Supple exhaust coupling

• US 4,277,092 A
• Filed: 07/19/1979
• Issued: 07/07/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Viers, Homer J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Callaghan, Thomas F.
• Application Number:
  US06/058,789
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 285/263, 285/267, 285/261, 285/234, 285/187, 285/9 R, 285/368, 285/268, 285/269
• US Class Current: 285/263
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/1811 with means permitting relative movement, e.g. compensation of thermal expansion or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/045 for outboard marine engines
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/053 held in place by bolts passing through flanges

Abstract

A flexible coupling for use in engine exhaust systems includes a pair of flanges maintained at a fixed distance with respect to one another by a pair of spaced shouldered bolt components and wherein one of the fixed flanges has a free end directed therefrom supportingly receiving a ring seal with a spherical surface thereon; and wherein the other of the flanges includes an edge portion thereon bent over to form a spring seat and to define a pipe opening to receive a spherically flared end of a downstream pipe and supportingly receiving one end of a coil spring that surrounds the downstream pipe, the coil spring having the opposite end thereof supported by one of the spaced flanges and a movable retainer ring on an outer spherical surface of the spherically flared end whereby a resilient force is maintained continuously around the outer surface of the flared end of the downstream pipe to bias it into sealing engagement with the ring seal and to force the ring seal into a sealed shouldered relationship with the fixed flange of the assembly during angular movement between the fixed flange and a downstream pipe component.

Claims

1. A flexible exhaust coupling assembly for maintaining a uniformly biased circumferential seal between exhaust flow segments subject to angular movement therebetween during exhaust flow therethrough comprising:

an exhaust component having an exteriorly located spherical seal surface and an exhaust flow path therethrough, a pair of spaced bolts fixedly secured to said exhaust component and extending axially therefrom on either side of said spherical seal surface, head portions on each of said bolts located in spaced relationship to said exhaust component, a pipe having a flared free end formed continuously circumferentially therearound, said flared free end having a spherical outer surface and a spherical inner surface thereon, a spacer flange, means securing said spacer flange to said bolts at a point located in axially spaced relationship to said flared free end and having a center hole therein receiving said pipe and spaced therefrom radially to permit equally free universal angular movement of said pipe with respect to said exhaust component, and also with respect to said spacer flange, a spring retainer ring having a spherical surface thereon slidably supported for floating movement on said outer spherical seal surface, a coil spring surrounding said pipe having opposite ends thereon in engagement with said spacer flange and said retainer ring for biasing said retainer ring axially against said spherical outer surface and said retainer ring assuming an equilibrium position on said spherical outer surface to uniformly force said pipe against said spherical seal surface, said coil spring being spaced with respect to said pipe to permit angular movement thereof with respect to said exhaust component, said coil spring biasing said flared free end with respect to said spherical seal surface when the retainer ring is in its equilibrium position to maintain a uniformly continuous circumscribing spring pressure force therearound throughout the range of angular movement between said exhaust component and said pipe.

2. A flexible exhaust coupling assembly for maintaining a uniformly biased circumferential seal between an exhaust manifold outlet and an exhaust pipe subject to angular movement therebetween during exhaust flow therethrough comprising:

an outer manifold surface having a spherical seal surface with an exhaust passage in communication with the interior of the manifold, a pair of spaced bolts fixedly secured to said manifold surface and extending axially therefrom on either side of said spherical seal surface, an exhaust pipe having a flared free end formed continuously circumferentially therearound, said flared free end having a spherical outer surface and a spherical inner surface thereon, a spacer flange, means securing said spacer flange on said bolts at a point located in axially spaced relationship to said flared free end and having a center hole therein receiving said exhaust pipe and spaced therefrom radially to permit equally free universal angular movement of said exhaust pipe with respect to said manifold surface and also with respect to said spacer flange, a spring retainer ring having a spherical surface thereon slidably supported for floating movement on said spherical outer surface, a coil spring surrounding said exhaust pipe having opposite ends thereon in engagement with said spacer flange and said retainer ring for biasing said retainer ring axially against said spherical outer surface and said retainer ring assuming an equilibrium position on said spherical outer surface to uniformly force said exhaust pipe against said spherical seal surface, said coil spring being spaced with respect to said exhaust pipe to permit angular movement thereof with respect to said manifold surface, said coil spring biasing said flared free end with respect to said spherical seal surface to maintain a uniformly continuous circumscribing spring pressure force therearound throughout the range of angular movement between said manifold surface and said exhaust pipe.

3. A flexible vehicle exhaust coupling assembly for maintaining a uniformly biased circumferential seal between exhaust system pipe segments subject to angular movement therebetween during exhaust flow therethrough comprising:

a first pipe, a sealed flange supported on said first pipe, means for connecting said sealed flange to said first pipe and forming a continuous circumferential gas tight seal between said sealed flange and said first pipe, said first pipe having a tubular free end thereon extending axially beyond said sealed flange, a pair of spaced bolts fixedly secured to said sealed flange and extending axially therefrom on either side of said tubular free end, a second pipe having a flared free end formed continuously circumferentially therearound, said flared free end having a spherical outer surface and a spherical inner surface thereon, a spacer flange, means securing said spacer flange to said bolts at a point located in axially spaced relationship to said flared free end and having a center hole therein receiving said second pipe and spaced therefrom radially to permit equally free universal angular movement of said second pipe with respect to said first pipe and also with respect to said spacer flange, a ring seal spherical surface on said tubular free end with high temperature lubricant material in engagement with said spherical inner surface and freely relatively movable with respect thereto, a spring retainer ring having a spherical surface thereon slidably supported for floating movement on said spherical outer surface, a coil spring surrounding said second pipe having opposite ends thereon in engagement with said spacer flange and said retainer ring for biasing said retainer ring axially against said spherical outer surface, said coil spring being spaced with respect to said second pipe to permit angular movement thereof with respect to said first pipe, said retainer ring being movable to an adjusted equilibrium position on said outer spherical surface to accommodate angularity between said first and second pipes thereby to maintain said first and second pipes sealed with respect to one another, said coil spring biasing said flared free end with respect to said ring seal spherical surface when the retainer ring is in its equilibrium position to maintain a uniformly continuous circumscribing spring pressure force therearound throughout the range of angular movement between said first pipe and said second pipe.