Muffler construction and method of selectively modifying its sound-attenuating characteristics

Claim 2

A muffler including, in combination, a housing, a plurality of gas passage tubes in said housing, gas inlet means and gas outlet means for the housing, a plurality of lengthwise spaced transverse baffles in said housing providing a plurality of chambers, said gas passage tubes extending through openings in certain of the baffles and disposed in transversely spaced relation, one of said baffles having a gas support port, a relatively movable valve member for said port, said port being in communication with the gas outlet means, said valve member in one position substantially closing said port whereby the gases flow from the inlet means through the gas passage tubes to the outlet means, said valve member being movable to a second position substantially closing an end of one of said gas passage tubes whereby the gases are directed through the port to the gas outlet means, and means including an actuating rod extending lengthwise of the gas passage tubes for effecting movement of said valve member to its respective positions.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 including fluid pressure actuated means for moving the actuating rod for effecting movement of the valve member.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 1 including electrically energizable motive means for moving the actuating rod for effecting movement of the valve member.

Claim 5

A muffler including, in combination, a housing having end walls, a plurality of gas passage tubes in said housing in laterally spaced relation, one of said tubes providing a gas inlet through one end wall and another of said tubes providing a gas outlet through the other end wall, a gas passage tube intermediate the tubes providing the gas inlet and the gas outlet, a transversely disposed baffle intermediate the end walls and forming with one end wall a transverse chamber, said baffle having a port therein, relatively movable valve means for said port, the intermediate gas passage tube having an open end adjacent the valve means, the wall of the gas outlet tube having an open area in registration with the transverse chamber, said valve means in one position substantially closing said port whereby the gases flow through the plurality of gas passage tubes for delivery from the outlet tube, said valve means being movable to a second position substantially closing said open end of the intermediate gas passage tube and directing the gases from the inlet gas passage tube through the port and open area in the wall of the outlet tube for delivery from the outlet tube, and means for effecting movement of said valve means.

Claim 6

A muffler including, in combination, a housing having end walls, a plurality of gas passage tubes in said housing in laterally spaced relation, one of said tubes providing a gas inlet through one end wall and another of said tubes providing a gas outlet through the other end wall, a gas passage tube intermediate the tubes providing the gas inlet and the gas outlet, a transversely disposed baffle intermediate the end walls and forming with one end wall a transverse chamber, said baffle having a port therein, relatively movable valve means for said port, the intermediate gas passage tube having an open end adjacent the valve means, the wall of the gas outlet tube having an open area in registration with the transverse chamber, said valve means in one position substantially closing said port whereby the gases flow through the plurality of gas passage tubes for delivery from the outlet tube, said valve means being movable to a second position substantially closing said open end of the intermediate gas passage tube and directing the gases from the inlet gas passage tube through the port and open area in the wall of the outlet tube for delivery from the outlet tube, and means for effecting movement of said valve means.

Claim 7

A muffler construction for attenuating sound waves in a stream of gases including, in combination, a muffler housing having end walls, one end wall having a gas inlet and the other end wall having a gas outlet, a plurality of lengthwise spaced transverse baffles in said housing providing transverse chambers, a plurality of gas passage tubes extending through openings in certain of the baffles and disposed in transversely spaced relation, one of the transverse baffles having a port therein, a relatively movable valve member of curved configuration selectively movable to a position substantially closing the port for thereby directing the gases through the plurality of gas passage tubes, said curved valve member in a second position opening the port whereby substantially all of the gases from the first of said gas passage tubes are directed through the port to the outlet.

Claim 8

A muffler construction for attenuating sound waves in a stream of gases including, in combination, a muffler housing having end walls, one end wall having a gas inlet and the other end wall having a gas outlet, a plurality of lengthwise spaced transverse baffles in said housing providing transverse chambers, a plurality of gas passage tubes extending through openings in certain of the baffles and disposed in transversely spaced relation, one of the transverse baffles having a port therein, a relatively movable valve member of curved configuration selectively movable to a position substantially closing the port for thereby directing the gases through the plurality of gas passage tubes, said curved valve member in a second position opening the port whereby substantially all of the gases from the first of said gas passage tubes are directed through the port to the outlet.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 5 wherein the walls of the gas passage tubes have openings providing acoustic couplings for attenuating sound waves entrained in the stream of gases.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 14 including means for moving the valve member to its selected positions.

Claim 11

A muffler construction for attenuating sound waves in a stream of gases including, in combination, a muffler housinG having end walls, one end wall having a gas inlet and the other end wall having a gas outlet, a plurality of lengthwise spaced transverse baffles in said housing providing transverse chambers, a plurality of gas passage tubes extending through openings in certain of the partitions and in transversely spaced relation whereby the gases may flow from the inlet through the gas passage tubes in succession, the gases flowing in the same direction in two of the tubes and in a reverse direction through another of the tubes providing a long flow path for the gases to the outlet, the walls of the gas passage tubes having openings providing acoustic couplings for the attenuation of sound waves entrained in the stream of gases, one of the transverse baffles adjacent the outlet end of the muffler having a port, valve means selectively movable to a position closing the port for thereby directing the gases through the long flow path provided by the plurality of gas passage tubes, the valve means in a second position opening the port whereby substantially all of the gases from the first of said gas passage tubes is bypassed through the port to the outlet.

Claim 12

A muffler construction for attenuating sound waves in a stream of gases including, in combination, a muffler housinG having end walls, one end wall having a gas inlet and the other end wall having a gas outlet, a plurality of lengthwise spaced transverse baffles in said housing providing transverse chambers, a plurality of gas passage tubes extending through openings in certain of the partitions and in transversely spaced relation whereby the gases may flow from the inlet through the gas passage tubes in succession, the gases flowing in the same direction in two of the tubes and in a reverse direction through another of the tubes providing a long flow path for the gases to the outlet, the walls of the gas passage tubes having openings providing acoustic couplings for the attenuation of sound waves entrained in the stream of gases, one of the transverse baffles adjacent the outlet end of the muffler having a port, valve means selectively movable to a position closing the port for thereby directing the gases through the long flow path provided by the plurality of gas passage tubes, the valve means in a second position opening the port whereby substantially all of the gases from the first of said gas passage tubes is bypassed through the port to the outlet.

Claim 13

The combination according to claim 8 including motive means for effecting relative movement of the valve means.

Claim 14

The combination according to claim 8 wherein the valve means is of curved configuration.

Claim 15

The combination according to claim 8 wherein the valve means is a pivotally supported plate.

Claim 16

The combination according to claim 8 wherein the valve means is a flexible plate adapted to be flexed to selected positions.

Claim 17

The combination according to claim 8 including resilient means normally biasing the valve in a position closing the port in the transverse baffle, and motive means for moving the valve to a position opening the port.

Claim 18

The combination according to claim 13 wherein the motive means is a fluid pressure-operated servomotor.

Claim 19

The combination according to claim 13 wherein the motive means is an electrically energizable solenoid actuator.

Claim 20

A muffler construction for attenuating sound waves entrained in a gas stream comprising, in combination, a housing having end walls, one of said walls having an opening accommodating an inlet gas passage tube, the other of said end walls having an opening accommodating an outlet gas passage tube, an intermediate gas passage tube in transversely spaced relation with respect to the inlet and outlet gas passage tubes, transversely disposed baffles in said housing having openings accommodating said gas passage tubes and forming transverse chambers in the housing, a baffle wall spaced from the end head having a gas outlet providing a transverse gas passage chamber, said baffle wall and an adjacent baffle providing a transverse gas passage chamber, said gas passage tubes being arranged to provide a gas flow path through the tubes in succession, the walls of said gas passage tubes having openings providing acoustic couplings for attenuating sound waves entrained in the gas stream, a port in said baffle wall, valve means movable to a first position for closing said port, said valve means being movable to a second position for closing the entrance of the intermediate gas passage tube, said outlet gas passage tube having open areas in a wall thereof in registration with the transverse chamber defined by the outlet end wall and the baffle wall, and means including an actuating rod for moving the valve means to its selected positions.

Claim 21

A muffler construction for attenuating sound waves entrained in a gas stream comprising, in combination, a housing having end walls, one of said walls having an opening accommodating an inlet gas passage tube, the other of said end walls having an opening accommodating an outlet gas passage tube, an intermediate gas passage tube in transversely spaced relation with respect to the inlet and outlet gas passage tubes, transversely disposed baffles in said housing having openings accommodating said gas passage tubes and forming transverse chambers in the housing, a baffle wall spaced from the end head having a gas outlet providing a transverse gas passage chamber, said baffle wall and an adjacent baffle providing a transverse gas passage chamber, said gas passage tubes being arranged to provide a gas flow path through the tubes in succession, the walls of said gas passage tubes having openings providing acoustic couplings for attenuating sound waves entrained in the gas stream, a port in said baffle wall, valve means movable to a first position for closing said port, said valve means being movable to a second position for closing the entrance of the intermediate gas passage tube, said outlet gas passage tube having open areas in a wall thereof in registration with the transverse chamber defined by the outlet end wall and the baffle wall, and means including an actuating rod for moving the valve means to its selected positions.

Claim 22

The combination according to claim 16 including motive means for actuating said rod to move said valve means to one position, and resilient means for moving said valve means to its other position.

Claim 23

A muffler including, in combination, a housing, a plurality of gas passage tubes in said housing, gas inlet means and gas outlet means for the housing, a first gas passage tube being in communication with the gas inlet means, another of said gas passage tubes being in communication with the gas outlet means, an intermediate gas passage tube spaced laterally from the gas passage tubes in communication with the gas inlet means and the gas outlet means, baffle means in said housing having a gas passage port therein, a relatively movable valve member for said port, said port being in communication with the gas outlet means, said valve member in one position closing said port whereby the gases flow from the inlet means through the plurality of tubes in succession to the outlet means, said valve member being movable to a second position substantially closing an end of the intermediate gas passage tube whereby the gases from the first of the tubes are bypassed through the port to the gas outlet means, and means including a reciprocable rod for effecting movement of said valve member to its respective positions.

Claim 24

A muffler including, in combination, a housing, a plurality of gas passage tubes in said housing, gas inlet means and gas outlet means for the housing, a first gas passage tube being in communication with the gas inlet means, another of said gas passage tubes being in communication with the gas outlet means, an intermediate gas passage tube spaced laterally from the gas passage tubes in communication with the gas inlet means and the gas outlet means, baffle means in said housing having a gas passage port therein, a relatively movable valve member for said port, said port being in communication with the gas outlet means, said valve member in one position closing said port whereby the gases flow from the inlet means through the plurality of tubes in succession to the outlet means, said valve member being movable to a second position substantially closing an end of the intermediate gas passage tube whereby the gases from the first of the tubes are bypassed through the port to the gas outlet means, and means including a reciprocable rod for effecting movement of said valve member to its respective positions.