Fluid-cooled rod-packing assembly

Claim 1

A FLUID-COOLED ROD-PACKING DEVICE FOR EFFECTING A SEAL BETWEEN A RECIPROCATING ROD AND A MACHINE CASING PORTION THROUGH WHICH SAID ROD EXTENDS, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF COAXIAL, CUP-SHAPED PACKING-HOLDING RINGS EACH HAVING A CYLINDRICAL WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID CYLINDRICAL WALL TOWARD SAID ROD, THE SAID RINGS BEING IN FIXED ANGULAR RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY FLUID TIGHT, COAXIAL INTERENGAGEMENT AT THEIR SAID CYLINDRICAL WALLS WHEREBY BOTTOM WALLS OF ADJACENT RINGS AND SAID CYLINDRICAL WALLS FROM ANNULAR PACKING AREAS EXTENDING ABOUT SAID ROD, AND ANNULAR PACKING MEANS IN SAID AREAS IN INTIMATE HEAT-TRANSFER ASSOCIATION WITH SAID BOTTOM WALLS; SAID RINGS BEING FORMED WITH CONTINUOUS CIRCULAR DUCTS IN SAID BOTTOM WALLS IN SUBSTANTIAL COAXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PACKING MEANS, AND SEPARATE, AXIALLY EXTENDING DUCTS AT SUBSTANTIALLY ANGULARLY-REMOVED POINTS IN SAID CYLINDRICAL WALLS AND CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE RESPECTIVE RINGS AND TO SAID CIRCULAR DUCTS, SAID DEVICE HAVING SEPARATE INPUT AND OUTPUT PORTS FOR COOLING FLUID, SAID AXIALLY EXTENDING DUCTS IN ADJOINING RINGS BEING INTERCONNECTED, AND ALL SAID PORTS AND DUCTS BEING INTERCONNECTED TO PROVIDE A FLUID PASSAGE, COMMON TO ALL SAID RINGS, FOR CIRCULATION OF COOLING FLUID UNINTERRUPTEDLY, THROUGH SAID RINGS SERIALLY, AND THROUGH THE CIRCULAR DUCTS, IN ALL AREAS OF THE LATTER IN EACH RING, WHEREBY TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER FROM THE PACKING MEANS TO SAID BOTTOM WALLS AND TO COOLING FLUID IN THE LATTER.