Stirling Cycle Machine

An external combustion engine containing a working fluid comprising:

• a burner element for heating the working fluid of the engine;
• at least one heater head defining a working space containing the working fluid;
• at least one piston cylinder containing a piston for compressing the working fluid;
• a cooler for cooling the working fluid;
• a crankcase comprising;
• a crankshaft for producing an engine output;
• a rocking beam rotating about a rocker pivot for driving the crankshaft;
• a piston rod connected to the piston;
• a rocking beam driven by the piston rod;
• and
• a connecting rod connected at a first end to the rocking beam and at a second end to a crankshaft to convert rotary motion of the rocking beam to rotary motion of the crankshaft;
• and
• a piston rod seal unit comprising:
• a housing;
• a cylinder gland;
• and
• at least one floating rod seal assembly mounted in the cylinder gland, the floating rod seal assembly comprising at least one rod seal mounted onto the floating rod seal assembly.