Pollution control device for automobile exhaust

Claim 1

An emission control device for reducing pollution of the atmosphere by automobile engine exhaust gases, comprising in combination, a housing having walls defining a chamber, an inlet for exhaust gases into said chamber, and an outlet for exhaust gases spaced from said inlet to cause exhaust gases to flow through said chamber from said inlet to said outlet, said housing having an opening and a wall portion comprising a cover for said opening movable between open and closed positions, a plurality of pairs of electrode units mounted in said housing and spaced from one another, each of said pairs comprising a first casing mounted in a wall of said housing, a first tubular insulator extending through said casing, a first electrode wire extending through said first insulator and having an inner end portion exposed in said chamber and an outer end portion outside said housing, means providing a pressure-tight seal between said first electrode wire, said first insulator and said first casing, a second casing mounted in the same wall of said housing beside and near said first casing, a second tubular insulator extending through said second casing, a second electrode wire extending through said second insulator and having an inner end portion inside said chamber near the inner end portion of said first electrode wire and an outer end portion outside said housing, means providing a pressure-tight seal between said second electrode wire, said second insulator and said second casing, said first and second tubular insulators and electrode wires being parallel with one another and spaced laterally apart, said inner end portion of at least said second electrode wire being bent at an angle to the axis of said second insulator and said second insulator being rotatable about its axis together with said second electrode wire to move the inner end portion of said second electrode wire toward and away from the inner end portion of said first electrode wire and thereby vary the distance between inner tip portions of said electrode wires, means connected to the outer end portions of said electrode wires for supplying high voltage electric current continuously to said electrode wires of each pair of electrode units to produce a continuous electric discharge between said inner tip portions of the electrode wires of each pair while the engine of said automobile is running, an arm fixed on an outer end portion of said second tubular insulator of each pair of electrode units and extending radially of said second insulator, linkage interconnecting said arms of all of said pairs of electrode units and control means connected with said linkage and operable to rotate all of said second insulators and said second electrode wires to a first position to bring inner tips of said first and second electrode wires of each pair close together to provide a gap of about one eighth inch to initiate discharge between them when the engine is started and thereafter move said tip portions further apart to increase the length of the electric discharge path between them to provide a gap of about one inch and maintain them continuously in said further spaced condition to provide a continuous flame for consuming combustibles in the exhaust gases.