Purification of internal combustion engine exhaust gas

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OPERABLE ON LEADED FUEL, (A) AN EXHAUST GAS CONDUIT FOR CONDUCTING ENGINE EXHAUST GAS CONTAINING PARTICULATE LEAD FROM THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE TO AN INLET MEANS OF A CYCLONE SEPARATOR HEREAFTER SPECIFIED; (B) THE CYCLONE SEPARATOR, SAID SEPARATOR INCLUDING THE EXHAUST GAS INLET MEANS FOR INTRODUCING EXHAUST GAS TANGENTIALLY INTO THE SEPARATOR IN IN UPPER PORTION THEREOF, AND GAS DISCHARGE CONDUIT MEANS FOR REMOVAL OF EXHAUST GAS OF REDUCED PARTICULATE LEAD CONTENT FROM SAID SEPARATOR, SAID DISCHARGE CONDUIT MEANS INTERSECTING AN UPPER END WALL OF THE SEPARATOR AND EXTENDING AXIALLY LINEARLY DOWNWARDLY THEREWITHIN AN APPRECIABLE DISTANCE TO TERMINATE IN A GAS DISCHARGE OUTLET THEREIN AT A LEVEL OF THE SEPARATOR BELOW THAT OF THE GAS INLET MEANS; (C) SOLID PARTICULATE LEAD COLLECTOR MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH A LOWER END PORTION OF THE CYCLONE SEPARATOR FOR RECEIVING BY GRAVITATIONAL FLOW THE SOLID LEAD PARTICLES SEPARATED FROM THE EXHAUST GAS IN THE SEPARATOR; (D) A GAS-PERVIOUS MASS OF AN OXIDATION CATALYST SUSCEPTIBLE TO PREMATURE DEACTIVATION BY PARTICULATE LEAD DISPOSED WITHIN A LOWER END PORTION OF THE EXHAUST GAS DISCHARGE CONDUIT EXTENDING WITHIN AND SURROUNDED BY SAID SEPARATOR; (E) MEANS FOR RETAINING THE CATALYST GAS-PREVIOUS MASS WITHIN SAID GAS DISCHARGE CONDUIT END PORTION WHILE PERMITTING FREE FLOW OF THE GAS OF REDUCED LEAD CONTENT THEREINTO; AND (F) MEANS FOR REMOVING THE COLLECTED SOLID PARTICLES FROM THE COLLECTOR MEANS.