Patent ID: 6837205

Claim:
An internal combustion engine, comprising an engine block in which a plurality of bores are formed that define cylinders a piston located for axial movement in each of said cylinders, a head assembly mounted on said block and having a plurality of chambers formed therein, each of which communicates with a cylinder to define a combustion chamber therewith, each of said cylinders having a piston mounted for reciprocation therein, the uppermost surface of said piston being constructed so as to concentrate the flame front and resulting combustion at the centermost portion of said piston, wherein an effective force resulting from combustion is produced, and compression ring means located on said piston adjacent to the uppermost end thereof for effectively sealing said piston in the cylinder in which it is mounted during the reciprocation thereof, said compression ring means including at least one annular groove formed in said piston and at least one non-metallic continuously formed non-gapped ring located in said annular groove, wherein said compression ring means extends outwardly beyond the periphery thereof for positive contact with the adjacent wall of the cylinder in which the piston is located, the clearance between the piston head and the cylinder wall being maintained at a minimum dimension such that a pre-load imposed on said non-metallic ring by the inherent characteristics thereof constantly urges said compression ring means into contact with the cylinder wall during operation of the engine, thereby essentially preventing any blow-by of gases between the compression ring means and the cylinder wall, said compression ring means further including a pair of gapped metallic rings located in said annular groove, said metallic rings engaging the cylinder wall, and the gaps in said metallic rings being disposed out of alignment with each other to further reduce blow-by between said compression ring means and the cylinder wall, said non-metallic ring comprising an O-ring that is located in said annular groove inwardly of said metallic rings, wherein said metallic rings are urged into engagement with said cylinder wall by said O-ring as a result of the pre-load imposed on said O-ring and as oases under pressure infiltrate behind said O-ring during operation of said engine.