IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING SUITABLE TO BE EMPLOYED IN PACKING STEAM ENGINE GLANDS, AND IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SUCH PACKING
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ramsden Shaw, of Pendleton, in the County
of Lancaster, and John Baxter, of Manchester, in the same County, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING SUITABLE TO BE EMPLOYED IN
PACKING STEAM ENGINE GLANDS, AND IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING
SUCH PACKING."
Sealed the 30th September 1876, and dated the 8th April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ramsden Shaw and
John Baxter at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th April
1876. .
THOMAS RAMSDEN SHAW, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster, and JOHN
BAXTER, of Manchester, in the same County. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING suit-
ABLE TO BE EMPLOYED IN PACKING STEAM ENGINE GLANDS, AND IN THE METHOD OF
MANUFACTURING SUCH PACKING."
Our Invention relates to the packing principally employed in the packing of the
glands of steam engines.
Our improved packing is manufactured wholly or principally from fibrous mate-
rial or materials, such, for example, as hemp, arranged in such form as that when
in use, say for example, when employed as a packing for the piston rod gland of a
steam engine, the bulk of the fibres shall be disposed in directions radiating or
nearly radiating from the piston rod.
This may be effected in various ways, as for example, the fibrous yarn may be
woven into tapes or tubes which are superimposed to furnish a suitable thickness,
the layers being stitched or secured together or the required thickness may be
obtained in the weaving process by employing a suitable number of warps or warp
ends, and by combining the weft with the warps or portions of warp in succession.
The thick riband formed by either process is divided by a longitudinal vertical
cut so is to form two packings.
According to a third method a fabric may be woven from a number of warps
arranged in line with intervals between the weft being picked across all the warps.
The picks crossing the said intervals would be severed so as to divide the fabric
into a number of ribands, each of which would be folded down the centre, the
folded ribands being superimposed and connected together as aforesaid.
[Price 4d.1

page_text: We prefer that the warp threads shall be disposed principally in the part which
is to form the back of the packing, and that the number of warp threads will be
such as may be considered necessary to impart sufficient firmness and cohesion to
the packing. The packing so made has a brush like appearance, When brought
into use the packing is inserted in the gland in such a manner as that the cut ends
of the yarn which supposing the packing to be made as lierein-before indicated
would be the weft would be in contact with the piston rod.
Although we have indicated several methods of manufacturing the packing we
do not confine ourselves to such methods. The packing may be employed without
any further preparation or it may be prepared in any desired manner, as for
example, it may be treated or saturated with graphite, steatite, paraffine, wax, tallow,
or other similar or suitable matter or composition.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Ramsden Shaw and John Baxter in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th October 1876.
THOMAS RAMSDEN SHAW, of Pendleton, in the County of Lancaster, and JOHN
BAXTER, of Manchester, in the same County. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING SUIT-
ABLE TO BE EMPLOYED IN PACKING STEAM ENGINE GLANDS, AND IN THE METHOD OF
MANUFACTURING SUCH PACKING."
Our Invention relates to the packing principally employed in the packing of the
glands or stuffing boxes of steam engines.
Our improved packing is manufactured wholly or principally from fibrous material
or materials such, for example, as hemp, arranged in such a form as that when in
use, say, for example, when employed as a packing for the piston rod gland of a
steam engine, the bulk of the fibres shall be disposed in directions radiating from or
nearly radiating from the piston rod.
This may be effected in various ways. According to one method we weave the
yarn either into tapes of a width equal to about double the width of the required
packing, or we form tubes or double fabrics in a similar manner as when weaving
hose piping, the width of the tubes being as above indicated. In arranging the warp
we dispose the bulk of the warp threads to be woven into the parts nearest to the
selvedges, the central part being nearly or entirely free from warp.
We prefer to employ only so many warp threads as will impart sufficient firmness
and cohesion to the fabric, and to leave a considerable portion of the central part of
the fabric free from warp. Tapes or tubes so produced are superimposed to furnish
a suitable thickness, as, for example, when making "inch" packing the fabrics are
placed one upon another, until an aggregate thickness of about one inch is attained.
The layers are then secured together so as to form a cohering fabric. This may be
effected by means of two lines of stitching near the selvedges or sides or by overcast
stitching, or by india-rubber or other suitable cement, or by other suitable means.
The fabric so formed is then divided longitudinally down the centre by a vertical
cut, severing the weft at the part which is free from warp. A length of fabric is
thus converted into two lengths of packing. The packing so produced has a brush
like character, the weft taking the place of the bristles or fibres of a brush. The
packing may also be formed by taking a length of tape or fabric woven in the
manner herein-before indicated and doubling or folding across several times so as to
reduce the length and increase the thickness, the folds being secured together as
aforesaid.
According to another method the required thickness is obtained in the weaving
process by employing a suitable number of warps or warp threads, and by com-
bining the weft with the warps or portions of warp in succession, the fabric so
produced being severed into two lengths of packing, as in the previous examples.
The packing may also be produced by arranging a number of warps side by side,

page_text: with intervals between the adjacent warps, the weft being picked across all the
warps, so as to form a single fabric. The fabric so formed would then be divided
by severing the weft threads at about the centre of the aforesaid intervals, so as to
produce a number of ribands with fringed edges. The said ribands would then be
folded longitudinally down the centre, and be superimposed or folded across, and
stitched or combined together as in the previous examples, with the difference
that the layers would only be united at one side, that is, the side containing the
warp.
In a modification of this method of weaving the ribands the intervals would
extend across the fabric, and be caused by drawing forwards a short length of the
fabric after a few picks had been woven, so as to leave a number of spaces free
from picks, with a few picks between any two adjacent spaces. The fabric so
produced would he severed into ribands by cutting the warp threads in the said
spaces.
The packing manufactured by any of the herein-before indicated processes is
to be inserted in the gland or stuffing box in such a manner as that the cut ends of
the
yarn, which in nearly all the cases would be the weft of the fabric, would be
in contact with the piston rod or part to be packed.
The packing may be employed without any further preparation, or it may be
prepared in any desired manner, as, for example, it may be treated or saturated
with graphite, steatite, stearine, paraffin, wax, tallow, or with combinations of some
or all of these matters, or with other similar or suitable matters or compositions.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of our said Invention, and
methods whereby the same may be carried into effect, we would have it to be
understood that we claim-
First. The gland or stuffing box packing produced by any of the methods
herein-before indicated.
And, Secondly. The packing substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
set forth and indicated.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Ramsden Shaw and John Baxter,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Signed and sealed by the said Thomas
Ramsden Shaw and John Baxter, in the
THOS. R. SHAW. (L.S.
Kamsden Shaw and John Baxter, in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentees,
3, Princess Street,
Manchester.
THOS. R. SHAW.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)
JOHN BAXTER,