Apparatus for preventing the rise of oil in a stirling engine

An apparatus for preventing lubricating oil from rising to the working spaces of a Stirling engine, the Stirling engine having a rod which reciprocates inside a cylindrical member, comprising:

• a first oil-absorbing member which has an annular shape and which is secured to said rod so as to reciprocate therewith, the outer periphery of said first oil-absorbing member being in sliding contact with the inner surface of said cylindrical member;
• an oil scattering-preventing plate which has an annular shape and which is mounted on said rod above said first oil-absorbing member in intimate contact with said first oil-absorbing member, the outer diameter of said scattering-preventing plate being smaller than the inner diameter of said cylindrical member;
• a second oil-absorbing member which has an annular shape, which is permeable to air, and which is secured along its outer periphery to the inner surface of said cylindrical member above and separated from said oil scattering-preventing plate, the inner periphery of said second oil-absorbing member being in sliding contact with the outer surface of said rod;
• means for making the flow speed of gas which through said second oil-absorbing member during the operation of said Stirling engine higher from above to below said second oil-absorbing member than from below to above said second oil-absorbing member;
• and
• an annular baffle which is secured to said rod above and separated from said second oil-absorbing member, the outer diameter of said annular baffle being smaller than the inner diameter of said cylindrical member.