Lantern rings

A lantern ring for use in a cylinder adapted to receive a shaft where the shaft is adapted for movement within the cylinder and is located in spaced relation from the sidewalls thereof with its longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder to define an annular packing chamber within the cylinder where the lantern ring is received within the cylinder and includes:

• (a) a ring having an outer surface, an inner surface and first and second axially spaced sidewalls of selected outer diameter less than the internal diameter of the cylinder, said inner surface having a diameter greater than the outer diameter of the shaft and adapted to receive the shaft to maintain the ring in aligned relation on the shaft where first groove means of selected diameter is provided;
• the inner surface of the ring adjacent the first side wall with a radially inwardly projecting lip of selected diameter greater than the diameter of said shaft less than the diameter of said inner surface provided between said groove and said first sidewall defining a first opening to said ring;
• (b) first and second flange means of equal length extending in spaced parallel relation, radially outwardly from, and around a portion of the outer surface of the ring so a portion of the outer periphery of the first and second flange means engages the inner surface of the cylinder so that a first annular chamber is defined by the first and second flange means, the inner surface of the cylinder and the outer surface of the ring;
• (c) inwardly radially extending internal flange means of selected depth located within said ring means between the inner most edge of said first groove means and said second sidewall, and extending around a portion of the inner periphery of the ring to define a central opening in said ring of diameter greater than the diameter of said shaft and less than the diameter of said inner surface and adapted to receive said shaft;
• (d) at least one first conduit means communicating with said groove means and said first annular chamber for fluid flow therebetween;
• (e) at least one second conduit means communicating with said first annular chamber and the portion of the inner surface of said ring means between said internal flange means and said second side wall.