Muffler assembly for snowmobiles

Claim 2

A muffler assembly for use in a snowmobile-like vehicle including a frame having an aperture therethrough, an engine fixedly mounted on said frame and exhaust gas conduit means connected to said engine, comprising, in combination, a cover having enclosing top and side walls and an open bottom, said covEr being mounted on said frame over said aperture; vibration attenuating means disposed along the peripheral edges of the walls of said cover adjacent the open bottom thereof, said vibration attenuating means spacing said cover from and securing said cover to said frame, a muffler contained in said cover; and securing means for mounting said muffler to said cover; said walls including port means for allowing connection of the exhaust gas conduit means to said muffler in said cover.

Claim 3

A muffler assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said securing means are shaped so as to distance said cover from said muffler to thereby allow air and snow circulation between said muffler and said cover.

Claim 4

A muffler assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said securing means include first bracket means fixed to the inside surface of said walls and second bracket means fixed to said muffler; and vibration attenuating means connecting said first to said second bracket means.

Claim 5

A muffler assembly for use in a snowmobile-like vehicle including a frame having an aperture therethrough, an engine fixedly mounted on said frame and exhaust gas conduit means connected to said engine, comprising, in combination, a cover having enclosing top and side walls and an open bottom, said cover being mounted on said frame over said aperture; a muffler contained in said cover; and securing means for mounting said muffler to said cover; said securing means being shaped to as to distance said cover from said muffler to thereby allow air and snow circulation between said muffler and said cover, and said securing means further including first bracket means fixed to the inside surface of said walls and second bracket means fixed to said muffler; and vibration attenuating means connecting said first to said second bracket means; said walls including port means for allowing connection of the exhaust gas conduit means to said muffler in said cover.

Claim 6

A muffler assembly for use in a snowmobile-like vehicle including a frame having an aperture therethrough, an engine fixedly mounted on said frame and exhaust gas conduit means connected to said engine, comprising, in combination, a cover having enclosing top and side walls and an open bottom, said cover being mounted on said frame over said aperture; a muffler contained in said cover; and securing means for mounting said muffler to said cover; said securing means being shaped to as to distance said cover from said muffler to thereby allow air and snow circulation between said muffler and said cover, and said securing means further including first bracket means fixed to the inside surface of said walls and second bracket means fixed to said muffler; and vibration attenuating means connecting said first to said second bracket means; said walls including port means for allowing connection of the exhaust gas conduit means to said muffler in said cover.

Claim 7

A muffler assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein the peripheral edges of the walls of said cover adjacent said open bottom are directly secured to said frame.

Claim 8

A snowmobile comprising a frame with an elongated inverted U-shaped portion; a suspended endless track mounted underneath said portion; a drive sprocket axle rotatably mounted transversely of said portion at the forward region thereof in driving engagement with said endless track; an engine located at the forward region of said portion; said frame having an aperture therethrough at the forward region thereof, a muffler assembly mounted on said frame at the forward region thereof and including a cover having top and side walls and an open bottom, said open bottom extending over said aperture, a muffler contained in said cover and spaced from the inside surface of said walls, and securing means for mounting said muffler to said cover; exhaust gas conduit means connecting said engine to said muffler; said walls of said cover including port means for allowing passage of said conduit means to said muffler in said cover; and a hood extending over said engine, conduit means and muffler assembly; said aperture being provided in said frame over said drive sprocket axle whereby air and snow collected adjacent said aperture from said track when driven by said axle are circulated inside said cover for cooling said muffler and said cover.

Claim 9

A snowmobile comprising a frame with an elongated inverted U-shaped portion; a suspended endless track mounted underneath said portion; a drive sprocket axle rotatably mounted transversely of said portion at the forward region thereof in driving engagement with said endless track; an engine located at the forward region of said portion; said frame having an aperture therethrough at the forward region thereof, a muffler assembly mounted on said frame at the forward region thereof and including a cover having top and side walls and an open bottom, said open bottom extending over said aperture, a muffler contained in said cover and spaced from the inside surface of said walls, and securing means for mounting said muffler to said cover; exhaust gas conduit means connecting said engine to said muffler; said walls of said cover including port means for allowing passage of said conduit means to said muffler in said cover; and a hood extending over said engine, conduit means and muffler assembly; said aperture being provided in said frame over said drive sprocket axle whereby air and snow collected adjacent said aperture from said track when driven by said axle are circulated inside said cover for cooling said muffler and said cover.

Claim 10

A snowmobile as defined in claim 6 wherein vibration attenuating means have one end secured to the peripheral edges of said walls adjacent the open bottom of said cover and the other end secured to said frame to thereby limit vibrations between cover and frame.

Claim 11

A snowmobile as defined in claim 6 wherein vibration attenuating means secure said muffler to the inside surface of said cover to thereby limit vibrations between muffler and cover.

Claim 12

A snowmobile as defined in claim 6 wherein said aperture has an area substantially equal to the area of said open bottom of said cover.