Rotary engine shim design for floating side plates

A rotary internal combustion engine comprising:

• a rotor housing having a peripheral wall circumscribing a rotor cavity;
• a rotor disposed within the rotor cavity;
• a side housing secured to the rotor housing, wherein the side housing includes a sealing face that seats against a housing face of the rotor housing, an inner wall transverse to the sealing face, a shoulder extending inward from the inner wall, at least one coolant channel interrupting the inner wall and the shoulder, and a center seating surface spaced inward of the inner wall;
• a plate defining a seal running surface for the rotor, the plate disposed between a portion of the side housing and the rotor housing;
• and
• at least one shim disposed between the plate and the side housing, the shim spacing the plate apart from contact with the side housing, wherein the plate is disposed within a clearance space between the at least one shim and the rotor housing, the at least one shim is seated on the shoulder and comprises an outer shim seated on the shoulder and an inner shim seated on the center seating surface and extends over the at least one coolant channel, wherein the center seating surface includes a gap and the inner shim includes a first end spaced apart across the gap from a second end.

A rotary internal combustion engine comprising:

• a rotor housing having a peripheral wall circumscribing a rotor cavity and a housing face;
• a rotor disposed within the rotor cavity;
• a side housing secured to the rotor housing, the side housing including a sealing face that seals against the housing face, wherein the rotor housing includes a shoulder extending inward from an inner wall;
• a side plate disposed on an inner side of the side housing over the rotor cavity, the side plate defining a seal running surface for the rotor;
• and
• an outer shim disposed between the side plate and the side housing for spacing the side plate apart from contact with the side housing, wherein the side plate is disposed within a clearance space between the outer shim and the rotor housing, and the outer shim is seated on the shoulder and includes a width that is greater than a width of the shoulder of the side housing.

A method of assembling a rotary internal combustion engine comprising:

• placing an outer shim on a shoulder of a side housing;
• placing a side plate onto the outer shim such that the side plate is spaced apart from the shoulder of the side housing;
• and
• attaching the side housing to a rotor housing such that the side plate is disposed within a clearance space between a surface of the rotor housing and the outer shim, wherein the side housing includes a center seating surface and assembly further includes placing an inner shim on the center seating surface and placing the side plate includes placing the side plate on the inner shim and the outer shim.