Tail gunner exhaust muffler

Abstract

A muffler for a vehicle includes a cover for the muffler, a turbine being rotated by exhaust gas from said vehicle, and a rotatable element being rotated by said turbine.

Description

BACKGROUND

Vehicular exhaust mufflers typically include a tubular outer shell defining an oval or circular cross section and a pair of opposed heads mechanically connected to the shell. The shell is generally formed from one or more sheets of metal that are wrapped into the tubular configuration and are secured by a longitudinally extending seam.

The internal configurations of mufflers have been varied and have been determined both by the available space available and the particular characteristics of the sound produced by the exhaust gases of a specific engine. The prior art muffler may include an array of tubes extending between and connected to the inlet and outlet. These tubes may communicate with one or more expansion chambers defined by a baffle within the muffler. The size of the tuning tubes and the resonating chambers are selected in accordance with the frequency of the noise to be attenuated.

SUMMARY

The present invention includes a muffler that includes a turbine to rotate longitudinal elements. A portion of the longitudinal elements are located within the muffler cover while the remaining portion of the longitudinal elements is positioned outside of the muffler cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an outlet of the muffle of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an inlet of the muffler;

FIG. 5 illustrates alternates for the rototable element;

FIG. 6 illustrates the bearing between each pair of plates;

FIG. 7 illustrates a muffler and motorcycle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a muffler cover 100 to cover the internal muffler parts. The muffler cover 100 includes a muffler neck 150 to allow the engine gases to enter the muffler, a muffler enclosure 154 to contain the engine gas and conduct the engine gas to the outlet of the muffle and away from

The vehicle which could be an automobile, a tractor, a motorcycle or a truck, and a sloping portion 152 to connect the muffler neck 150 with the muffler enclosure 152. The end or outlet of the muffler cover 100 is open to allow the exhaust gas to escape to the atmosphere. The muffler cover 100 is attached to an exhaust frame which includes a longitudinal frame 102 and perpendicular frames 104, 106. by fasteners 160, These fasteners 160 could be bolts to clamp the muffler enclosure 154 to the longitudinal frame 102. The longitudinal frame 102 extends thought the outlet of the muffler cover 100 to support the longitudinal element 170. Connected between the perpendicular frame 104 and the perpendicular frame 106 is a shaft 140 to allow rotation of turbine 120 and longitudinal element 170. FIG. 1 shows 4 longitudinal element 170; six or any number could be used. The turbine 120 is located between the perpendicular frame 104 and the perpendicular frame 106. The shaft 140 is connected to perpendicular frame 104 and perpendicular frame 106 by fasteners 162. The longitudinal element 170 is in a spaced relation to shaft 140 and may be a cylinder. The longitudinal element 170 is connected to the shaft 140 by spacers 130. A portion of longitudinal element 170 is covered by muffler enclosure 154 and the remaining portion of longitudinal element 170 extends through the outlet of the muffler 170. The spacer 130s connected to the turbine 120 by support element 110 by fasteners 164. Multiple support elements 110 are shown in FIG. 1. The shape of spacer 130 and the distance from longitudinal element 170 to shaft 140 determines the spaced relationship. As shown, longitudinal element 170 is a cylinder, but other shapes are possible such as a rectangle or a triangle as shown in FIG. 5. The rotation of these longitudinal elements 170 promote the flow of exhaust gases from the muffler and motor by mixing fresh air with the exhaust gases. A turbine 120 having turbine element 122 which extends from turbine 120 is rotated by the hot gases from the engine of the vehicle enter from muffler neck 150 and pass into the muffler enclosure 154 and then pass through the turbine 120. The turbine 120 is positioned within the muffler enclosure 154. The diameter of the turbine 120 is less than the internal diameter of the muffler enclosure 154 so that the turbine 120 can freely rotate on shaft 140 but prevents the hot gas from bypassing the turbine 120. The hot gases are forced to pass through the turbine 120 thereby turning the turbine 120.

As the gases pass though the turbine 120, the hot gases turn the turbine 120 and the longitudinal element 170 by virtue of the connection to the shaft 140, spacer 130 and support element 110.

FIG. 3 shows the output of the muffler while FIG. 4 shows the input of the muffler.

FIG. 2 show another embodiment of the present invention and shows a muffler cover 200 to cover the internal muffler parts. The muffler cover 200 includes a muffler neck 250 to allow the engine gases to enter the muffler, a muffler enclosure 254 to contain the engine gas and conduct the engine gas to the outside of the vehicle which could be a automobile, a tractor, a motorcycle or a truck, and a sloping portion 252 to connect the muffler neck 250 with the muffler enclosure 254. The output of the muffler cover 200 is open to allow the exhaust gas to escape to the atmosphere. The muffler cover 200 is attached to an exhaust frame which includes a longitudinal frame 202 and perpendicular frames 204, 206. by fasteners 260, These fasteners 260 could be bolts to clamp the muffler enclosure 254 to the longitudinal frame 202. Connected between the perpendicular frame 204 and the perpendicular frame 206 is a portion of the shaft 240 to allow rotation of turbine 220 and longitudinal element 270. The turbine 220 is not positioned between the perpendicular frame 204 and the perpendicular frame 206 but is located with a spaced relation to perpendicular frame 206 by extending the shaft 240. The shaft 140 is connected to perpendicular frame 204 and perpendicular frame 206 by fasteners 262. The longitudinal element 270 is in a spaced relation to shaft 240 and may be a cylinder or a plurality of cylinders. The longitudinal element 270 is connected to the shaft 240 by spacers 230. FIG. 2 shows shorter longitudinal elements 270 than the corresponding longitudinal element 270. A portion of the longitudinal element 270 is positioned within the muffler enclosure 252, and the remaining portion of the longitudinal element 270 extends beyond the outlet of the muffler. The result is the longitudinal element 202 and the perpendicular frames 204 and 206 are within the muffler enclosure 254. The shape of spacer 230 and the distance from longitudinal element 270 to shaft 240 determines the spaced relationship. As shown, longitudinal element 270 is a cylinder but other shapes are possible such as a rectangle or a triangle. The rotation of these longitudinal elements 270, which may be four, six or any number promote the flow of exhaust gases from the muffler and motor by mixing fresh air with the exhaust gases. A turbine 220 having turbine element 222 which extends from turbine 220 is positioned within the muffler enclosure 254. The diameter of the turbine 220 is less than the internal diameter of the muffler enclosure 254 so that the turbine 220 can freely rotate on shaft 240 but prevents the hot gas from bypassing the turbine 220. The hot gases are forced to pass through the turbine 220 thereby turning the turbine 220.

The hot gases from the engine enter from muffler neck 250 and pass into the muffler enclosure 254 and then pass through the turbine 220. As the gases pass though the turbine 220, the hot gases turn the turbine 220 and the longitudinal element 270 by virtue of the connection to shaft 240 and spacer 230.

FIG. 6 illustrates the bearing between each pair of plates;

FIG. 7 illustrates a muffler and motorcycle.

Claims

1) A muffler for a vehicle, comprising:

a cover for said muffler;

a turbine being rotated by exhaust gas from said vehicle;

a rotatable element being rotated by said turbine.

2) A muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is a cylinder.

3) A muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element extends beyond said cover of said muffler.

4) A muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is a rectangle.

5) A muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is triangular in shape.

6) A muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said vehicle is an automobile.

7) A muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a motorcycle.

8) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

forming a cover for said muffler;

forming a turbine being rotated by exhaust gas from said vehicle;

rotating a rotatable element by said turbine.

9) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is a cylinder.

10) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is formed to extend beyond said cover of said muffler.

11) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is formed as a rectangle.

12) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is formed is a triangular shape.

13) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said vehicle is an automobile.

14) A method for producing a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a motorcycle.

15) A system using a muffler for a vehicle, comprising:

a cover for said muffler;

a turbine being rotated by exhaust gas from said vehicle;

a rotatable element being rotated by said turbine.

16) A system using a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is a cylinder.

17) A system using a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element extends beyond said cover of said muffler.

18) A system using a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is a rectangle.

19) A system using a muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said rotatable element is triangular in shape.

20) A system using a.

21) muffler for a vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a motorcycle.