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Sound-attenuating mufflers and muffler inserts, and systems and methods for fabricating such muffler inserts. Continuous fiberglass roving is fed to a pneumatic jet head which fluffs the roving and presents the fluffed roving to a delivery wand at the exit end of the jet head. A jet head/wand assemb

Sound-attenuating mufflers and muffler inserts, and systems and methods for fabricating such muffler inserts. Continuous fiberglass roving is fed to a pneumatic jet head which fluffs the roving and presents the fluffed roving to a delivery wand at the exit end of the jet head. A jet head/wand assembly is moved along a three-dimensional path such that the wand delivery tip travels along a predetermined three-dimensional path inside a mold thereby depositing the continuous, fluffed fiberglass strands in the mold along the predetermined path. A terminal end portion of a liquid resin conduit is mounted to the fiberglass-dispensing wand, as part of the delivery tip, and drip-feeds liquid resin onto the fiberglass as the fiberglass is being deposited in the mold. The undulating, up and down movement of the delivery tip produces a wave-like undulating pattern in the appearance of the rovings in the resulting molded product.

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1. A method of charging a mold cavity, in a mold, with a combination of a fiberglass and a liquid resin, to make a generally fixed-shape fiber-resin composite muffler insert core, the mold cavity having a bottom and a top, the method comprising: (a) conveying a continuous-length fiberglass roving fr

1. A method of charging a mold cavity, in a mold, with a combination of a fiberglass and a liquid resin, to make a generally fixed-shape fiber-resin composite muffler insert core, the mold cavity having a bottom and a top, the method comprising: (a) conveying a continuous-length fiberglass roving from a roving source to a jet head;(b) fluffing the continuous-length fiberglass roving in the jet head and urging the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving out an exit end of said jet head, to a delivery tip in combination with jet head air movement at the delivery tip;(c) conveying both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin to the delivery tip; and(d) dispensing, from the delivery tip, and into the mold cavity, both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin, until the mold is filled to the top of the mold cavity. 2. A method as in claim 1, comprising dispensing a given portion of the liquid resin from the delivery tip before the respective portion of the liquid resin reaches the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving. 3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising, in a first stage of dispensing the fiberglass and the resin into the mold cavity, confining location of the delivery tip, in the mold cavity, to a first portion of the mold cavity which is closer to the bottom of the mold cavity than to the top of the mold cavity. 4. A method as in claim 3, further comprising, in a second stage of dispensing the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the resin into the mold cavity, confining location of the delivery tip to a second portion of the mold cavity, above the first portion of the mold cavity. 5. A method as in claim 1, further comprising avoiding subjecting a given portion of the liquid resin to the jet head air movement until the given portion of the liquid resin has reached the delivery tip. 6. A method as in claim 1, further comprising using a programmable computer to instruct a mechanical drive system to move the delivery tip along a predetermined path in delivering the roving and resin into the mold cavity. 7. A method as in claim 6, further comprising the mechanical drive system moving the delivery tip along such delivery path wherein at least a portion of the path includes both a vertical vector and a horizontal vector. 8. A method as in claim 1, comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving to the delivery tip along a first conduit, and conveying the liquid resin to the delivery tip along a second conduit, distinct from the first conduit. 9. A method as in claim 1, comprising expressing the liquid resin as droplets, each separated from the delivery tip before the respective droplet joins the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving. 10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the liquid resin leaves the delivery tip as a series of individual droplets, formed one at a time, in sequence. 11. A method as in claim 1, including expressing the continuous-length fluffed roving and the liquid resin from the delivery tip through first and second different dispensing openings at the delivery tip. 12. A method as in claim 11 comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin to the first and second different dispensing openings at the delivery tip through first and second different conduits. 13. A method as in claim 11 comprising securing the first and second different conduits to each other such that the first and second different openings move together along a delivery path. 14. A method as in claim 1 wherein the continuous-length fluffed roving, as delivered into the mold cavity, is substantially lighter in density than a density of such roving at the roving source. 15. A method as in claim 1, including limiting the amount of resin addition to the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass to only about that amount which is required to hold the generally-fixed shape of the resulting fiber-resin composite muffler insert core until such time as the fiber-resin composite insert core is assembled to a muffler shell, and to an engine exhaust, thereby to create a said muffler insert core having a substantial void volume. 16. A method as in claim 1, including using a programmable computer to control (i) conveying the continuous-length fiberglass roving from the roving source to the jet head,(ii) fluffing the continuous-length fiberglass roving in the jet head,(iii) conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving, and the resin, to the delivery tip, and(iv) delivering the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving, and the resin, into the mold cavity. 17. A method as in claim 1, further comprising, after the mold is filled, applying a cap to the mold. 18. A method of charging a mold cavity, in a mold, with a combination of a fiberglass and a liquid resin to make a generally fixed-shape fiber-resin composite muffler insert core, the mold cavity having a bottom and a top, the method comprising: (a) conveying a continuous-length fiberglass roving from a roving source to a jet head;(b) fluffing the continuous-length fiberglass roving in the jet head, with jet head air movement, and urging the fluffed continuous-length fiberglass roving out an exit end of said jet-head, to a delivery tip;(c) conveying both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin to the delivery tip;(d) inserting the delivery tip into the mold cavity, and dispensing both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin, from the delivery tip, into the mold cavity, and(e) in a first stage of the dispensing of both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin into the mold cavity, confining location of the delivery tip, in the mold cavity, to a first portion, less than an entirety, of a height of the mold cavity. 19. A method as in claim 18, comprising confining location of the delivery tip to a portion of the mold cavity which is closer to the bottom of the mold cavity than to the top of the mold cavity. 20. A method as in claim 19, further comprising, in a subsequent second stage of the dispensing of both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin into the mold cavity, confining location of the delivery tip to a second portion of the mold cavity above the first portion of the mold cavity. 21. A method as in claim 18 comprising dispensing a given portion of the liquid resin from the delivery tip before the respective portion of the liquid resin reaches the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving. 22. A method as in claim 18, further comprising using a programmable computer to instruct a mechanical delivery system to confine location of the delivery tip to a portion of the mold cavity closer to the bottom of the mold cavity than to the top of the mold cavity. 23. A method as in claim 18, further comprising avoiding subjecting a given portion of the liquid resin to the jet head air movement until the given portion of the liquid resin has reached the delivery tip. 24. A method as in claim 18, comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving to the delivery tip through a first conduit, and conveying the liquid resin to the delivery tip through a second conduit, distinct from the first conduit. 25. A method as in claim 24 wherein the liquid resin leaves the delivery tip as a series of individual droplets, formed one at a time, in sequence, each following a predecessor such droplet along a generally common downward direction. 26. A method as in claim 25 comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin to the first and second different openings at the delivery tip through respective first and second different conduits. 27. A method as in claim 26 comprising securing the first and second different conduits to each other such that the first and second different openings move together along a delivery path. 28. A method as in claim 18, comprising expressing the liquid resin as droplets, each expressed from the delivery tip before the respective droplet joins the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving. 29. A method as in claim 18, including expressing the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin from the delivery tip through first and second different dispensing openings at the delivery tip. 30. A method as in claim 18, including using a programmable computer to control (i) conveying the continuous-length fiberglass roving from the roving source to the jet head,(ii) fluffing the continuous-length fiberglass roving in the jet head,(iii) conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving, and the resin, to the delivery tip, and(iv) delivering the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving, and the resin, into the mold cavity. 31. A method of charging a mold cavity, in a mold, with a combination of a fiberglass and a liquid resin to make a generally fixed-shape fiber-resin composite muffler insert core, the mold cavity having a bottom and a top, the method comprising: (a) conveying a continuous-length fiberglass roving from a roving source to a jet head;(b) fluffing the continuous-length fiberglass roving in the jet head and urging the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving out an exit end of the jet head, to a delivery tip in combination with jet head air movement at the delivery tip;(c) conveying both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin to the delivery tip; and(d) dispensing, from the delivery tip, and into the mold cavity, both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin, including expressing a given portion of the liquid resin from the delivery tip before the given portion of the liquid resin joins the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving. 32. A method as in claim 31 wherein the liquid resin leaves the delivery tip as a series of individual droplets, formed one at a time, in sequence, each following a predecessor such droplet along a generally common downward direction. 33. A method as in claim 31, including expressing the continuous-length fluffed roving and the liquid resin from the delivery tip through first and second different dispensing openings at the delivery tip. 34. A method as in claim 33 comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin to the first and second different dispensing openings at the delivery tip through first and second different conduits, and securing the first and second different conduits to each other such that the first and second different openings move together along a delivery path. 35. A method as in claim 31, including limiting the amount of resin addition to the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving to only that amount required to hold the generally-fixed shape of the resulting fiber-resin composite muffler insert core until such time as the fiber-resin composite insert core is assembled to a muffler shell, and to an engine exhaust, thereby to create a such muffler insert core having a substantial void volume. 36. A method as in claim 31, further comprising, in a first stage of dispensing the fiberglass and the resin into the mold cavity, confining location of the delivery tip to a first portion of the mold cavity which is closer to the bottom of the mold cavity than to the top of the mold cavity. 37. A method as in claim 36, further comprising, in a second stage of dispensing the fiberglass roving and the resin into the mold cavity, confining location of the delivery tip, along the predetermined path, to a second portion of the mold cavity above the first portion of the mold cavity. 38. A method of charging a mold cavity, in a mold, with a combination of a fiberglass and a liquid resin, to make a fiber-resin composite muffler insert core, the mold cavity having a bottom and a top, the method comprising: (a) conveying a continuous-length fiberglass roving from a roving source to a jet head;(b) fluffing the continuous-length fiberglass roving in the jet head and urging the fluffed continuous-length fiberglass roving out an exit end of said jet-head, to a delivery tip, with jet head air movement;(c) conveying both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin-to the delivery tip;(d) dispensing, from the delivery tip, and into the mold cavity, both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin while avoiding subjecting a given portion of the liquid resin to the jet head air movement until the respective portion of the liquid resin has reached the delivery tip. 39. A method as in claim 38 comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving to the delivery tip along a first conduit, and conveying the liquid resin to the delivery tip along a second conduit, distinct from the first conduit. 40. A method as in claim 38 wherein the liquid resin leaves the delivery tip as a series of individual droplets, formed one at a time, in sequence, each following a predecessor such droplet along a generally common downward direction. 41. A method as in claim 38, including expressing the continuous-length fluffed roving and the liquid resin from the delivery tip through first and second different dispensing openings at the delivery tip. 42. A method as in claim 41 comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin to the first and second different dispensing openings at the delivery tip through first and second different conduits. 43. A method as in claim 41 comprising securing the first and second different conduits to each other such that the first and second different openings move together along a delivery path. 44. A method as in claim 38 comprising dispensing a given portion of the liquid resin from the delivery tip before the respective portion of the liquid resin reaches the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving. 45. A method of charging a mold cavity, in a mold, with a combination of a fiberglass and a liquid resin, to make a fiber-resin composite muffler insert core, the mold cavity having a bottom and a top, the method comprising: (a) conveying a continuous-length fiberglass roving from a roving source to a jet head;(b) fluffing the continuous-length fiberglass roving in the jet head and urging the fluffed continuous-length fiberglass roving out an exit end of said jet-head, to a delivery tip, with jet head air movement;(c) conveying both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin-to the delivery tip;(d) dispensing the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving into the mold cavity through a first delivery tip opening and dispensing the liquid resin into the mold cavity through a second delivery tip opening, distinct from the first delivery tip opening. 46. A method as in claim 45 comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving to the first delivery tip opening along a first conduit, and conveying the liquid resin to the second delivery tip opening along a second conduit, distinct from the first conduit. 47. A method as in claim 46 comprising securing the first and second conduits to each other such that the first and second delivery tip openings move together along a delivery path. 48. A method as in claim 45 wherein the liquid resin leaves the second delivery tip opening as a series of individual droplets, formed one at a time, in sequence. 49. A method as in claim 45 comprising dispensing a given portion of the liquid resin from the second delivery tip opening before the respective portion of the liquid resin reaches the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving. 50. A method of charging a mold cavity, in a mold, with a combination of a fiberglass and a liquid resin, to make a generally fixed-shape fiber-resin composite muffler insert core, the mold having a bottom and a top, the method comprising: (a) conveying a continuous-length fiberglass roving from a roving source to a jet head;(b) fluffing the continuous-length fiberglass roving in the jet head and urging the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving out an exit end of said jet head, to a delivery tip in combination with jet head air movement at the delivery tip;(c) conveying both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin to the delivery tip; and(d) dispensing, from the delivery tip, and into the mold cavity, both the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin, until the dispensed roving extends above the top of the mold. 51. A method as in claim 50 comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving to the delivery tip along a first conduit, and conveying the liquid resin to the delivery tip along a second conduit, distinct from the first conduit. 52. A method as in claim 51 wherein the liquid resin leaves the delivery tip as a series of individual droplets, formed one at a time, in sequence, each following a predecessor such droplet along a generally common downward direction. 53. A method as in claim 50, including expressing the continuous-length fluffed roving and the liquid resin from the delivery tip through first and second different dispensing openings at the delivery tip. 54. A method as in claim 53 comprising conveying the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving and the liquid resin to the first and second different dispensing openings at the delivery tip through first and second different conduits. 55. A method as in claim 53 comprising securing the first and second different conduits to each other such that the first and second different openings move together along a delivery path. 56. A method as in claim 50 comprising dispensing a given portion of the liquid resin from the delivery tip before the respective portion of the liquid resin reaches the continuous-length fluffed fiberglass roving.