Improvements in Packing Hooks, applicable for Removing Packing from the Stuffing Boxes of Piston Rods, Valve Rods, or the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Mar.,
1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Packing Hooks, applicable for Removing
Packing from the Stuffing Boxes of Piston Rods, Valve Rods,
or the like.
A communication by CHARLES PITMAN HOFFMAN, of New Brighton, in the
County of Richmond and State of New York, United States of America,
Steam Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.J.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, and 31, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil 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 :-
This invention relates to an improvement in packing hooks, and the object of
the same is to provide a hook of such form that the same having once been hooked
into ring packing of the character ordinarily used for packing the stuffing boxes of
piston rods, will not pull out, but will remove the packing, no matter how firmly it
may be held in place.
This is accomplished by means of the peculiar shape which is given to the hook
itself, as hereinafter described.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying sheet
of drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a side view of the hook ;
Figure 2, a front view;
Figure 3, a cross-section of the hook; and
Figure 4, an enlarged perspective view of the hook proper.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In the drawings,
A represents the entire hook, B the handle and C the hook proper composed of
a single piece of iron or steel.
In general form, the hook proper is somewhat similar in shape to an ordinary
crochet needle, but it is provided with a sharp lance poiut e at the end, and the
edge of the hook is cut off as shown in Figure 4 so as to provide the triangular
surface d, d', d², upon the front edge of the hook. At the same time, a heel or
shoulder h is provided, the object of which is to prevent the hook, upon insertion
in the packing and after being turned, from being removed.
In using the hook, it is simply pushed or drawn into the packing, into which it
readily enters, as the edge e is sharp. It is then turhed or twisted around through
a right angle, and in this way the line d d on the one side and the shoulder h
engage firmly against the fibre of the packing, and it will be found impossible to
remove the hook. Upon pulling upon the hook, the hook and the packing will
both be pulled out of the space together. To remove the hook from the packing,
all that is necessary is to turn the hook to its original position and then turn it over,
as if hinged on the line d d', in the same manner as an ordinary crochet needle is
removed from the wool.

page_text: 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-
A packing hook C for removing packing, having at its extreme edge a lance
point e and provided with the flat surface d d d and the heel or shoulder h.
Dated this 14th day of January 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.