Samuel Blatchford

“ To obviate this disadvantage is the object of my invention, which consists in forming the packing with a backing of pure vulcanized rubber, or rubber of sufficient elasticity for the purpose desired, which may be covered and protected by a strip of canvas or other suitable fabric. In the drawing, a represents the ordinary packing-band which is backed by the rubber strip, b, the whole being vulcanized together, so as to be solidly united; and the rubber may be covered, if desired, by the canvas strip, c, to protect it from injury. ”

“ It will be observed that when cut diagonally, as above described, the ends, only, of all the threads, are exposed to wear, by which it is caused to wear slowly and uniformly, whilst there are no longitudinal threads to resist the action of bending the strips, and they are consequently easily coiled within the stuffing-box; also, as there are no threads running transversely of the packing, it is easily caused to expand against the rod by pressure, and thus, as the packing wears, it may be again and again tightened by bringing down the follower. ”

“ In the Gately packing the wearing portion of it is not formed by rolling canvas either upon itself or upon a rubber core, but is formed of layers of canvas secured to themselves and to the rubber backing by vulcanization. In fact, the Gately packing could not be made if it were impossible to vulcanize rubber; whereas all of the Tuck packings are capable of being made independently of vulcanization, their structure being such that canvas is used as a binding or cementing means, in connection with any adhesive compound to keep the packing together, and to form the strips. ”