Patent ID: 7374017

Claim:
A method of producing an exhaust baffling apparatus comprising: a) forming a plurality of flanges from at least one sheet of metal, wherein each flange is formed to include a centrally positioned aperture and a slit that extends through the flange from the aperture to an outer edge of each flange, wherein each flange includes a first edge portion that bounds a first side of the slit, wherein each flange includes a second edge portion that bounds a second side of the slit opposite the first side of the slit, wherein the aperture of each flange is elongated; b) bending at least one of the first and second edge portions of each flange relative to the other edge portion in at least one direction that is perpendicular with respect to an original plane of the flange; c) placing a support member through the apertures of the plurality of flanges; and d) rigidly mounting the flanges to the support member such that for each flange, at least a portion of the opposed first and second edge portions formed by the slit in each flange are: i) spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the support member; and ii) orientated to extend outwardly from the support member at angles that are each acute in opposed directions with respect to a central longitudinal axis of the support member.