Why is it called gland? 1

[SubseaEng7]

Hi,

Wikipedia: GLAND

Etymology
19th century. Etymology unknown.

Noun
gland (plural glands)
(mechanical) a compressable cylindrical case and its contents around a shaft where it passes through a barrier, intended to prevent the passage of a fluid past the barrier. Examples:
a. used around a ship’s propeller shaft.
b. used around a tap, valve or faucet.

Does anyone know the meaning of the word gland in the mechanical context, why is it called a gland? Any link to the human glands?

Regards

Rikard

 

[MikeHalloran]

Maybe because a properly working gland (on a rotating shaft) is always oozing something.


... sorry.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[btrueblood]

Webster's online gives this for the etymology of "gland" in medical definition:

"French glande, from Old French, glandular swelling on the neck, gland, ultimately from Latin gland-, glans acorn; akin to Greek balanos acorn
First Known Use: 1692"

Given the context of a swelling or protrusion, the use of gland to describe the extra material required to surround shaft packing/seals makes some sense.

 

[DRWeig]

Could it be that some guy named Gland invented it?

Best to you,

Goober Dave

Haven't see the forum policies? Do so now: Forum Policies

 

[EMorel]

Mike wins.

 

[SubseaEng7]

So, what are electrical cable glands oozing?

 

[brighton4]

Hi all,

If you're talking about glands in reference to valves? then a gland packing is the space around a valve stem as it rises up from the valve. I think its a safety feature which ensures pressurised fluid doesn't escape...

Hope this helps

 

[brighton4]

Just relaised, you wrote why is it called gland not what does it mean.. apologies for the misunderstanding

 

[pennpiper]

RikardB
If you do not like the word "Gland", what would you like to call it?
Give us a word and we will take a vote on it.
If we do not like your word then we will be forces to keep the word "Gland" which has been used for 315 years since the first Steam Engine.

Thomas Savery (1650-1715)
Thomas Savery was an English military engineer and inventor who in 1698, patented the first crude steam engine, based on Denis Papin's Digester or pressure cooker of 1679.

Thomas Savery had been working on solving the problem of pumping water out of coal mines, his machine consisted of a closed vessel filled with water into which steam under pressure was introduced. This forced the water upwards and out of the mine shaft. Then a cold water sprinkler was used to condense the steam. This created a vacuum which sucked more water out of the mine shaft through a bottom valve.

prognosis: Lead or Lag

 

[SubseaEng7]

The sebaceous glands are microscopic glands in the skin that secrete an oily/waxy matter, called sebum, to lubricate and waterproof the skin and hair of mammals. Thomas Savery used tallow (sebum) and oil to seal and lubricate the piston in his steam engine. Graphite packings seal and lubricate (indirectly) the stem of a valve, and perhaps that is why it is called a packing gland. Thank you pennpiper!

 

[rmw]

It is also called a gland on steam turbines and there is nothing inside it but steam (at a pressure higher than the steam beng sealed.)

rmw

 

[gerhardl]

One of the reasons it is called a gland is that English is not always (understatement?) a logical technical language. Technical words in English does not always have straightforward, technical accurate and describing properties.

One can argue that this is true for any language.

The fact is however, that languages for instance within the german group, (German, Dutch, Scandinavian languages) tends to have more straightforward technical and logical descriptions more often than english. 'New' technical words or descriptions is also more easily constructed by combining already existing and known words in theese languages.

As an example 'Gland' (in the given connection) would simply be described in German as 'spindel dichtung' (stem or spindle) seal, a normal butterfly valve is 'zentrisch absperrklappe' (centric closing (or rather more closing/isolating) flap (or plate) valve. A knife-gate valve would be 'schieberplatte' (pushing plate type valve) etc.

 

[btrueblood]

Things get named by non-technical people despite what we engineers want to call them. Sometimes the non-tech name gets used more often, because it is more apt or catchy or...whatever. The wheeled transport crates with sloped roofs for moving objects between buildings at a rocket factory I worked at were never called by the drawing description, because "doghouse" got used by somebody and the name just stuck.