US1840862A - Exhaust treating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 12, 1932. E 5 1,840,862

EXHAUST TREATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20. 1928 -III:

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1932 PIATEN'IFOFFICEY JEAN FRANCIS WEBB, sn, or new Yonx, N. Y.

nxmus'r rnna'rme Arranazrus Application filed. December 20, 1928. Serial No. 827,287.

This invention relates to mechanism for receiving the exhaust gases from internal combustion engines and so acting upon the same as to discharge them to atmosphere free from poisonous fumes in a cooled state and noiselessly.

The first and most important object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for so acting upon the exhaust gases as to convert the carbon monoxide gas which is always present (from seven percent to ten percent of the volumeof the exhaust) into harmless carbon dioxide, before passing the exhaust gases into the atmosphere. In order to accomplish this object it is necessary to supply the exhaust gases with sufiicient oxygen to change the carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. Pure air contains approximately twenty-one percent of oxygen, but experience has shown that, while the oxygen of the air will eventually neutralize carbon monoxide the percentage of neutralization under ordinary conditions is not sufficiently rapid, especially where there is heavy traflic, to prevent many of the deleterious effects of slight carbon monoxide poisoning, and recent investigations have shown that a large proportion of the urban increase of cardiac afilictions is due to the often repeated, though soning. Therefore, second only to the neutralization itself, the real and practical problem has been to effect the neutralization so rapidly that it is completed during the passage of the gases from the engine and before the exhaust is delivered into the surrounding atmosphere for inhalation by the ublic.

WVith the knowledge that in this case, as in many others, heat hastens the-chemical reaction, the problem became one of supplying a sufiicient volume of heated air to the exhaust so that the chemical reaction might be accomplished within the mechanism itself before the passage of the exhaust to atmosw phere.

Therefore, in the construction of this mechanism, provision has been made for a super-abundance of oxygen-bearing air to be brought into the space between the inner L, and outer shells for obtaining the desired very light, attacks of this insidious gas poieffect, and while this oxygen-bearing air is passing through the mechanism, the heat, necessary for hastening the chemical combi nation of the oxygen with the carbon monoxide, is automatically obtained from the source of the monoxide itself by means of the ingenious construction of the mechanism which radiates the heat of the exhaust into the passin air currents, so that when the poisonous ex aust reaches'the mixing chamber of the B0 mechanism, having been expanded, cooled and diffused en route, the chemical combination with the heated oxygen is instantly and completely effected there'before the expulsion into the atmosphere-as a harmless prodnot.

The second object of the invention is to so cool the hot exhaust while it is assing through the mechanism that, when it is finally discharged through the exit pipe, it is so cold that it cannot possibly ignite gasoline or gasoline vapors, thus making the vehicle fire-proof should an accident happen to start a leak in the gasoline tank.

A further object of the invention is to deaden and silence the explosive noise made by engine exhausts.

Carbon monoxide kills; but noise is an irritating annoyance, and the comfort of silent exhausts, which'makes the automobile public demand muflling, is incidentally furnished by this mechanism, while preparing the exhaust for the more important feature of neturalization, by conducting the exhaust through a series of expanding, cooling, condensing and silencing chambers within the inner shell. Spacing partitions between the said chambers have near-central openingsfor the passage of the exhaust, and these openings have deflecting vanes arranged at such an angle that the exhaust and the waves of sound are deflected outwardly and forced against both the periphery of the respective chambers and the imperforated rims of the said artitions to lessen,andfinallycompletelydea en,"all waves of sound. The rotary motion imparted by these deflecting vanes hastens the cooling, condensation and consequent silencin of the cxhaust, and their action may be ma e more effective if the angles of the vanes are reversed ume, when the car is at rest with the in each successive partition. These near-central openings are so designed that the entire exhaust passing through'them is deflected by the vanes of the respective partitions, there being no central hole through which some portion of the exhaust might escape without deflection.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mechanism which will attain the three principal objects hereinbefore enumerated and at the same time reduce the customary back pressure so greately that the power of the engine will be noticeably increased for either climbing,'quick acceleration, etc. thereby adding largely to the comfort and economy of operation.

Yet another object is to provide a mechanism in which the parts are so assembled as to permit ready removal of those parts which require (after a long interval of use) to be cleaned of accumulated carbon deposits.

Further, it is an object of the invention to'provide an exhaust treating apparatus embodying the novel features before referred to, which apparatus will be light in weight, of rugged construction, high in efficiency and low in cost of manufacture.

Further, it is an object to provide the apparatus with means to insure the fresh air flowing into the apparatus in suflicient v 01- engine running, to attain the desired results.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, features of construction and in the combination, connection and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, and then pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my exhaust treating apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure 2 isa front elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 Figure 1, looking forwardly.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Figure 1, looking rearwardly.

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, looking rearwardly.

In the drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 represents the inner shell which is provided with a front head consisting of the frusto-conical portion 2 and. the disk portion 3, the said portions 2 and 3 being apertured to fit onto the exhaust intake pipe section 4 to which they are preferably welded or otherwise permanently secured.

urrounding-the inner shell 1 and spaced a suitable distance therefrom is an outer shell 5, the over-all length of which is greater than that of the inner shell. The outer shell is provided at its front end, preferably,

my invention consists in the novel with a frusto-conical portion 7, though the front end may be left cylindrical if desired. The front end of the outer shell and the front head of the inner shell are connected by radial spacers 6. These spacers are supplied in suflicient number to afford a good mechanical support and are preferably made as thin as possible so as not to obstruct the free inflowing of air to the outer shell. These spacers 6 are preferably welded or otherwise per-- manently secured to the inner and outer shells 1 and 5 respectively so that these shells may be rigidly secured together at their front ends.

At the rear the outer shell 5 yond the inner shell 1 and, as at the front, radial spacers are provided. These spacers 8, like the spacers 6, are preferably welded or otherwise permanently secured to the shells 1 and 5. This makes a very rigid unit of the two shells and the exhaust intake pipe section 4. Nuts 9 are also preferably welded to the outer end of the shell 5 within its circumference to cooperate with screw bolts 12 of the second unit of the device now to be described.

The second unit of the device comprises an outer shell and hot air outlet cone 10 having a flange 11 at its base end to fit over the outer shell 5, to the rear end of which it is secured by the screw bolts 12 and nuts 9.

The outer shell and hot air outlet cone 10 has its apex end to the rear and terminates in a cylindrical shell 13 comprising a mix-' ing chamber. Disk carrying rods 14 are secured to the cone 10 and project parallelly into the inner shell adjacent the periphery thereof. The outer or rear ends of the rods 14 are projected through apertures in the cone 10 and extend outwardly substantially near to the surface of the cone for a purpose presently referred to.

Fitted onto the rods 14, which pass through apertures therein, are a plurality of silencing and diffusing disks 17 having fan blade-like vanes 18. The disks 17 are spaced apart at proper intervals by disk spacers 19 consisting of short tube lengths slipped onto the rods 14. The disks 17 have their vanes 18 so arranged that alternate disks will deflect the exhaust gases in opposite directions.

16 is a front supporting disk mounted on the rods 14, the rod ends being upset or riveted over to hold the members 17, 19 and 16 in place on the rods in their proper positions relative one to another. The front supporting disk 16 has a central aperture 29 of a diameter to fit snugly over the rear portion of the exhaust intake ipe section 4, the end of that pipe section being preferably tapered toward its axis as at 28 to enable the disks 16 'to be slipped over into place when the second unit is being assembled to thefir'st or shell unit.

20 designates an exhaust outlet cone whose projects he base is of a diameter to fit within the inner shell 1. The inner end of the exhaust outlet cone 20 serves as an abutment for the adjacent silencing and.diflusing disk 17. The cone 20. is apertured to permit passage of the rods 14, to which rods it is permanently secured by spot welding or-otherwisel The exhaust outlet cone 20 at its apex end is provided with a discharge tube 21 that is held concentric to the cylindrical mixing chamber tube 13 into which it projects slightly, the tube 21 being of a lesser diameter than the tube 13 so as to leave a passage between the two tubes for the hot air delivered by the cone 10.

In the present invention there is provided a secondary air intake cone 22 also supported by the rods 14 to which cone the bent ends 15 are secured by welding or in any other suitable way so that the secondary intake conewill become a part of the second unit of the apparatus. The secondary air intake cone 22 has its apex end provided with a cylindrical outlet flange 23 to which the mixing chamber proper 25 is secured by screw bolts 26 and nuts 24.

The mixing chamber proper 25 also functions as the final discharge pipe of the apparatus, from the outlet end 27 of which the treated exhaust gases are siliently and safely discharged.

It is to be observed that preferably the space between the 'cones 10 and 20 tapers from a larger area adjacent the inner and outer shells to a smaller area at the discharge end. In this way the hot air is caused to pass with great velocity through the primary mixing chamber 13 where it comes into direct contact with the exhaust gases that pass through the reduced outlet 21 of the cone 20 and thus bring the exhaust gases and air stream into intimate contact at considerable velocity.

Furthermore by reason of the construction of the cones 20, 10 and 22, should the engine be running while the auto is at rest, the exhaust gases passing through the outlet 21 into the primary mixing chamber within the pipe 13, causes the fresh air to be drawn in at the front of the outer shell 5 on the principle of the injector. Likewise the cone 10 and cylindrical pipe 13 in association with the cone 22 acts as an injector to draw a secondary supply of fresh air through the passage between the cones 10 and 22 and deliver the same into the final mixing chamber into which the primary mixture from the chamber within the pipe 13 is also delivered, thus causing a final mixing of the primary mixed gases and air and the secondary charge of fresh air so that the carbon monoxide by that time will have been reduced to the minimum.

Furthermore by reason of the reduction of the outlet 21- of the cone 20 and the discharge of the exhaust gases first into a pi e 13 of an intermediate diameter and from t at pipe into a pipe 2325 of a still greater diameter, the exhaust gases are not only mixed first with the hot air andthen with the secondary supply of fresh air, but are simultaneously expanded with the result that all back pressure of the engine is eliminated and this expansion insures the complete silencing of the discharge.

The reversing of the deflecting vanes of the silencing and di'iiusing disks 17 to cause the exhaust gases to flow alternatelyv in a clockwise and then a counterclockwise direcsound waves and making the exhaust noiseless and also so to retard the flow that more of the heat will be taken ofi through the inner shell and be absorbed'by the currents of air passing between the shells than would be the case where the exhaust gases passed straight through the inner shell.

Another important feature of my present invention is the fact that there are no cross partitions between the inner and outer shells to retard or obstruct the flow of air in any way.

Furthermore by providing the outlet cones with asingle relatively large discharge opening the flow of the exhaust gases is not retarded but the gases are discharged in the form of a single stream at sufficient velocity to bring about the proper suction to draw in the requisite amount of air.

The mixing chamber within the pipe 25 may be made of variable lengths to suit the engine and machine with which it is used, because of the fact that by the time the gases are ready to be discharged from the final. mixing chamber they will have been not only rendered comparatively harmless from the standpoint of health but will have been cooled sufliciently so that any possible danger of fire from over-heated pipes or sparks is avoided. No matter how hot theexhaust entering the pipe section 4, by the time it leaves the discharge end 27 of my apparatus it has been cooled sufiiciently to prevent any danger of fire. In fact, experience has shown that with my apparatus one can hold ones hand close to the outlet 27 without experiencing discomfort.

By enclosing the inner shell within the outer shell and causing the air to pass be,- tween these shells from end to end of the inner shell, the air absorbs the heat from the gases within the inner shell, thus enabling the temperature of the hot air and exhaust gases to approach one another closely by the time they are intermingled at the first mixing chamber 13, thus increasing the efliciency of the chemical-reaction between the oxygen of the hot air and the carbon monoxide of the hot exhaust gases.

From the foregoing it will be observed that by my apparatus the entire process of expanding, cooling, condensing and silencing of exhaust gases is automatically effected within a single inner shell or tube, which could replace the mufliers now in daily use on automobiles and do better work than they are doing. However, while such construction alone attains a portion of the objects of my invention it does not destroy or neutralize the carbon monoxide; therefore, for the purpose of securing this most important result in a most efficient manner, an outer shell is preferably placed around the inner shell to heat and control the currents of pure air bearing the oxygen necessary automatically to neutralize the poisonous carbon monoxide before it is passed out through the discharge tube as a cool and harmless mixture.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the construction, operation and the many advantages of my invention will be clear to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

Vhat I claim is:

1. In exhaust treating apparatus, an inner shell, an outer shell, front and rear radial partitions securing said shells in spaced relation, said inner shell having a front head, an exhaust intake pipe mounted in said inner shells front head and projected into the inner shell, means to whirl the exhaust gases in alternately opposite directions along the axis of the inner shell as the gases pass throughthe inner shell, and means at the discharge end of the inner shell for positively causing the exhaust gases to draw air into the outer shell and cause it to pass from the front to the rear thereof, and a mixing chamber into which said air and gases are v delivered.

2. In exhaust treating apparatus, an inner shell, an outer shell, front and rear radial partitions securing said shells in spaced relation, said inner shell having a front head, an exhaust intake pipe mounted in said inner shells front head and projected into the inner shell, means to whirl the exhaust gases in alternately opposite directions along the axis of. the inner shell as the gases pass through the inner shell, means at the discharge end of the inner shell for causing the exhaust gases to draw air into the outer shell and cause it to pass from the front to the rear thereof, a primary mixing chamber into which the gases and air are delivered from said shells, a final mixing chamber into which the mixture from the primary mixing chamber is delivered, and means to inject a secondary supply of air into said final mixing chamber with said mixture for the purposes described.

3. Exhaust treating apparatus comprising two detachable units, one of said units comprising an inner shell having a discharge end, an outer shell having an inlet end and a discharge end spaced around said inner shell, an exhaust inlet pipe section delivering into the inner shell, and spacers between said shells, the aforesaid parts being secured together as one body, the other of said units comprising an exhaust outlet cone located at the discharge end of the inner shell, a hot air outlet cone located at the discharge end of said outer shell, said cones having discharge throats, said exhaust outlet cone delivering into the throat of said hot air outlet cone, a mixing chamber into which said cones deliver their contents, and means to sustain said cones and mixing chamber as a unit in position with respect to said first mentioned unit.

4. Exhaust treating apparatus comprising two detachable units, one of said units comprising an inner shell having a discharge end, an outer shell having an inlet end and a discharge end spaced around said inner shell, an exhauts inlet pipe section delivering into the inner shell, and spacers between said shells, the aforesaid parts being secured together as one body, the other of said units comprising an exhaust outlet cone located at the discharge end of the inner shell, a hot air outlet cone located at the discharge end of said outer shell, said cones having discharge throats, said exhaust outlet cone delivering into the throat of said hot air outlet cone, to effect a primary mixture of the exhaust gases with hot air, a final mixing chamber into which the primary mixture is delivered, the aforesaid parts of said other unit being secured together as one, and means to sustain said second unit in position with respect to said first unit.

5. Exhaust treating apparatus comprising two detachable units, one of said units comprising an inner shell having a discharge end, an outer shell having an inlet end and a discharge end spaced around said inner shell, an exhaust inlet pipe section delivering into the inner shell, and spacers between said shells, the aforesaid parts being secured together as one body, the other of said units comprising an exhaust outlet cone located at the discharge end of the inner shell, a hot air outlet cone located at the discharge end of said outer shell, said cones having discharge throats, said exhaust out-let cone delivering into the throatof said hot air outlet cone to effect a primary mixture of the exhaust gases with hot air, a final mixing chamber into which the rimary mixture is delivered, and means or passing a secondary supply of fresh air into said final mixing chamber with the primary mixture, and means to secure said units together.

6. Exhaust treating apparatus comprising two units, one of said units comprising an inner shell having a discharge end, an outer shell having an inlet end and a discharge end spaced around said inner shell, an exthe aforesaid parts beingsecured together,

the other of said units comprising an exhaust outlet cone located at the discharge end of the inner shell, a hot air outlet cone located at the discharge end of said outer shell, said cones having discharge throats, said exhaust outlet cone delivering into the throat of said hot air outlet cone, a mixing chamber into which said cones deliver their contents, carrying rods securing said cones in spaced relation, said rods extending into said inner shell, silencing and diffusion disks mountedon said rods within said inner shell and spaced apart, a supporting disk connecting the ends of said rods at the front, said supporting disk having an aperture to slidably fit over the discharge end of said exhaust inlet pipe, and means for sustaining said cones, rods and disks as a unit in place on said first mentioned unit. 7

7 Exhaust treating apparatus comprising two units,'one of said units comprising an inner shell having a discharge end, an outer shell having an inlet end and a discharge end spaced around said inner shell, an exhaust inlet pipe section delivering into the inner shell, and spacers between said shells, the aforesaid parts being secured together, the other of said units comprising an exhaust outlet coneilocated at the discharge end of the inner shell, a hot air outlet cone located at the discharge end of said outer shell, said cones having discharge throats, said exhaust outlet cone delivering into the throat of said hot air outlet cone, a mixing chamber into which said cones deliver their contents, carrying rods securing said cones in spaced relation, said rods extending into said inner shell, silencing and diffusion disks mounted on said rods within said inner shell and spaced apart, a supporting disk connecting the ends of said rods at the' front, said supporting disk having an aperture to slidably fit over the discharge end of said exhaust inlet pipe,

means for sustaining said cones, rods anddisks as a unit in place on said first mentioned unit, said sustaining means comprising a flange on said hot air outlet cone which is fitted over the rear end of said outer shell, and means securing said flange to said outer shell. I

8. Exhaust treating apparatus comprising two detachable'units, one of said units comprising an inner shell having a discharge end, an outer shell having an inlet end and a discharge end spaced around said inner shell, an exhaust inlet pipe section delivering into the inner shell, and spacers between said shells, the aforesaid parts being secured to-v gether, the other of said units comprising an exhaust outlet cone located at the discharge end of the inner shell, a hot air outlet cone N located at the discharge end of 'said outer shell, said cones having discharge throats, said exhaust outlet cone delivering into the throat of said hot air outlet cone, a mixing chamber into which said cones deliver their contents, a secondary air inlet cone having a discharge throat into which said hot air outlet cone delivers, a combined mixing chamber and discharge-pipe secured to said secondary air inlet cones throat and into which the gases and air are delivered.

9. Exhaust treating apparatus comprising two detachable units, one of said units comprising an inner shell having a discharge end, an outer shell having an inlet end and a discharge end spaced around the inner shell, an exhaust inlet pipe section delivering into said inner' shell, and spacers between said shells, the aforesaid parts being secured toliver their contents, a secondary air inlet cone having a discharge throat into which said hot air outlet cone delivers, a combined mixing chamber and discharge pipe secured to said secondary air inlet cones throat and into which the gases and air are delivered, said hot air outlet cone having a flange secured to said outer shell for sustaining said second unit in place Withrespect to said first unit.

10. In exhaust treating apparatus, a first and a second unit, the first unit comprising an inner shell and an outer shell, front and rear spacers connecting said shells and holding same in spaced relation, a head for the front of said inner shell which includes a coni-forin member having an aperture, an exhaust intake pipe section fitted into said aperture and projected into said inner shell,

the second unit comprising a set of carrying rods, a set of silencing and diffusing disks fitted on said rods,- ineans spacing said disks apart, a supporting disk to which the front ends of said rods are secured, said supporting disk having an aperture to fit over the projecting portion of said exhaust intake pipe, an exhaust outlet cone secured on said rods in position to extend rearwardly from said inner shell, said disks being located in said inner shell when the parts are assembled, a hot air outlet cone also secured on said rods over said exhaust outlet cone and spaced therefrom, a secondary air intake cone secured to said rods over said hot air outlet cone and spaced therefrom, means to secure said hot air outlet cone to the rear end of said outer shell to support the second unit in place, said exhaust outlet cone delivering into the air stream which passes through the outlet of said hot air outlet cone, and said hot air outlet cone delivering into the air stream passing through the outlet of said secondary air intake cone.

11. In exhaust treating apparatus, a first and a second unit, the first unit comprising an inner shell and an outer shell, front and rear spacers connecting said shells and holding same in spaced relation, a head for the front of said inner shell which includes a coni-form member having an aperture, an exhaust in take'pipe section fitted into said aperture and projected into said inner shell, the second unit comprising a set of carrying rods, a set of silencing and diifusing disks fitted on said rods, means spacing said disks apart, a supporting disk to which the front ends of said rods are secured, said supporting disk having an aperture to fit over the projecting portion of said exhaust intake pipe, an exhaustoub let cone secured on said rods in position to extend rearwardly from said inner shell, said disks being located in said inner shell when the parts are assembled, a hot air outlet cone also secured on said rods over said exhaust outlet cone and spaced therefrom, a secondary air intake cone secured to said rods over said hot air outlet cone and spaced therefrom, means to secure said hot air outlet cone to the rear end of said outer shell to support the second unit in place, said exhaust outlet cone delivering into the air stream which passes through the outlet of said hot air outlet cone, and said hot air outlet cone delivering into the air stream passing through the outlet of said secondary air intake cone, said second unit also including a final mixing chamber and discharge pipe into which said secondary intake cone discharges and from which the mixture is delivered to atmosphere.

12. Exhaust treating apparatus comprising two units, one of said units comprising an inner shell, an outer shell spaced around said inner shell, an exhaust inlet pipe section delivering into the inner shell, and spacers be tween said shells, the aforesaid parts being secured together, the other of said units comprising an exhaust outlet cone located at the discharge end of the inner shell, a hot air outlet cone located at the discharge end of said outer shell, said cones having discharge throats, said exhaust outlet cone delivering into the throat of said hot air outlet cone, a mixing chamber into which said cones deliver their contents, carrying rods securing said cones in spaced relation, said rods extending into said inner shell, silencing and dilfusion disks mounted on said rods Within said inner shell and spaced apart, means for supporting the ends of said rods at the front to hold said disks and rods in their pro er positions Within said inner shell, means cones, rods and disks as said first mentioned unit.

13. Exhaust treating apparatus comprisa. unit in place on or sustaining said ing two units, one of said units comprising an inner shell, an outer shell spaced around said inner shell, an exhaust inlet pipe section delivering into the inner shell, and spacers between said shells, the aforesaid parts being secured together, the other of said units comprising an exhaust outlet cone located at the discharge end of the inner shell, a hot air outlet cone located at the discharge end of said outer shell, said cones having discharge throats, said exhaust outlet cone delivering into the throat ofsaid hot air outlet cone, a mixing chamber into which said cones deliver their contents carrying rods securing said cones in spaced relation, said rods extending into said inner shell, silencing and diffusion disks mounted on said rods Within said inner shell and spaced apart, means for supporting the ends of said rods at the front to hold said disks and rods in their proper positions Within said inner shell, means for sustaining said cones, rods and disks as a unit in place on said first mentioned unit, said sustaining means comprising a coupling between said hot air outlet cone and the rear end of said outer shell.

JEAN FRANCIS WEBB, SR.

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