Catalytic converter and substrate support

Claim 1

A method of assembly a catalytic converter of the motor vehicle type which comprises preassembling an annular gas impervious shock absorbent support mat only around the mid-section of a catalyst substrate to form a preassembly, inserting the preassembly into a tubular body of metal so as to be in centered, spaced, relation to the interior wall of said body, radially deforming the wall of the metal body into a reduced diameter annular ring in radial contact with said annular mat, said deforming step substantially simultaneously applying uniform inward radial pressure on said mat and radially compressing he mat to substantially reduce its thickness and to apply sufficient radial pressure against the substrate to hold the substrate in the body.

Claim 2

A method of assembly a catalytic converter of the motor vehicle type which comprises preassembling an annular gas impervious shock absorbent support mat only around the mid-section of a catalyst substrate to form a preassembly, inserting the preassembly into a tubular body of metal so as to be in centered, spaced, relation to the interior wall of said body, radially deforming the wall of the metal body into a reduced diameter annular ring in radial contact with said annular mat, said deforming step substantially simultaneously applying uniform inward radial pressure on said mat and radially compressing he mat to substantially reduce its thickness and to apply sufficient radial pressure against the substrate to hold the substrate in the body.

Claim 6

A method of assembling an automotive type catalytic converter which comprises deforming a first end of a first tubular metal body of uniform diameter into a gas flow end bushing, a deforming a first end of a second tubular metal body of uniform diameter into a second gas flow end bushing, preassembling an annular, gas impervious, shock absorbent mat only around a mid-section of a catalyst substrate, inserting the preassembly into the first end of the first body so that the outer end of the mat is radially aligned with the end of the first body, radially deforming the wall at a second end of the first body into a reduced diameter annular ring in radial contact with the annular mat to apply and retain radial pressure on and radially compress the mat to substantially reduce its thickness and to apply sufficient radially pressure against the substrate to hold the substrate in the first body, said forming substantially simultaneously applying uniform circumferential pressure to the entire outer surface of said support mat, and telescoping the first end of the second body over said ring and securing the first and second bodies together.

Claim 7

A method of assembling an automotive type catalytic converter which comprises deforming a first end of a first tubular metal body of uniform diameter into a gas flow end bushing, a deforming a first end of a second tubular metal body of uniform diameter into a second gas flow end bushing, preassembling an annular, gas impervious, shock absorbent mat only around a mid-section of a catalyst substrate, inserting the preassembly into the first end of the first body so that the outer end of the mat is radially aligned with the end of the first body, radially deforming the wall at a second end of the first body into a reduced diameter annular ring in radial contact with the annular mat to apply and retain radial pressure on and radially compress the mat to substantially reduce its thickness and to apply sufficient radially pressure against the substrate to hold the substrate in the first body, said forming substantially simultaneously applying uniform circumferential pressure to the entire outer surface of said support mat, and telescoping the first end of the second body over said ring and securing the first and second bodies together.