Method and apparatus for filling silencer with glass fiber

Abstract

There is provided a method for filling a silencer with glass fiber, for filling an internal space between a case and an inner pipe with glass fiber in a silencer in which a porous inner pipe penetrates through a pair of through holes in the case, the method including shifting the inner pipe in a penetrating direction from a normal position where the inner pipe is secured to the case, inserting a nozzle auxiliary portion into an interior of the case from a through hole opened by the inner pipe being shifted, supplying glass fiber into the interior of the case from a nozzle of a glass fiber supply machine connected to the nozzle auxiliary portion, and filling the internal space between the case and the inner pipe with glass fiber.

Claims

1. A method for filling a silencer with glass fiber, for filling an internal space between a case and an inner pipe with glass fiber in a silencer in which a porous inner pipe penetrates through a pair of through holes in the case, the method comprising: shifting the inner pipe in a penetrating direction from a normal position where the inner pipe is secured to the case; inserting a nozzle auxiliary portion into an interior of the case from a through hole opened by the inner pipe being shifted; supplying glass fiber into the interior of the case from a nozzle of a glass fiber supply machine connected to the nozzle auxiliary portion; and filling the internal space between the case and the inner pipe with glass fiber.

2. The method for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to claim 1, wherein when inserted into the interior of the case from the through hole, the nozzle auxiliary portion is detachably connected to one end of the inner pipe that is situated in the interior of the case.

3. The method for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to claim 1, wherein when inserted into the interior of the case from the through hole, the nozzle auxiliary portion is detachably connected to the through hole in the case that is opened by shifting the inner pipe.

4. The method for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to claim 1, wherein when inserted into the interior of the case from the through hole, the nozzle auxiliary portion closes the one end of the inner pipe that is situated in the interior of the case and the through hole in the case that is opened by shifting the inner pipe and forms a flow of air for sucking in glass fiber by sucking out air in the interior of the case through holes on the inner pipe from the other end of the inner pipe that is situated outside the case to supply glass fiber from the nozzle.

5. The method for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to claim 1, wherein in supplying glass fiber from the nozzle, the case and the inner pipe are rotated around a center axis of the inner pipe.

6. An apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber, for filling an internal space between a case and an inner pipe with glass fiber in a silencer in which a porous inner pipe penetrates through a pair of through holes in the case, the apparatus comprising: a silencer support portion configured to hold the case and the inner pipe in such a state that the inner pipe is directed in an up-down direction and is shifted downwards from a normal position where the inner pipe is secured to the case to take an erected posture; and a nozzle auxiliary portion that is inserted into an interior of the case from above through a through hole opened by the inner pipe being shifted, the silencer support portion and the nozzle auxiliary portion being provided on an apparatus frame, wherein a nozzle of a glass fiber supply machine is connected to the nozzle auxiliary portion.

7. The apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to claim 6, wherein the silencer support portion comprises a support table configured to support from below the other end of the inner pipe that is situated outside the case and a bottom surface of the case and a holding frame configured to hold a side surface of the case.

8. The apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to claim 6, wherein the silencer support portion is provided on the apparatus frame via a support portion rotating device and is rotated around a center axis of the inner pipe by the support portion rotating device.

9. The apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to claim 6, wherein the silencer support portion comprises a pipe receiver configured to support from below the other end of the inner pipe that is situated outside the case, and wherein the pipe receiver comprises a pipe lifting device configured to rise in returning the inner pipe to the normal position.

10. The apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to claim 6, wherein the nozzle auxiliary portion is provided on the apparatus frame via an auxiliary portion lifting device and is lifted down towards the through hole in the case that is opened by the inner pipe being shifted by the auxiliary portion lifting device.

11. The apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to claim 6, wherein the nozzle auxiliary portion comprises a one end closing portion configured to close one end of the inner pipe that is situated in an interior of the case and a through hole closing portion configured to close the through hole in the case that is opened by shifting the inner pipe, wherein the silencer support portion comprises an air suction device that communicates with the other end of the inner pipe that is situated outside the case, and wherein in supplying glass fiber from the nozzle, air in the interior of the case is sucked out via holes in the inner pipe by the air suction device to form a flow of air for sucking glass fiber in such a state that the nozzle auxiliary portion closes the one end of the inner pipe that is situated in the interior of the case by use of the one end closing portion and the through hole in the case that is opened by shifting the inner pipe by use of the through hole closing portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front view representing one example of an apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present disclosure;

(2) FIG. 2 is a right side view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example;

(3) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 4 is a plan view representing the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example;

(5) FIG. 5 is a partially cut away enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 6 is a partially cut away enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow C in FIG. 2;

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a nozzle auxiliary portion as seen from the rear;

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a nozzle auxiliary portion of another example of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber, as seen from the rear;

(9) FIG. 9 is a front view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where a silencer is rested on a silencer support portion;

(10) FIG. 10 is a right side view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where the silencer is rested on the silencer support portion;

(11) FIG. 11 is a partially cut away front view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where the silencer is rested on the silencer support portion;

(12) FIG. 12 is a partially cut away right side view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where the silencer is rested on the silencer support portion;

(13) FIG. 13 is a partially cut away front view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where an inner pipe is shifted downwards, and the nozzle auxiliary portion is inserted into a case from a through hole provided at an upper side of the case;

(14) FIG. 14 is a right side view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where the inner pipe is shifted downwards, and the nozzle auxiliary portion is inserted into the case from the through hole provided at the upper side of the case;

(15) FIG. 15 is a partially cut away front view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where glass fiber is supplied while the silencer is being rotated;

(16) FIG. 16 is a partially cut away right side view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where glass fiber is supplied while the silencer is being rotated;

(17) FIG. 17 is a partially cut away front view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where the silencer is completely filled with glass fiber; and

(18) FIG. 18 is a partially cut away right side view of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber according to the present example, representing a state where the silencer is completely filled with glass fiber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(19) Hereinafter, referring to figures, a mode for carrying out the present disclosure will be described. An apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber 2 to which the present disclosure is applied includes, for example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, a silencer support portion 3 including in turn a support table 31 on which a silencer 1 (refer to from FIG. 9 onwards which will be illustrated later) is rested and a holding frame 32 configured to hold the silencer 1 from sides thereof and a nozzle auxiliary portion 4 configured to move towards from above and away from the silencer 1 that is held in an erected posture by the silencer support portion 3, and the silencer support portion 3 and the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 are provided on an apparatus frame 5. A nozzle 6 of a glass fiber supply machine (whose illustration is omitted) is fixed to the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 and is lifted up and down together with the nozzle auxiliary portion 4.

(20) The apparatus frame 5 is configured so that a vertical wall 52 is erected along a rear edge of a flat base 51, and a horizontal arm 53 projects to the front from an upper edge of the vertical wall 52. The base 51 includes a turn table 33 disposed at the front of the vertical wall 52 and the silencer support portion 3 provided on the turn table 33. A direction action cylinder 54 configured to extend a rod 541 downwards and contract the rod 541 upwards is attached to the horizontal arm 53. The nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is supported at a lower end of the rod 541 and is lifted up and down by use of the direction action cylinder 54 as an auxiliary portion lifting device.

(21) The turn table 33 includes a motor portion 331 disposed there below and is rotated by receiving a rotational power directly from a drive motor. The turn table 33 of the present example allows a suction pipe 34, which is erected along a rotational center from a suction tube 341 that is inserted into the motor portion 331 from the front, to penetrate therethrough upwards. An air suction device according to the present example is made up of the suction pipe 34 and the suction tube 341, and a suction pump (whose illustration is omitted) to which the suction tube 341 is coupled.

(22) The silencer support portion 3 is made up of the cylindrical support table 31 that is rested on the turn table 33 while being aligned concentrically with the turn table 33 and the holding frame 32 constituting a frame member having a U-like shape in a plan view and supported by a coupling strut 321 that extends upwards from the support table 31. The support table 31 is integral with the holding frame 32, and since the support table 31 is provided on the turn table 33, the support table 31 and the holding frame 32 rotate together. In this way, in the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber 2 according to the present example, the turn table 33 constitutes a support portion rotating device.

(23) The support table 31 includes a case receiver 314 having an inner surface that follows an end face of a case 11 (refer to from FIG. 9 onwards which will be illustrated later on) of the silencer 1, and this case receiver 314 is provided on an upper surface of the support table 31 in a position lying closer to a rear surface side thereof. The silencer 1 rested on the silencer support portion 3 is supported stably while maintaining its erected posture with the end face of the case 11 staying in surface contact with the case receiver 314 and side surfaces of the case 11 held by the holding frame 32. In this way, as long as the silencer 1 is supported stably while maintaining its erected posture, there is imposed no limitation on the structure of the case receiver 314. In addition, providing the case receiver 314 is not always necessary.

(24) The support table 31 of the present example includes a pipe receiver 35 that is lowered or lifted downwards from a height level with an upper surface of the support table 31 (refer to FIGS. 5 and 6). The pipe receiver 35 is a flat metallic disk and has a pair of lifting flanges 351 that projects laterally therefrom and a pipe hole 355 that is provided at a center of the pipe receiver 35 in such a manner as to penetrate therethrough vertically. The support table 31 includes a lifting hole 311 constituting a track of the pipe receiver 35 and lifting grooves 312 constituting tracks of the lifting flanges 351. The suction pipe 34 remains almost within the pipe receiver 35 and hence does not project from the pipe receiver 35 that is level with the upper surface of the support table 31. When the pipe receiver 35 is lowered, the suction pipe 34 projects from the pipe receiver 35.

(25) The right lifting groove 312 includes a lifting motor 353 provided at a bottom thereof and incorporates a ball screw 352 that is rotated by the lifting motor 353. The ball screw 352 is brought into thread engagement with the right lifting flange 351 and is supported on a groove lid 313 that closes the right lifting groove 312 at an upper end thereof. The left lifting groove 312 incorporates a lifting guide 354 that is made up of a metallic pipe. The lifting guide 354 extends through the left lifting flange 351 and is supported on a groove lid 313 that closes the left lifting groove 312 at an upper end thereof.

(26) When the ball screw 352 rotates, the right lifting flange 351 left in thread engagement with the ball screw 352 is moved up or down whereby the pipe receiver 35 is lifted up or down in the lifting hole 311. The lifting guide 354 moves the left lifting flange 351 up or down, enabling the pipe receiver 35 to be lifted up or down stably. The pipe receiver 35 of the present example is lowered after the silencer 1 is rested on the silencer support portion 3 and before glass fiber 63 (refer to FIGS. 15 and 16, which will be described later on) starts to be supplied and shifts an inner pipe 12 (refer to from FIG. 9 onwards, which will be illustrated later on). Additionally, the pipe receiver 35 raises the inner pipe 12 of the silencer 1 to return the inner pipe 12 to the normal position after filling of glass fiber 14 (refer to FIGS. 15 and 16, which will be illustrated later on) is completed.

(27) The nozzle auxiliary portion 4 constitutes a metallic block (refer to FIG. 7) in which a stopper portion 41 configured to be brought into engagement with an upper edge of the case 11 of the silencer 1 to restrict the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 from being lowered any further, a cylindrical auxiliary portion main body portion 42 that extends downwards from a lower surface of the stopper portion 41, and an end portion 43 having a downwardly projecting conical structure provided at a lower end of the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 are provided integrally and sequentially in that order that. The rod 541 of the linear cylinder 54 that is fixed to the apparatus frame 5 is connected to an upper surface of the stopper portion 41, whereby the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is lifted downwards and upwards as the rod 541 extends and contracts, respectively.

(28) The stopper portion 41 constitutes a metallic disk having an outside diameter greater than a through hole 111 at an upper side of the case 1. In the present example, in order to hold the nozzle 6 of the glass fiber supply machine that connects to the stopper portion 41 while maintaining a posture produced when the nozzle 6 is inserted from a front obliquely upper portion, a chamfered portion is provided at a front upper edge of the stopper portion 41 so that a lower end face of a nozzle main body portion 61 from which the nozzle 6 is caused to project is brought into oblique abutment with the stopper portion 41. The nozzle 6 is inserted through the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 from the stopper portion 41 to the auxiliary portion main body portion 42, whereby the nozzle 6 is supported in the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 stably.

(29) The auxiliary portion main body portion 42 constitutes a metallic cylinder having an outside diameter that enables the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 to be brought into abutment with an end face of the inner pipe 12 while contacting an inner surface of the through hole 111 at the upper side of the case 1, and an injection opening 421 from which glass fiber 63 is injected is provided in a rear side surface of the auxiliary portion main body portion 42. In the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber 2 according to the present example, since glass fiber 63 is supplied while the silencer 1 is being rotated, a direction in which glass fiber 63 is injected imposes no problem. In the present example, since the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 is the cylinder having the outside diameter that enables the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 to be brought into abutment with the inner surface of the through hole 111 at the upper side of the case 1, when the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 is inserted into the case from above through the through hole 111, the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 closes the through hole 111 as a through hole closing portion.

(30) In the end portion 43, an upper half portion that continues to the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 constitutes a metallic cylinder having an outside diameter that enables the upper half portion to be brought into contact with an inner side of the inner pipe 12, and a lower half portion continuing from the upper half portion constitutes a metallic cone that projects downwards. In the end portion 43 of the present example, since the upper half portion is the cylinder having the outside diameter that enables the upper half portion to be brought into contact with the inner side of the inner pipe 12, when the end portion 43 is inserted from above, the end portion 43 can close one end of the inner pipe 12 as a one end closing portion. The lower half portion of the end portion 43 is made to be inserted into one end 121 of the inner pipe 12 in an ensured fashion. Due to this, as long as the lower half portion of the end portion 43 can be inserted into the one end of the inner pipe 12, the lower half portion does not have to be the cone.

(31) When the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 interferes with no other portions (for example, the horizontal arm 53), as illustrated in FIG. 8, two nozzles 6 can be inserted into the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 in a point symmetric positional relationship (another example). In this other example, chamfered portions are provided on a stopper portion 41 in positions which are bilaterally symmetric with each other in order for nozzle main body portions 61 of the nozzles 6 so provided to be brought into abutment with the stopper portion 41. Compared with the case where the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber 2 includes the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 of the initial example, the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber 2 that includes the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 of the other example comes to have a glass fiber supply capability which is twice the glass fiber supply capability provided by the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 of the initial example, whereby the filling time of the case 1 with glass fiber with the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 of the other example can be reduced to about a half the filling time provided by the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 of the initial example. Although illustration is omitted, more nozzles 6 may be provided in the nozzle auxiliary portion 4.

(32) The nozzle 6 is such as used in an existing glass fiber supply machine and constitutes a metallic pipe that projects from the nozzle main body portion 61. The nozzle 6 of the present example is inserted obliquely downwards from the chamfered portion of the stopper portion 41 of the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 to penetrate through the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 to the injection opening 421 provided on the rear surface side of the auxiliary portion main body portion 42. The nozzle main body portion 61 includes a supply device of a transport gas (for example, air) for feeding glass fiber and a cutter for cutting continuous glass fiber 63 (both the supply device and the cutter are omitted from illustration). The glass fiber 63 is supplied to the nozzle main body portion 61 through a supply tube 62 and is injected from the nozzle 6 while being untwined.

(33) The operator may activate or stop sequentially the constituent members of the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber 2 according to the present example, that is, the linear cylinder 54 for lifting up and down the nozzle auxiliary portion 4, the turn table 33 for rotating the silencer support portion 3, the ball screw 352 for lifting up and down the pipe receiver 35, and the glass fiber supply machine in accordance with the working procedure. However, when the operator manually activates or stops the relevant operating portions, a procedure error is called for, or the cooperation among the relevant operating portions becomes insufficient, whereby the efficiency of the silencer filling operation using glass fiber is reduced. To cope with this problem, a controller needs to be provided so as to automatically activate or stop the relevant operating portions in accordance with the working procedure. The controller may include child controllers provided at the relevant operating portions, and the child controllers may be caused to cooperate with one another by the parent controller. Alternatively, the relevant operating portions may be controlled altogether directly by the parent controller.

(34) The filling operation of filling the silencer with glass fiber using the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber 2 according to the present example will be described. Firstly, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 12, the silencer 1 in which the inner pipe 12 is caused to penetrate the through hole 111 and a through hole 112 of the case 11 is rested on the silencer support portion 3. The silencer 1 of the present example uses the case 11 having the separated outer shell structure in which a pair of metallic members is joined together along circumferential flanges. FIG. 11 illustrates an interior of the case 11 by removing a front member. The inner pipe 12 is a metallic pipe in which a number of holes 123 are provided. Even though the inner pipe 12 is situated in the normal position in a stage where the silencer 1 is rested on the silencer support portion 3, the inner pipe 12 is not secured to the case 11. A space defined between the case 11 and the inner pipe 12 constitutes an internal space 13 to be filled with glass fiber 14.

(35) The silencer 1 is rested on the silencer support portion 3 in such a manner that the end face of the case 11 is brought into abutment with the case receiver 314 provided on the upper surface of the support table 31 and the side surfaces of the case 11 are held by the holding frame 32. In FIGS. 9 to 12, the silencer 1 is rested on the silencer support portion 3 in the erected posture with the flat case 11 aligned in such a manner that narrow side surfaces thereof are oriented in a left-right direction. However, as long as the silencer 1 is rested in the erected posture, there will be imposed no limitation on the direction in which the flat case 11 is oriented. The orientation of the silencer support portion 3 that specifies the orientation of the silencer 1 is controlled by the turn table 33. The nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is positioned directly above the silencer 1 rested on the silencer support portion 3. In this stage, a center axis C (refer to FIGS. 15 and 16, which will be described later on) of the inner pipe 12, axes of the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 and the support table 31 of the silencer support portion 3, and the rotational center of the turn table 33 coincide with one another.

(36) After the silencer 1 is rested on the silencer support portion 3, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, the inner pipe 12 is shifted downwards from the normal position, and the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is inserted from the through hole 111 at the upper side of the case 11, the through hole 111 being now opened. Since the inner pipe 12 is not secured to the case 11, when the pipe receiver 35 is lowered by rotating the ball screw 352, the inner pipe 12 is lowered by virtue of its own weight. When the pipe receiver 35 is lowered, shifting the inner pipe 12 downwards, the suction pipe 34 is inserted into an interior of the inner pipe 12 from the other end 122 thereof that is stated outside the case 11.

(37) The nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is lowered as a result of the rod 541 of the direction action cylinder 54 being extended immediately after or at the same time as the pipe receiver 35 is lowered. Since the end portion 43 has the outside diameter that enables the end portion 43 to be brought into contact with the inner side of the inner pipe 12, the end portion 43 is inserted into the through hole 111, which has a diameter equal to the outside diameter of the inner pipe 12, at the upper side of the case 11 without any difficulty. Even though the inner pipe 12 deviates in a horizontal direction or is inclined, when the end portion 43 is inserted into the one end of the inner pipe 12, the erroneous posture of the inner pipe 12 is corrected. The end portion 43 is inserted into the one end 121 of the inner pipe 12 that is situated in the interior of the case 11 to thereby close the one end 121. In the present example, a step constituting a boundary between the end portion 43 and the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 is brought into abutment with an end face of the one end 121 of the inner pipe 12 to thereby enhance the airtightness at the one end 121.

(38) When the end portion 43 is inserted into the one end 121 of the inner pipe 12, the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 is inserted into the through hole 111 at the upper side of the case 11 and closes the through hole 111. The nozzle auxiliary portion 4 stops lowering when the stopper portion 41 is brought into abutment with the case 11. In the present example, since the stopper portion 41 is brought into abutment with the flange of the case 11, the stopper portion 41 never enhances the airtightness of the upper through hole 111, and hence, the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 closes the through hole 111 in such a state that a slight amount of air is allowed to be sucked in. As a result, when air is sucked in from the suction pipe 34, a flow of air directed downwards is formed while a slight amount of air is being sucked in from a gap between the through hole 111 and the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 inserted therein.

(39) In the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber 2 according to the present example, glass fiber 63 is supplied while the silencer 1 is being rotated and air is being sucked out from the suction pipe 34, whereby glass fiber 14 fills the internal space 13 that changes in the rotating direction of the silencer 1 uniformly in the circumferential direction and with high bulk density. Due to this, the silencer support portion 3 is rotated by the turn table 33 after the inner pipe 12 of the silencer 1 is shifted downwards. As a result, in the silencer 1 in an erected state with the inner pipe 12 shifted downwards, the case 11 and the inner pipe 12 are rotated integrally.

(40) The inner pipe 12 is connected rotatably with the end portion 43 of the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 at the one end 111 thereof. Additionally, the inner pipe 12 is connected rotatably at the other end 122 thereof with the lifting hole 311 emerging by the pipe receiver 35 being lowered. In the case 11, the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 of the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is inserted into the upper through hole 111, and the inner pipe 12 penetrates through the lower through hole 112. The turn table 33 turns around the center axis C of the inner pipe 12. Thus, the case 11 and the inner pipe 12 rotate around the center axis C of the inner pipe 12 without being dislocated from the silencer support portion 3.

(41) As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16, the nozzle 6 injects glass fiber 63 while untwining the glass fiber to supply the glass fiber 63 into the internal space 13 of the silencer 1 that is rotating. In the interior of the case 11, a flow of air directed downwards from the internal space 13 is formed through the holes 123 on the inner pipe 12 as a result of air being sucked out from the suction pipe 34 inserted from the other end 122 of the inner pipe 12 (refer to a broken line arrow in FIGS. 15 and 16). As a result, glass fiber 14 that is filling the internal space 13 is accumulated from a lower portion of the case 11 in a compressed state.

(42) The rotation of the silencer 1 evens the bulk density of glass fiber 14 that fills the internal space 13 that changes in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the bulk density of glass fiber 14 filling the internal space 13 is made even although the internal space 13 changes in the circumferential direction by increasing or decreasing the amount of glass fiber 63 injected from the nozzle 6 in accordance with a rotation angle of the silencer 1. In addition, the bulk density of glass fiber 14 filling the internal space 13 is made even although the internal space 13 changes in the circumferential direction by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the silencer 1 while keeping the amount of glass fiber 63 injected from the nozzle 6 constant.

(43) For example, in the case of the silencer 1 of the present example in which the internal space 13 has a capacity of just less than five liters, the filling time becomes 15 seconds when glass fiber 63 is supplied from the nozzle 6 at a rate of 260 g/min and the silencer 1 is rotated at an average rotation speed of 200 rpm. The filling time does not stay constant since the amount of glass fiber 63 injected from the nozzle 6 and the rotation speed of the silencer 1 need to be increased or decreased in accordance with the shape of the case 11. However, even if the filling time becomes double the filling time described above (15 seconds), the filling operation of filling the internal space 13 with glass fiber by making use of the present disclosure provides a very high operation efficiency with which substantially one minute is spent from the installation of the silencer 1 in the apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber 2 to the removal of the silencer 1 from the same apparatus 2.

(44) When filling the internal space 13 with glass fiber 14 is completed, the supply of glass fiber 63 by the nozzle 6, the suction of air by the suction pipe 34, and the rotation of the silencer 1 are stopped. The glass fiber 14 that fills the internal space 13 is compressed to stay below the injection opening 421 provided in the auxiliary portion main body portion 42 of the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 by the flow of air formed by the suction pipe 34, leaving a slight space above the injection opening 421 in the internal space 13. However, when the suction of air by the suction pipe 34 is stopped, the glass fiber 14 filling the internal space 13 in such a compressed state expands to fill the whole of the internal space 13 while being distributed uniformly therein.

(45) The nozzle 6 includes the cutter that is incorporated in the nozzle main body portion 61 to cut glass fiber 63 (a figure illustrating the cutter is omitted). Pieces of glass fiber 63 cut by the cutter are sucked into the internal space 13 as long as air continues to be sucked out by the suction pipe 34. Due to this, the suction of air by the suction pipe 34 is stopped after the supply of glass fiber 63 is stopped. Then, the silencer 1 is stopped rotating after the suction of air by the suction pipe 34 is stopped. Although the silencer 1 can freely be stopped in any orientation, the silencer need only be stopped in the same orientation as that in which the silencer 1 is oriented when it is rested on the silencer support portion 3 (to the front in the present example).

(46) When the silencer 1 is stopped rotating, as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18, the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is raised to be withdrawn from the through hole 111 in the case 11, and at the same time, the pipe receiver 35 is raised to return the inner pipe 12 to the normal position. At this time, when the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is raised before the inner pipe 12 is returned to the normal position, a gap is produced between the one end 121 of the inner pipe 12 and the through hole 111 at the upper side of the case 11, whereby the glass fiber 14 that is expanding forcibly enters the gap so produced, causing fears that the inner pipe 12 is prevented from rising. Due to this, the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 and the inner pipe 12 need only be raised at the same time.

(47) When the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 and the pipe receiver 35 are raised in synchronism with each other, the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is pulled out of the through hole 111 at the upper side of the case 11 with the end portion 43 left inserted in the one end 121 of the inner pipe 12. Additionally, when the pipe receiver 35 is raised with the rod 541 of the linear cylinder 54 left in a free state, since the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is pushed up by the pipe receiver 35 via the inner pipe 12, the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is pulled out of the through hole 111 at the upper side of the case 11 with the end portion 43 left inserted in the one end 121 of the inner pipe 12. When the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 continues to be raised further even after the pipe receiver 35 is stopped, the end portion 43 is pulled out of the one end 121 of the inner pipe 12, whereby the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 can be withdrawn upwards.

(48) When the nozzle auxiliary portion 4 is withdrawn upwards, and the inner pipe 12 is returned to the normal position, the silencer 1 can simply be removed from the silencer support portion 3. The silencer 1 is completed by securing the inner pipe 12 to the case 11 after the operation of filling the silencer 1 with glass fiber 14 is completed. No opening is provided in the case 11 to supply glass fiber to fill the case 11. In this way, according to the present disclosure, the silencer 1 whose internal space 13 is filled with the glass fiber 14 can simply be fabricated without providing any opening visible from the external appearance of the silencer 1.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(49) 1 silencer

(50) 11 case

(51) 111 upper through hole

(52) 112 lower through hole

(53) 12 inner pipe

(54) 121 one end

(55) 122 the other end

(56) 13 internal space

(57) 14 glass fiber supplied to fill the case

(58) 2 apparatus for filling a silencer with glass fiber

(59) 3 silencer support portion

(60) 31 support table

(61) 32 holding frame

(62) 33 turn table

(63) 34 suction pipe

(64) 341 suction tube

(65) 35 pipe receiver

(66) 4 nozzle auxiliary portion

(67) 41 stopper portion

(68) 42 auxiliary portion main body portion

(69) 43 end portion

(70) 5 apparatus frame

(71) 51 base

(72) 52 vertical wall

(73) 53 horizontal arm

(74) 54 direction action cylinder

(75) 6 nozzle

(76) 61 nozzle main body portion

(77) 62 supply tube

(78) 63 supplied glass fiber

(79) C center axis of inner pipe