Three-piece oil control ring
AssigneeMuskegon Piston Ring Company
InventorKenneth J. Nisper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three-piece oil control ring including top and bottom rail rings and a circumferential spacer-expander is disclosed. The spacer-expander includes a plurality of spring elements interconnected by integral webs. Each of the spring elements is generally U-shaped in axial section and includes a top leg, a bottom leg and a base interconnecting the legs. The top leg defines a radial slot extending from the inner radial edge thereof along the entire radial length of the top leg. The bottom leg is slotless and the centroid of each spring element is located axially above the circumferential center line of the spacer-expander. A greater tension is exerted by the spring elements on the top rail ring than on the bottom rail ring.
Claims20
A circumferential spacer-expander for an oil control ring, comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected spring elements;
- and
- means for interconnecting said spring elements and for defining a top rail stop;
- said spring elements each including a generally U-shaped member in axial section having a top leg, a bottom leg and a base interconnecting said top and bottom legs, said top leg having a radial slot formed therein extending from an inner radial edge along the entire radial length of said top leg, and said bottom leg being slotless whereby the centroid of each spring element is located axially above the circumferential center line of said spacer-expander.
A circumferential spacer-expander for use with top and bottom rail rings to thereby define a three-piece oil control ring, said spacer-expander comprising:
- a plurality of U-shaped in axial section spring elements, each spring element including a top strut, a base, and a bottom strut;
- a plurality of top rail stops, each stop interconnecting alternate adjacent spring elements and extending between adjacent top struts at the radial inner edges of said top struts;
- and
- continuity webs interconnecting the remaining ones of said spring elements, each of said continuity webs extending axially along the base of adjacent spring elements from a point above the circumferential center line of said spacer-expander and radially inwardly along the entire radial length of the bottom struts of adjacent spring elements.
A three-piece oil control ring comprising:
- a top rail ring;
- a bottom rail ring;
- and
- a circumferential spacer-expander defining a top rail seat and rail stop in engagement with said top rail ring and a bottom rail seat and rail stop in engagement with said bottom rail ring, said spacer-expander exerting a greater tension on the top rail ring than on the bottom rail ring, said spacer-expander comprising:
- a plurality of interconnected generally U-shaped spring elements, each element including a pair of circumferential spaced upper struts which define said upper rail seat, a base integral with the radial outer edges of said upper struts and a bottom leg integral with said base and extending radially inwardly from said base, said base having a slot extending from the top axial edge of said base to a point axially spaced above the circumferential center line of said spacer-expander, said slot opening between said upper struts.
A blank bendable along a plurality of parallel bend lines to form a circumferential spacer-expander for use in an oil control ring wherein the tension on a top rail ring is greater than on a bottom rail ring, said blank comprising:
- an elongated flat member, having a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge and a longitudinal center line, said flat member defining a first set of generally rectangular slots opening through said first lateral edge, each of said slots of said first set extending transversely of said member and terminating between said first lateral edge and said longitudinal center line, said flat member further defining a second set of slots interposed with the slots of said first set and opening through said second lateral edge, each of said slots of said second set extending transversely of said member and terminating between said longitudinal center line and said first lateral edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.