Lubrication system for rotary valve

Claim 1

A rotary valve for an internal combustion engine comprising a hollow cylindrical valve, said valve having one or more ports terminating as openings in its periphery, said valve being supported for rotation in the bore of a cylinder head so that a small radial clearance between the valve and the bore is maintained, said openings periodically passing over a window in said cylinder head bore, said window communicating with a combustion chamber of the engine, sealing means to prevent leakage of gas from the combustion chamber of the engine consisting of axial and circumferential seals, at least one axial seal circumferentially disposed on each side of said window, and at least one circumferential seal axially disposed on either side of said openings, the circumferential seals being spaced a small distance axially outboard of said openings, characterised in that said valve also includes lubricating means consisting of at least two oil applicators in the cylinder head, at least one oil applicator being disposed axially of each side of said openings and circumferentially between the axial seals and remote from the window, each applicator being loaded against the periphery of the valve at positions such that each applicator bears against the continuous diametral surface of the valve lying between the outer axial extremities of said openings and the adjacent circumferential seal, each applicator allowing flow of oil through it onto the diametral surface of the valve by means of one or more small internal passages, and means to provide said oil applicator with a supply of oil.