Improvements in and relating to Metallic Packing.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Metallic Packing.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co. the General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad
by Ernest Hulburd, of the Hotel de l'Europe, Rouen, in the Republic of France,) to
be as follows
The invention relates to packing of that class in which one or more rings of soft
metal or composition are arranged between oppositely inclined urfaces (the ends of
the rings being correspondingly inclined or bevelled) in such a manner that when the
distance between the said surfaces is decreased the metal of which the rings are com-
posed will be forced or wedged more or less tightly into contact with the rod around
which the packing is placed.
In packing of this class as heretofore constructed the rings (with the exception of
the inclined or bevelled portions at the ends) are of the same thickness throughout or
parallel so that when the gland is screwed down to tighten the packing, only the
portions of the rings adjacent to the inclined surfaces are acted upon by the latter, thus
causing the said rings to wear unevenly, and more rapidly than if the rings were
moved into contact with the rods throughout their whole length.
The chief object of my present invention is to obviate these defects and to this end
it comprises improvements as hereinafter described.
According to my invention the rings instead of being parallel are made hollow or
concave on their outer sides so that they are more or less weakened in the middle.
With this construction the screwing down of the gland not only forces the ends of
the packing into closer contact with the rod but also tends to bulge the main portions
of the packing inwards whereby the latter is pressed against the rod throughout its
whole length.
In order to reduce the wear of the rings as much as possible I preferably form in
the inner surface of the rings, channels or grooves, or I form holes or recesses therein.

page_text: which I fill with asbestos or anti-friction material. I prefer to form the channels,
grooves or holes in a helical direction, by which arrangement the packing is gradually
compressed towards the extremities of the said channels, grooves, or holes during the
to-and-fro motion of the rod.
When a stuffing box contains more than one ring of packing I generally place
between each two adjacent rings a ring of triangular shape in transverse section.
the apex of the triangle being towards the interior of the ring so that its inclined
sides serve the same purpose as the inclined surfaces of the gland and junk ring.
Dated the 20th day of February 1888.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London.
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
८
Improvements in and relating to Metallic Packing.
1, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., the General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad
by Ernest Hulburd, of the Hotel de l'Europe, Rouen, in the Republic of France)
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to packing of that class in which one or more rings of soft
metal or composition is or are arranged between oppositely inclined surfaces (the ends
of the ring or rings being correspondingly inclined or bevilled) in such a manner that
when the distance between the said surfaces is decreased the inetal of which the ring
or rings is or are composed will be forced or wedged more or less tightly into contact
with the rod or surface against which the packing is placed.
In packing of this class as heretofore constructed the rings (with the exception of
the inclined or bevelled portions at the ends) are of the same thickness throughout or
paralel so that when the gland is screwed down to tighten the packing, only the
portions of the rings adjacent to the inclined surfaces are acted upon by the latter
thus causing the said rings to wear unevenly and more rapidly than if the rings were
moved into contact with the rods throughout their whole length.
The chief object of my present invention is to obviate these defects and to this end
it comprises improvements as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 is an end view of a packing ring constructed according to the said
invention, and
Figure 2 is longitudinal section of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure 2 illustrating different modifications.
Figure 5 is a sectional view shewing a packing ring in connection with a stuffing
box and gland.
Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the application of the packing to a piston.
a represents a ring of the improved packing the ends of which are inclined as
shown at b, and which are adapted to work in conjunction with the oppositely
inclined surfaces of the junk ring è and the gland d in the stuffing box e as shown in
Figure 5.
f is a concave recess formed in the rear face of the packing (that is to say, the face
opposite to the working face) in order to weaken the ring at the centre, so that the
screwing up of the gland not only forces or wedges the packing into close contact with
the rod or surface at the ends, but also tends to bulge the portion of the packing
between the said ends in such a manner that it is pressed against the rod or surface.
In order to reduce the wear of the rings as much as possible I sometimes form in
the wearing surfaces channels or grooves g which I fill with asbestos or anti-friction
material the said channels or grooves being advantageously arranged in a helical

page_text: direction as shown in Figure 2 so that the anti-friction material is gradually com-
pressed towards the extremities of the channels or grooves during the to and fro motion
of the rod. Also I sometimes form holes or recesses in the said rings, as in Figures 3
and 4, the said holes being either of the shape shown or of any other convenient
shape.
I sometimes modify the form of the packing to adapt the same for use with pistons,
as shown in Figure 6. In this modification the recess fis formed on the inner side of
the ring and the piston head is provided with an inclined surface j and with a loose
ring having an oppositely inclined surface, so that by tightening the screws 1, I the
packing can be tightened against the surface of the cylinder. Any other convenient
means may however be employed for compressing the packing.
When two or more rings of packing are employed in combination I generally
place between each two adjacent packing rings a ring of brass or other suitable
material of triangular shape in transverse section which ring serves the same purpose
as the junk ring hereinbefore referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) The improvement in metallic packing adapted to be compressed between two
oppositely inclined surfaces, which consists in forming a hollow or a concave recess
in the side of the packing opposite to the working face, substantially as, and for the
purposes, described.
(2) In metallic packing of the kind hereinbefore described, the formation of a series
of holes or recesses filled with asbestos or anti-friction material, substantially as, and
for the purpose, described.
(3) The manufacture and use of the improved metallic packing hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 16th day of November 1888.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.