IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTONS, PLUNGERS, AND BUCKETS."
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fernihough, of Dukinfield, in the County of
Chester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTONS,
PLUNGERS, AND BUCKETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fernihough at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th
September 1859.
I, JAMES FERNIHOUGH, of Dukinfield, in the County of Chester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PISTONS, PLUNGERS, AND BUCKETS," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in employing two inner conical rings, either
whole or split, and placed in such manner that the base of one is opposite to
the base of the other. The rings have a number of holes, so that when over
each other they form double sockets, into which are placed spiral springs
pressing upwards and downwards. Over the inner rings I place external
split rings truly fitting the cones of the inner rings, but so arranged that
spaces are left between the lower plate and cover of the piston, plunger,. or
bucket, the cover being furnished with adjusting screws, so as to press upon
the upper inner ring, which, acting upon the springs, causes a similar pressure
to the other inner ring, thereby pressing outwards the external split rings in
a perfect cylindrical form, thus truly fitting the barrel or cylinder. The
adjusting screws are covered with screw caps, which can be readily removed,
and allow the said adjusting screws to be tightened or slacked as required,
without removing the cover of the piston, plunger, or bucket.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Fernihough in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th March 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FERNIHOUGH, of Dukinfield, in the County of Chester, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Fernihough, Her special licence that I, the said James
Fernihough, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Fernihough, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PISTONS, PLUNGERS, AND BUCKETS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Fernihough, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Fernihough, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My improvements consist in employing two inner conical rings, whole or
split, and placed in such manner that the base of one is opposite to the base
of the other. The rings have a number of holes, which form vertical double
sockets when one ring is placed over the other. Into each vertical socket is
placed a spiral spring, such springs acting equally upon each conical ring
uniformly, pressing one upwards and the other downwards. Over the said
inner rings I place external split rings, their interiors truly fitting the cones of
the inner rings. The top internal ring is furnished with adjusting screws, by
which the force exerted by the springs can be either increased or diminished
as required, in order to fix the self-adjusting power by which the external split
rings are uniformly pressed outwards in a perfectly cylindrical form, and

page_text: thereby truly fitting the cylinder. The adjusting screws are covered with plug
or screw caps, which can be readily taken off to obtain access to the adjusting
screws without removing the cover of the piston, plunger, or bucket.
The manner in which my Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by referring to the figures and letters on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a cross section of a piston for a steam
engine; and Fig. 2, a sectional plan of the same. a is the piston rod; b, b, the
external packing rings; c, c, the internal conical rings, with corresponding
sockets bored in each, in order to receive the vertical spiral springs d, which
are adjusted as required by means of the set screws e, covered with the plug
caps f fitted in the piston cover g, which is fastened down by means of the
screw bolts h; the springs press one of the conical rings upwards and the
other downwards, thereby uniformly expanding in every direction the external
packing rings to the cylinder, and forming a more perfect piston than has
hitherto been made, and entirely obviating the well-known disadvantages
incident to the usual arrangement of piston springs.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein set forth,
as such may be varied or modified without departing from the principle
thereof; but I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my knowledge
and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm, the employment for
pistons, plungers, or buckets, of, first, the double inner conical rings, either
whole or split; and, secondly, the vertical spiral springs with adjusting screws,
as all such improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Fernihough, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named James Fernihough,
in the presence of
JAMES FERNIHOUGH. (L.B.)
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.