US5550337A — Exhaust system for a small planing craft

Claim 1

Independent Claim 233 words

An exhaust silencer for a watercraft having a hull, an internal combustion engine positioned within said hull substantially along a longitudinal center plane thereof, said internal combustion engine having at least one exhaust port for discharge of exhaust gases from said engine, said silencer comprising a first expansion chamber housing on one side of said hull, said first expansion chamber housing defining at least one internal expansion volume, an inlet for receiving exhaust gases and delivering exhaust gases to said first expansion chamber expansion volume, and an outlet for discharge of exhaust gases from said first expansion chamber housing expansion volume, conduit means for delivering exhaust gases from said engine exhaust port to said first expansion chamber housing inlet, a discharge conduit having a first end connected to said outlet of said first expansion chamber housing and a second end, a second expansion chamber housing positioned on the other side of said hull from said one side, said second expansion chamber housing defining at least one internal expansion volume, an input connected to said second end of said discharge conduit for delivering exhaust gases from said discharge conduit to said expansion volume of said second expansion chamber housing, and an output for discharging exhaust gases from said second expansion chamber housing expansion volume to the atmosphere, at least one of said expansion chamber housings being supported within said hull independently of said engine.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 233 words

An exhaust silencer for a watercraft having a hull, an internal combustion engine positioned within said hull substantially along a longitudinal center plane thereof, said internal combustion engine having at least one exhaust port for discharge of exhaust gases from said engine, said silencer comprising a first expansion chamber housing on one side of said hull, said first expansion chamber housing defining at least one internal expansion volume, an inlet for receiving exhaust gases and delivering exhaust gases to said first expansion chamber expansion volume, and an outlet for discharge of exhaust gases from said first expansion chamber housing expansion volume, conduit means for delivering exhaust gases from said engine exhaust port to said first expansion chamber housing inlet, a discharge conduit having a first end connected to said outlet of said first expansion chamber housing and a second end, a second expansion chamber housing positioned on the other side of said hull from said one side, said second expansion chamber housing defining at least one internal expansion volume, an input connected to said second end of said discharge conduit for delivering exhaust gases from said discharge conduit to said expansion volume of said second expansion chamber housing, and an output for discharging exhaust gases from said second expansion chamber housing expansion volume to the atmosphere, at least one of said expansion chamber housings being supported within said hull independently of said engine.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

The exhaust silencer of claim 1 wherein an elongate exhaust pipe extends from the second expansion chamber housing outlet along the other side of said watercraft throughout a substantial portion of the exhaust pipe length.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 24 words

The exhaust silencer for a watercraft as recited in claim 1 wherein the discharge conduit is located forward of the engine in the hull.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 32 words

The exhaust silencer for a watercraft as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and said second expansion chamber housings are balanced with respect to the longitudinal center plane of said hull.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 37 words

The exhaust silencer of claim 1 wherein said second expansion chamber housing defines a plurality of expansion volumes communicating with each other through restricted openings for subjecting the exhaust gases flowing therethrough to plural expansions and contractions.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 50 words

The exhaust silencer of claim 1 wherein said second expansion chamber housing input enters from a side of said second expansion chamber housing facing the longitudinal center plane of said hull and the outlet faces rearwardly so that said inlet and said outlet are at right angles to each other.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 71 words

The exhaust silencer of claim 6 wherein the second expansion chamber housing is divided into a plurality of expansion chambers each communicating with the other through a restricted opening, said expansion chambers and said restricted openings being oriented so that exhaust gases flow in a series fashion through each of said expansion chambers from said inlet to said outlet to provide plural expansions and contractions of the exhaust gases flowing therethrough.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 34 words

An exhaust silencer for a watercraft as recited in claim 1 wherein said inlets of said first and second expansion chamber housings are oriented at right angles with respect to the respective outlets thereof.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 180 words

An exhaust silencer located within a hull of a watercraft for silencing of the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine located separately from said exhaust silencer within said hull and propelling said hull, and said exhaust silencer comprising an outer housing defining an internal volume, means for locating said outer housing within said hull at a position spaced from said engine, a plurality of walls contained within said outer housing and dividing said outer housing into a plurality of expansion chambers, restricted gas flow openings in each of said walls for permitting flow between the expansion chambers defined in part by each wall and the outer housing, a single inlet conduit extending through one side of said outer housing and entering one of said expansion chambers for delivering all of the exhaust gases from said engine thereto, and a single outlet formed in said outer housing and extending at a right angle to said inlet and communicating with another of said expansion chambers for discharge of all of the engine exhaust gases from the outer housing to the atmosphere.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 180 words

An exhaust silencer located within a hull of a watercraft for silencing of the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine located separately from said exhaust silencer within said hull and propelling said hull, and said exhaust silencer comprising an outer housing defining an internal volume, means for locating said outer housing within said hull at a position spaced from said engine, a plurality of walls contained within said outer housing and dividing said outer housing into a plurality of expansion chambers, restricted gas flow openings in each of said walls for permitting flow between the expansion chambers defined in part by each wall and the outer housing, a single inlet conduit extending through one side of said outer housing and entering one of said expansion chambers for delivering all of the exhaust gases from said engine thereto, and a single outlet formed in said outer housing and extending at a right angle to said inlet and communicating with another of said expansion chambers for discharge of all of the engine exhaust gases from the outer housing to the atmosphere.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 22 words

An exhaust silencer as set forth in claim 9 wherein there are at least four expansion chambers formed within the outer housing.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 46 words

An exhaust silencer as set forth in claim 10 wherein first and second of expansion chambers are disposed on opposite ends of the outer housing and the third and fourth expansion chambers are disposed in side by side relationship between the first and second expansion chambers.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 38 words

An exhaust silencer as set forth in claim 11 wherein the first, second, third and fourth chambers are in serial communication with each other through a plurality of apertures formed in said walls at the upper end thereof.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 75 words

An exhaust silencer as set forth in claim 12 wherein engine cooling water is present along with exhaust gases delivered to said exhaust silencer inlet and wherein said walls are formed with restricted weep holes at the lower ends thereof for liquid communication of said first, second, third and fourth expansion chambers with each other and said weep holes permit water to flow therebetween to maintain a substantially same water level for each expansion chamber.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

An exhaust silencer as set forth in claim 10 wherein said first, second, third and fourth expansion chambers communicate with each other through facing openings.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 24 words

An exhaust silencer as set forth in claim 10 wherein the first, second, third and fourth expansion chambers having different volumes from each other.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-08-27	2000-02-26	2000-08-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-08-27	2004-02-26	2004-08-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-08-27	2008-02-26	2008-08-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Exhaust system for a small planing craft

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