IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTONS FOR STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE POWER ENGINES AND PUMPS IN GENERAL, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO STUFFING BOXES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Henry George Wells, of the firm Wells and
Vasserot, of 45, Essex Street, Strand, London, Patent Agents, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTONS FOR STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE
POWER ENGINES AND PUMPS IN GENERAL, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO STUFFING BOXES."-A communication from Eugène Ram-
baud, of Lyons, France.
Sealed the 6th January 1857, and dated the 8th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Henry George
Wells at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
on the 8th July 1856.
I, JOSEPH HENRY GEORGE WELLS, of the firm Wells and Vasserot, of 45;
Essex Street, Strand, London, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTONS FOR STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE
POWER ENGINES AND PUMPS IN GENERAL, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
APPLICABLE TO STUFFING BOXES," (a communication from Eugène Rambaud, of
Lyons, France,) to be as follows; and consists in making the piston of cast iron
and of one piece, and surrounding it by a ring made of hemp or other elastic
material, similar to that employed for the pipes of steam engines; this packing
is always impregnated with grease or oil, which conserves-its flexibility; also of
allowing the pressure of the steam, gas, or liquid to act upon the said packing
and press it against the cylinder, thereby preventing any communication

page_text: above or below the piston and also of allowing the pressure of the steam, gas,
or liquid to act in a similar manner upon the like packing, placed around the
piston or other rod, to render the same air-tight.
The piston is provided. with four valves (more or less may be used) which
are made very light and introduced in the thickness of the piston, and the
steam acting upon either side of the piston opens the valves and introduces
itself into a cavity made in the circumference of the piston, & acts as a spring
against the interior surface of the packing (which packing is fastened to the
said piston by means of circles of metal), thereby preventing any communication
above or below the piston.
The steam above the piston, when it is ascending, opens other valves, and
acts in a similar manner upon the packing of the piston rod as it does upon
the packing of the cylinder, and as soon as the piston commences to descend
the valves are closed, & a certain quantity of steam is retained in the cavity
around the packing of the piston rod, and which steam is of sufficient pressure
to resist the force of the atmosphere, and keep the piston or other rod air-tight.
For pumps in general, and where a high temperature is not. to be feared, the
packing. before-mentioned may be replaced by leather, caoutchouc, or other
similar material.
EPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Henry George Wells in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HENRY GEORGE WELLS, of the firm Wells and Vasserot, of. 45, Essex Street,
Strand, London, Patent Agents, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Henry George Wells, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Henry George Wells, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Joseph Henry George Wells, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTONS FOR STEAM AND OTHER MOTIVE
POWER ENGINES AND PUMPS IN GENERAL, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENTS AND ALSO
APPLICABLE TO STUPPING BOXES," a communication from Eugène Rambaud, of
Lyons, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I; the said Joseph
Henry George Wells, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to 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.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Henry George Wells, do hereby
declare the nature of tlie said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement.
These improvements consist in making the piston of cast iron and of one
piece, and surrounding it by a ring made of hemp or other elastic material';
also of allowing the pressure of the steam, gas, or liquid to act upon the said
ring and press it against the cylinder, thereby preventing any communication
above or below the piston, and also of allowing the pressure of the steam, gas,
or liquid to act in a similar manner upon the like packing or ring, placed
around the piston or other rod, to render the same air-tight.
The accompanying Drawing fully illustrates the Invention as applied to a
steam engine, in which Fig. 1 is a section of a piston, stuffing box, and part
of a cylinder; and Fig. 2 is a plan of part of the piston.
A, is the cylinder; A¹ the piston, provided with four valves B, more or less
may be used; C; the piston rod; D, the packing or ring of hemp or other
elastic material, impregnated with oil to conserve its flexibility; E; circles of
iron which screw the packing to the plane surfaces of the piston; F, the
stuffing box; H, the packing; I, valves placed in the cylinder cover; J, circles
of iron which fasten the packing to the cylinder cover and stuffing box; K, a
metal ring or washer, fitted. to the piston or other rod, serving as a guide, and
above the ring or washer is an oil cup L, screwed to the stuffing box, and
which presses on the ring K, and keeps it in a vertical position. The piston
is shewn as ascending, or making its upward stroke. The valves B are made
very light, and introduced, as shewn, in the thickness of the piston, and the
steam, acting upon either side of the piston, opens the valves and introduces
itself into a cavity a, made in the circumference of the piston and acts as a
spring against the interior surface of the packing D, which thereby prevents
any communication above or below the piston.
The steam above the piston when it is ascending opens the valves I, and

page_text: acts in a similar manner upon the packing H of the piston rod C as it does
upon the packing D, and as soon as the piston commences to descend the
valves are closed and steam retained in the cavity b, which is of sufficient
pressure to resist the force of the atmosphere, and keep the piston or other rod
air-tight. For pumps in general, and where a high temperature is not to be
feared, the packing before-mentioned may be replaced by leather, caoutchouc,
or other similar material. It will therefore be seen that the steam introduced
into the cylinder acts as a spring, of a power according to the pressure of the
steam or otherwise, and produces an air-tight packing; whereas in metallic
packing the power of the springs is always the same, which is sometimes too
great (especially when the steam is at a very low pressure, and not sufficient
allowed for expansion) to move the piston.
This system presents consequently the following advantages:-1stly, the ad-
herence of the piston in reason of the effort of the steam to pass to the opposite
side of the piston. 2ndly, this piston being less thick than the ordinary ones,
diminishes the length of the cylinder. 3rdly, the construction being simpler.
4thly, the friction being considerably less by the employment of hemp or
other elastic material, will allow of the steam or otherwise having more
effective power. And, 5thly, the extreme facility with which the packing may
be changed.
Having thus described the particulars and nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is. to be performed, it must be distinctly under-
stood that I do not confine myself to any particular form of valves, nor do I
claim the employment of steam, gas, or liquid as a spring acting upon the
packing of pistons; but what I claim is, the piston for steam and other motive
power engines and pumps in general, as well as the employment of steam, gas,
or liquid, acting upon the packing of stuffing boxes, for the purposes and in the
manner shewn and herein fully described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Henry George Wells, have here
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, One thousand
J. H. G. WELLS. (L.S.).