Sealed Power Corporation

Lee H Saylor

Roy E Overway

In a parted spacer-expander for a piston oil control ring of the type which includes an array of alternating inner and outer crowns connected by generally diverging spring legs and a support pad extending radially from each inner crown and connected thereto by a pad leg, an improved slip latch comprising a curved rod having a substantially D-shaped cross section and having a radius of curvature equal to or less than the free-state radius of curvature of the spacer-expander. One end of the latch extends through at least one leg opening formed between the spring legs and pads adjacent the expander ends and is formed with a stop having an axial dimension which prevents passage through the leg openings. The other latch end extends over an arc of at least seventy-five degrees through a plurality of leg openings in the opposite expander end and is free to slide through the leg openings. The free latch end terminates in an inwardly directed beveled face to permit the free end to ride over the edges of the leg openings during sliding motion therethrough.

Oil control ring spacer-expander with improved slip latch

In a parted corrugated spacer-expander for a piston oil control ring, an improved expander end joint for preventing installation of the expander should overlap occur between the expander ends in which the respective expander ends are each formed in a multiple-bend box-like structure which is self-supporting under stress from the opposing expander end in either the circumferential or the radial direction.

Piston ring spacer-expander with overlap-preventing expander joint

In a spacer-expander for a piston oil control ring of the type which includes a circumferential series of alternating inner and outer crowns successively connected by radially diverging spring legs and a support pad extending radially outwardly from each inner crown and connected thereto by a pad leg, the improvement wherein each pad leg comprises an arcuate reverse bend extending radially inwardly and then radially outwardly from an inner crown to a corresponding support pad. In a modification, each pad extends radially outwardly at an angle of more than 90.degree. but equal to or less than 95.degree. with respect to the corresponding inner crown in the free-state of the expander.

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Muskegon, MI, United States of America

Lee H Saylor