Cylinder sleeve support for an internal combustion engine

A multi-cylinder internal combustion reciprocating engine cooled, at least in part, by liquid coolant, said engine comprising:

• a cylinder block having a top face in a first plane;
• said block having a plurality of cylinder tubes having parallel cylindrical axes substantially perpendicular to said first plane, and at least one step surface in a second plane parallel to and below said first plane;
• a plurality of cylinder sleeves for receiving reciprocating engine pistons therein, one of said sleeves being secured in each of said cylinder tubes, each sleeve having an upper end, with the upper ends in a third plane parallel to and above said first plane;
• each of said sleeves having an outer cylindrical wall having an upper portion;
• and
• a support plate on said block having an inner perimeter surface and a groove, said inner perimeter surface snugly engaging said upper portions of said sleeves and said groove adapted and configured to guide coolant along and around said upper portions of said sleeves when the engine is operating.

An apparatus for use within a liquid cooled reciprocating piston internal combustion engine having a cylinder sleeve mounted to an engine block and an engine head mounted to the engine block, and having a cooling fluid, the apparatus comprising:

• means for maintaining a specified separation between the engine block and the engine head using a plate mounted between the engine block and the engine head wherein the plate is further mounted to the cylinder sleeve;
• means for cooling the cylinder sleeve using a groove in the plate that provides for direct contact between the cooling fluid and the cylinder sleeve;
• and
• means for minimizing lateral movement of the cylinder sleeve using the plate.

An internal combustion reciprocating engine comprising:

• a cylinder block with a flat surface block top and a plurality of combustion cylinders extending downward from the top;
• a cylinder liner sleeve in each of said cylinders;
• a plate mounted on said block top and having a plate top and a plate bottom and having a hole through the plate from the plate top to the plate bottom, the hole having an inner perimeter wall engaging upper portions of said sleeves throughout more than half the circumference of said upper portions of said sleeves;
• a cylinder head mounted on said sleeves and covering said cylinder sleeves;
• at least one coolant passageway extending through said block and said plate and having a portion defined by said portions of said sleeves engaged by said inner perimeter wall of said plate, whereby coolant moved through said defined portion of said passageway directly contacts said sleeves.