US373936A - Laine - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. MAGLAINE.

I PISTON FOR STEAM ENGINES. No. 373,936.

, Patented Nov. 29 1887.

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PISTON FOR STEAM ENGINES. No. 373,933. Patented Nov. 29, 1337.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MAOLAINE, OF NO. 1 QUEENS ELMS, BELFAST, COUNTY OF ANTRIM, IRELAND.

PlS'l'ON FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,936, dated November 29, 1887.

Application filed April 2, 18 7. Serial No. 233,430. (No model.) Patented in England August 30, 1886. No. 11,015; in Belgium January 31, 1887, No. 75,922, and in France May 20. 1867, No. 180,765.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MAO- LAINE, of N o. 1 Queens Elms, Belfast, in. the county of Antrim,Ireland,ship-owner, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pistons for Steam-Engines, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain and Ireland, No. 11,015, and dated the 30th day of August, 1886; in Belgium, No. 75,922, granted the 31st day of January, 1887, and in France, No. 180,765, and granted the th day of May, 1887;) and I do hereby declare the nature of my 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 relates to metal packing rings for pistons of steam and other engines; and it consists, generically, in a metallic packing-ring adapted to fit a groove in the pistonhead or junk-ring thereof, and provided with one or more springs which tend to expand the packing-ring circumferentially, causing it to bear with equal force against the interior of the cylinder, and thus render it steam-tight.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central sectional elevation of a piston-head having a junk-ring that is provided with grooves adapted to receive packing-rings embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line a" x of Fig. 1, showing a portion of the piston-head. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are enlarged cross-sectionsv taken, respectively, on the lines as, y, and vof Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the packing-ring adjacent to its meeting ends, looking from the inside of the ring and showing one manner in which its circumferential expansion may be accomplished. Fig. 7 is a partial elevation and a central section of a pistonhead provided with the present improvements,the grooves being provided in the head instead of in ajunk-ring. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line as of Fig. 7, showing a portion of the piston-head. Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 00 of Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the packing-ring adjacent to its meeting ends.

The present improvements comprehend the employment in a piston-head (or it may be in itsjunk-ring, when the latter is used, that is provided with two or more circumferential grooves formed in and around the outside of the piston-head or junk-ring) of a metallic packing-ring that is expanded circumferentially outward against the inner surface ofthe cylinder by means of a spring fitted at the ends of the packing-ring, where cut through, and arranged so as to press the ends apart and expand the packing-ring circumferentially outward. This may also be effected by the use of a series of springs, which may be employed supplementary to said spring or wholly alone.

The improvements also comprehend the employment, in combination with the circumferentiallyexpanded packing-ring, of a separate tongue-piece adapted to fit over the meeting ends of the divided packing-ring, so as to render it steam-tight.

The drawings illustrate two ways in which my invention may be practically used, it being obvious that other forms may be employed to effect the same result. 7

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, it is to be understood that a is the piston-body,and b the junk-ring thereof, of any ordinary construction. Thejunk-ring is provided with two or more grooves adapted to receive the metallic packing-ring d. The

. that it may be expanded andthus drawn over the piston-head or junk-ring in getting it in its place in the groove. In order to render this packingring elastic, so that it will be caused to expand sufficiently to bear with sufficient pressure against the interior surface of the cylinder to render the piston steam-tight, I employ an expanding-spring, e. As herein shown, this spring 6 surrounds a rod,f, the ends of which rod are secured in the packingring in the opposite ends of a recess formed equally in each of its meeting ends by securing-pins 9. Steel washers j may surround said rod f between the ends of the recess and the spring for hearing the force of the spring and preventing it from wearing upon the sides of the recess. The rod f, itis obvious, may be secured in the opposite sides of the recess by any convenient means. As herein shown, however, the packing-ring adjacent to the recess is slotted at h to receive the ends of said red, one of which ends may be eyed, the securing-pin g passing through it. Its other end, however, is square, as shown in Fig. 4, and the securing-pin g secures it in place, so that it will have'longitudinal play in said slot, and thus permit the meeting ends of the packing-ring to separate. From this it will be seen that the packingring being divided at the point a, and the spring e bearing upon the opposite faces of the recess between said meeting ends, the tendency will be to force said ends apart and expand the packing-ring circumferentially outward against the inner surface of the cylinder, and thus render the piston steamtight.

in order to prevent the leakage of steam past the meeting ends of the packing-ring d as it is expanded outwardly, I provide a separate tongue-piece, 7c, of brass or other metal, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) that is let into a cut-away portion of the packing-ring directly over its divided portion a, and secured to one end of the packingring by small pins at, so as to permit its ends to separate, and thus closing the openingtherethrough. Thistongue-piece may be provided upon its lower side with a pro jecting rib, p, entering a similar shaped grooved in the packing ring d, to better confine the tongue-piece 7c in place. This obviates the danger of any sharp corners or pro jections occurring at said joint in the packingring to abrade or wear the interior surface of the cylinder.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the packing-ring d, instead of being received in grooves formed in the junk-ring, the grooves are made directly in the piston-body. The expansion of the packing-ring d may be effected in the same manner as that before described by the spring e by the employment ofa series of coiled springs, 0, which may be employed supplementary to said spring e, to assist it in expanding the packing-ring outwardly or alone. As shown in Fig.8, the coiled spring 0 is dispensed with, and the paekingring d expanded wholly by the series of springs 0 that are received in recesses formed at intervals in the piston-body in rear of the packing-ring, as is clearly shown. The tongue-piecek in this instance is similarly secured in a cut-away portion of the packing-ring, situated directly over the di vided portion at. Its rib 1), instead of being a square one, as shown in Fig. 3, is an angular one, as best seen in Fig. 9, serving, however, the same purpose as that before described.

The mainspring 6, while shown as a coiled spring, may be of any form that will effect the expansion of the packing-ring; and while the arrangement of the spring 6 as shown is the preferred one, any other mode of confining the spring to its seat so as to expand the ends of the packing-ring may be employed. Thus, instead of a single rod. f, the same object will be effected by the use of a stud at each end of the recess so as to project into the coil of the spring, as is obvious. The springs 0, also, instead of being coiled, as shown, may be any other form of spring that will effect the expansion of the packingring. So, also, the thickness of the steel washers J, interposed between the ends of the spring 0 and the recess, may be of more or less thickness, so that the expanding force of the spring may be varied, and thus the desired amount of pressure of the packingring against the surface of the cylinder be had.

I claim 1. The combination, with a piston-head, of a divided packing-ring received in a groove in said head, a spring inserted between the ends of the ring, adapted to expand it circumferentially, and a rod, f, surrounded by the spring, secured to one end of the ring by an eye, and being connected with the other end loosely, whereby it has alongitudinal play as the ends of the ring approach or recede from each other, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a piston-head, of a divided packing-ring received in a groove in said head, a spring or springs adapted to expand the ring circumferentially, and a tongue-piece overlying the divided ends of the ring, it being secured to one end of the ring and lying loosely against the other end of the ring, whereby the piece is held in place, and also permits expansion and contraction of the ring, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a piston-head, of a divided packing-ring secured in a groove in said head, a spring or springs adapted to expand the ring circumferentially, and atonguepiece overlying the divided ends of the ring and provided on its lower side with a projecting rib, p, entering a similar groove in the packing-ring to better confine it in place, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER MAOLAINE.

\Vitnesses:

HUGH HYNDMAN,

Belfast, Solicitor. JOHN D. CooKE.

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