Articulated exhaust system

• US 4,188,784 A
• Filed: 12/05/1977
• Issued: 02/19/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Hall, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hart, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US05/857,488
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 60/313, 60/323, 60/322, 285/223, 285/268, 285/279, 285/131, 285/136, 285/137 R, 285/184, 285/275
• US Class Current: 60/323
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 13/04 concerning exhaust collecting exhaust gases with central suction systems not forming part of vehicles, e.g. in workshops or tunnels B08B15/002, otherwise along carriageways E01C1/005; extensions for melting snow on roads E01H5/00, E01H6/00; exhaust or silencing apparatus for internal combustion engines per se F01N; pipes, joints or supports therefor F16L
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1811 with means permitting relative movement, e.g. compensation of thermal expansion or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/053 held in place by bolts passing through flanges
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 39/04 allowing adjustment or movement of the multiline swivel type F16L39/06

Abstract

The exhaust manifold for a transversely mounted automobile engine terminates adjacent to the engine in an outlet having an articulated connection with the inlet of an exhaust header that terminates in an exhaust pipe discharging to the atmosphere.

The articulated connection comprises an annular coupling portion having a spherical surface at the header inlet removably interfitting within a downstream enlarging conical sealing surface at the manifold outlet. An annular flange adjacent to the inlet of the header may be seated in sealing engagement against a second sealing surface of the annular coupling portion. A collar is yieldingly urged against the annular flange by spring means removably secured to the header to enable replacement of the annular coupling portion and to maintain the latter during operation in sealing engagement with the conical sealing surface.

Claims

1. In an exhaust system for a transversely mounted automobile engine having a transversely extending roll axis which results in predominant movements of the parts attached to the engine in planes substantially normal to the roll axis;

an exhaust gas passage comprising an exhaust manifold with an outlet portion thereof attached to the engine for conducting exhaust gases from the engine and also an exhaust header with an inlet portion for conducting exhaust gases from the manifold to atmospheres;

means forming an articulated connection between the outlet portion of the manifold and the inlet portion of the header including two annular coupling portions of the gas passage associated respectively with the members comprising the manifold outlet portion and the header inlet portion and having seal surfaces removably interfitting one within the other in mutual sliding and sealing engagement around the gas passage;

the coupling portions being carried by the members respectively for movement therewith and with one coupling portion being in the form of a distinct annularly shaped seal member extending around one of the members;

means around the one member for preventing axial movement of the seal member in one direction away from the other coupling portion and having outwardly extending portions;

means for urging the members and coupling portions together to effect sealing engagement therebetween including a pair of springs, each being diametrically positioned with respect to the axis of the members and together lying in a plane which extends substantially normal to the aforedescribed plane of predominant movement;

the springs being secured between the members so as to yieldably urge the members axially toward one another to form a sealing contact between the coupling portions.

2. In an exhaust system for a transversely mounted automobile engine having a transversely extending roll axis which results in predominant movements of the parts attached to the engine in planes substantially normal to the roll axis;

an exhaust gas passage comprising an exhaust manifold with an outlet portion attached to the engine for conducting exhaust gases from the engine and also an exhaust header with an inlet portion for conducting exhaust gases from the manifold to atmosphere;

means forming an articulated connection between the outlet portion of the manifold and the inlet portion of the header including two annular coupling portions of the gas passages associated respectively with the members comprising the manifold outlet portion and the header inlet portion and having primary seal surfaces removably interfitting one another in mutual sliding and sealing engagement around the gas passage;

the coupling portions being carried by the members respectively for movement therewith and with one of the coupling portions being in the form of a distinct annularly shaped seal member having a central bore therethrough so as to receive the end portion of one of the members;

the seal member also having a secondary seal surface extending normal to the axis of the one member;

means around the one member engaging the secondary sealing surface to prevent leakage thereby and to block axial movements of the seal member in a direction away from the other coupling portion;

yieldable means urging the members and coupling portions together thereby engaging the primary seal surfaces and including a pair of elongated coil-type springs together being diametrically positioned with respect to the axis of the members and lying on a plane which extends substantially normal to the aforedescribed planes of predominant movement;

the springs being secured between the members so as to yieldably urge the members axially toward one another to form a sealing contact between the primary seal surfaces.

3. A vehicle engine and exhaust system including means for mounting the engine transversely in the vehicle with the engine roll axis also extending transversely;

an exhaust gas passage between the vehicle engine and atmosphere including an exhaust manifold attached to the engine with an outlet portion therewith forming an elongated and rigid assembly which moves predominantly in a plane normal to the roll axis;

the exhaust gas passage further including an exhaust header with an inlet portion;

articulated connection means between the members comprising the outlet and inlet portions including two annular coupling portions having seal surfaces interfitting one another in mutual sliding and sealing end engagement about the gas passage, one of the coupling portions taking the form of distinct annularly shaped seal member having a central bore therethrough receiving the end portion of one of the members;

the seal member further having a secondary seal surface extending normal to the axis of the one member;

means engaging the secondary sealing surface to prevent leakage thereby and to block movements of the seal member in an axial direction away from the other coupling portion;

means yieldably urging the members and coupling portions together and including a pair of elongated coil-type spring diametrically positioned with respect to the axis of the members and together forming a plane which extends substantially normal to the plane of predominant movement;

the springs being secured so as to urge the members in axial directions to engage the coupling portions whereby the interfitting sealing surfaces of the coupling portion are engaged to permit relative angular displacements between the members accomplished with a minimum of spring flexure.

4. An exhaust system for a transversely mounted automobile engine having portions attached to the engine for predominant movement in a plane normal to the engine'"'"'s transverse roll axis including members comprising an exhaust manifold with an outlet portion to receive exhaust gases from the engine and an exhaust header with an inlet portion for conducting exhaust gases to atmosphere, at least one of the portions being in the form of a relatively thin walled tubular member with an outwardly directed extension located proximate its end, an annularly shaped seal member with a central opening formed therethrough to receive the end portion of the one portion, the seal having a first seal surface and a second seal surface, the latter extending substantially normal to the axis of the one portion and engaging the radially outwardly directed extension to prevent leakage thereby and to limit axial movements of the seal with respect to the one portion in a direction toward the other portion, the other portion having an end sealing surface adapted to engage the first sealing surface of the seal member, means for yieldingly connecting the portions including a pair of elongated coil-type springs to urge the portions together and to engage the end seal surface of the other portion with the first seal surface of the seal member, the pair of springs being diametrically located with respect to the axis of the portions and lying in a plane normal to the predominant plane in which engine attached exhaust portions are displaced whereby flexing of the spring caused by relative pivoting of the portions is reduced to a minimum.

5. In an exhaust system for an automobile engine, an exhaust manifold having an outlet and defining a portion of a gas passage for conducting exhaust gases from the engine, an exhaust header having an inlet and defining another portion of the gas passage for conducting exhaust gas from the manifold to the atmosphere, means for effecting an articulated connection between the manifold outlet and header inlet comprising;

a pair of annular coupling portions in communication with the members which comprise the manifold and header respectively and having sealing surfaces therebetween in mutual sliding engagement, the coupling portion being associated with and carried by the members comprising the manifold and header respectively for movement therewith to effect the engagement, flange means associated with one of the members and engageable therewith for moving the one member and its associated coupling portion in one predetermined direction into the engagement with the other member and its associated coupling portion, elongated spring means with first and second end portions for yieldably urging the coupling portions into sealing engagement, the first end of the spring means being spaced a constant distance from the other member, the sealing surface of one of the pair of coupling portions being spherical about a point substantially coincident with a line running parallel to the roll axis of the engine, and the second end of the spring means urging the flange means in the one predetermined direction and engaging a surface of the flange means substantially along the line running parallel to the roll axis of the engine with the surface lying in a plane including the line running parallel to the roll axis of the engine, whereas when the engine moves about its roll axis, the angular relation between the one member and its associated coupling portion and the flange means is changed with respect to the other member and its associated coupling portion substantially about the line running parallel to the engine roll axis which movement is affected in a sealing manner by the sliding engagement between the coupling portions and is accompanied by only slight changes in the dimension of the elongated spring means between the first and second ends due to the particular engagement of the second end of the spring means with the surface of the flange means described hereinbefore.

6. In the combination according to claim 5, said flange means including a collar member extending about the header member and a radially offset portion of the header member which is axially positioned therealong so that the surface of the flange means as defined by the collar member is on the line running parallel to the engine roll axis.

7. In the combination according to claim 5, the sealing surface of one of said coupling portions comprising an annular interior surface at the outlet of said manifold and enlarging radially in a downstream direction of the exhaust gas flow, the annular enlarging surface comprising an integral outlet of said manifold.

8. In the combination according to claim 7, the annulus comprising one of said coupling portions which forms the other of the sealing surfaces which surface has a spherical contour for engagement with the annular enlarging sealing surface of the manifold.

9. In the combination according to claim 6, the sealing surface of one of said coupling portions comprising an annular interior surface at the outlet of the manifold and enlarging in the downstream direction of exhaust gas flow, the annular enlarging sealing surface comprising an integral outlet of said manifold, the annulus comprising one of the annular coupling portions and having a sealing surface with a spherical contour, said annulus also having a transverse annular sealing surface about said header extending transverse to the major axis of the annulus, the radially offset portion of the flange means having a second surface thereof in sealing engagement with said transverse sealing surface whereby sealing contact is established by the engagement between the second end of the elongated spring means with the surface of the flange means on the line running parallel to the engine roll axis.

10. The combination according to claim 5, the flange means comprising a radially offset portion of a length of pipe sleeved over the end of the header at its upstream end and secured thereto, the flange means also comprising a collar member extending about the length of pipe and engaging the offset portion thereof to axially position the collar so that the one surface of the flange means engages the springs second end on the line running parallel to the engine roll axis.

11. In the combination according to claim 5, the sealing annulus having a cylindrical inner bore adapted to encircle the header, the sealing surface of one of said coupling portions comprising an annular interior surface at the outlet of the manifold and enlarging in the downstream direction of exhaust gas flow, the annular enlarging sealing surface comprising an integral outlet of said manifold, the annulus comprising one of the coupling portions and having a sealing surface with a spherical contour, said annulus also having a transverse annular sealing surface about said header extending transverse to the major axis of the annulus, the radially offset portion of the flange means having a second surface thereof in sealing engagement with said transverse sealing surface whereby sealing contact is established by the engagement between the second end of the elongated spring means with the surface of the flange means on the line running parallel to the engine roll axis.

12. The combination according to claim 10, the radially offset portion having a sealing surface extending a plane transverse to the major axis of said annulus and being clamped by said collar against said transverse sealing surface of said annulus for relative movement as a unit therewith upon pivoting of said manifold about the center of said spherical surface.

13. The combination according to claim 12, the annulus member having a transverse annular sealing surface about said header extending transversely to the major axis of the annulus, the radially offset portion of the header providing a sealing surface with the transverse sealing surface of the annulus engaging in a plane transverse to the major axis of the annulus and the header and being clamped together for relative movement therewith as the manifold member pivots about the center of said spherical surface.