Piston rings and piston-and-ring assemblies

Claim 1

A PISTON AND PISTON RING ASSEMBLY FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES, COMPRISING A PISTON HAVING A PERIPHERAL GROOVE, AND A SOLID METAL PISTON RING PARTLY IN THE GROOVE AND BEING RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE INTO METAL-TO-METAL CONTACT WITH THE SIDES OF THE GROOVE, THE RING HAVING IN A RADIAL PLANE CONTAINING THE AXIS OF THE PISTON A CROSSSECTION CONSISTING OF A STEM POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID SIDES OF THE GROOVE AND OF A CROSS PIECE EXTERNALLY OF THE GROOVE AND SYMMETRICAL RELATIVELY TO THE STEM, THE CROSS PIECE COMPRISING TWO OPPOSITELY EXTENDING EARS WHICH AS SEEN IN CROSS-SECTION IN SAID PLANE ARE OPPOSITELY TAPERED AWAY FROM SAID STEM TO PROVIDE A SHARP TIP AT EACH OF THE EXTREME BOUNDARIES OF THE EARS, THE EARS TOGETHER PRESENTING A RADIALLY OUTERMOST SMOOTH CYLINDRICAL CYLINDER-ENGAGING SURFACE AND EACH EAR PRESENTING A RADIALLY INNER ANNULAR SURFACE TO MAKE METAL-TO-METAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PISTON WHEN THE RING IS COMPRESSED INTO THE GROOVE.