Converter-muffler

Claim 1

A CATALYTIC CONVERTER-MUFFLER APPARATUS FOR TREATING AN ENGINE EXHAUST GAS STREAM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED OUTER HOUSING HAVING AN EXHAUST GAS PORT AT EACH END THEREOF, AN INNER PERFORATE TUBULAR GAS CONDUCTING MEMBER HAVING ONE END THEREOF CONNECTED WITH AND EXTENDING FROM A GAS PORT AT ONE END OF SAID HOUSING AXIALLY THROUGH A MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID HOUSING, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING ITS INTERIOR END CONNECTING WITH AN INTERIOR NON-PERFORATE TRANSVERSE END PLATE SPACED FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID HOUSING AND THE GAS PORT THERETHROUGH, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A CONTINUOUS UNINTERRUPTED TAPER FROM SAID ONE END TO SAID INTERIOR END THEREOF, AN OUTER PERFORATE CATALYST RETAINING MEMBER POSITIONED AROUND AND SPACED FROM SAID INNER PERFORATE MEMBER, SAID OUTER MEMBER BEING POSITIONED COEXTENSIVELY AND IN A NON-PARALLEL MANNER WITH SAID INNER TUBULAR MEMBER TO CONNECT WITH SAID NON-PERFORATE END PLATE IN A MANNER TO FORM BETWEEN SAID PERFORATE MEMBERS AN ENCLOSED VARIABLE AREA CROSS SECTION ANNULAR-FORM PARTICLE RETAINING SECTION HAVING ITS GREATEST CROSS-SECTION AROUND THE SMALLEST END PORTION OF SAID INNER PERFORATE MEMBER, END SEAL MEANS BETWEEN SAID PERFORATE MEMBERS AT THE END OF SAID RETAINING SECTION OPPOSITE SAID INTERIOR END PLATE, SUBDIVIDED PARTICLES RETAINED WITHIN SAID VARIABLE AREA CROSS SECTION PARTICLE RETAINING SECTION AROUND SAID INNER PERFORATE MEMBER, AND SAID OUTER PERFORATE MEMBER SPACED FROM THE INSIDE OF SAID OUTER HOUSING PROVIDING AN ANNULARFORM GAS MANIFOLD SECTION EXTENDING LONGTUDINALLY INSIDE OF SAID OUTER HOUSING, WITH SAID MANIFOLD SECTION HAVING AN OPEN END PORTION THEREOF IN OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE EXHAUST GAS PORT IN THE END OF SAID OUTER HOUSING SPACED FROM SAID NON-PERFORATE END PLATE WHEREBY AN EXHAUST GAS STREAM MAY PASS RADIALLY THROUGH SAID PARTICLES IN SAID RETAINING SECTION BETWEEN SAID PERFORATE MEMBERS AS SUCH STREAM PASSES FROM ONE END OF SAID APPARATUS TO THE OTHER END THEREOF.