Patent ID: 8109244

Claim:
An improved internal combustion engine, comprising: a driveshaft and means mounting the driveshaft for rotation about an axis; at least one pair of aligned and opposed cylinders; at least one double-headed piston, having at least one rigid connection between the piston heads, reciprocating in said pair of cylinders; a circular crankdisk, one for each said piston respectively, having an outer annular surface formed about a center that is laterally offset from the center of rotation of the driveshaft, and rigidly attached to the said driveshaft; the said piston body having a first slot, a second slot perpendicular to the first slot, each of said slots being perpendicular to the axis of the driveshaft and the crankdisk, the first slot being perpendicular to the piston axis and allowing the rotating movement of the driveshaft, and the second slot allowing the rotating movement of the crankdisk; wherein the improvement comprises of a bearing ring, mounted on the outer annular surface of the crankdisk, which engages slidably under hydrodynamic conditions the annular surface of said crankdisk, and rolls or slides against the inside walls of a slot provided axially through the double-headed piston, in which the said bearing ring design has a U-profile cross-section, or two-sided flanged cross-section, with flanges facing toward the center of the bearing ring; wherein the said bearing ring consists of parts or components to allow for the crankdisk-bearing ring combination assembly; wherein the said bearing ring diameter and sides of the U-profile (or flanges) fit tightly but slidably against the outer perimeter and outer perimeter sides of the crankdisk to keep the bearing ring in its designed place when the crankdisk rotates; wherein the sides, or flanges, of the said bearing ring U-profile, serve the additional purpose of blocking or reducing oil seepage from between the bearing ring and the crankdisk when the crankdisk rotates; whereby the said crankdisk with the aid of the said bearing ring transmits the piston force of the double-headed piston to the driveshaft and causes the driveshaft to rotate about its axis.