Cartridge oil seal for rotating combustion engines

Claim 2

An oil control ring assembly for use in rotary piston internal combustion engines, comprising: a pair of generally U-shaped control rings in side-by-side relatively freely axially moveable relation with one ring inside the other ring, each of said control rings being of generally U-shaped cross section with bight portions connecting spaced apart leg portions extending in the same direction on each of the control rings and defining channels opening in the same direction; each of said control rings having nested therein a complementary respective biasing ring member including spring means thrusting biasingly against the bight portion of the associaTed control ring and having sealing leg means projecting from the channel beyond the distal ends of the control ring leg portions; a channel-housing ring within which said control rings are received with said sealing leg means engaging in thrusting sealing relation with bight means of the housing ring; and a quad sealing ring engaged between said housing bight portion, said leg means and distal ends of contiguous leg portions of said control rings.

Claim 3

An oil control ring assembly for use in rotary piston internal combustion engines, comprising: a pair of control rings of generally U-shaped cross section in side-by-side relatively freely axially moveable relation with one ring concentrically inside the other ring, each of said control rings being of generally U-shaped cross section with bight portions connecting spaced apart leg portions extending in the same direction on each of the control rings and defining channels opening in the same direction; each of said control rings having nested therein a complementary respective biasing ring member including spring means thrusting biasingly against the bight portion of the associated control ring and having sealing leg means projecting from the channel beyond the distal ends of the control ring leg portions; a channel-housing ring within which said control rings are received with said sealing leg means engaging in thrusting sealing relation with bight means of the housing ring to prevent leakage through the channel-housing ring; and means on said housing ring retaining said control rings against escape therefrom.

Claim 4

An oil control ring assembly for use in rotary piston internal combustion engines, comprising: a pair of control rings of generally U-shaped cross section in side-by-side relatively freely axially moveable relation with one ring concentrically inside the other ring, each of said control rings being of generally U-shaped cross section with bight portions connecting spaced apart leg portions extending in the same direction on each of the control rings and defining channels opening in the same direction; each of said control rings having nested therein a complementary respective biasing ring member including spring means thrusting biasingly against the bight portion of the associated control ring and having sealing leg means projecting from the channel beyond the distal ends of the control ring leg portions; a channel-housing ring within which said control rings are received with said sealing leg means engaging in thrusting sealing relation with bight means of the housing ring to prevent leakage through the channel-housing ring; and means on said housing ring retaining said control rings against escape therefrom.

Claim 5

An assembly according to claim 2, including a quad sealing ring engaged between said housing bight portion, said leg means and distal ends of contiguous leg portions of said control rings.

Claim 6

An oil control ring assembly for use in rotary piston internal combustion engines, comprising: an oil control ring of generally U-shape cross section having a bight portion and spaced apart leg portions defining a channel, with a sealing surface on the outer side of said bight portion; a biasing ring member nested in said channel and having a sealing edge projecting from said channel beyond said leg portions; a housing within which said control ring and the nested biasing ring member are received; and biasing spring means thrusting against said bight portion and urging said sealing edge sealing against said housing to prevent leakage through said housing, and means on said housing retaining said control ring against escape therefrom.

Claim 7

An oil control ring assembly for use in rotary piston internal combustion engines, comprising: an oil control ring of generally U-shape cross section having a bight portion and spaced apart leg portions defining a channel, with a sealing surface on the outer side of said bight portion; a biasing ring member nested in said channel and having a sealing edge projecting from said channel beyond said leg portions; a housing within which said control ring and the nested biasing ring member are received; and biasing spring means thrusting against said bight portion and urging said sealing edge sealing against said housing to prevent leakage through said housing, and means on said housing retaining said control ring against escape therefrom.

Claim 8

An assembly according to claim 4, wherein said biasing ring member is of generally U-shape cross section having a bight section in spaced proximity to said bight portion and including a pair of spaced legs both of which provide sealing edges engaging sealing against the housing, said biasing spring means comprising spring projections from said member engaging said bight portion of the control ring and urging both of said leg edges against the housing.

Claim 9

An oil control ring assembly especially useful for rotary piston internal combustion engines, and comprising: an oil control ring of generally U-shaped cross section having spaced axially extending legs connected by a bight portion providing a sealing surface and defining a channel opening from the distal ends of said legs; and a biasing ring member slidably nested within said channel and having spring means thrusting in biasing relation against said bight portion and leg means extending from said channel beyond the distal ends of said legs; a housing of generally U-shaped cross section within which are assembled the nested oil control ring and biasing ring; and said leg means engaging in thrusting sealing relation with a surface in the bottom of the U-shape of said housing to prevent leakage through the U-shaped housing means on said housing retaining said control ring against escape therefrom.

Claim 10

An oil control ring assembly especially useful for rotary piston internal combustion engines, and comprising: an oil control ring of generally U-shaped cross section having spaced axially extending legs connected by a bight portion providing a sealing surface and defining a channel opening from the distal ends of said legs; and a biasing ring member slidably nested within said channel and having spring means thrusting in biasing relation against said bight portion and leg means extending from said channel beyond the distal ends of said legs; a housing of generally U-shaped cross section within which are assembled the nested oil control ring and biasing ring; and said leg means engaging in thrusting sealing relation with a surface in the bottom of the U-shape of said housing to prevent leakage through the U-shaped housing means on said housing retaining said control ring against escape therefrom.

Claim 11

An assembly according to claim 6, wherein said sPring means comprise circumferentially spaced spring fingers struck from said biasing ring member.

Claim 12

An assembly according to claim 6, said housing including a bight portion connecting axially extending spaced walls defining a channel within which the nested control ring and biasing ring member are received with the sealing surface of the control ring projectable beyond the distal ends of said housing walls, and means on said distal ends of the housing walls for retaining the nested control ring and ring member within the housing.

Claim 13

An assembly according to claim 6, wherein said biasing ring member is of generally U-shaped cross section and said leg means comprise a pair of co-extensive legs each of which provides a sealing and thrust edge engaging the housing surface.

Claim 14

An assembly according to claim 9, wherein said biasing ring member has a bight portion in spaced proximity relation to said control ring bight portion, and said spring means comprise biasing spring fingers struck from said bight portion of the biasing ring member.

Claim 15

An assembly according to claim 10, wherein said biasing spring fingers are struck also partially from said legs of said biasing ring member.

Claim 16

An oil control ring cartridge assembly for use in rotary piston internal combustion engines, said cartridge assembly including a housing ring, said housing ring having a radial thickness U-shaped cross section with inner and outer diameter axially extending walls interconnected by radially extending bight section at one end of the axially extending walls, the axial end opposite the bight section open to an internal channel interior of the walls, an oil control ring in said channel, said oil control ring having a radial thickness of substantially U-shaped cross section and having inner and outer diameter axially extending leg portions interconnected by a radially extending second bight section integral with the leg portions at one axial end thereof and defining therewith a channel opening in the opposite direction from said housing ring channel, said oil control ring received interiorly of the housing channel with the legs of the oil control ring extending toward the bight section of the housing, a spring ring, the spring ring having a radial thickness U-shaped cross section with inner and outer diameter axially extending spring ring walls interconnected by a radially extending bight portion at one axial end of the spring ring walls, said bight portion of the spring ring received interiorly of the channel of the oil control ring and located in spaced proximity to said second bight, free axial ends of the spring ring walls being in contact with the bight section of the housing, and integral spring projections extending from said bight portion of the spring ring into biasing engagement with said second bight portion.

Claim 17

An oil control ring cartridge assembly for use in rotary piston internal combustion engines, said cartridge assembly including a housing ring, said housing ring having a radial thickness U-shaped cross section with inner and outer diameter axially extending walls interconnected by radially extending bight section at one end of the axially extending walls, the axial end opposite the bight section open to an internal channel interior of the walls, an oil control ring in said channel, said oil control ring having a radial thickness of substantially U-shaped cross section and having inner and outer diameter axially extending leg portions interconnected by a radially extending second bight section integral with the leg portions at one axial end thereof and defining therewith a channel opening in the opposite direction from said housing ring channel, said oil control ring received interiorly of the housing channel with the legs of the oil control ring extending toward the bight section of the housing, a spring ring, the spring ring having a radial thickness U-shaped cross section with inner and outer diameter axially extending spring ring walls interconnected by a radially extending bight portion at one axial end of the spring ring walls, said bight portion of the spring ring received interiorly of the channel of the oil control ring and located in spaced proximity to said second bight, free axial ends of the spring ring walls being in contact with the bight section of the housing, and integral spring projections extending from said bight portion of the spring ring into biasing engagement with said second bight portion.

Claim 18

An assembly according to claim 12, wherein said spring projections comprise fingers struck from said bight portion of the spring ring.

Claim 19

An assembly according to claim 13, wherein said spring fingers are circumferentially spaced and extend in alternate opposite radial directions.

Claim 20

An assembly according to claim 14, wherein said spring fingers are struck also partially from said spring ring walls.

Claim 21

An oil control ring assembly for use in rotary piston internal combustion engines, the assembly comprising a housing ring, said housing ring having a radial thickness U-shaped cross section with inner and outer diameter axially extending walls interconnected by a radially extending bight section at one end of the axially extending walls, the axial end opposite the bight section open to an internal channel interior of the walls, an oil control seal ring in said channel, spring means entrapped between a portion of said oil control ring and the said bight section, said spring means effective to urge the said oil control ring out of the open end, retaining means on the housing preventing exit of a portion of the oil control ring through said open end, said oIl control seal ring having its radial thickness of substantially U-shaped cross section having inner and outer diameter axially extending leg portions interconnected by a radially extending second bight section integral with the leg portions at one axial end thereof and another axial end opposite the second bight section open to a channel intermediate the legs, a sealing surface projecting beyond a portion of said second bight section away from the said channel and out of the open end of the said housing and the said spring means entrapped between the said second bight section and the said bight section of the housing and having portions thereof positioned interiorly of the said channel of the ring, said spring means comprising a ring-shaped biasing member having a U-shaped radial width cross section with inner and outer diameter concentric legs interconnected at one axial end thereof by a bight section positioned within the channel of the seal ring in spaced proximity relation to said second bight section and the free axial ends of said legs abutting the bight of the housing, and spring fingers struck from the material of the bight of the biasing member and engaging said second bight section to urge the seal ring axially from said housing and said free axial ends toward said bight section of the housing ring.

Claim 22

An oil control ring assembly for use in rotary piston internal combustion engines, the assembly comprising a housing ring, said housing ring having a radial thickness U-shaped cross section with inner and outer diameter axially extending walls interconnected by a radially extending bight section at one end of the axially extending walls, the axial end opposite the bight section open to an internal channel interior of the walls, an oil control seal ring in said channel, spring means entrapped between a portion of said oil control ring and the said bight section, said spring means effective to urge the said oil control ring out of the open end, retaining means on the housing preventing exit of a portion of the oil control ring through said open end, said oIl control seal ring having its radial thickness of substantially U-shaped cross section having inner and outer diameter axially extending leg portions interconnected by a radially extending second bight section integral with the leg portions at one axial end thereof and another axial end opposite the second bight section open to a channel intermediate the legs, a sealing surface projecting beyond a portion of said second bight section away from the said channel and out of the open end of the said housing and the said spring means entrapped between the said second bight section and the said bight section of the housing and having portions thereof positioned interiorly of the said channel of the ring, said spring means comprising a ring-shaped biasing member having a U-shaped radial width cross section with inner and outer diameter concentric legs interconnected at one axial end thereof by a bight section positioned within the channel of the seal ring in spaced proximity relation to said second bight section and the free axial ends of said legs abutting the bight of the housing, and spring fingers struck from the material of the bight of the biasing member and engaging said second bight section to urge the seal ring axially from said housing and said free axial ends toward said bight section of the housing ring.

Claim 23

An assembly according to claim 16, wherein said spring fingers are spaced circumferentially from one another and extend in alternately opposite radial directions.

Claim 24

An assembly according to claim 17, wherein said spring fingers are struck partly from the legs of said biasing member.