Freightliner Corporation

Ibrahim Qutub

Ted V Mercer

A support arrangement for an exhaust system including an upright muffler and an upwardly-extending exhaust stack located behind the cab of a truck. An arm is mounted on a frame member of the truck, and a vibration isolator supported on the arm in turn supports the weight of an exhaust pipe elbow, a muffler, and a stack located above the muffler, all oriented generally upwardly. An upper connecting assembly is attached to the exhaust stack and to a mounting fastened to the back side of the cab to support the muffler and stack with respect to longitudinal and lateral movement relative to the truck while still permitting some vertical movement of the cab relative to the frame. In one embodiment the upper connecting assembly is attached by way of elastomeric members which permit yet resist movement.

Exhaust system support arrangement

A flexible coupling suitable for use in an automobile exhaust system having axially spaced conduit sections. Upstream and downstream conduit sections are held end to end by an intermediate coupling member. The upstream conduit has a part-spherical end connector that fits within a complementary part-spherical socket of the coupling member. Similarly, the coupling member has a part-spherical end connector that fits within a complementary part-spherical socket of the downstream conduit. The part-spherical connectors permit relative pivotal and rotational movement of the upstream and downstream connectors relative to the coupling member. Each of the part-spherical connectors tapers internally to an annular lip, so that the flow of gas increases to create a venturi effect. The venturi effect establishes a relative vacuum at the junctions between the coupling member and the conduits to oppose escape of gas (such as exhaust fumes) from the coupling. The coupling member may be curved to accommodate relative axial movement of the upstream and downstream conduit sections.

Flexible articulated coupling that minimizes leakage

A support arrangement for an exhaust system including an upright muffler and an upwardly-extending exhaust stack located behind the cab of a truck. An arm is mounted on a frame member of the truck, and a vibration isolator supported on the arm in turn supports the weight of an exhaust pipe elbow, a muffler, and a stack located above the muffler, all oriented generally upwardly. A pair of links are attached to the exhaust stack and to a mounting fastened to the back side of the cab to support the muffler and stack with respect to longitudinal and lateral movement relative to the truck while still permitting vertical movement of the cab relative to the frame.

Support for exhaust system

A fuel system has a fuel tank with a wall and a fuel delivery outlet through which fuel is delivered to the engine. The fuel tank has a fuel suction tube extending from the fuel delivery outlet into the fuel tank. Fuel is drawn to the engine from the fuel tank through the suction tube and the fuel delivery outlet. The fuel tank has a fuel cooling return inlet through which unused fuel warmed by the engine may be returned to the fuel tank and cooled. A fuel cooling conduit is coupled to the fuel cooling return inlet. The fuel cooling conduit has at least one fuel dispersing outlet through which fuel is dispersed onto the fuel tank wall to cool the fuel. A fuel warming return inlet is provided through which unused fuel warmed by the engine may be directed to flow adjacent the suction tube to heat the fuel being delivered through the suction tube to the engine. A shroud may also be provided to blend returning warm fuel with cooler fuel from the fuel tank that is flowing toward the suction tube.

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Ibrahim Qutub