Catalytic converter

Claim 1

IN A CATALYTIC CONVERTER FOR THE TREATMENT OF AUTOMOTIVE EXHAUST GASED, A HOUSING HAVING AN EXHAUST GAS INLET COMMUNICATING WITH AN INLET PLENUM INTERIORLY OF SAID HOUSING, AN EXHAUST GAS OUTLET COMMUNICATING WITH AN OUTLET PLENUM INTERIORLY OF SAID HOUSING, AND A CATALYTIC ELEMENT DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID INLET AND SAID OUTLET PLENUMS SUCH THAT SAID EXHAUST GASES PASSING FROM SAID INLET TO SAID OUTLET ARE CAUSED TO PASS THROUGH SAID CATALYTIC ELEMENT AND BE TREATED THEREIN; THE IMPROVEMENT CONSISTING OF, A PLURALITY OF SEALED CONTAINERS SUPPORTED ONLY IN SAID OUTLET PLENUM IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AND SAID CATALYTIC ELEMENT TO ENABLE TREATED EXHAUST GASES TO FLOW OVER AND AROUND SAID CONTAINERS, A FUSIBLE MATERIAL IN SAID CONTAINERS, SAID MATERIAL HAVING A MELTING POINT IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 400* TO 900*f. AND A LATENT HEAT OF FUSION OF AT LEAST ABOUT 10,000 BTU PER CUBIC FOOT, SAID MATERIAL BEING OPERATIVE TO ABSORB AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SENSIBLE HEAT OF THE TREATED GASES PASSING FROM SAID CATALIC ELEMENT TO SAID OUTLET DURING CONVERTER OPERATION AND TO RELEASE AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE ABSORBED HEAT TO SAID CATALYTIC ELEMENT DURING PERIODS OF NON-OPERATION THEREBY SERVING TO DECREASE THE RATE OF HEAT LOSS FROM SAID ELEMENT DURING SAID PERIODS OF NON-OPERATION, AND BEING USED IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE DURING DESIRED PERIODS OF NON-OPERATION.