Catalytic converter-muffler

Claim 1

A CATALYTIC CONVERTER-MUFFLER FOR TREATING AN ENGINE EXHAUST STREAM WHICH COMPRISES AN OUTER HOUSING OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE IN TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION AND HAVING A GAS INLET MEANS AT ONE END THEREOF AND A GAS OUTLET MEANS AT THE OPPOSING END THEREOF, AN INNER PERFORATE PARTICLE-RETAINING CHAMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND SPACED SYMMETRICALLY AWAY FROM OPPOSING WALLS THEREOF IN A MANNER PROVIDING UNIFORM GASEOUS FLOW TO TWO SIDES OF SAID PERFORATE CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER BEING RECTANGULAR IN TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION AND HAVING AN IMPERFORATE END FACING THE INLET END OF THE HOUSING, A BANK OF PERFORATE GAS COLLECTING PIPES POSITIONED SIDE-BY-SIDE IN RELATIVELY CLOSE PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP IN A SINGLE PLANE EXTENDING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID INNER CHAMBER AND PARALLEL TO SAID OPPOSING WALLS, SUBDIVIDED PARTICULATE CATALYTIC MATERIAL POSITIONED UNIFORMLY ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BANK OF PIPES, EACH OF THE PIPES OF SAID BANK HAVING A CLOSED UPSTREAM END AND AN OPEN DOWN STREAM END, EACH OF THE LATTER CONNECTING WITH AN OUTLET HEADER EXTENDING LATERALLY ACROSS THE END PORTION OF SAID INNER CHAMBER OPPOSITE SAID IMPERFORATE END THEREOF, AND AN OUTLET PORT FROM SAID HEADER CONNECTING WITH SAID GAS OUTLET MEANS FROM SAID HOUSING.