US3275346A

US3275346A - Flange

Info

Publication number: US3275346A
Application number: US373448A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul V Gregg
Original assignee: Walker Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Walker Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1964-06-08
Filing date: 1964-06-08
Publication date: 1966-09-27
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-27

Description

p 1966 P. v. GREGG 3,275,345

FLANGE Filed June 8, 1964 INVENTOR. 7 14 7746722 'rc;;

BY W, vgm,

United States Patent 3,275,346 FLANGE Paul V. Gregg, Racine, Wis., assignor to Walker Manufacturing Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 8, 1964, Ser. No. 373,448 1 Claim. (Cl. 28549.)

This invention relates generally to internal combustion engines, and more particularly, to an improved pipe flange for connecting the exhaust pipe to the exhaust manifold of an automotive engine.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a flange for inter-connecting the exhaust pipe and exhaust manifold of an automotive engine, which flange is characterized by the same structural rigidity as heretofore known and used flange devices, but wherein considerably less material is used than in such known and used flanges.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a flange of the above character which, by virtue of the fact that it consists of less material than heretofore known flange devices, may be manufactured or produced at a considerably faster rate than such known flange devices and is therefore considerably less expensive to commercial- 1y produce.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the flange of the present invention, as seen in operative association with a conventional automotive exhaust pipe and exhaust manifold;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevated perspective view, partially broken away, of the flange of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, a pipe flange 10, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is shown in operative association with a conventional automotive engine 12 comprising an engine block 14, an air-fuel intake system 16, and an exhaust system consisting of an exhaust manifold 18 and an exhaust pipe or conduit 20. The flange is adapted to rigidly connect the manifold 18 with the conduit 20, in a manner hereinafter to be described.

As seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the flange 10 is generally oval in shape and comprises a flat or planar base section 22 which defines a central annular opening 24. An outer peripheral section or skirt 26 projects perpendicularly upward from and extends around the outer periphery of the flanges base section 22. In a similar manner, an annular shoulder or extrusion 28 projects perpendicularly upward from the flanges base section 22 around the periphery of the opening 24. As seen in FIGURE 3, the upper edges of the skirt 26 and extrusion 28 are coplanar and define a gasket seating surface 30.

The size of the opening 24 is preferably equal to the inside diameter of the exhaust pipe 20, and the side of the flanges base section 22 opposite the skirt 26 and extrusion 28 is adapted to be secured as by welding to the upper end of the pipe in a manner such that the opening 24 is coaxially aligned with the inside diameter of the pipe 20, as seen in FIGURE 3. A pair of manifold

stud receiving apertures

32 and 34 are formed in the base section 22 of the flange 10 on the opposite sides of the central opening 24 and interjacent the peripheral skirt 26 and extrusion 28.

As seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the flange 10 is secured to the exhaust manifold 18 by a pair of manifold studs 36 3,275,346 Patented Sept. 27, 1966 and 38 that are fixedly-secured at their upper ends to a flat-exhaust pipe mounting surface 40 formed on the lower side of the manifold 18. The lower ends of the

studs

36 and 38 are externally threaded and extend downward from the mounting surface 40 through the

apertures

32 and 34 formed in the flange 10, whereby

suitable washers

42, 44 and

nuts

46, 48, are used in conjunction with the studs 36 and '38 to rigidly secure the flange 10 to the manifold '18. A gasket, which 'is hereindesignated by the numeral 50 and is formed with suitable openings corresponding .to the opening 24 and the

apertures

32 and 34 of the flange 10, is compressed between the mounting surface 40 of the manifold 18 and the gasket seating surface 30 formed by the upper edges of the flanges skirt 26 and extrusion 28, thereby providing a gas-tight seal between the manifold 18-and the flange 10 upon assembly thereof.

In a preferred construction of the present invention, the flange 10 is fabricated of .090 inch to .125 inch coil stock and is formed into the above described configuration by means of conventional stamping techniques. Preferably, the thickness or height of the flange 10 in the axial direction is about of an inch, and the upper edges of the skirt 26 and extrusion 28 are machined on a conventional belt grinder or the like so as to be coplanar and thereby define the flat gasket seating surface 30. With the above construction, it has been found that normal tightening of the

nuts

46 and 48 on the

manifold studs

36 and 38 to secure the flange 10 to the manifold 18, does not cause the upper edges of the skirt 26 or extrusion 28 to cut or similarly damage the gasket 50. Furthermore, it has been found that the base section 22 of the flange 10 does not tend to diaphragm or deform upon normal tightening of the

nuts

46 and 48 on the

studs

36 and 38.

As seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the flanges base section '22, skirt 26 and extrusion 28 form an annular channel, herein designated 52, that extends between the inner periphery of the skirt 26 and the outer periphery of the ext-rusion 28. The channel 52 may be filled with a suitable heat-resistant, sound-deadening material 54 to reduce the high frequency pipe ring produced as exhaust gases are transmitted through the exhaust pipe 20. One suitable sound-deadening material consists of a plastic resin such as polybutene, poly-isobutene or butyl rubber. This material may be molded directly with the channel 52 or alternatively, may be molded and cut to the size of the channel 52 and be inserted therewithin upon assembly of the flange 10.

It will be apparent from the aforegoing description of the present invention that a particular feature of the flange 10 resides in the fact that a strong durable construction is provided that requires a minimum amount of material and a minimum number of manufacturing operations for the fabrication thereof. Accordingly, it will be evident that the flange 10 is considerably more economical to commercially produce than similar type flange structures heretofore known and used; i.e., flanges that are constructed of relatively heavy gauge strip stock material.

While it will 'be apparent that the preferred embodiment herein illustrated is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the flange 10 of the present invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:

A pipe flange for connecting the exhaust pipe to the exhaust manifold of an automotive engine,

sai-d flange comprising a flat oval-shaped base section which defines a central exhaust gas opening and a pair of manifold stud-receiving apertures on the opposite sides of said opening,

said flange being formed with skirt section projecting perpendicularly away from said base section and extending around the outer periphery of said base section,

said flange being further formed with an extrusion sec tion projecting perpendicularly away from said base section in the same direction as said skirt section and disposed around the periphery of the said central opening,

the outer ends of said skirt section and said extrusion section defining a gasket seating surface,

the cavity defined by said base section, extrusion section and said skirt section being at least partially filled With the plastic resin sound-deadening material,

said flange being Welded to the exhaust pipe around the periphery of said central opening and on the opposite side of said base section from said skirt section and said extrusion section,

means including bolt means extending through said apertures for connecting said flange to said manifold, and

gasket means interposed between said seating surface and said manifold.

, References Cited by the Examiner CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

T. A. LISLE, Assistant Examiner.