Improvements in Pistons of Steam Engines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left 10th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pistons of Steam Engines.
WILLIAM TURNER, 3, Well Street, Blackburn, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of an improved form of spring or springs for pistons,
pump buckets or plungers, by means of which a uniform pressure is brought to bear
on the inner circumference of the piston rings, thus keeping them in contact with
the cylinder walls, these improved springs also admit of a very easy and simple
method of tightening to compensate for wear of rings, in fact, from the construc-
tion of these springs and the method of expanding the rings as they wear, it is
possible for the rings to wear completely through and still keep in perfect contact
with the cylinder to the last. By referring to the drawings and description the
manner in which this is effected will be made clear.
:
Description In the sectional 'elevation and plan Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 A is the
body of the piston, B, the improved spring which is provided with a peg or pro-
jection C on the inside, which may be either round, square or any suitable shape,
these pegs or projections are made to fit into corresponding holes or slots pro-
vided in the body of piston, D, is an ordinary piston ring, which may be of any
suitable shape, the springs being made to suit. The improved springs are made
preferably in one piece which is simply a ring (of any suitable metal or material),
provided with pegs or projections on its inner circumference, the outer circumference
being turned to a suitable shape to fit the inside of the rings, but also turned to a
larger diameter than the bore of the cylinder, the ring is then divided into as many
segments as there are pegs or projections on its inside, the ring thus becomes divided
into a number of separate but similar springs, and owing to the outside of such
springs being turned to a larger diameter than the bore of the cylinder, a certain
amount of compression is required on the ends of each spring before they can be
got in their place inside the rings, thus each spring exerts an equal force to press
the rings to the cylinder walls, by referring to Fig. 3 on the drawings, the dotted
lines shews the spring before being compressed in position, the full lines shewing
the spring when in working position. The compensation for wear is effected by
simply taking out the spring segments from their respective holes or slots, and
inserting in the bottom of such holes or slots, thin discs or plates E, of any suitable
metal or material and of such thickness as to force out the spring sufficiently to
compensate for whatever wear has taken place. The drawing shews a common form
of piston rings with the improved springs fitted to same, but the principle is equally
applicable to any shape of ring, and can be applied just as easily to solid piston
blocks as pistons fitted with junk covers.
Having now fully described the nature of this my invention I claim :-
1. The improved form of springs by which the rings are pressed out to the
cylinder walls as fully described and shewn.
2. The improved means of adjustment for wear by means of the insertion of
simple discs or plates in the bottom of holes or slots as fully described and shewn.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of November Eighteen hundred and ninety.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pistons of Steam Engines.
WILLIAM TURNER, Engineer, No. 3, Wells Street, Blackburn, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :----
This invention consists of an improved form of piston spring or springs, by means
of which a uniform pressure is brought to bear on the inner circumference of the
piston rings, thus keeping the rings in contact with the cylinder walls. This
improved spring or springs also admits of a very easy and simple method of
tightening the spring or springs to compensate the wear of the piston rings, in fact,
owing to the construction of the spring or springs, and the method of expanding
the rings as they wear, it is possible to wear the rings completely through and still
keep them in perfect contact with the cylinder walls to the last. By referring to
the drawings, lodged with the Provisional Specification, and the following descrip-
tion, the manner in which this is effected will be made clear.
Description. In the sectional plan and elevation, A, is the body of the piston,
B, the improved spring which is provided with pegs or projections, C, on the inside
diameter, which may be either, round, square, or of any other convenient shape,
these pegs or projections fit into corresponding holes or slots provided in the body
of piston, D are ordinary piston rings.
The improved spring is turned on its outer circumference to the diameter of
cylinder, or larger, if necessary, according to size of cylinder, and pressure, the pegs
or projections on the inner circumference of this spring are made to fit corresponding
holes or slots in body of piston, and also to rest on the bottom of such holes or slots.
Having turned this spring ring to a suitable diameter, it is then divided into as
many segments as there are pegs or projections on its inner circumference, thus
forming a number of seperate but similar springs, which, when placed in their
respective holes or slots in body of piston will be in the shape and position as shewn
by dotted lines Fig. 3. but when compressed in the rings and placed in the cylinder,
will be as shewn by full lines, each segment being a seperate spring, and each one
forcing out the rings equally all round the cylinder walls. The compensation for
wear is effected by simply taking the spring segments from their respective holes or
slots and inserting at the bottom of such holes or slots thin discs, or plates, E, of
any suitable metal or material and of such thickness as to force out the spring
sufficiently to compensate for whatever wear has taken place.
The form of spring and means of adjustment, described above are applicable to
all kinds and sections of piston rings, pump plungers and buckets, or for any other
purpose where pistons, plunger or buckets, are used, as the springs may be made of
any suitable material, and need not be turned as described but each segmental
spring may be forged or cast seperately of any suitable metal or material.
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 improved form of piston spring as shewn and described.
2. The means of adjustment for compensation for wear, by the insertion of discs
or plates, as fully shewn and described.
D L
TAL.
0. thousand sight hundred and ninety one