Method of treating exhaust gases of internal combustion engines

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR EFFECTING CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS CONTAINED IN THE EXHAUST GAS OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID EXHAUST GAS UNDER CONDITIONS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE ALONGSIDE AND IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH A PLURALITY OF BEDS HAVING CONTAINED THEREIN POROUS ADSORBENT COMBUSTION CATALYST TO REMOVE HEAT FROM SAID EXHAUST GAS AND TRANSFER THE SAME TO SAID BEDS OF CATALYST AND THEREBY TO INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID CATALYST TO A POINT ABOVE WHICH CATALYTIC OXIDATION OF SAID COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS IS EFFECTED, THEREAFTER REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID EXHAUST GAS AND PASSING THE SAME THROUGH SAID BEDS OF HEATED CATALYST TO ADSORB SAID COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS ON THE PORTION SAID CATALYST WITH WHICH SAID EXHAUST GAS MAKES INITIAL CONTACT UNTIL THE PORTION OF SAID CATALYST, MOST REMOTE FROM THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID EXHAUST GAS TO SAID BEDS, REACHES OPERATION TEMPERATURE, STRIPPING SAID ADSORBED COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS FROM THE INITIAL PORTION OF SAID CATALYST BEDS BY THE FLOW OF HOT EXHAUST GAS THERETHROUGH, PASSING THE RESULTING STREAM OF HOT EXHAUST GAS CONTAINING RELEASED COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS TO THE REMOTE PORTION OF SAID CATALYST BEDS AND THEREIN CATALYICALLY OXIDIZING SAID COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS CONTAINED IN SAID GAS AND DISCHARGING THE RESULTING GAS STREAM CONTAINING OXIDIZED COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS FROM SAID BEDS TO THE ATMOSPHERE.