Improvements in Metallic Packing.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1892
Improvements in Metallic Packing.
I, JOSEPH HIGGINSON, the younger, of 20 Canal Street, Ancoats, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of metallic packing,
and its object is to produce packing more readily and economically applicable than
ordinary packings of this class.
In carrying my invention into effect according to one modification I arrange my
packing to fit into the ordinary stuffing box of a steam or other engine; at the
bottom or inner end of the box or cavity I place a ring of flexible or compressible
packing material, and upon this, two rings of metal having a recess between them
and the sides of the stuffing box into which another ring of flexible packing material
is compressed so as to expand against the walls of the box. These rings are some-
what broad and are faced to each other and on their surfaces; a turned ring of hard
metal having an internal coned surface is then slipped in and the face in contact
with the last of the first named rings is preferably grooved so as to fit easily and at
the same time steam tight. A similar ring of hard metal with internal coned
surface comes next, and the two cones oppose each other, the inclination being
towards the point of junction. Within the cone recesses so formed I place two or
more split rings or bushes of soft metal so arranged that the splits break joint and
so fitting the conical recesses that when the external rings are pushed together the
soft metal rings or bushes are pressed against the piston rod. At the outer end of
the stuffing box I place two plates as at the inner end, and I prefer to groove the
outer end of the outer cone ring as well as the inner end; the outer plates I also fit
with a ring of compressible packing material as with the inner plates, and I place a
ring of packing material between the outer plate and the inner end of the stuffing
box gland which gland serves to compress my metallic packing to the desired
degree. I allow free play between the inner edges of the external and internal
rings and the piston rod so as to keep the piston rod clear of the rings.
In another modification I dispense with the double conical recess and press the
soft metal rings in one conical recess home to the piston rod by a flat plate ring
but I retain the external and internal pairs of rings clipping the packing as herein-
before described.
In another modification I dispense with the double conical recess and press the
soft metal rings in one conical recess home to the piston rod by a flat plate ring
but I retain the external and internal pairs of rings clipping the packing as herein-
before described.
In another modification I surround the conical hard metal rings with an outer
bush to support them, and prevent any escape of steam between them from the
inner soft metal split rings or bushes.
Sometimes I dispense with the concentric grooves in the edges of the hard metal
conical rings or in the edge of the plate used to press home the soft metal rings
when only one cone is used.
In some cases also I face the internal side of the soft metal split rings or bushes
And instead
with hard metal to bear on the piston rod so as to improve the wear.
of a soft metal backing to thin hard metal applied to the rod, I sometimes fill the
cone or cones with fibrous or flexible packing which may press forward the metal

page_text: against the rod.
The hard metal split rings or bushes may then be of channel
section, channel side away from the rod..
Dated this 28th day of October 1891.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallic Packing.
I, JOSEPH HIGGINSON, the younger, of 20 Canal Street, Ancoats, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of metallic packing,
and its object is to produce packing more readily and economically applicable than
ordinary packings of this class.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention as carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a section showing my packing as applied to a high pressure cylinder
where the pressure is all from within the cylinder.
Figure 2 is a section as applied to a low pressure cylinder where pressure is from
without during the vacuum period.
Figure 3 shows a modification and
Figure 4 shows a further modification.
All the figures show the stuffing box in section, and the rings part in section and
part in elevation.
In carrying my invention into effect according to one modification, I arrange my
packing to fit into the ordinary stuffing box of a steam or other engine as shown at
Figure 3. At the bottom or inner end of the box or cavity 1 place a ring K of
flexible or compressible packing material, and upon this, two rings of metal C C',
having a recess between them and the sides of the stuffing box, into which another
ring C² also of flexible packing material is compressed so as to expand against the
walls of the box A. These rings C Care somewhat broad and are faced; a turned
ring D of hard metal having an internal coned surface is then slipped in, and the
face in contact with C the last of the first named rings is preferably grooved as
shown, so as to fit easily and at the same time be steam tight. A similar ring D
of hard metal with internal coned surface comes next, and the two cones oppose
each other, the inclination being towards the point of junction. Within the cone
recesses so formed I place two or more split or segment rings or bushes E' E, E' E
of soft metal so arranged that the splits or segment ends break joint, and so fitting
the conical recesses that when the external rings D D are pushed together the soft
metal rings, segments or bushes are pressed against the piston rod H. At the
outer end of the stuffing box A, I place two plates C C as at the inner end, and I
also prefer to groove the outer end of the outer cone ring D; the outer plates C C'
I also fit with a ring of compressible packing material C as with the inner plates,
and I sometimes place a ring of packing material between the outer plate and the
inner end of the stuffing box gland B, which gland B serves to compress my
metallic packing to the desired degree. I allow free play between the inner edges
of the external and the internal pairs of rings C C', and the piston rod H, so as to
keep the piston rod clear of the rings.
In another modification I dispense with the double conical recess as shown at
Figure 1, and press the soft metal rings E E' in one conical recess of the ring D,
home to the piston rod H, by a flat plate ring F, but I retain the external and
internal pairs of rings C C¹ clipping the packing C³ as hereinbefore described.
In another modification shown at Figure 4, I surround the conical hard metal

page_text: rings D D with an outer bush L to support them, and prevent any escape of steam
between them from the inner soft metal split rings, segments, or bushes.
Sometimes I dispense with the concentric grooves in the edges of the hard metal
conical rings, or in the edge of the plate used to press home the soft metal rings,
when only one cone is used.
In some cases also I face the internal side of the soft metal split rings, segments
or bushes E E', with hard metal to bear on the piston rod so as to improve the
wear. And instead of a soft metal backing, to thin hard metal applied to the rod,
I sometimes fill the cone or cones with fibrous or flexible packing which may press
forward the metal against the rod. The hard metal split rings or bushes may then
be of channel section, channel side away from the rod.
In Figures 1 and 2 the soft packing shown at K Figures 3 and 4 is dispensed
with, and a flat plate F is adapted to bear against the bottom of the stuffing box.
In Figure 1 two cone rings D are shown with cones in the same direction, and
segment rings E E' of soft metal within. Each ring E or E' may be built up of
any number of segments placed to break joint with each other, but three segments
to each ring is found to be a convenient number. A plate ring D¹ faced on both
sides is placed between the soft metal rings E E' and the recess rings C C¹.
Spring or slot pieces G are arranged to hold together the segment rings
between D and D'. In Figure 1 the separate ring cones D D are arranged in the
same direction opening towards the cylinder, so that the soft metal segment rings
may act against the high steam pressure from within, outwards. In Figure 2 the
cone rings D D are arranged in opposing directions so as to place the segment
rings E E¹ of the external set in position to resist pressure from without; while
the internal set resist pressure from within.
Such an arrangement is suitable for a low pressure cylinder where pressure and
vacuum alternate.
The packing material C³ may be of soft metal or soft metal tube instead of
fibrous material, and fibrous material may replace the soft metal rings E E¹or a
combination of fibrous backing, and metal face to bear against the piston rod H.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In metallic packing for piston rods and like purposes, terminal plates arranged
with a soft or compressible packing ring, which ring is expanded when the plates
are pressed together to fit the internal surface of a stuffing box substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings.
2. In metallic packing for piston rods and like purposes terminal plates and
packing rings as claimed in the preceding claim in combination with a ring
enclosing packing ring segments, the said ring having a grooved or serrated face as
hereinbefore described with reference to the parts marked C, C¹, C and D in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In metallic packing for piston rods and like purposes, an incline or cone ring
arranged to press inwards, two or more segment or spring rings as hereinbefore
described with reference to the parts marked D, E, E, of the accompanying
drawings.
4. The arrangement and combination of metallic packing as hereinbefore
described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.