Exhaust pipe joint and seal

An automotive hot gas exhaust seal joint construction comprising:

• a first cylindrical exhaust pipe having first and second opposite end edges;
• a first flange attached to the first cylindrical exhaust pipe, one of the first flange and first pipe having an outer cylindrical surface including at least one projection extending radially outwardly therefrom;
• an annular exhaust gas seal member formed of at least one compressed wire filament, the annular seal member having an outer surface and a circular cylindrical bore with a first surface defining a longitudinal axis, the first surface being engaged with one of the first exhaust pipe and first flange outer cylindrical surface, the cylindrical bore terminating at first and second opposing member ends, said first surface having an axially extending first channel portion, the first channel portion terminating at said first end and terminating at a region that is at least medially the first and second bore ends, said first surface having a second channel portion extending transverse to and in communication with said first channel portion, the first and second channel portions for receiving the at least one projection, said at least one projection engaged with the second channel portion in an engaged seated position;
• and
• a second flange abutting the member outer surface and attached to the first flange for forming a seal joint with the first flange and member, the second flange for receiving a second pipe.

A seal joint construction for an automotive exhaust system comprising:

• first and second exhaust pipes having outer cylindrical surfaces each surface defining a first longitudinal axis and a first longitudinal direction;
• first and second flanges attached to the respective first and second pipes for interconnecting the pipes and arranged to form a joint final assembly, at least the first flange having an outer cylindrical surface defining a second longitudinal axis and second longitudinal direction, a pair of surfaces of said pipes and flanges forming an interface;
• a seal in the interface for sealing the joint so that fluid flows between the pipes with negligible exhaust leakage;
• a movable releasable connection between the seal and the outer cylindrical surface of one of said pipes and first flange at said interface dimensioned to permit engagement and disengagement of the seal with respect to the latter outer cylindrical surface without modification of the connection and to preclude relative rotation of the seal to the flanges and pipes and to minimize vibratory disengagement of the seal from the one pipe or first flange in an intermediate assembly of the seal to the one pipe or flange prior to the final assembly.