Catalyst converter

Claim 1

A CATALYTIC CONVERTER COMPRISING: A RADIAL FLOW CATALYST SUBSTRATE FORMED AS A CYLINDRICAL BODY OPEN AT BOTH ENDS AND HAVING AN OUTER CIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACE, AN ANNULAR SURFACE AT OPPOSITE OPEN ENDS THEREOF AND AN ANGULARLY INCLINED SURFACE AT EACH END INTERCONNECTING THE CYLINDRICAL SURFACE WITH EACH OF THE ANNULAR SURFACES; A FIRST CAN SECTION HAVING (A) AN ELONGATED, GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION HAVING A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE CATLAYST SUBSTRATE AND A LENGTH SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF THE CATALYST SUBSTRATE, SAID ELONGATED, GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION BEING OPEN AT BOTH ENDS, ONE OF SAID ENDS THEREON HAVING A FIRST MATING SURFACE, (B) A SMALL END PORTION CONNECTABLE TO AN EXHAUST PIPE FROM AN ENGINE, AND (C) AN INTERMEIDIATE PORTION INTERCONNECTING SAID SMALL END PORTION WITH THE OTHER OPEN END OF SAID ELONGATED, GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND PROVIDING INTERNAL LOCATING SURFACES FOR LOCATING THE ANNULAR AND THE INCLINED SURFACES LOCATED AT A FIRST END OF THE CATALYST SUBSTRATE; A SECOND CAN SECTION HAVING (A) A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION PROVIDING INTERNAL SURFACES THEREWITHIN, AND BEING OPEN AT BOTH ENDS, OF NE OF SAID ENDS HAVING A SECOND MATING SURFACE WHICH IS BONDED TO THE FIRST MATING SURFACE OF SAID ELONGATED, GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF THE FIRST CAN SECTION WHEREBY THE FIRST AND SECOND CAN SECTIONS FORM AN ENCLOSURE FOR THE CATALYST SUBSTRATE, AND (B) A SMALL OPEN END PORTION CONNECTABLE TO AN EXHAUST PIPE SAID SMALL END PORTION BEING CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER END OF SAID GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF THE SECOND CAN SECTION; A SUPPORT MEMBER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING ARMS TERMINATING AT FREE ENDS HAVING SURFACES FOR ENGAGING THE INTERNAL SURFACES OF THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF THE SECOND CAN SECTION TO LOCATE THE SUPPORT MEMBER WITHIN THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF THE SECOND CAN SECTION, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER ALSO DEFINING RADIALLY DIRECTED LOCATING SURFACES ON THE EXTENDING ARMS THEREOF; A BLOCKING MEMBER HAVING A FIRST SURFACE RECEIVED IN THE LOCATING SURFACES OF THE SUPPORT MEMBER AND A SECOND SURFACE PROVIDING LOCATING SURFACES FOR LOCATING THE ANNULAR AND THE INCLINED SURFACES OF A SECOND END OF THE CATALYST SUBSTRATE; AND SUPPORT AND SEAL MEMBERS LOCATED BETWEEN (A) THE ANGULARLY INCLINED SURFACE AT THE FIRST END OF THE CATALYST SUBSTRATE AND THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE FIRST CAN SECTION AND (B) THE ANGULARLY INCLINED SURFACE AT THE SECOND END OF THE CATALYST SUBSTRATE AND SAID BLOCKING MEMBER, EACH OF THE SUPPORT AND SEAL MEMBERS BEING IDENTICAL IN CONSTRUCTION AND COMPRISING (I9 A FIRST ANNULAR RING, (II) A SECOND ANNULAR RING, BOTH SAID FIRST AND SECOND ANNULAR RINGS HAVING AN INCLINED ANNULAT POTION AT THEIR INNER PORTION SAID FIRST AND SECOND ANNULAR RINGS BEING COUPLED AT THEIR INNER PORTION THEREOF, THE ANNULAR RINGS BEING SPACED FRON ONE ANOTEHR OVER MOST OF THEIR RADIAL EXTENSION, AND (III) A WIRE MESH INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND ANNULAR RINGS, THE INCLINED ANNULAR PORTION OF THE SECOND ANNULAR RING HAVING SLOTS THEREIN WITHIN WHICH PORTIONS OF THE WIRE MESH MAY BE RECEIVED TO ANCHOR THE MESH IN THE SUPPORT AND SEAL MEMBER.