-rods of Steam Engines.
Year: 1885

page_text: Valve-rods of Steam Engines.
I, ARTHUR FARQUHAR of Lower Buxburn in the County of Aberdeen,
Manufacturer of Metallic Packing, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PACKING FOR THE PISTON-RODS AND
VALVE-RODS OF STEAM ENGINES," to be as follows:-
This invention consists of improvements in the construction and mode of fitting
metallic packing for the piston rods and valve rods of steam engines and the like.
The improved packing is composed of a series of segments of any suitable metal
which are fitted in superposed layers encased within a hoop or ring or directly in
the stuffing boxes, the disposition of the several segments of each layer being at
right angles to those in the adjacent layer. There are by preference four segments
in each layer, two segments being stationary and being nearly semi-circular or
being bounded at their peripheries by the enclosing ring or stuffing box, and at
their inner faces bearing only on a small part of the circumference of the piston
rod or other rod; while the two remaining segments are movable, each bears on
the greater part of the semi-perimeter of the piston rod, their outer peripheries
extend to the enclosing hoop or ring, and they slide radially between the parallel
inner faces of the first two segments. Between the outer peripheries of the movable
segments and the casing springs are fitted to press in these segments to bear
tightly on the piston rod which they almost embrace between them. The adjacent
layer of metallic segments are so placed that the movable segments slide at right
angles to those below or above, and as the movable segments in each layer bear on
each other, the piston rod is entirely embraced between them while the segments
present a yielding surface which as it becomes worn is pressed forward by the
springs. The packing may consists of two or more layers, and the outermost layer
may bear against a metallic piece forming with the end of the stuffing box a
and socket joint, in order that the packing may adjust itself to the piston rod if it
should not be quite in line. A dished washer fitted round the piston rod at the
inner end of the stuffing box serves as a spring to press the layers of segments
closely together and on to the ball joint,
ball

page_text: Improvements in Metallic Packing for the Piston Rods and
Valve Rods of Steam Engines.
I, ARTHUR FARQUHAR of Lower Buxburn in the County of Aberdeen, Manu-
facturer of Metallic Packing, 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 consists of improvements in the construction and mode of fitting
metallic packing for the piston rods and valve rods of steam engines and the like.
The iniproved packing is composed of a series of segments, of any suitable metal,
such as gun metal, which are fitted in superposed layers encased within a hoop or
ring or directly in the stuffing boxes, the disposition of the several segments of each
layer being at right angles to those in the adjacent layer.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention figure 1 is a section
through the stuffing box of a steam cylinder, showing a modification of the
improved packing, figure 2 is a similar view showing another modification and
figures 3 and 4 are views of the segments of the packing as enclosed within the
ring which holds them together. Figure 5 is a view of the packing segments as
adapted for stuffing boxes of large size, Figures and 7 show in elevation and
plan a modification adapted for use in cases in which the packing cannot con-
veniently be fitted over the end of the piston rod but must be fitted together in
parts, as for example for "tandem" engines, and figures 8 and 9 are views of the
hoop or ring which encloses the segments of packing. Each layer of the packing
is formed by preference of four segments two of the segments AA being stationary
and being nearly semicircular and bounded at their peripheries by the enclosing
ring B or by the stuffing box and at their inner faces bearing only on a small part
of the circumference of the piston rod C or other rod, while the two remaining
segments A¹ A¹ are movable and each bear on the greater part of the semiperimeter
of the piston rod their outer peripheries extending scarcely to the enclosing ring or
stuffing box while they are fitted to slide radially between the parallel inner faces a
of the two segments A A - Between the outer peripheries of the movable
segments A¹ A¹ and the ring. B or the enclosing casing small helical springs b are
fitted to press these segments inwards so that they bear tightly on the piston rod
the greater part of whose periphery they embrace between them. The segments
of the adjacent series or layer are so placed that the movable segments slide at
right angles to the direction in which those of the series above or below are fitted
'to slide and as the segments in each layer bear tightly against each other the piston
rod is packed steam tight thereby while the movable segments present a yielding
surface which as it wears is still kept tightly bearing against the piston rod by the
pressure of the springs.b-The packing may consist of two or more layers and the
outermost layer as shown in figure 1 may bear against a metallic ring D formed
with a convex surface fitting the concave surface of a ring E at the outer end of
the stuffing box so that the packing may adjust itself to the piston rod if it should
not be quite in line. A dished washer F fitted round the piston rod at the inner

page_text: end of the stuffing box serves as a spring to tightly press together the layers of
segmental packing. The parts of the packing may either be fitted in the annular
space provided for the reception of the ordinary hempen packing or as shown in
the drawings they may be fitted outside the usual stuffing box in a casing G
secured thereto.
In the example shown in figure 2 a double set of packing segments is provided,
this arrangement being specially applicable to low pressure cylinders of steam
engines the one set of packing segments being intended to render the cylinder
steam tight and the other being designed to keep out air-When fitted to piston
rods of tandem engines and generally in cases where it is inconvenient to fit an
entire ring around the piston rod the ring B which encloses the packing segments
is made in two parts which are jointed together as shown in figures 8 and 9. This
ring is secured within a casing G which also is made in halves and bolted together
and thereafter secured to the flange of the ordinary stuffing box..
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 of parts constituting the improved metallic packing for
stuffing boxes, substantially as herein described with reference. to the drawings
annexed.
2. In metallic packing for stuffing boxes the combination of two or more layers
of segments arranged to tightly embrace between them the piston rod or other
moving rod, substantially as described with reference to the drawings annexed.
Dated this 20th day of January 1886