W. R. Grace Co.-Conn.

Engelhard Corporation

Camet Company

David T Sheller

William Alan Whittenberger

Gordon W Brunson

There is provided an improved converter body formed of thin metal core elements and a housing. The thin metal core elements have a distal end and a proximal end The distal ends are secured to the housing, and at least some, preferably all, of the proximal ends are free of attachment to any rigid member. This structure results in improved durability in severe automotive tests.

Structure for converter body

There is provided a process for brazing a first coated part to a second metal part which includes the steps of cleaning or masking, the surfaces of at least the first metal part, interposing a brazing metal foil between the metal parts, and induction heating the assembly to fuse the brazing metal foil, whereby the parts are adhered together, and then cooling. A controlled heating profile is disclosed.

Brazing of catalyzed converter bodies

An electrically heatable converter body formed of thin metal core elements and a housing. The thin metal core elements have a distal end and a proximal end. The distal ends are secured to the housing, and at least some, preferably all, of the proximal ends are free of attachment to any rigid member.

Electrically heatable converter body having plural thin metal core

There has been provided an improved reinforcing web for multicellular honeycomb converter core bodies. The reinforcing web contains at least one flat thin metal strip to which is secured at least one corrugated thin metal strip as by brazing or welding. The reinforcing web is located centrally of the core body and gives the converter bodies hereof sufficient axial strength to survive the severe durability tests imposed by the automotive manufacturers.

Reinforcing web for a multicellular converter

There has been provided a process for spot welding a stack of thin metal strips or layers with a non-depositing welder gun. The process involves forming a stack of thin metal layers, compressing the layers between the jaws of a press, one of which has at least one receptacle for and adapted to receive the non-depositing welder gun tip, placing the gun in the receptacle, optionally flooding with an inert gas, and applying electrical power to the gun for a period of from 1 to 10 seconds. The process is especially useful in the formation of a stack of thin metal strips for making a multicellular honeycomb converter body for removing pollutants from the exhaust of an internal combustion engine.

Process for welding a stack of thin metal sheets

There is provided a reinforced converter body, especially one useful as a 'light-off' converter in a gas treating system for treating exhaust gas from internal combustion engines. The invention utilizes corrugated and flat thin metal strips in alternating relation. Reinforcement is enhanced by the use of thin metal strips of a stronger alloy for at least a part of the thin metal strips.

Reinforced converter body

A core element for use in a catalytic converter, especially an electrically heatable catalytic converter, which core element is characterized by a corrugated thin metal strip having metal tabs attached to each end. The tabs are bent along one or more lines normal to the edges of the corrugated thin metal strip. When bent along one line, for example, an angular tab is formed. When the tabs are bent along an infinite number of lines a uniform amount, a circular segment is formed. A catalyst is deposited on one or both surfaces of the corrugated thin metal strips. A central portion of each strip is flat to enable location between the legs of a bifurcated central pin. The central pin with a group of such corrugated thin metal strips is then spirally wound about the central pin to provide a core with overlapped curved tabs defining at least two discrete generally spiral groups of resistance strips electrically isolated from each other. The strips are adapted to be connected in series with a voltage source and encased in a housing to form an electrically heatable catalytic converter.

Core element for catalytic converter

There is provided a terminal especially adapted for use with an electrically heatable catalytic converter having a stud, a portion of said stud being coated with a thin layer of refractory metal oxide, and a sleeve having an interference fit with said coated portion of said stud, said stud adapted to be welded at its proximal end to one side of a resistance circuit. There is also provided an electrically heatable catalytic converter including such terminal.

Electrode feed through

There is provided a novel and improved core element for a catalytic converter characterized in that the core element has a corrugated thin metal strip with bent tab members at each end, such tab members being in two portions. These two portion sandwich the ends of the corrugated thin metal strip therebetween and provide a convenient means for welding the ends of the corrugated thin metal strip to the tab members. A plurality of such corrugated strips with the tab members attached are tightly spirally wound about a central post or pin and the tab members are dimensioned to overlap and ultimately define a shell segment. The shell segments define a core which is encased in a suitable housing to form a catalytic converter which may be electrically heatable. An electrically heatable catalytic converter is especially useful to remove pollutants from internal combustion engine exhaust gas.

There is provided a terminal especially adapted for use with an electrically heatable catalytic converter having a stud, a portion of said stud being coated with a thin layer of a ceramic, and a sleeve having an interference fit with said coated portion, said stud adapted to be welded at its inner end to one side of a resistance circuit. There is also provided an electrically heatable catalytic converter including such a terminal.

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Garrettsville, OH, United States of America

David T Sheller