IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PACKING OF PISTON AND OTHER RODS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PACKING OF PISTON AND
OTHER RODS." -A communication from abroad by Auguste Constant,
in the Tingdom of Italy
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th October 1875.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PACKING
OF PISTON AND OTHER RODS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the application to piston and other rods of a
novel arrangement of metallic packing whereby such rods may be main-
tained in a central position in their stuffing boxes, and the necessity for
the removal and replacement of the packing as it becomes worn is
avoided,

page_text: The portion of the box which is to receive the metal packing is made
conical, or if the box to receive the packing is cylindrical it is fitted
with a conical lining. In either case the smaller end of the cone is
made of a diameter just sufficient to allow of the free play through it of
the piston or other rod. This cone, which is of an uniform taper,
is filled with rings of soft metal, which form a counterpart to the
conc. Upon the upper or outermost ring the gland of the stuffing box
is made to bear, and as it is tightened up from time to time the rings
will be pressed down or thrust forward into the contracted cone space.
The rings may be made each of one, two, or more pieces, and if
required the pieces may be connected together by tenons.
The rings
may be grooved transversely to fit a guide or guides on the cone or
conical lining, and when jointed they should be arranged in the box so
as to break joint. This packing will be lubricated in the ordinary
manner, and as it wears it will yield an impalpable metallic powder,
which will escape with the steam from the cylinder.
For renewing the packing it will only be necessary to withdraw the
gland from the stuffing box and insert a fresh conical ring, which will
in time be gradually pressed towards the contracted end of the coned
packing space. Each packing ring as it is applied to the box will serve
to centre the piston or other rod, and thereby ensure the proper working
of the moving parts. This is especially important where horizontal rods
are employed and lateral pressure has been resisted.
The above-described improvements it will be understood are equally
applicable to rods of uniform and varying diameters.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the 30
*County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton,
Her special licence that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, 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 Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PACKING OF PISTON
AND OTHER RODS," being a communication to me from abroad by Auguste
Constant, of Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Henry Edward Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the application to piston and other rods of a
novel arrangement of metallic packing whereby such rods may be
maintained in a central position in their stuffing boxes, and the necessity
for the withdrawal and replacement of the packing as it becomes worn
is avoided.
The portion of the box which is to receive the metal packing is made
conical, or if the packing box is cylindrical it is fitted with a conical
lining. In either case the smaller end of the cone is made of a diameter
just sufficient to allow of the free play through it of the piston or other
rod. This cone, which is of an uniform taper, is filled with open rings or
segments of soft metal, which form a counterpart to the cone, and have

page_text: This latter plan of preventing the axial motion of the layers of
packing is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and at Figures 4 and 5 the
11
pian VI
preventing
MOTION OF IS
UL
packing is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and at Figures 4 and 5 the
Linterlocking of the layers with each other is illustrated.
This interlocking is effected by casting recesses in the upper face of
the rings or segment pieces and projections on their under side to take
into such recesses.
The packing rings or segment pieces are made of any approved alloy
of soft metals, such, for example, as that known by the name of Babbit's
metal. This packing will be lubricated in the ordinary manner, and as it
wears it will yield an impalpable metallic powder, which will escape
with the steam from the cylinder.
For renewing the packing it will only be necessary to withdraw the
gland from the stuffing box and insert a fresh conical ring, which will in
time be gradually pressed towards the contracted end of the coned
packing space.
Fig. 6 shows a slight modification of Fig. 1, the object being to
provide for an enlarged diameter of the piston rod at or near its
extremity. In this case the conical seat for the packing terminates in
a tubular lining A¹ divided into two in the plane of its axis. This
lining is made somewhat larger in its external diameter than the enlarge-
ment of the piston rod, and when therefore it is removed from the box A
the piston rod will be free to pass through the cylinder head. For the
like purpose the gland C is lined with a tubular piece C*, which is
divided longitudinally in the plane of its axis. This lining terminates
in a conical end, which, like that of the gland C, Fig. 1, presses upon
the upper layer of the packing, and holds the same tight against the
piston.
Fig. 7 shows the mode of adapting the Invention to a cylindrical
stuffing box. In this example the stuffing box A is fitted with a conical
seat A* for the reception of the packing B. The gland C is in this case
also fitted with a lining C* to provide for the passage through it of the
enlarged diameter of the piston rod.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that each packing
ring as it is applied to the box will serve to centre the piston or other
rod, and thereby ensure the proper working of the moving parts. This

page_text: is especially important where horizontal rods are employed and lateral
pressure has to be resisted.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in the Packing of Piston and other Rods," as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I do not claim providing stuffing boxes or packing
boxes with conical seats for the reception of conical packing rings
irrespectively of the peculiarities above set forth, but what I claim is
the means above described whereby a steam-tight metallic packing is
made capable of renewal from time to time by the insertion of a fresh
layer, and is maintained in close contact with its rod by the pressure of
the gland in the direction of the axis of the piston rod, such packing
contracting in diameter by wear and leaving the box in the form of an
impalpable powder.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.