Fel-Pro Incorporated

Arnold B Fox

Gerald A Rosenquist

An automotive head gasket assembly and shim for installation between the head and block of an engine is disclosed. The head gasket includes a main body of a first thickness having a central core and compressible composite facing layers laminated to the surface of the core. The main body defines a plurality of combustion openings. A fire ring is disposed and secured in each combustion opening. Each of the fire rings includes a generally U-shaped armor having a pair of legs overlying and underlying the main body adjacent a combustion opening and a central body connecting the legs and ensheathing a wire ring for providing a combustion seal. A shim is temporarily disposed on the gasket on one of the facing layers. The shim surrounds each of the combustion openings and defines openings thereat of a size greater than the size of the wire ring so that the wire ring is disposed to lie within the opening. The shim is adapted to be adhesively secured to one of the head and the block and to form a groove to resist blow-out of the gasket assembly and to enhance sealing.

Growing community of inventors

Deerfield, IL, United States of America

Arnold B Fox