GLAND

A gland is a general type of stuffing box, used to seal a rotating or reciprocating shaft against a
fluid. The most common example is in the head of a tap (faucet) where the gland is usually
packed with string which has been soaked in tallow or similar grease. The gland nut allows the
packing material to be compressed to form a watertight seal and prevent water leaking up the
shaft when the tap is turned on. The gland at the rotating shaft of a centrifugal pump may be
packed in a similar way and graphite grease used to accommodate continuous operation. The
linear seal around the piston rod of a double acting steam piston is also known as a gland,
particularly in marine applications. Likewise the shaft of a handpump or wind pump is sealed
with a gland where the shaft exits the borehole.

Other types of sealed connections without movings part are also sometimes called glands; for
example, the point where an electrical flex exits a conduit is often sealed by an adjustable gland
to facilitate assembly and to prevent water ingress.

APPLICATIONS

Boats

A stuffing box, or packing gland, is used around a propeller shaft at the point it exits a boat's hull
underwater. It is the most common method for preventing water from entering the hull while still
allowing the propeller shaft to turn.

In a conventional stuffing box, the seal itself is provided by packing rings, or a square cross-
sectioned rope, made of greased flax, which is packed or wound tightly around the propeller
shaft, and compressed in place with a threaded nut and spacer. The box may also be fitted with
an opening for periodic insertion of grease between the rings, and sometimes with a small grease
reservoir.

A stuffing box packed with flax rings is designed to leak a small amount of water, a few drops
per minute, when the shaft is turning; this helps keep it lubricated. This amount of leakage is
seldom a problem. Dripless seals, like a mechanical face seal, or lip seal use materials more
technologically advanced than flax. The more successful dripless seals are made from Carbon or
PTFE (Teflon).

The stuffing box is usually attached with hose clamps to a short piece of heavy-duty rubber hose,
which is then clamped around the propeller opening in the boat's hull.
Steam engines

In a steam engine, where the piston rod reciprocates through the cylinder cover, a stuffing box
provided in the cylinder cover prevents the leakage of steam from the cylinder.

MATERIALS

A stuffing box packed with flax rings is designed to leak a small amount of water, a few drops
per minute, when the shaft is turning; this helps keep it lubricated. This amount of leakage is
seldom a problem. Dripless seals, like a mechanical face seal, or lip seal use materials more
technologically advanced than flax. The more successful dripless seals are made from Carbon or
PTFE (Teflon).

The stuffing box is usually attached with hose clamps to a short piece of heavy-duty rubber hose,
which is then clamped around the propeller opening in the boat's hull.