Apparatus for installing a packing material in a muffler assembly; and methods thereof

• US 6,148,519 A
• Filed: 09/18/1998
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donaldson Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Donaldson Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Stenersen, Eivind, Risch, Daniel T., Wagner, Wayne M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuda, Irene
• Application Number:
  US09/156,834
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 29/446, 29/451, 29/890.08
• US Class Current: 29/890.08
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 1/24 by using sound-absorbing materials F01N1/04, F01N1/06, F01N1/10, F01N1/14, F01N1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/18 Construction facilitating manufacture, assembly, or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2450/06 Inserting sound absorbing material into a chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49398 Muffler, manifold or exhaust pipe making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49863 with prestressing of part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49872 Confining elastic part in socket

Abstract

A process for installing a fiber wrap or a packing material in a tubular construction, for example a muffler assembly, includes a step of compressing a mat of packing material by removing at least a portion of air from the mat of packing material. The mat is oriented against a tubular wall. After the step of orienting the mat, a shell, such as a muffler shell, is oriented over and against the mat. The step of compressing a mat may include drawing a partial vacuum through a perforated tubular wall, where the perforated tubular wall is the tubular wall that the mat is oriented against. Alternatively, the step of compressing a mat may include drawing a partial vacuum through the perforated wand inserted into the mat. Apparatus for installing the packing material can include a mandrel, a pump apparatus, and a sealing arrangement; or, the apparatus can include a wand and a vacuum pump.

Claims

1. A process for installing a packing material in a tubular assembly;

the process comprising;

(a) compressing a mat of packing material having an impervious backing by removing at least a portion of air from the mat of packing material, said step of compressing comprising;

(i) orienting a perforated tubular wall over a mandrel;

(ii) forming a seal between the perforated tubular wall and the mandrel by inflating a sealing tube between the mandrel and the perforated tubular wall;

(iii) drawing a partial vacuum through the perforated tubular wall after the perforated tubular wall is oriented over the mandrel;

(b) orienting the mat against the perforated tubular wall;

(i) said step of orienting including pressing the mat of packing material against the perforated tubular wall;

(c) after said step of orienting the mat, sliding a shell over and against the impervious backing;

(d) breaking the seal between the perforated tubular wall and the mandrel;

(i) said step of breaking the seal including deflating the sealing tube; and

(e) removing an assembly comprising the perforated tubular wall, mat, and shell from the mandrel.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said step of compressing a mat of packing material includes compressing a mat of non-woven fibrous glass.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said step of drawing a partial vacuum through the perforated tubular wall includes drawing a vacuum to a pressure of about -0.5 inch Hg. to -15 inches Hg.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said step of compressing a mat of packing material includes compressing the mat to about 50-75% of an original thickness of the mat.

5. The process according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) said step of sliding a shell includes sliding a shell having first and second opposite ends over and against the impervious backing.

6. The process according to claim 5 wherein:

(a) said step of sliding a shell includes sliding the shell until the first end engages a stop.

7. The process according to claim 1 further comprising after the step of breaking the seal between the perforated tubular wall and the mandrel:

(a) expanding the mat of packing material.

8. A process for installing a packing material in a tubular assembly;

the process comprising;

(a) orienting a mat of packing material over a perforated tubular wall;

(b) orienting the perforated tubular wall over a mandrel;

(c) removing at least a portion of air from a region between the mat and the mandrel by;

(i) forming a seal between the perforated tubular wall and the mandrel by inflating a sealing tube between the mandrel and the tubular wall; and

(ii) drawing a partial vacuum through the perforated tubular wall after the perforated tubular wall is oriented over the mandrel;

(d) after said step of removing at least a portion of air, orienting a shell over the mat; and

(e) breaking the seal between the tubular wall and the mandrel by deflating the sealing tube.

9. The process according to claim 8 further including:

(a) after said of orienting the mat, orienting a shell over the mat of packing material.

10. The process according to claim 9 further including:

(a) removing an assembly from the mandrel including the perforated tubular wall, mat, and shell.

11. The process according to claim 8 wherein:

(a) said step of orienting a mat of packing material over a perforated tubular wall is done after said step of orienting the perforated tubular wall over a mandrel.

12. A process for installing a packing material in a tubular assembly;

the process comprising;

(a) compressing a mat of packing material by removing at least a portion of air by;

(i) orienting a tubular wall over a mandrel;

(ii) forming a seal between the tubular wall and the mandrel by inflating a sealing tube between the mandrel and the tubular wall;

(iii) drawing a partial vacuum after the seal is formed;

(iv) orienting the mat of packing material against the tubular wall;

(b) after said step of compressing the mat, orienting a shell over and against the mat;

(c) breaking the seal between the tubular wall and the mandrel by deflating the sealing tube; and

(d) removing an assembly comprising the tubular wall, mat, and shell from the mandrel.

13. The process according to claim 12 wherein:

(a) said step of orienting a tubular wall over a mandrel includes orienting a perforated tubular wall over a mandrel.

14. The process according to claim 12 wherein:

(a) said step of orienting a shell over the mat includes sliding a shell over the mat.

15. The process according to claim 14 wherein:

(a) said step of sliding a shell over the mat includes sliding the shell until the shell engages a stop member.

16. The process according to claim 12 wherein:

(a) said step of compressing a mat of packing material includes compressing a mat of packing material having at least one impervious backing; and

(b) said step of orienting a shell over and against the mat includes orienting a shell over the at least one impervious backing.