Catalytic converter with air tube

Claim 2

In a catalytic converter for internal combustion engine exhaust gases and of the type having oxidizing catalyst means mounted in a housing wherein the housing is comprised of two sheet metal shell members having mating flanges which extend along opposite sides thereof and alongside the oxidizing catalyst means and are sealingly welded together and wherein air is injected into the housing for oxidation of the exhaust gases: the improvement comprising in combination, an opening formed between the shell member flanges on one side of the housing, an air tube extending through said opening and across the interior of the housing, said air tube having a closed end within the housing, said air tube further having a plurality of holes for delivering air into the exhaust gases in the housing, an external weld between said air tube and the shell member flanges forming said opening whereby the air tube is permanently sealingly secured to the housing external thereof, and pocket means formed between the interior sides of the shell member flanges on the opposite side of the housing inward of where these shell member flanges are welded, said pocket means being sealed by the associated flange weld and open to the interior of the housing for slidably supporting said closed end of the air tube between the shell member flanges on said opposite side whereby the air tube and the housing are free to expand with heat relative to each other while the air tube remains firmly supported at the housing sides and whereby the sealed integrity of the housing is undisturbed by the closed end of the air tube.

Claim 3

In a catalytic converter for internal combustion engine exhaust gases and of the type having oxidizing catalyst means mounted in a housing wherein the housing is comprised of two sheet metal shell members having mating flanges which extend along opposite sides thereof and are sealingly welded together and wherein air is injected into the housing for oxidation of the exhaust gases: the improvement comprising in combination, an opening formed between the shell member flanges on one side of the housing, an air tube extending through said opening and across the interior of the housing, said air tube having a closed end within the housing, said air tube further having a plurality of holes for delivering air into the exhaust gases in the housing, an external weld between said air tube and the shell member flanges forming said opening whereby the air tube is permanently sealingly secured to the housing external thereof, and a recess formed in only one of the interior sides of the shell member flanges on the opposite side of the housing inward of where these shell member flanges are welded, said recess being sealed by the associated flange weld and open to the interior of the housing for slidably receiving said closed end of the air tube between the shell member flanges on said opposite side whereby the air tube and the housing are free to expand with heat relative to each other while the air tube remains firmly supported at the housing sides and whereby the sealed integrity of the housing is undisturbed by the closed end of the air tube.

Claim 4

In a catalytic converter for internal combustion engine exhaust gases and of the type having oxidizing catalyst means mounted in a housing wherein the housing is comprised of two sheet metal shell members having mating flanges which extend along opposite sides thereof and are sealingly welded together and wherein air is injected into the housing for oxidation of the exhaust gases: the improvement comprising in combination, an opening formed between the shell member flanges on one side of the housing, an air tube extending through said opening and across the interior of the housing, said air tube having a closed end within the housing, said air tube further having a plurality of holes for delivering air into the exhaust gases in the housing, an external weld between said air tube and the shell member flanges forming said opening whereby the air tube is permanently sealingly secured to the housing external thereof, and a recess formed in only one of the interior sides of the shell member flanges on the opposite side of the housing inward of where these shell member flanges are welded, said recess being sealed by the associated flange weld and open to the interior of the housing for slidably receiving said closed end of the air tube between the shell member flanges on said opposite side whereby the air tube and the housing are free to expand with heat relative to each other while the air tube remains firmly supported at the housing sides and whereby the sealed integrity of the housing is undisturbed by the closed end of the air tube.

Claim 5

In a catalytic converter for internal combustion engine exhaust gases and of the type having oxidizing catalyst means mounted in a housing wherein the housing is comprised of two sheet metal shell members having mating flanges which extend along opposite sides thereof and are permanently sealingly welded together and wherein air is injected into the housing for oxidation of the exhaust gases: the improvement comprising in combination, an opening formed between the shell member flanges on one side of the housing, an air tube extending through said opening and across the interior of the housing, said air tube having a closed flattened end within the housing, said air tube further having a plurality of holes for delivering air into the exhaust gases in the housing, an external weld between said air tube and the shell member flanges forming said opening whereby the air tube is permanently sealingly secured to the housing external thereof, and a flat bottom recess formed in only one of the interior sides of the shell member flanges on the opposite side of the housing inward of where these shell member flanges are welded, said recess being sealed by the associated flange weld and open to the interior of the housing for slidably receiving said closed flattened end of the air tube between the shell member flanges on said opposite side whereby the air tube and the housing are free to expand with heat relative to each other while the air tube remains firmly supported at the housing sides and whereby the sealed integrity of the housing is undisturbed by the closed flattened end of the air tube.

Claim 6

In a catalytic converter for internal combustion engine exhaust gases and of the type having oxidizing catalyst means mounted in a housing wherein the housing is comprised of two sheet metal shell members having mating flanges which extend along opposite sides thereof and are permanently sealingly welded together and wherein air is injected into the housing for oxidation of the exhaust gases: the improvement comprising in combination, an opening formed between the shell member flanges on one side of the housing, an air tube extending through said opening and across the interior of the housing, said air tube having a closed flattened end within the housing, said air tube further having a plurality of holes for delivering air into the exhaust gases in the housing, an external weld between said air tube and the shell member flanges forming said opening whereby the air tube is permanently sealingly secured to the housing external thereof, and a flat bottom recess formed in only one of the interior sides of the shell member flanges on the opposite side of the housing inward of where these shell member flanges are welded, said recess being sealed by the associated flange weld and open to the interior of the housing for slidably receiving said closed flattened end of the air tube between the shell member flanges on said opposite side whereby the air tube and the housing are free to expand with heat relative to each other while the air tube remains firmly supported at the housing sides and whereby the sealed integrity of the housing is undisturbed by the closed flattened end of the air tube.

Claim 7

In a catalytic converter for internal combustion engine exhaust gases and of the type having oxidizing catalyst means mounted in a housing wherein the housing is comprised of two sheet metal shell members having mating flanges which are sealingly welded together and extend along opposite sides thereof but are offset to one side of the centerline of the housing and wherein air is injected into the housing for oxidation of the exhaust gases: the improvement comprising in combination, an opening formed between the shell member flanges on one side of the housing and angled away from the flanges on the opposite side of the housing, an air tube having a first straight tube portion extending through said opening, said air tube having a second straight portion within the housing angled relative to said first straight portion so as to extend centrally across the interior of the housing, said air tube having a plurality of holes for delivering air into the exhaust gases in the housing, an external weld between said first straight portion and the shell member flanges forming said opening whereby the air tube is permanently sealingly secured to the housing external thereof, pocket means formed between the interior sides of the shell member flanges on said opposite side, said pocket means being located inward of where the shell member flanges on said opposite side are welded and thereby sealed and being open to the interior of the housing, and said second straight portion having a closed end offset from its centerline slidably received by said pocket means whereby the second straight portion is centrally supported in the housing while the air tube and the housing are free to expand with heat relative to each other and whereby the sealed integrity of the housing is undisturbed by the closed end of the air tube.

Claim 8

In a catalytic converter for internal combustion engine exhaust gases and of the type having oxidizing catalyst means mounted in a housing wherein the housing is comprised of two sheet metal shell members having mating flanges which are sealingly welded together and extend along opposite sides thereof but are offset to one side of the centerline of the housing and wherein air is injected into the housing for oxidation of the exhaust gases: the improvement comprising in combination, an opening formed between the shell member flanges on one side of the housing and angled away from the flanges on the opposite side of the housing, an air tube having a first straight tube portion extending through said opening, said air tube having a second straight portion within the housing angled relative to said first straight portion so as to extend centrally across the interior of the housing, said air tube having a plurality of holes for delivering air into the exhaust gases in the housing, an external weld between said first straight portion and the shell member flanges forming said opening whereby the air tube is permanently sealingly secured to the housing external thereof, pocket means formed between the interior sides of the shell member flanges on said opposite side, said pocket means being located inward of where the shell member flanges on said opposite side are welded and thereby sealed and being open to the interior of the housing, and said second straight portion having a closed end offset from its centerline slidably received by said pocket means whereby the second straight portion is centrally supported in the housing while the air tube and the housing are free to expand with heat relative to each other and whereby the sealed integrity of the housing is undisturbed by the closed end of the air tube.