Catalytic converter muffler assembly

Claim 2

AN EXHAUST MUFFLER COMPRISING: A SUBSTANTIALLY HOLLOW MUFFLER SHELL HAVING AN EXHAUST GAS INLET AND AN EXHAUST GAS OUTLET; A CATALYST RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING APERTURED BOTTOM AND TOP PLATES WITHIN SAID SHELL HAVING A CATALYST THEREIN; A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART PARALLEL BAFFLE PLATES ALSO WITHIN SAID SHELL FORMING ACOUSTIC CHAMBERS, A PLURALITY OF CONDUIT MEMBER BETWEEN THE BAFFLE PLATES THAT ARE ADAPTED TO DIRECT EXHAUST GASES FROM SAID INLET THROUGH SAID BAFFLE PLATES AND ACOUSTIC CHAMBERS THROUGH SAID CATALYST IN SAID CATALYST RETAINING MEANS TO THE OUTLET; AND A BYPASS VALVE IS ADAPTED TO ADJACENT BAFFLE PLATES; WHEREBY SAID BYPASS VALVE IS ADAPTED TO OPEN AN APERTURE IN ONE BAFFLE PLATE TO DIRECT GAS TO SAID CATALYST RETAINING MEANS DURING A CINVERSION MODE, AND IS FURTHER ADAPTED TO CLOSE THE APERTURE AND OPEN A SECOND APERTURE IN THE ADJACENT BAFFLE PLATE TO DIRECT EXHAUST GASES AROUND SAID CATALYTIC RETAINING MEANS DURING A BYPASS MODE.

Claim 3

An exhaust muffler comprising: a substantially hollow shell having end plates; exhaust gas inlet and outlet means in one of the end plates; a plurality of spaced apart baffle plates forming acoustic chambers therebetween, said baffle plates being arraNged parallel with said end plates and being substantially perpendicular to said hollow shell; catalyst retaining means having a catalyst confined between two apertured plates positioned within an acoustic chamber and fixedly held between two spaced apart baffle plates; means cooperating with said exhaust gas inlet and exhaust gas outlet to direct exhaust gas through said baffle plates to the acoustic chambers, and a bypass valve having a rod extending through said one end plate and a head on the opposite end of said rod positioned between adjacent baffle plates whereby said head on said rod is adapted to cooperate with apertures in adjacent baffle plates when said rod is actuated, to open an aperture in one baffle plate to direct gas through the catalyst during a conversion mode, and to close the aperture and open an aperture in the other of said baffle plates to direct exhaust gases around said catalyst during a bypass mode.

Claim 4

An exhaust muffler comprising: a substantially hollow shell having end plates; exhaust gas inlet and outlet means in one of the end plates; a plurality of spaced apart baffle plates forming acoustic chambers therebetween, said baffle plates being arraNged parallel with said end plates and being substantially perpendicular to said hollow shell; catalyst retaining means having a catalyst confined between two apertured plates positioned within an acoustic chamber and fixedly held between two spaced apart baffle plates; means cooperating with said exhaust gas inlet and exhaust gas outlet to direct exhaust gas through said baffle plates to the acoustic chambers, and a bypass valve having a rod extending through said one end plate and a head on the opposite end of said rod positioned between adjacent baffle plates whereby said head on said rod is adapted to cooperate with apertures in adjacent baffle plates when said rod is actuated, to open an aperture in one baffle plate to direct gas through the catalyst during a conversion mode, and to close the aperture and open an aperture in the other of said baffle plates to direct exhaust gases around said catalyst during a bypass mode.

Claim 5

A dual exhaust muffler comprising: a substantially hollow shell having end plates; said hollow shell being generally divided into two separate sections; exhaust gas inlet and outlet means for each section formed respectively in each of said end plates with said inlet and outlet means leading into and out of each section; a plurality of spaced apart baffle plates forming acoustic chambers therebetween, arranged parallel with said end plates and being substantially perpendicular to said hollow shell; a catalyst retaining means in each of said separate sections having a catalyst confined between two apertured plates positioned within two separate acoustic chambers and being fixedly held between respective baffle plates; means in each of said sections cooperating with said exhaust gas inlets and exhaust gas outlets to direct exhaust gas through said baffle plates to the acoustic chambers, and bypass valve means having rods extending through each of said end plates having head portions on the opposite ends of each of said rods whereby said heads on said rods are adapted to cooperate with apertures in adjacent baffle plates when said rods are actuated to open an aperture in one baffle plate in each section, to direct gas through the catalyst during a conversion mode and to close the apertures and open an aperture in the other of said baffle plates in each section to direct exhaust gases around said catalyst during a bypass mode.

Claim 6

A dual exhaust muffler comprising: a substantially hollow shell having end plates; said hollow shell being generally divided into two separate sections; exhaust gas inlet and outlet means for each section formed respectively in each of said end plates with said inlet and outlet means leading into and out of each section; a plurality of spaced apart baffle plates forming acoustic chambers therebetween, arranged parallel with said end plates and being substantially perpendicular to said hollow shell; a catalyst retaining means in each of said separate sections having a catalyst confined between two apertured plates positioned within two separate acoustic chambers and being fixedly held between respective baffle plates; means in each of said sections cooperating with said exhaust gas inlets and exhaust gas outlets to direct exhaust gas through said baffle plates to the acoustic chambers, and bypass valve means having rods extending through each of said end plates having head portions on the opposite ends of each of said rods whereby said heads on said rods are adapted to cooperate with apertures in adjacent baffle plates when said rods are actuated to open an aperture in one baffle plate in each section, to direct gas through the catalyst during a conversion mode and to close the apertures and open an aperture in the other of said baffle plates in each section to direct exhaust gases around said catalyst during a bypass mode.

Claim 7

In a muffler as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means to direct exhaust gas through said baffle plates to the acoustic chambers is a plurality of aligned pipes through said baffle plates leading into and out of said chambers.