Means and apparatus for catalytically oxidizing an exhaust gas stream

Claim 1

A CATALYTIC CONVERTER-MUFFLER FOR TREATING AN EXHAUST GAS STREAM WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION, ON ELONGATED OUTER HOUSING HAVING AN INLET PORT AT ONE END AND AN OUTLET PORT AT THE OTHER END THEREOF, AN ELONGATED PERFORATE CATALYST RETAINING SECTION EXTENDING FOR AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF THE INTERIOR LENGTH OF SAID HOUSING, SUBDIVIDED CATALYST PARTICLES MAINTAINED WITHIN SAID CATALYST RETAINING SECTION AND FORMING A CATALYST BED, AN INLET MANIFOLD MEANS FROM THE INLET PORT AT ONE END OF SAID HOUSING THAT IS COEXTENSIVE WITH ONE FACE OF SAID PERFORATE CATALYST RETAINING SECTION AND SUITABLE FOR DISTRIBUTING A GAS STREAM THERETHROUGH AN OPPOSING GAS COLLECTION MANIFOLD COEXTENSIVE WITH THE OPPOSING FACE OF SAID CATALYST RETAINING SECTION AND CONNECTIVE WITH THE OUTLET PORT OF SAID HOUSING, WHEREBY AN EXHAUST GAS STREAM MAY BE PASSED THROUGH SAID HOUSING AND THROUGH THE CATALYST MAINTAINED THEREIN, AND MOVABLE DAMPER MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND THE INLET MANIFOLD SERVING TO PARTITION THE BED INTO AN UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM SECTION, WITH SAID DAMPER MEANS ADJUSTABLE TO PRECLUDE GAS FLOW WHEN CLOSED ONLY THROUGH THE DOWNSTREAM END SECTION OF SAID INLET MANIFOLD AND THROUGH SAID CATALYST RETAINING SECTION OPPOSING SUCH DOWNSTREAM END THEREOF.