Wankel-type engine with semi-circular sectional configuration for chamber end surface

In an internal combustion engine of the type having a housing, a shaft carried thereby, a chamber in the housing including a pair of parallel side surfaces spaced axially and extending radially of the rotational axis of the rotor and an end surface of generally semi-circular sectional configuration connecting said side surfaces, a rotor eccentrically mounted on the shaft for rotation in the chamber, the rotor having a pair of parallel side portions adjacent to the side surfaces of the chamber and a plurality of lobes each with an end portion of generally semi-circular sectional configuration adjacent to the end surface of the chamber, and end and side seal means respectively carried by the lobes and side portions of the rotor for engagement with the end and side surfaces of the chamber;

• the improvement wherein:
• the end seal means on each lobe of the rotor comprises a plurality of pairs of axially opposed, self-expanding seal members arranged in adjacent layers, each layer extending circumferentially of the end portion of the lobe and being composed of a pair of the seal members having their adjacent ends circumferentially separated, the separations of adjacent layers being spaced circumferentially from each other, one of the seal members of each layer being joined to a first seal base and the other of the seal members of each layer being joined to a second seal base, a recess in each of the parallel side portions of the rotor adjacent to each of said end portions thereof receives one of the seal bases, each seal base being provided with a radially inwardly facing shoulder engageable by a portion of said side seal means, and means for resiliently urging each of said seal members into engagement with the chamber.