Abstract: Compressed wire filament(s) form a seal that seals the joint between first and second pipes of an automotive exhaust system secured by bolted together first and second flanges. The seal is initially attached to the first pipe and first flange in an intermediate assembly by an interface connection that prevents the seal from axially moving off of the first pipe prior to final assembly to the second pipe and second flange. A male projection is at the end region of the first pipe outer surface to which the seal is attached. The first flange abuts the seal at a planar seal interface. The seal has a bore with a longitudinal channel portion for initially axially engaging the projection and a transverse channel portion medially the seal bore for receiving the projection by rotation of the seal after the projection is axially displaced within the seal bore.

Abstract: Two steel pipes are each connected to a mounting flange for joining the two pipes, the flanges in one embodiment being fixed stationary to each other and in a second embodiment fixed movable relative to each other. A compressed knitted wire mesh seal is between the two flanges in a dynamic embodiment. Each flange has a spherical inner concave or outer convex surface and the seal has an inner concave and outer convex spherical surface. The seal outer convex spherical surface has a radius smaller than the mating flange concave inner surface. The origins of the two radii are offset. The seal inner concave spherical surface has a radius that is larger than the mating spherical outer convex surface of the corresponding flange. The seal contacts the two flanges in an annular set of pressure points to provide enhanced sealing action.

Abstract: A flattened tubular knitted wire mesh is passed through a bath of a slurry comprising a vermiculite binder and a high temperature lubricant powder with optional metal fibers suspended in water to form an impregnated moving slurry filled web. The slurry filled web is passed between metering bars to remove excess slurry to reduce the web to the desired thickness and then dried in an oven at a temperature in the range of about 200-400.degree. F. The web is conveyed at about 5 feet/minute and forms a continuous sheet of flexible preform with a dried filler which is wound on a take up roller driven by a motor via a controller which also operates the web drying oven. The preform is then formed into discrete preforms for article manufacture such as seals and the like by conventional die compression.

Abstract: An automobile exhaust gas ceramic catalytic element support device mounts the element in a metal housing and cushions the element from radial shock loads. The device is compressed knitted wire mesh and includes crimped corrugations formed into a cylinder. The cylinder end has a conduit containing a knitted compacted wire mesh rope formed by drawing knitted wire mesh through a die until the formed rope is compacted into a gas seal. The device at the rope end has a radially inwardly extending lip for engaging an end face of the element. The rope may include non-metallic fibers to enhance sealing action of the rope. The device is axially retained by an annular channel in the converter housing with the rope substantially gas sealing the interface region between the ceramic element and the housing.