Self-aligning stuffing box

A self-aligning stuffing box for a drilling device having a rotatable drill shaft comprising:

• a stainless steel packing gland including means defining an opening therethrough sized for passage of the rotatable drill shaft, said packing gland being configured for receiving packing ring means for forming a seal between the packing gland and the rotatable drill shaft, said packing gland further including means defining an exterior spherical surface thereon, said packing ring means including a plurality of packing rings and means for introducing a liquid between the packing rings and the drill shaft;
• a bronze socket having an exterior flange thereon and means defining an interior spherical surface thereon for engaging said packing gland exterior spherical surface in a ball-and-socket like manner to enable the packing gland, packing ring means and the rotatable drill shaft to pivot, as a single unit, up to about three degrees about the longitudinal axis of the rotatable drill shaft;
• wiper ring means disposed between said drill shaft and said packing gland for preventing drill cuttings and drilling fluid from entering the packing rings;
• and
• frame means including means defining a recess for receiving and slidably supporting the socket by the exterior flange thereon and for enabling the socket, packing gland, packing ring means and rotatable drill shaft to be laterally displaced up to about 0.15 inches with respect to the longitudinal axis of the drill shaft, as a single unit.

A self-aligning stuffing box for a drilling device having a rotatable drill shaft comprising:

• a stainless steel packing gland including means defining an opening therethrough sized for passage of the rotatable drill shaft, said packing gland being configured for receiving packing ring means for forming a seal between the packing gland and the rotatable drill shaft, said packing gland further including means defining an exterior spherical surface thereon, said packing ring means including a plurality of packing rings and means for introducing a liquid between the packing rings and the drill shaft;
• clamp means, removably attached to the packing gland for compressing said packing ring means;
• a bronze socket having an exterior circular flange thereon and means defining an interior spherical surface thereon for engaging said packing gland exterior spherical surface in a ball-and-socket like manner to enable the packing gland, packing ring means and the rotatable drill shaft to pivot, as a single unit, up to about three degrees about the longitudinal axis of the rotatable drill shaft;
• a bronze socket clamp having an interior spherical surface thereon for engaging said packing gland, said socket and socket clamp, when assembled, forming a contiguous interior spherical surface, said socket clamp including means for removably attaching said socket clamp to said socket for holding said packing gland exterior spherical surface against the socket and socket clamp interior spherical surfaces;
• wiper ring means disposed between said drill shaft and said packing gland for preventing drill cuttings and drilling fluid from entering the packing rings;
• and
• frame means including means defining a recess for receiving and slidably supporting the socket by the exterior circular flange thereon and for enabling the socket, packing gland, packing ring means and rotatable drill shaft to be laterally displaced up to about 0.15 inches with respect to the longitudinal axis of the drill shaft, as a single unit.