Improvements in Packing for Piston Rods and other Rods Working in and out of Enclosed Spaces.
Year: 1885

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by John Partington of the City of Winning in
the County of Selkirk, Province of Manitoba, Canada, Engine Driver.]
the County of Selkirk, Province of Manitoba, Canada, Engine Driver.]
Improvements in Packing for Piston Rods and other Rods
Working in and out of Enclosed Spaces.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, 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 construction of a metallic packing to be
used in the place of other packing heretofore in use to keep the orifice tight
through which piston rods, valve rods, pump rods, and other rods working in and
out of spaces filled with steam, water, gases and other vapours or fluids.
For the sake of clearness and to avoid needless repetitions I shall confine my
description of the construction and application of this invention to the steam
cylinder, and piston-rod of a steam engine, from which a person skilled in
machinery may at once understand how the invention may be applied to other
rods as above mentioned.
In the drawings hereunto annexed similar letters of reference indicate like
parts, and
Fig. 1 is a central vertical section on line x, Fig. 3, of a construction embodying
this invention.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of the construction shewn in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the parts shewn in Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a detached view of the piston rod, packing rings and springs.
Fig. 5 is a detached view of the piston rod, and a modification of the con-
struction of the packing ring with a spring.
Fig. 6 is a section of the piston-rod and plan of the spring plate.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the spring plate.
Fig. 8 is a plan of a bush and springs.
Fig. 9 is a part side elevation and part section of the bush shewn in Fig. 8.

page_text: A represents an ordinary piston-rod, B is a part of a cylinder end, C the neck
through which the piston-rod works in and out of the cylinder in the ordinary
way.
Instead of providing the neck C with the ordinary recess to receive hemp or
other packing, according to the present invention I provide the neck C with a
recess D, to receive a bush E closely fitting and filling the recess as shewn in
Fig. 1.
The bush E is provided with a flange F, the object of which will be hereinafter
described; the whole of the surfaces of the bush are turned true; the bush is also
provided with three or any greater number of recesses H, each of which ia
provided with a spiral spring I.
K, is a follower or spring-plate to receive the pressure of the springs I to keep
the rings S pressed tightly together and pressed down upon. the hereinafter
mentioned surface R. The plate K, is provided with projections L, agreeing with
the recesses H, and entering into them as shewn at the lower part of Fig. 8, see
also Fig. 10, by which it will be easy to understand that the spaces left in the
recesses H, will be suitable for the springs I, to work quite freely in.
It will be remarked that in Fig. 1, the projection L, that should be shown in
that figure is omitted, this is done to shew the spring I clearly, which spring is
necessary, whereas if the parts are well and properly fitted, and so kept, the
projections L are not absolutely necessary although I prefer to use them..
M, is a gland attached to the cylinder neck C, by bolts and nuts N, in an
ordinary manner: this is provided with a recess O, and projection P, arranged to
engage with the projection I, as shewn in Fig. 1, so that by turning the surfaces
of the projection P, true and parallel with the surface R, and turning the recess
true, and opening in the gland M, above the surface R, and by carefully fitting by
scraping," "grinding" &c. &c. the surfaces of the projection P, which come in
contact with a part of the surfaces of the bush E, and by tightening the two said
parts together with the bolts and nuts N, the projection P not only forms a steam
tight joint with the bush but it also causes the inner surfaces of the gland M, to
be held parallel and concentric with the inner surfaces of the bush E.
"
In the recess O is situated the plate K and two (or more if desired) metal
packing rings S, each of which is made in two parts, tongued as shewn at T
(Fig. 4), these are fitted exactly to the rod A; the tongues of the one ring are set
to be covered by the solid part of the other ring; they are also provided with a
small amount of clearance as shewn, so that by external springs V, the inner
periphery of each ring is kept pressed upon the rod A, with all the force of the
springs.
In Fig. 5, another modification of jointing or tongueing the parts of the rings S
is shewn. I here wish to state that I do not confine my invention to any
particular manner of tongueing or jointing the two halves of the ring S, together
as many forms for such purposes are well known and would at once suggest
themselves to an engineer of ordinary skill.
With regard to the material out of which the rings S may be formed, although
I do not confine myself to any particular metal yet I have found soft metal and
brass the same as used in engine bearings to answer very well. The ring K
I preferably, but not necessarily form of brass.
It will be observed (see Fig. 1) that all the parts through which the rod A
passes with the exception of the rings S, are bored out to such a size that they
will be well clear from touching the rod A.
The upper surface of the plate K, flat surfaces of the rings S, and surface R, are
all fitted up true, parallel and steam tight as by scraping, grinding &c.
The springs V, have their ends engaged in recesses formed in the rings to
prevent them from losing their proper relative position with the rings.
Here again I wish to remark that I do not confine myself to the particular form
or construction of the springs V, shewn, as many other well known forms of
external springs may be used for the same purpose.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination in a packing for rods, of a gland and neck jointed together
provided with a bush having springs as described follower or plate (acted on by
the springs of said bush); packing rings having external springs and a surface for
the said rings to be pressed upon by the said follower the whole substantially as
described.
12. The combination of the neck C, bush E, having recess H and springs I, plate
or follower K, rings S, springs V, gland M, having recess O, and surface R, the
whole constructed and arranged substantially as described.