Improvements in Metallic Packing for Piston Rods, Pump Rods, and for like purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallic Packing for Piston Rods, Pump Rods, and
for like purposes.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM BELL, of 9 Grafton Terrace, Grafton Street, Hyde Road,
West Gorton, in the County of Lancaster, Foreman Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manner in which 1 construct and arrange metallic
bushes, rings and discs for surrounding or partly surrounding piston rods, pump
rods and other moving rods, for the purpose of keeping the same steam, water, air
or gas tight during their movement when in work.
In carrying my invention into effect when applying my improved metallic
packing to a steam engine piston rod of ordinary circular construction, I arrange
upon the outer end of the cylinder a stuffing box of usual or ordinary configuration,
or I apply my improved form of packing rings to existing ordinary stuffing boxes,
without alteration being required upon the boxes to adapt them to suit my improved
glands and rings.
I attach a circular gland or bush of greater length than is usually adopted for
ordinary neck bushes, and I form or cut within this long bush several circular
conoidal form of grooves along its entire length, this bush while fitting upon the
rod internally I leave free to move within the stuffing box or cover itself, the outer
end or extremity of this long bush I form with a head or collar for enabling a
diaphragm plate which I place around the bush to sustain or secure the bush in
position and for permitting the bolts or clips upon the cover to engage and retain
the bush by means of the diaphragm. Beyond the end of the bush I place a
number of rings around the rod, some of which I split and connect together to
form an adjustable ring by means of a screw at the two butt ends, and some of the
rings I leave plain or solid. Outside the rings and pressing upon their outer
circumferences I place peculiarly formed springs so arranged that each spring tends
to force its ring in a direction opposite to another similarly placed spring, for the
purpose of ensuring that each ring shall be pressed on to the rod and the whole
number of rings to form a completely tight bearing surface against the rod, yet
having sufficient freedom of movement externally for accommodating the packing to
any want of alignment or true movement of the rod. The extreme or outer ring I
hold in position by face or end pressure rather than by side pressure, by means of
a plate or diaphragm pressed home by the gland screws and having a distance piece
or outer collar surrounding the gland rings between the diaphragm or the end of
the long bush, and the outer diaphragm on the ends of the rings. I prefer to
exclude the steam from the annular space around the packing rings in order that
oil may be allowed therein for lubricating the rod.
Sometimes I form the end of the outer bush with a stuffing box and gland
containing any ordinary packing and capable of moving with the loose fitting inner
rings.
I modify the form of diaphragm plate and retaining screw arrangement to
suit the peculiar duty of the rod and the pressure of the steam, liquid, air or gas
to be retained, arranging in some cases a screw upon the outer surface of my long
bush carrying a nut or collar, for enabling the whole packing to be turned round
while working by worm wheel or other suitable means. The length of the grooved
bush and the number and depth of the packing rings I modify to suit any particular

page_text: or peculiar requirement without departing from the essential features of my inven-
tion as hereinbefore described when applied to an ordinary piston rod.
Dated this 21st day of April 1891.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallic Packing for Piston Rods, Pump Rods, and
for like purposes.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM BELL, of 9 Grafton Terrace, Grafton Street, Hyde
Road, West Gorton, in the County of Lancaster, Foreman Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to the manner in which I construct and arrange_metallic
bushes, rings, and discs, for surrounding or partly surrounding piston rods, pump
rods and other moving rods, for the purpose of keeping the same, steam, water, air
or gas tight, during their movement when in work.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I append hereunto one
sheet of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to.
In carrying my invention into effect when applying my improved metallic
packing to a steam engine piston rod of ordinary circular construction, as illustrated
in sectional elevation in Figure 1, sectional plan in Figure 2-and detailed -sectional
plan of rings Figure 3, I sometimes arrange upon the outer end of the cylinder å
stuffing box A of usual or ordinary. configuration; and I apply my improved form
of packing rings to existing ordinary stuffing boxes, without alteration being
required upon the boxes to adapt them to suit my improved glands and rings.
b
I attach a circular gland or bush B of greater length than is usually adopted for
ordinary neck bushes, and I form or cut within this long bush several circular
conoidal form of grooves 6 along its entire length, this bush while fitting upon the
rod C internally, I leave free to move within the stuffing box or cover A itself;
the outer end or extremity of this long bush B I form with a head or collar B¹ for
enabling a diaphragm plate D, which I place around the bush, to sustain or secure
it in position, also for permitting the bolts E and clips F upon the cover flange G
to engage and retain the bush by means of the diaphragm. Beyond the end of the
bush I place a number of rings H, H, around the rod, some of which I split and
connect together to form an adjustable ring. By means of a screw or screws the
springs force the two butt ends together.
Some of the rings H, H³ 1 leave plain or solid. Outside the rings H, H', H³, H³,
and pressing upon their outer circumferences, I place peculiarly formed springs L, L',
so arranged with set screws K, K', causing each split spring to force its ring H, H2,
in a direction opposite to another similarly placed spring on the adjoining solid
rings H, H, for the purpose of ensuring that each ring shall be pressed on to the
rod C and thus by the whole combined number of rings to form a completely tight
bearing surface against the rod, yet permitting sufficient freedom of movement
externally, for the purpose of accommodating it to any want of adjustment or true
movement of the rod. The extreme or outer ring H I hold in position by face or
end pressure rather than by side pressure, by means of a plate or plates or
diaphragm M pressed home by the gland screws N, and having a distance piece
or outer collar and cap O, O' surrounding the gland rings H between the
diaphragm D on the end of the long bush, and the outer diaphragm M on the ends
of the rings. I prefer to exclude the steam from the annular space around the

page_text: packing rings H, and between the collar O, in order that oil may be allowed therein
for lubricating the rod.
The small diaphragm plate M which I place upon the end of the rings H to
receive the tightening bolts or cap O¹, I make of peculiar form as shown, to permit
of the free expansion and contraction of my white metal or other suitable material
bushes H. By the system of arrangement of packing and bushes, as shown in
Figure 1, and Figure 2 and Figure 3, the whole bush and its packing complete may
be turned round upon the rod C while it is in motion.
When applying my packing rings to some old stuffing boxes, I modify the
arrangement hereinbefore described of the springs and screws, but do not alter the
form and arrangement of the rings themselves. I arrange the rings as shown in
sectional plan in Figure 8 and Figure 9, the spring L forcing the solid ring H
against the rod, and the circular spring plate L attached to the split ring H,
tending to force the split ring butt ends together, assisted by the plate
spring Lt.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of my improved form of packing arranged to
suit two stuffing boxes as required for an inverted engine or steam or other pump.
I provide two diaphragm plates M', M' to allow freedom of motion of the packing
rings H, H, H and gland hushes B³, B³ caused either by expansion and contraction
or want of perfect alignment of the two cylinders. The ring H' I split and keep
tightly bearing on the shaft C by means of a screw P passing through its ends as
shown in detail plan in Figure 6.
Beneath the screw PI pass a spring plate R Figure 7, drilled and tapped at each
end to receive a screw S, S¹; which screws operate to force the two solid
rings H*, H in one direction, and the cut one H in the opposite direction.
I arrange lock nuts T, T¹ upon the bush B' by which I am cuabled to put any
desired pressure upon the diaphragms M', M' and thus ensure that a steain tight
connection may be maintained.
I sometimes drain the interior of the cover or cap by connecting it to the
suction pipe of a pump or any other convenient chamber by means of the pipe U,
as shown in Figure 4.
Sometimes I form the end of the outer bush with a stuffing box and gland con-
taining any ordinary packing, and capable of moving with the loose fitting inner
rings. I modify the form and strength of diaphragm plate or plates, and the
retaining screws and spring arrangement, to suit the peculiar duty of the rod, and
the pressure of the steam, liquid air or gas to be retained; arranging in some cases
a screw upon the outer surface of my long bush so that a nut or collar may enable
the whole packing to be turned round while working, by worm wheel or other
suitable ordinary means. The length of the grooved hush and the number and
depth of the packing rings, I modify to suit any particular or peculiar requirement,
without departing from the essential features of my invention as hereinbefore
described when applied to ordinary piston rods.
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 construction and arrangement of packings for piston rods, pump rods
and rods for like purposes, having long glands provided with a number of annular
grooves or serrations which glands or bushes are retained by spring diaphragm or
diaphragms, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2) The construction of solid or split packing rings such as H, H¹, H³, H³
having springs and set screws for keeping the inner surface of the rings in contact
with the rods, substantially as herein described and as set forth in the accompanying
drawings.
(3) In packings and glands for piston rods, pump rods and rods for like
purposes,

page_text: the application of diaphragm plates or yielding rings for keeping steam, water or
gas tight joints, substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 15th of January 1892.
CLERK & MARKS,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.