US64043A - smith - Google Patents

Description

Inventar N. PETERS. PHOTD-LITHOGR @geiten grietas atwt @Hire J. Y. SlVIl'lI-I,- OF PII'ISB URG, PENNSYLVANIA. Letters Patent No. 61,043, dated April 23, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINE PISTOITS.

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TO ALL WIIOM I'I MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, J. Y. SMITH, of Pittsburg, in the county o'fAllegheny, and State oi' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Metal lackings for Pistons in Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a clear, full, and exact description thereof, reference being had to 'the accompany ing drawings, making part of this specification, and to the letters Qt' reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like parts wherever they occur.

Figure l lis a side view; and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section.

My invention relates to that style of packing in which metallic rings are used, and where the steam itself acts upon the rings to cause them to packthe piston in the cylinder; and it consists in ya novel construction of the rings, and of their arrangement in connection with the piston-head.

To enable those skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

`I first construct a piston-head, consisting of the central core Aand the radial iianges A., these latter being separated by the circumferential groove or channel a, as represented in the drawings. It will be observed that this channel or groove a is made with its sides inclined, as shown in fig. 2, thereby making the channel wider at its bottoni than at its outer point. I then construct a niet-al ring, c, which is made wider at its base inside than on its outside, and also a ring, e, having its outer surface wider than its inner surface, the .adjoining sides of said 'rings being bevelled or inclined at e. corresponding angle, so that when slipped on the core A their inclined sides shall fit snugly together, as represented in tig, 1. These rings are cut through, as represented bythe dotted line i of iig. 1, so as to permit them to yield to the pressure under them, and thus to expand and increase in diameter, to fill and pack fthe space between the piston-head and the cylinder.V If desired, these joints z' in the packing rings may be covered by a piece, t, as represented in iig. 1, this piece being fitted into a suitable recess formed on the side, and also onithe outer or inner surface of the rings, as may be preferred. Thev rings c and e are made of such a size as to-it loosely upon the core A, and leave a space between their inner surfaces and the core, as shown in iig. They-are held on the core by the end-plates B, and are made of such a thiol-:ness as to `just fill, loosely, the space between the inner walls of the plates B andthe flanges A. A series of holes. n, are 'made through the flanges A', as represented in fig. 2, so as to communicate between the central groove a and the space under the-packing rings c and e, the arrangement of rings and the liange and plate being duplicated on each side of the central groove a, as shown inboth figs. 1 and 2. The parts being thus arranged, are attached to the piston-rod C, and, altogether, constitute the piston-head and packing, and is then inserted into the cylinder in the. usual manner. l

In operation, the steam which may pass by the rings on o'ne end will enter the groove a, and passing through the holes n will press against the inner surface of the rings, thereby distending them and causing them to pack so tightly as to prevent the leakage of any steam 4past the head in the cylinder. .As the ring c presents more surface for the action of the steam than e does, it will be expandedmorc than e, and on account of their inclined sides, will act as a wedge to forcethe rings outward against the walls of the flange A and plate B, thus packing between them so as to `prevent the escape of any steam from underneath the rings. So, also, as the rings are expanded by -heat, the ring c having more metal to be Aacted upon on its inner surface than e, will thereby be `more expanded, and consequently operate in the manner above described.

The groove a may be purposely filled with water, or it may become so lled by the condensation of the steam, and still the operation of the parts will be the same, as it is obvious that any steam pre'ssing on the water 'or other fluid in the groove a will force itV through the holes n into the space under the rings, :and will press them outward just iuproportion to the pressure applied, and thus'by a very simple construction of parts I am enabled to produce a packing for pistons that is cheap, durable, and eflicient. It is obvious that the steam which escapes past the rings into the central groove a will become condensed therein more or less, and that thus after a littletiine the groove will become more or less filled with water, which will serve not only to pack or press the rings, instead of steam, but it will also serve as a lubricant for the piston. By inserting av cock in the side of the cylinder at any proper point, andmoving the piston so asto bring the groove a opposite the inner end of the cock or tube, oil or any thersuitable lubricating material may be inserted into said groove for the purpose of lubricating said piston; and thus I um enabled to accomplish the twofold purpose of packing and lubricating the piston at the same time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is-

1. The central groove a, provided with the apertures n, for admitting the steam or other material to the under side of the rings, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the rings c und e with the anges A and plate B, or their equivalents, when arranged and operating afs and for the purpose set forth. i

` J. Y. SMITH. f

'VVitnessesz THos. R. MORGAN, ROBT. W. ROGERS.

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