IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL PACKING FOR FLANGE AND OTHER JOINTS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL PACKING FOR FLANGE
AND OTHER JOINTS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to that class of metallic packing consisting of a piece of
suitable soft metal which is designed to be placed between two flanges or other
substantially coincident surfaces and then compressed in order to provide a
practically tight joint between the said surfaces.
Ordinarily in the use of such packing it is customary to turn or press down the
surfaces to be packed to as nearly as possible coincident planes, inasmuch as it is
difficult to otherwise ensure suitable contact of the surface of the packing with all
parts of the surfaces to be packed.
The object.of this invention is to provide a soft metallic packing which will not
only be capable of use in connection with the accurately finished surfaces aforesaid,
but which may be used in connection with surfaces not thus finished or formed to
substantially coincident planes, and ensure, in connection with such comparatively
irregular surfaces, a substantially perfect joint for all practical purposes; thereby,
in very many cases, obviating the necessity of turning down or finishing the
surfaces, and also obviating the exponse of such turning or finishing of tho
surfaces.
The said invention comprises a packing ring the surfaces of which are formed
with intersecting ribs or ridges integral with the packing, cavities being formed
between them, so that when the packing is pressed in position between the two
surfaces to be packed, the compression of the said packing acting upon the ribs or
ridges will, so to speak, flatten the same, the material of the ribs or ridges being
forced laterally into the cavities, so that by this means the said ribs or ridges have
their outer surfaces tightly compressed against the contiguous surfaces to be
packed

page_text: The desired compression of the packing ring is effected with a very small degree
of the force required with a flat packing ring.
The improved packing ring is capable of successful use in other conditions where
it is practically impossible to compress an ordinary flat packing ring or a simple
corrugated packing ring to an extent sufficient to securo a tight joint.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a face view of a packing ring made according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating the arrangement of two surfaces to be
packed, with a packing ring between them..
The packing ring, A; may be formed of any suitable soft metal, or of any
suitable soft alloy, but in practice a composition composed of copper, antimony,
spelter and tin in the following proportions, namely:-tin one hundred pounds,
antimony nine and one half pounds, copper three and one half pounds, spelter four
and one half pounds, is found to be very effective for the purpose. I do not,
however, confine myself to any particular material for the purpose.
The said packing as to its general contour may be termed flat, but its surfaces
are not flat, each being formed with two series of ribs or ridges a, b, the ribs of the
one series intersecting those of the other as represented in Figure 1, or in any
substantially equivalent manner; the preferred configuration in cross-section of the
said ribs or ridges is more clearly shewn in Figures 2 and 3. Inasmuch as the
series of ribs or ridges a intersects the series of ribs or ridges b, it follows that
there are formed between them depressions or cavities c. When the improved
packing is applied to use, as for example in packing a steam-joint between a
cylinder, A, and its head B; as represented in Figure 3, the said ring is placed
between the surfaces and g, between which the joint is to be formed, whereupon,
by means of bolts C and nuts c', c¹ or other suitable devices, the head B is
tightened upon the cylinder A', thereby compressing the ring between them: as
the cavities c afford room for the ribs or ridges a, b to expand laterally when
compressed from opposite sides of the packing ring, it follows that the outer sides,
or the edges of the said ribs or ridges fit readily and snugly against the surfaces
compressed thereon; and as the said ribs or ridges a, b constitute walls around
cach cavity c, it follows that fluid escaping into one of the said cavities is
prevented from passing into another, and by this means the passage, whether of
steam or other fluid from the inner edge a¹ to the outer edge b' of the packing, is
effectually prevented. Owing to the readiness with which the bearing surfaces of
the packing are brought snugly in contact with the surfaces compressed thereon,
the ring may be compressed to a degree sufficient to ensure a tight-joint under
many circumstances in which a packing ring having flat surfaces and thereby
presenting greater resistance could not be so compressed, so that by means of the
present invention I am enabled to have fluid tight joints between surfaces which
have not been turned or finished to substantially fit or correspond with each other.
Furthermore as the cavities care of sinall area and each of the said cavities is
surrounded by ribs or ridges a and b, it follows that no opportunity is afforded to
the steam or other fluid to creep around from one part of the packing ring to
another, as frequently occurs with packing rings formed simply with corrugations
concentric with the centre or axis of the packing.
It is to be understood that the circumferential contour of the packing may
correspond to that of the surfaces between which the joint is to be made and that
the said packing may not only be employed for packing the joints of cylinder
heads or the like, but for other joints and under other conditions where it is desired
to provide a steam or fluid tight-joint between two contiguous surfaces.
This metallic packing may be manufactured by any suitable means, as for
example, by subjecting flat or suitably thick sheet soft metal to the action of dies
'suitably formed and operated; or, when preferred, it may be cast by means of
moulds of any suitable construction.

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 :-
A soft metal packing having formed integral therewith, ribs or ridges, a, b,
intersecting each other, and having depressions or cavities O between, substantially
as, and for the purpose, herein set forth.
Dated this 7th day of October 1884
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.