Patent ID: 7779624

Claim:
An access joint for an engine exhaust system, the access joint comprising: first and second exhaust conduits each having a double wall construction, the double wall construction including an inner wall and an outer wall, the outer wall of each of the first and second exhaust conduits forming a flange that is unitary with the outer wall, the inner wall of the first exhaust conduit forming a pilot portion that extends toward an inner surface of the outer wall of the first exhaust conduit and beyond the flange of the first exhaust conduit, the pilot portion contacting an inner surface of the outer wall of the second exhaust conduit for aligning the first and second exhaust conduits; the flanges having first surfaces that face toward one another and second surfaces that face away from one another; reinforcing collars mounted around the outer walls of the first and second exhaust conduits, wherein the reinforcing collars are adjacent to the second surfaces of the flanges; and a clamp having a channel that receives the flanges and the reinforcing collars, wherein the clamp compresses the flanges toward one another when the clamp is tightened.