IMPROVED MEANS FOR RENDERING THE JOINTS OF ENGINES OR OTHER MACHINERY STEAM OR FLUID-TIGHT
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Sullivan Gale, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
Ts an ATHERD MACHINERY STEAM
LETTERS PATENT to William Sullivan Gale, of the City and State of
New York, United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MEANS FOR RENDERING THE JOINTS OF ENGINES OR OTHER MACHINERY STEAM
OR FLUID-TIGHT."
Sealed the 11th September 1857, and dated the 7th April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Sullivan Gale
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th April 1857.
I, WILLIAM SULLIVAN GALE, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MEANS FOR RENDERING THE JOINTS OF ENGINES OR OTHER MACHINERY
STEAM OR FLUID-TIGHT," to be as follows:-
My said Invention is a substitute for the packing ordinarily used between
the moving parts of steam and other engines or machines used with fluids,
such as between the piston and cylinder, the piston rod and cylinder head, the
valve and its seat, or other moving parts wherever applicable.
One of the contiguous parts, such as the steam cylinder, is to be plain and
smooth, the other or moving part (such as the piston, valve, &c.) is to be
forined with a series of suitably shaped grooves (so made and placed that the
steam cannot enter the ends of the groove), and the ribs intervening between
the grooves touch or nearly so the adjacent smooth surface. If any steam now

page_text: leaks past the first rib it is there retained until sufficient pressure accumulates
in the groove to cause said steam to pass the second rib, and so on throughout
the whole series; but before the whole of the grooves are thus filled the piston
commences to move in the other direction, or there is a condensation, reaction,
or stoppage of the fluid intervening between the ribs and smooth surface,
successively shutting off the pressure of the fluid, and entirely preventing
leakage between the moving parts. The interior of the cylinder may be
grooved and the piston plain, as will be the case at the cylinder head where the
piston rod passes through a grooved opening. In all cases the steam or fluid
in the grooves and between the moving surfaces acts as a cushion, and removes
or decreases the friction, and none of the parts require to be fitted tightly, as
with old packings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Sullivan Gale in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SULLIVAN GALE, of the City, County, and State of New York, United States
of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Sullivan Gale, Her special that I, the said William
Sullivan Gale, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Sullivan Gale, my 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 "IMPROVED MEANS FOR RENDERING THE JOINTS OF ENGINES OR OTHER
MACHINERY STEAM OB FLUID-TIGHT," upon condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Sullivan Gale, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 William Sullivan Gale, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a steam cylinder as fitted with my
improvements; and Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same at line a, a. Similar
marks of reference denote corresponding parts.
In the construction of steam or other engines or machines used with or
moved by steam it has heretofore been usual to make the joint between those
parts that are subjected to motion steam-tight by the insertion of metallic or
other packing of an elastic nature, or to grind the parts into each other so as
to be tight.
The nature of my Invention consists in the use of alternate ribs and
intervening grooves applied at those parts of steam or other engines or
machines (used with or moved by steam) that are subjected to motion, which
said ribs and grooves become a complete substitute for the packings heretofore
made use of.
My said Invention may be applied at the joint between any piston and its
enclosing cylinder; between any piston rod and cylinder head, in place of a
stuffing box; between any valve and its seat, or at the joint between any other
part wherever applicable. I have, however, for the purpose of illustration,
shewn in the Drawing my Invention as applied to a steam cylinder. In this,
bis the cylinder, with the heads c and d and steam ports e, e, in any usual
manner. is the piston, and g is the piston rod. Around the curved surface
of the piston annular grooves 1, 1, are formed between the intervening ribs,
which ribs correspond to the size of the cylinder, but do not require to be fitted
tightly. At h a substitute for the stuffing box to the piston rod is shewn; in
this a series of annular grooves are formed around the interior surface of the
opening through which the piston rod passes.
The grooves in all cases (wherever applicable) are to be any desired
sectional form, and may be perpendicular or oblique to the moving surface,
and may be formed by cutting the grooves into the surface, or attaching ribs,
rings, or plates with the intervening grooves in any convenient manner; and
the size, number, and depth of the grooves or intervening ribs may be varied,
so as to adapt my means to any character of joint to which it is to be applied,
but I prefer that the grooves be about one quarter to one half inch in width
and depth, with ribs or flanges of corresponding width, still I do not limit
myself in this particular.

page_text: The steam that would rush in or pass between the contiguous surfaces and
escape is prevented from so doing by my ribs and intervening grooves, for the
steam that passes one rib has to fill up the adjoining groove until sufficient
pressure accumulates to cause said steam to pass the second rib, and so on,
throughout the whole series. But in all cases the peculiar operation of
checking the pressure by the successive ribs, the reaction of the steam in the
grooves, and the condensation or other causes, effectually prevents the passage
of steam between the surfaces thus rendered tight; and at the same time the
important result is obtained of relieving the contiguous surfaces from close
contact and friction, because the steam in the grooves and on the ribs becomes
a cushion on which the parts move.
I do not claim the grooved surfaces in themselves, as these have been used
for other purposes; but what I claim as my Invention or discovery, and desire
to secure by Letters Patent, is, the method herein described of causing steam
to become a packing to itself in steam cylinders or other parts of steam
machinery by allowing the steam to act in one or more grooves, substantially
as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Sullivan Gale, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witnesses,
LEMUEL W. SERRELL,
289, Broadway, New York.
THOMAS G. HAROLD,
Brooklyn, N. Y., U. S.
W SULLIVAN GALE. (L.s.)