AN IMPROVEMENT IN STUPPING BOXES OF LIFT PUMPS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES HORNE,
of Clapham Common, in the County of Surrey, Esquire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Third day of March, in the third year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James
Horne, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said James Horne, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James Horne, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN STUPPING BOXES OF LIFT PUMPS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said James Horne, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery, within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said James Horne, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had

page_text: to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention relates to a mode of forming or packing stuffing boxes of
lift pumps by combining in each stuffing box two cupped leathers, through
which and through a circular disc of metal the piston rod moves, whereby the
stuffing boxes of lift pumps will be rendered more secure from the leakage,
with diminished friction. And in order to give the best information in
my power, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed, first
remarking that the same letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts
wherever they occur.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents an external view of a stuffing box applied to the cover
of a lift pump, there being part of a piston rod shewn as passed through the
same. Figure 2 shews a section of Figure 1, by which the internal arrange-
ment and combination of the parts will more readily be traced and understood.
Figure 3 shews a plan and elevation of one of the cupped leathers. Figure 4
is a plan and edge view of a circular disc of metal, having a hole through it
within which the piston rod works, and when fixed in its place forms a guide
for the piston rod. a, a, represents a cylindrical chamber containing the pack-
ing; and a', a', the cap or cover of the stuffing box, the construction of which
parts are clearly shewn in the Drawing. a² is an internal rim or ledge formed
within the cylinder a, on which the lower leather cup is supported, and on to
which the cap
a¹
presses; 6 is the piston rod; c is the lower cupped leather,
and c¹ the upper cupped leather, the base of each cupped leather being
towards the other, there being between them the metal disc d; and the edges or
flanges of the two cupped leathers and the disc d between them are securely
held between the ridge a² and the lower edge of the cap or cover of the stuffing
box hence it will be seen that the piston rod will work through the two
cupped leathers and through the circular disc, and it will be evident that in
consequence of the peculiar mode of applying two cupped leathers, that when,
in the working of the pump, the pressure of the water or other fluid is forced
upwards against the lower cupped leather c, that leather will prevent the
passage through the stuffing box, and on the descent of the piston the atmo-
spheric pressure will be resisted by the upper cupped leather c', and thus will
stuffing boxes so constructed offer great security against leakage, and yet at
the same time offer but little friction; and from the circumstance of the disc d
fitting the piston rod accurately, and being of somewhat less diameter than the
interior of the cylinder a, the disc will take its correct place before screwing

page_text: down the cap fully, and then the disc will act as a guide to the piston rod,
and at the same time give support to the two cupped leathers.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the mode herein described of constructing or packing stuffing boxes
of lift pumps, by combining in each stuffing box two cupped leathers, as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Horne, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty.