are reversed in the contiguous sections, and that thereby outer grooves
are formed between them, while there is an inner groove between each pair of
sections. These grooves allow the adjustment of the sections because the pieces
can be brought closer together vertically (i.c., parallel to the axis of the piston rod)
when necessary to bring the inner rings close to the piston rod or the other rings
close to the walls of the stuffing box. These grooves also serve to collect and hold
water of condensation as before mentioned, and to thereby render the packing
practically steam tight, and to permit the lateral extension and contraction of the
rings. The pieces of the outer sections being all alike, and those also of the inner
sections alike in form; the entire packing consists of but only two kinds of pieces,
which are easily duplicated for purpose of repair and replacement.
The packing is easily taken apart for repairs or inspection, and may receive a
suitable ring of rubber or other equivalent material directly beneath the gland for
more effectual service.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
17th October 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON ROD AND OTHER PACKINGS." A com-
munication from abroad by Leopold Katzenstein, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America.
This Invention has for its object to produce a sectional packing for piston rods
&c., which may be easily repaired and replaced, and which will ensure a proper
tight joint.
Piston rod packings have heretofore already been made of semi-annular pieces
of antifriction metal, but the pieces were mostly of such form and arrangement as
to render the entire packing useless if one part was injured or broken.
This Invention consists of a series of semi-annular plates arranged in sections of
four pieces to each section, the corresponding pieces in all the sections being exactly
alike, so that any piece broken, injured, or worn, is easily replaced.
These sections are so placed as to leave intermediate annular recesses, within
which water of condensation may be collected, and which morcover will permit the
entire packing to be reset from time to time as the parts are wearing off, all as
hereinafter more fully described.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of n stuffing box provided with the improved
packing; Figure 2 is a face or end view of the packing.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two Figures.
The letter A represents the stationary part, and B the movable part or gland, of
a stuffing box; C, D, E, F, are four (more or less) sections of metallic packing
pieces within the stuffing box. Each section consists of two outer semi-annular
pieces a and b, and of two inner semi-annular pieces d and e. Each outer semi-
annular piece a, b, is substantially four sided in cross section, the base 1 and outer
periphery 2 being at right angles to each other, and of substantially equal lengths
in cross section, the upper edge 3 being at right angles to the periphery, but only
about one fifth the length of the base in cross section, while the inner periphery 4
is slanting, all as shown in Figure 1. The two pieces a and b are alike, and form,
when placed in the same plane end to end a complete but expansible and contractible
annulus of the cross section of anyone of said pieces, and of an outer diameter
equalling substantially the interior diameter of the stuffing box A.
Each inner semi-annular piece d, e, is also substantially four sided in cross
section, the inner periphery 5 being about as long in cross section as the outer
periphery 2 of the outer semi-annular pieces a,b; the upper surface (I now describe
the lower section shown in Figure 1) 6 is at right-angles to the inner periphery 5,
and about of equal length in cross section as the same. The base 7 is at right
angles to the inner periphery, but only about the length of the same in cross
section. The outer periphery 8 is slanting as shown. The two pieces d and e are
alike, and form, when placed in the same plano end to end, a complete but ox-
pansible annulus of the cross section of any one of said pieces, and of an inner
diameter equalling substantially the diameter of the piston rod.
When the pieces a, b, of an outer ring are placed into the box the pieces d and o
of an inner ring are next put in, so that the slanting outer face 8 of the inner ring
comes against and bears upon the slanting inner face 4 of the outer ring, as clearly
shewn in the Drawing. This finishes one section C of the packing. Another inner
ring is next placed upon that first put in, so that the faces 6-6 of these two are
contiguous; and then another outer ring a, b, is placed over the inner, as shown in
Figure 1, finishing the next section D of the packing. The section E is precisely
like the section C, and the section F like the section D, &c.

page_text: It will be observed that the rings are reversed in the contiguous sections, and
that thereby outer grooves f, f, are formed between the sections C and D, and
between the sections E and F, and an inner groove g between the sections D and E.
These grooves allow the adjustment of the sections, because the pieces can be
brought closer together vertically (¿.c., parallel to the axis of the piston rod) when
necessary to bring the inner rings close to the piston rod or the outer rings close to
the walls of the stuffing box. These grooves also serve to collect and hold water of
condensation, and to thereby render the packing practically steam tight, and to
permit the lateral extension and contraction of the rings. The pieces of the outer
sections being all alike, and those also of the inner sections alike in form, the entire
packing consists of but only two kinds of pieces a and d, which are easily duplicated
for purposes of repair and replacement.
The packing is easily taken apart for repair or inspection, and may receive a
suitable ring h of rubber or other equivalent inaterial directly beneath the gland for
more effectual service.
The sharp angles formed by the junction of the lines 1 and 4 in the outer rings,
and by the lines 6 and 8 in the inner rings, may be trimmed away as shown. The
short side 7 may be omitted on the inner ring d, e, of the upper section F as
shown.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would observe that I am aware that rings triangular in cross sections
have already been used for piston packings, but these rings did not have an inner
groove formed between them, and did not permit of proper lateral adjustment of
the parts, and I do not claim rings triangular in construction, but what I do claim
as the Invention to be protected by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent
is,—
A metallic packing consisting of four sided pieces a, b, of outer rings with
slanting inner periphery, and of four sided pieces d, e, of inner rings with slanting
outer periphery, said rings being arranged to form equal sections C, D, E, &c., in
which they are alternately reversed, forming outer and inner grooves ƒ and g, all
constructed and arranged substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.