Improvements in or connected with Glands or Stuffing-boxes for Packing the Piston-rods of Engines or for analogous purposes, more especially applicable to Engines for Compressing Gases.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 14th July, 1890-Accepted, 16th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Glands or Stuffing-boxes for
Packing the Piston-rods of Engines or for analogous purposes,
more especially applicable to Engines for Compressing Gases.
I OLIVER JOSOLYNE ELLIS of 5 Mycena Road Westcombe Park Blackheath in the
County of Kent Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my Invention is to provide means whereby leakage at the glands or
stuffing boxes of piston rods of engines for compressing gases or for analogous
purposes is prevented.
According to my Invention I make a recess in the part constituting the stuffing box
through which the piston rod passes and at either end of this recess I preferably place
hydraulic or cup leathers. Into this recess I admit fluid under a pressure greater
than the greatest pressure of the gas or air in the cylinder so that this greater
pressure (in the case of leather packing) presses the leathers firmly against the
surfaces at the joints and prevents the leakage of gas or air through the gland or
stuffing box. I may derive the liquid under pressure from any suitable source for
instance when the Invention is applied to engines for compressing gases it may be led
from the place where the said gas is under the greatest pressure and be caused to
press on one side of a piston in a cylinder the other side of the piston presenting a
less area and causing the fluid on that side to be passed into the aforesaid recess sur-
rounding the piston rod at an increased pressure sufficient to prevent any leakage
past the piston rod.
Dated this 14th day of October 1880.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Glands or Stuffing-boxes for
Packing the Piston-rods of Engines or for analogous purposes,
more especially applicable to Engines for Compressing Gases.
1, OLIVER JOSOLYNE ELLIS of 29 Victoria Road, Old Charlton, late of 5 Mycenæ
Road, Westcombe Park, Blackheath in the County of Kent Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object of my Invention is to provide means whereby leakage at the glands or
stuffing boxes of piston rods of engines using high pressure fluids or of engines for
compressing gases or for analogous purposes is prevented. According to my Inven-
tion I make a recess in the part constituting the stuffing, box through which the
piston rod passes and at each end of this recess I preferably place hydraulic or cup
leathers. Into this recess I admit fluid preferably of the nature of a lubricant under
a pressure greater than the greatest pressure of the fluid in the cylinder so that this
greater pressure prevents the leakage of such fluid through the gland or stuffing box
it (where cup leathers are used) pressing the leathers firmly against the surfaces at
the joints but admitting of the lubricant in the stuffing box passing by the packing
to lubricate the parts beyond. I may derive the pressure from any suitable source for
instance when the Invention is applied to engines for compressing gases or other fluids
the gas or fluid may be led from the place where the said gas or fluid is under the
greatest pressure and be caused to press on one side of a piston in a cylinder the other
side of the piston presenting a less area and causing the gas or other fluid on that

page_text: side to be passed into the aforesaid recess surrounding the piston rod at an increased
pressure sufficient to prevent any leakage past the piston rod and yet admit of a
portion of the lubricant passing the packing to lubricate the parts beyond.
I will describe with reference to the accompanying drawings means whereby my
Invention may be carried into effect but I do not restrict myself to the arrangements
shewn and described they being given simply to illustrate the manner in which my
Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a stuffing box of a motive fluid engine provided
with cup leather packings and arranged according to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a similar section of a stuffing box provided with ordinary hempen
packing and
Figure 3 illustrates an arrangement applicable to engines or to pumps employed
for compressing gases or other fluids in which the gas or fluid under the greatest
pressure is caused to act on a piston so as to exert pressure on the gas or fluid in the
stuffing box sufficient to prevent leakage through the stuffing box, of the motive
fluid or the gas being compressed.
Referring to Figure 1 A. is the body of the stuffing box and B the brasses or
glands through which the piston rod (passes. In the ends of the recess a between
the brasses B are cup leather packings D which are kept in position at the ends of
the recess by a skeleton brass E. Communicating with the recess a in the stuffing
box is a hole or passage 6 in which is secured one end of a pipe F connected with a
steam boiler or other source of fluid pressure greater than the pressure acting on the
piston or part connected with the rod C. The recess a may contain glycerine oil or
other suitable fluid lubricant which when acted on by the fluid pressure entering the
recess by the pipe F expands the cup leathers D so as to cause them to press against
the piston rod with sufficient pressure to prevent the inferior fluid pressure which
operates the piston, from leaking between the said piston rod and the cup leathers
whilst the superior pressure acting on the lubricant in the recess will cause a portion
thereof to leak past the cup leathers and effect the lubrication of the parts beyond.
The arrangement illustrated by Figure 2 acts in a similar manner to that shewn
in figure 1 but instead of the cup leather packings therein shewn ordinary hempen
packing D is employed a portion thereof being placed at opposite ends of the skeleton
brass E. The superior pressure admitted to the recess a prevents the escape of the
fluid under inferior pressure past the packing whilst a portion of the lubricant will be
forced past the said packing, as in the before described arrangement, to lubricate the
parts beyond.
Referring to Figure 3 1 is a cylinder in which is fitted to slide a piston K pro-
vided with a guide rod L which passes through a stuffing box M in the end of the
cylinder L. The opposite end of the cylinder that is the end which is next the face
of the piston having the greater area, is provided with a passage N communicating
by a pipe with the chamber of the fluid compressing engine containing the most
highly compressed fluid. The cylinder I on the side of the piston having the smallest
area communicates by a port P and passage Q with the pipe F leading to the recess a
in the stuffing box A of the piston rod of the compressing engine.
The cylinder I is charged with any suitable fluid (preferably a lubricant) which
when the highly compressed gas or other fluid is admitted by the passage N to act
on the greater area of the piston K, is forced through the port P passage Q and
pipe F and caused to act on the lubricant contained in the stuffing box so as to
expand the cup leather or other packing and prevent the gas or other fluid as it is
being compressed from leaking past the said packing as herein before described. R is
a valve for closing the passage Q when required to cut off the communication between
the cylinder and the stuffing box A.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In glands or stuffing boxes for packing the piston rods of engines or for

page_text: analogous purposes a recess in the stuffing box into which is admitted fluid under
pressure greater than that of the fluid whose leakage is to be prevented substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. In glands or stuffing boxes for packing the piston rods of gas or other fluid
compressing engines or the like a recess in the stuffing box into which is admitted
fluid under pressure greater than that of the fluid whose leakage is to be prevented
the said greater pressure being obtained by means of a piston with differential areas
substantially as herein before described.
3. In glands or stuffing boxes for packing the piston rods of engines or for
analogous purposes a recess in the stuffing box provided at each end with cup leathers
and having means for admitting into the said recess fluid at a pressure greater than that
of the fluid whose leakage is to be prevented substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 14th day of July 1890.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents.