AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MODE OF PACKING PISTONS OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES."
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Van den Bergh, of Lacken, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MODE OF PACKING PISTONS OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Van den Bergh
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd August 1855.
I, CHARLES VAN DEN BERGH, of Lacken, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MODE OF PACKING PISTONS OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES
to be as follows:-
My said improvement consists in a peculiar construction of bronze or other
metal rings to be used as a steam-tight packing, having the property that
when one sett of rings expands, the adjoining sett or setts contract.
I take any required number of flat metal rings of suitable size and thick-
ness, properly turned and bored for the piston, piston rod, or other part to be
packed therewith; I assort the rings equally into two setts; one sett I-bevel
on one side from the centre down to the outer edge, the other sett I dish
from the outer edge down to the centre on one side only; I also cut a slit
through all the rings on one side, observing to make a wide slit in the bevelled

page_text: rings by removing some of the metal; but to keep the slit as close as possible
in the dished rings. I next arrange each like sett of rings into pairs by
placing the flat side of the bevelled rings together, and so likewise the flat side
of the dished rings together: Alternate pairs of these rings are to be laid in
their proper place with their several slits in reversed position throughout, then
covered and screwed down as usual.
The novelty of my said Invention consists in the wedge-like form of one
pair of rings fitting into and expanding the dished pair or pairs of rings next
in contact, and so on throughout a series of them, the bevilled rings contract-
ing proportionably.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Van den Bergh in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
VAN DEN BERGH, of Lacken, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Van den Bergh, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Van den Bergh, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Charles,Van den Bergh, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time, agree with, and, no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter 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 for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MODE OF PACKING PISTONS OF STEAM AND OTHER ENGINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others), .that. I, the said Charles-Van, den Bergh;
my executors or administrators,, by an instrument in writing. under my, or
their, or one of their, hands and seals, should particularly describe, and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in, what manner the same, wasto
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
qui
hi

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Van den Bergh, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My said improvement consists in a peculiar construction of bronze or other
metal rings to be used as a steam-tight packing, having the property when
arranged in their place in alternate pairs, that as one sett expands, the
adjoining sett or setts contract. And for the better understanding of my said
Invention, I will now proceed to detail the particulars thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, in which the same letters refer to like
parts throughout.,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a section of a piston or pump rod with my improved annular
steam-tight packing in its place; Figure 2 is a plan of the rings; Figure 3
is a section of one pair of dished rings; and Figure 4 is a section of one pair
of bevel-edged rings; their bevel or convex portion fitting the dished or
concave portion of the rings, Figure 3.
A, A', are two broad metal rings; plane or flat on the side a, but dished or
concave on the opposite side b; B, B, are two similar metal rings, having one
flat side a, but are bevelled or convex on the side c; these rings are arranged
in pairs, as represented in Figures 1, 3 and 4. C is a plan or horizontal section
of the rings, showing a slit d, which is common to all the rings.
Having thus fully described my said improvement, I would observe that I
take any required number of flat metal rings of suitable size and thickness,
properly turned and bored for the piston, piston rod, or other part to be packed
therewith; I assort the rings equally into two setts; one sett I bevel on one
side from the centre down to the outer edge, the other sett I dish from the
outer edge to the centre on one side only. I next arrange each like sett of
rings into pairs, by placing the flat side of the bevelled rings together, and
so likewise the flat side of the dished rings together. Alternate pairs of
these rings are then to be laid in their proper place, with their several slits
reversed in position throughout, covered, and screwed down as usual. I cut
a slit through all the rings in one side, as in Figure 2, observing to make a
wide slit in the bevelled rings by removing some of the metal, but to make
only a saw cut as fine or close as possible in the dished rings. To prevent
the packing from pressing unduly upon the piston rod by expansion or other-
wise, it is necessary to diminish a little the outer diameter of the two concave

page_text: rings placed at the two ends of the packing, to afford the same some spring
or play; moreover, the whole of the packing may be placed between two pairs
of rings, each forming a box, opening towards the outside, containing an india-
rubber or other suitable washer. The novelty of my said Invention consists
in the property of the wedge-like form of one pair of rings fitting into and
expanding the dished pair or pairs of rings next in contact, and so on through-
out a series of them, the bevelled rings contracting proportionably. I wish it
to be understood, however, that I do not limit myself to materials or dimen-
sions, or to any precise angle for the bevelling or dishing of rings to be
applied as herein set forth, and I do declare that what I claim as my Invention
is, namely, the peculiar construction and adaptation of annular steam-tight
packing, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Van den Bergh, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord 1856.
CH. VAN DEN BERGH. (L.S.)