Stuffing box

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A PUMP HOUSING HAVING A CYLINDRICAL STUFFING BOX CHAMBER FORMED THEREIN WITH A CONSTANT INTERNAL DIAMETER AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE SURFACE OF THE HOUSING, A PUMP SHAFT OF CONSTANT EXTERNAL DIAMETER EXTENDING CONCENTRICALLY OF THE STUFFING BOX CHAMBER, A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE HAVING A CONSTANT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DIAMETER THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH DISPOSED IN THE STUFFING BOX CHAMBER IN ENCIRCLING RELATION TO THE SHAFT WITH ONE END OF THE SLEEVE BOTTOMING AGAINST THE INNER END OF THE STUFFING BOX CHAMBER, RETAINING MEANS ENGAGING THE OTHER END OF THE SLEEVE AND HOLDING THE SLEEVE AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE STUFFING BOX CHAMBER, MEANS SEALING THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE SLEEVE WITH RESPECT TO THE STUFFING BOX CHAMBER AT LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POINTS THEREALONG, THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE SLEEVE HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED GROOVES THEREIN, LUBRICATING AND SEALING MATERIAL FILLING SAID GROOVES, AN INDEPENDENT PASSAGE IN SAID SLEEVE COMMUNICATING INDEPENDENTLY WITH THE GROOVES FOR SUPPLYING THE LUBRICATING AND SEALING MATERIAL THERETO, EACH PASSAGE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE SLEEVE AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE OUTER END THEREOF, SAID RETAINING MEANS FOR THE SLEEVE OVERLYING AND CLOSING THE OPEN END OF THE PASSAGES AND BEIONG IN THE FORM OF AN ANNULAR MEMBER ENGAGING THE OUTER END OF THE SLEEVE THUS SIMULTANEOUSLY CLOSING OFF ALL OF THE PASSAGES.