Improvements in or in connection with the Packing and Supporting of Hydraulic Rams, Piston Rods, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1896
Improvements in or in connection with the Packing and Supporting
of Hydraulic Rams, Piston Rods, and the like.
I, CHARLES EASTWOOD of 126 Litherland Road North, Bootle, in the County of
Lancaster Manager of Gas Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the method of packing bydraulic rams and
maintaining them parallel with the cylinder throughout the length of their travel
or stroke but it is also applicable to packings for piston rods and the like.
In hydraulic machinery working horizontally, especially in hydraulic machinery
employed in drawing and charging retorts, the working of the ram, which is supported
at the stuffing box end only, has an oscillating motion in the stuffing box and cylinder,
whereby the packing is cut away and the gland worn from a circular to an elliptical
form, and the ram is fluted in consequence of the friction of the ram upon the metal of
the gland and of the hard packing, necessitating new rams to make the machine
workable.
The object of my invention is to provide apparatus whereby the ram is maintained
in its true position horizontal or otherwise as the case may be throughout the length
of the stroke, and a packing which will support the ram in the stuffing box in its true
position and keep its weight from the packing upon which I rely to make a perfectly
tight joint.
In carrying my invention into effect as applied to rams working horizontally,
I employ at the end of the ram a gun metal or other nosepiece, this nosepiece, fixed
or formed on the under side of the ram, fills up the space between the under side of
the ram and the bottom of the cylinder, it thus supports the end of the ram in the
cylinder and gives freedom for the escape water.
In the stuffing box I provide and place at the bottom thereof a metallic ring of
peculiar construction, so constructed that when cut into vertical sections they are
made to act in a similar manner to fox wedges when pressed upon by a superimposed
solid ring. Thus the metallic packing ring is continuously forced against the ram,
thus keeping it in its true position and keeping the weight of the rain from the
exterior packing.
This gun metal or other ring is formed so that its lower edge has a long taper
corresponding with one of the edges of the metallic packing, thus forming a foxwedge
and the upper edge is finished semicircular in form or it may be of an elliptical form
but I prefer the semicircular form.
the
The bottom edge of the gland is finished to the semi-circular or elliptical form of
gun metal ring with great exactness.
The water tight joint of the stuffing box is formed by placing between the
emicircular edges of the gun metal ring and gland a round indiarubber or other
ing of a diameter equal to the difference between the diameter of the ram and the
tuffing box divided by two, thus when the whole of the packing ring and gland is
crewed or forced together, a tight joint is obtained.
In thus describing my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not confine

page_text: it to rams or rods working horizontally, as it may be applied to rams or rods working
in other positions.
Dated this 9th day of April 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant,
Improvements in or in connection with the Packing and Supporting
of Hydraulic Rams, Piston Rods, and the like.
I, CHARLES EASTWOOD of 126 Litherland Road North, Bootle, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager of Gas Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to the method of packing hydraulic rams and
maintaining them parallel with the cylinder throughout the length of their travel
or stroke, but it is also applicable to packings for piston rods and the like.
In hydraulic machinery working horizontally, especially in hydraulic machinery
employed in drawing and charging retorts, the working of the ram, which is supported
at the stuffing box end only, has an oscillating motion in the stuffing box and cylinder,
whereby the packing is cut away, and the gland worn from a circular to an elliptical
form. The ram is fluted in consequence of the friction of the ram upon the metal of
the gland and of the hard packing, necessitating new rams to make the machine
workable.
The object of my invention is to provide apparatus whereby the ram or rod is
maintained parallel in its true position horizontal or otherwise as the case may be,
throughout the length of the stroke, and a device which will support the ram in the
stuffing box in its true position and keep its weight from the packing upon which
I rely to make a perfectly tight joint, thereby reducing friction, preserving the
surface of the ram or rod in good condition for a great length of time and increasing
the durability and efficiency of the packing.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a ram and stuffing box with my invention
applied thereto, this figure being broken in the centre in order to compress it within
the necessary space;
Figure 2 another view of part of the ram showing the nose piece in plan;
Figure 3, a face view of the segmental rings.
In these figures, A is the ram or piston rod, B the working cylinder and C the
stuffing box. I provide in the stuffing box C, and place at the bottom thereof, a
metallic ring D of peculiar construction. This ring is so constructed that when cut
into segments d, they are made to act as fox wedges when pressed upon by the
superimposed solid gun metal ring E, thus the metallic segmental ring D is
continuously forced against the ram or rod A, keeping it in its true position in
the stuffing box and keeping the weight of the ram or rod from the exterior
packing G.
The solid gun metal ring E is formed so that its edge adjacent to the ring D has
a long taper corresponding with one of the surfaces of the segmental metallic ring D,
thereby forming a fox wedge, the opposite edge of this gun metal ring E is finished
semi-circular in form, or it may be elliptical in form.
The end of the gland F is finished to the semi-circular or elliptical form of the
gan metal ring E with great exactness.

page_text: The water tight joint of the stuffing box c is made by placing between the
semi-circular or elliptical edges of gland F and the gun metal ring. E, india rubber
or other rings lettered G of a diameter equal to the difference between the diameter
of the ram or rod A. and the stuffing box C divided by 2, thus when the whole of
the packing, rings and gland are screwed or forced together, a tight joint is
obtained.
Further I employ at the end of the ram or rod A a gun metal or other nose
piece H to maintain the ram parallel in the working cylinder. This is inserted into
a recess formed in or at the underside of the ram or rod A and kept in its position
by the set screw I. This nose piece fills up the space between the ram or rod and
the cylinder B, and gives freedom for the escape of the water and when in consequence
of use, its edge has been worn down, it is extracted and a washer or lining such
as J inserted, of the required thickness to bring the ram or rod in contact with the
cylinder, and this course may be frequently repeated. This nose piece may be also
of other forms instead of circular to serve the same purpose.
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. The improvement in packing and supporting hydraulic rams, piston rods and
the like, which consists in providing in the box, through which passes the ram or rod
to be packed, a segmental ring adapted to surround the rod, and a second ring (solid
or split) supported in and by the stuffing box, the abutting faces of said rings being
arranged in such a manner, that when the solid or split ring is pressed longitudinally
by the superimposed pressure of the packing and gland, it will press the segmental
ring radially against the rod, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In stuffing boxes for hydraulic rams, piston rods or the like, the use of bearing
rings having their abutting faces so located as to act as wedges upon the ram or rod
when acted upon by a superimposed ring or substance under pressure, whereby the
rod is supported and its weight is taken off the packing in the stuffing box, substantially
as described.
3. The use of rings or glands so arranged that when round or other rings (whole
or split) are placed between them and put under pressure, a tight joint in the stuffing
box is made, substantially as described.
4. The improvement in supporting hydraulic rams, piston rods and the like, which
consists in forming on the underside of the ram or rod, or inserting in a recess
therein, a nose piece or its equivalent, which will project from the ram or rod, while
bearing against the inside face of the working cylinder, whereby the ram or rod is
maintained parallel to the working cylinder throughout the length of its stroke
substantially as described.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.