Three-piece stamp formed connector for achieving equal length exhaust pipes

A connector for connecting first and second upstream exhaust pipes to a downstream exhaust pipe, said connector comprising:

• an internal divider plate having opposed first and second surfaces, first and second stamp formed external shells secured respectively to said first and second surfaces of said internal divider plate, said first external shell and said internal divider plate being formed to define a convergence chamber therebetween, a first inlet tube formed in part by said internal divider plate for connecting said first upstream exhaust pipe to said convergence chamber and an outlet for connecting said convergence chamber to said downstream exhaust pipe, said second external shell and said internal divider plate being formed to define a second inlet tube therebetween, said second inlet tube terminating at a cut-out formed through said internal divider plate and providing communication with said convergence chamber, such that exhaust gas from said first and second upstream exhaust pipes converge in said convergence chamber and flow to said downstream exhaust pipe.

A connector for connecting first and second upstream exhaust pipes to a downstream exhaust pipe, said connector comprising an internal divider plate having opposed first and second surfaces, first and second external shells secured respectively to said first and second surfaces of said internal divider plate, said first external shell being formed to define a chamber, portions of said first external shell and said internal divider plate being formed to define a first inlet for connection to said first upstream exhaust pipe and an outlet for connection to said downstream exhaust pipe, a second inlet for connecting said second upstream exhaust pipe with said chamber, said second inlet being formed by a portion of said second external shell and by portions of said internal divider plate that define the outlet from said connector.

An exhaust system assembly comprising:

• first and second upstream exhaust pipes and a downstream exhaust pipe, each said exhaust pipe having a longitudinal axis, said longitudinal axes being angularly aligned to one another and being disposed to lie in two angularly aligned planes;
• and a connector comprising a plurality of metallic sheets secured in face-to-face relationship and stamp formed to define first and second inlets connected respectively to said first and second upstream exhaust pipes and an outlet connected to said downstream exhaust pipe, said plates of said connector further being stamp formed to define gas flow means for accommodating flows of exhaust gas from said first and second upstream exhaust pipes to said downstream exhaust pipe, said face-to-face disposition of said plates defining at least first and second angularly aligned planes, the longitudinal axis of said first upstream exhaust pipe lying in the first plane of said connector, and the longitudinal axis of the second upstream exhaust pipe lying in the second plane, whereby the angular alignment of the planes of said connector is selected to conform with a selected alignment of the first and second upstream exhaust pipes.