IMPROVE. MENTS IN PACKING FOR THE PISTON HEADS OF STRAM CYLINDERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN PACKING FOR THE PISTON HEADS OF STRAM CYLINDERS."― A
communication from abroad by Horace McMurtrie, of the Firm of
Horace McMurtrie, & Co., of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of
America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st November 1867.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING FOR THE PISTON HEADS OF STEAM CYLINDERS," a
communication, to be as follows:-
The said improvements relate to metallic packing composed of segmental
rings which are kept in contact with the surface of the cylinder by the
pressure of steam behind them.

page_text: The said improvements consist chiefly in the peculiar construction of the
segments whereby each one is fitted to the other in such a manner as to form
a continuous steam-tight ring which is fitted into a groove in the piston head.
This ring is forced outward with a pressure varying with the pressure in the
cylinder and works with the slightest possible friction. Each ring is fitted
into a separate groove and the segments are constructed with tongues and
recesses which may be formed on one side of each segment or centrally with
the same. The steam is admitted into the grooves behind the rings through
holes or apertures in the same or in the piston head. When only one ring is
employed these apertures must be provided with valves. The tongues are
rounded or curved from theirextremities inward andthecorrespondingsurface
of the recesses is formed and curved in such a manuer that the ring may
assume an oval shape without breaking the joints or forming a passage for the
steam at these points. A mortise or aperture may be formed through a
portion of the segments to diminish the pressure of the same upon the surface
of the cylinder and to receive a light spring which prevents the shaking and
rattling of the segments when there is no steam behind the rings. The
piston head is preferably provided with two of these rings each of which is
divided into three or more segments. One end of each of the said segments
is cut away on the inside leaving a thin portion or tongue which is also reduced
in thickness by cutting away the metal on the side which is to lie towards the
outside of the piston when the ring is in its place in the groove; the other
end of each segment is formed with a recess which fits and receives the tongue
of the next segment. The curved portion of the inner surface of the tongue
and the corresponding surface of the recess are formed and fitted together in
such a manner that when the ring is fitted into a cylinder whose bore is
circular and regular throughout, a slight space is left between the two surfaces,
but when the said ring is used in an old cylinder which is worn oval and
irregular this space allows some of the tongues to sink a little deeper into
their recesses and permits the ring to assume a corresponding shape while
still working perfectly steam-tight. The tongue and recesses are sc formed
that when the segments are properly fitted together the ring is continuous aud
sectionally equal throughout. The said rings are well fitted to the grooves in
the piston, but in such a manner as to slide or slip freely therein without
binding at the sides,and these grooves are made slightly deeper than the said
rings so that when the latter are in place a space for the steam is left behind
them. The steam is preferably admitted into this space through V-shaped
apertures formed at the joints or other parts of the segments or through small
holes drilled in the piston head. The central flange or rim which separates

page_text: the two grooves in the piston head is made nearly of the same diameter as the
cylinder but does not fit or work in contact with the same. The outer flanges
of the piston head which may either be formed solidly with the same or fitted
and secured thereto in any convenient manner are preferably turned about
one quarter of an inch less in diameter than the cylinder. By this means the
outer side of each ring is exposed to the pressure of the steam whereby its
other side is pressed closely into contact with the side of the central flange or
collar of the piston head and the blowing through or escape of the steam from
the back of the rings is entirely prevented. The rings are made of sufficient
width to lie in their grooves with their outer surfaces fairly and evenly in
contact with the cylinder. The said rings are made deep enough to ensure
their having sufficient steam-tight surface in contact with the side of the groove.
The rings are left free to turu in their grooves and therefore work without
forming channels or ridges in the cylinder as in the case when the rings are
held by pins or other devices. Instead of forming the segments of the rings
with the tongues and recesses on one side, and fitting them together as above
described, one end of each of the said segments may be formed with two
tongues or jaws with a central division or aperture between them. The
recesses at the other end of the segments have a central partition formed in
such a manner that when the segments are fitted together the partition on
each segment lies between the two tongues on the end of the next segment.
When constructed in this manner the rings will act properly if reversed or
turned over in their grooves and as each side of the ring is made steam-tight
with the surface of the piston head the piston may be provided with only one
of the segmental rings. In this case the steam is admitted behind the said
ring through small apertures on each side of the piston head which apertures
are opened and closed at each stroke of the said piston by small double beat
spindle valves fitted to the said apertures in such a manner that either is
closed by opening the other. The mortise or aperture which is formed in the
segments diminishes the weight of the same, and when the said apertures are
cut through the segments the pressure of the same upon the surface of the
cylinder may be diminished to any desired extent by increasing the size of
the said apertures. The spring which is placed in this mortise to prevent
the rattling of the rings may be formed of thin steel hoop or steel wire.
Instead of forming the grooves or channels for the rings in the piston head
the said grooves may be formed in a separate ring or collar which is secured
in any convenient manuer to the piston.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eighthundred and sixty-seven, inthe thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Robert Lake, Her special licence that I, the said William Robert
Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
therealter 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 of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN PACKING FOR THE PISTON HEADS OF STEAM CYLINDERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under iny, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had totheaccompanyingSheetof Drawings
forming a part of this Specification:-
The said improvements relate to metallic packing composed of segmental
rings which are kept in contact with the surface of the cylinder by the pressure
of steam behind them.
The said improvements consist chiefly in the peculiar construction of the
segments whereby each one is fitted to the other in such a inanuer as to form
a continuous steam-tight ring which lies in a groove in the piston head.
This ring is forced outward with a pressure varying with the pressure in the
cylinder and works with the slightest possible friction. Each ring is fitted

page_text: into a separate groove and the segments are constructed with tongues and
recesses which may be formed on one side of each segment or centrally with
the same. The steam is admitted into the grooves behind the rings through
holes or apertures in the same or in the piston head. When only one ring is
employed these apertures must be provided with valves. The tongues are
rounded or curved from their extremities inward and the corresponding
surface of the recesses is formed and curved in such a manner that the ring
may assume an oval shape without breaking the joints or forming a passage
for the steam at these points. A mortise or aperture may be formed through
a portion of the segments to diminish the pressure of the same upon the
surface of the cylinder and to receive a light spring which prevents the shaking
and rattling of the segments when there is no steam behind the rings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view of a piston provided with two of my improved
segmenta! packing rings; Figure 2 is a plan of one of the packing rings
formed of four segments; Figures 3 and 4 show the two sides of one of the
said segments; Figure 5 shows the inner surface of the same; Figures 6 and
7 show segments of mo lified construction; Figure 8 is a side view of a piston
provided with one of my improved rings; Figure 3 is a section of part of the
said piston illustrating the arrangement of the valves in the same.
letters indicate the same parts in all of the Figures.
Like
The piston head a is preferably provided with two of the rings b each of
which is divided into three or more segments 61. One end of each of the said.
segments is cut away on the inside, as shown at 62, Figures 3 and 4, leaving
a thin portion or tongue 63 which is also reduced in thickness by cutting away
the metal on the side which is to lie towards the outside a¹ of the piston when
the ring is in its place in the groove d. The other end of each segment b¹
is formed with a recess which fits and receives the tongue 3 of the next
segment. The curved portion 1 of the inner surface of the tongue 63 and
the corresponding surface 2 of the recess are formed and fitted together
in such a manner that when the ring is introduced into a cylinder of
the proper diameter, whose bore is circular and regular throughout, a
slight space is left between the surfaces 1 and 2, as shown in Figure 2,
but when the said ring is used in an old cylinder which is worn oval and
irregular this space allows some of the tongues 3 to sink a little deeper into
their recesses 64 and permits the ring to assume a corresponding oval shape
while still working perfectly steam-tight. The tongues 63 and recesses 6¹ are
so formed that when the segments b' are properly fitted together the ring b is

page_text: continuous and sectionally equal throughout. The said rings are well fitted
to the grooved in the piston a but in such a manner as to slide or slip freely
therein without binding at the sides, and these grooves are madeslightly deeper
than the rings so that when the latter are in place a space e for the steam is
left behind them as shown in Figure 1. The steam is preferably admitted
into this space through V-shaped apertures f formed at the joints or other
parts of the segments or through small holes drilled in the piston head a.
The central flange or rim g which separates the two grooves in the piston
head is inade nearly of the same diameter as the cylinder, but does not fit or
work in contact with the same. The outer flanges a² of the piston head
which may either be formed solidly with the head or fitted and secured thereto
in any convenient manner are preferably turned about one quarter of an inch
less in diameter than the cylinder. By this means the outer side or surface
of each ring is exposed to the pressure of the steam whereby its other side is
pressed closely into contact with the side of the central flange or collar g of the
piston head and the blowing through or escape of the steam from the back of the
rings b is entirely prevented: The rings b are made of sufficient width to lie in
their grooves & with their outer surfaces fairly and evenly in contact with the
cylinder. The said rings are made deep enough to ensure their having
sufficient steam-tight surface in contact with the sides of the grooves. The
rings b are left free to turn in their grooves and therefore work without
forming channels or ridges in the cylinder as is the case when the rings of a
piston are held by pins or other devices. Instead of forming the segment.s
of the rings with the tongues and recesses on one side, as shown in Figure 1,
and fitting them together as above described, one end of each of the said
segments may be formed with two tongues or jaws bs with a central division
or aperture 6 between them, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The recesses b
at the other end of the segments have a central partition 8 formed in such
a manner that when the segments 61 are fitted together the partition 6ª on
each segment lies between the two tongues 6 on the end of the next segment.
When constructed in this manner the rings 6 will act properly if reversed or
turned over in their grooves, and as each side of the ring is made steam-tight
with the surface of the piston lead the piston may be provided with only one
of the segmental rings, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. In this case the
steam is admitted behind the said ring through small apertures on each
side of the piston head which apertures are opened and closed at each stroke
of the said piston by small double beat spindle valves i fitted to the said
apertures in such a manner that either one of them is closed by opening the
other. The mortise or aperture which is formed in the segments 6' diminishes

page_text: D
heweight of the same, and when the said apertures are cut through the segments
he pressure of the latter upon the surface of the cylinder may be diminished
to any desired extent by increasing the size of the said apertures. The spring
which is placed in this mortise to prevent the rattling of the rings 6 may be
formed of thin steel hoop or steel wire. Instead of forming the grooves or
channels d for the rings in the piston head the said grooves may be formed in a
separate ring or collar which is secured in any convenient mauner to the piston.
Having thus fully described the said Iuvention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-
First. A packing for the pistous of steam engines consisting of segmental
rings each of which is fitted into a separate groove or channel in the piston
head and forced outward by the pressure of the steam, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Second. Constructing the segments forming the said rings with tongues and
recesses and fitting the same together, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Third. Forming the recesses with their ends deeper than the tongues to
allow the segmental rings to adapt themselves to irregularities in the cylinder.
Fourth. Forming mortises j in the segments, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
Fifth. Arrauging light springs in combination with a segmental packing
ring for the purpose of holding the said ring in place when the steam is shut
off, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination of the grooved piston head or body with a seg-
mental ring fitted in each groove and with the light springs behind the said
rings, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight.
sot my
Witness,
THOMAS N. PALMER,
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE.
(L.S.)
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings, W.C.