Catalytic converter

Claim 1

A CATALYTIC CONVERTER FOR REMOVING THE POLLUTANS FROM THE EXHAUST GASES OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, SAID CONVERTER COMPRISING AN OPEN ENDED CASING HAVING A SIDE WALL IN THE FORM OF A CLOSED CURVE, A MONOLITHIC CATALYTIC REFRACTORY ELEMENT HOUSED WITHIN SAID CASING, SAID SIDE WALL HAVING ONE OF ITS ENDS TURNED RADIALLY INWARDLY TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR FIRST FLANGE, A COLLAR HAVING AN ANNULAR BAND AND A SECOND FLANGE PROJECTING RADIALLY INWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID BAND BEING SECURED TO BUT NOT INTEGRAL WITH THE INNER FACE OF SAID CASING IN A POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST FLANGE AND THE AXIS OF SAID CASING WHEREBY SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLANGES SEAT AGAINST AND DIRECTLY CONTACT THE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM ENDS OF SAID ELEMENT IRRESPECTIVE OF THE ANGULAR DISPOSITION OF THE ENDS ON SAID ELEMENT WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, AN EXHAUST GAS INLET MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OUTER FACE OF SAID SIDE WALL AT SAID OTHER END OF SAID CASING, AN EXHAUST GAS OUTLET MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ONE END OF SAID CASING AND BEING FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO THE OUTER FACE OF SAID SIDE WALL AND AN ANNULAR WIRE MESH SCREEN INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE INNER FACE OF SAID CASING AND THE OUTER CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID ELEMENT AND BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLANGES FOR HOLDING SAID ELEMENT IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID CASING INNER FACE.