METHOD AND DEVICE FOR SUPPLYING METALLIC SODIUM TO HOLLOW VALVES

摘要

There is provided a method of charging a hollow valve with metallic sodium easily and swiftly without being oxidized over the surface of the metallic sodium and an apparatus therefor. The metallic sodium is fed into a cavity of the hollow valve in which a valve stem has a smaller diameter. A workpiece 1, a semi-finished product for a hollow poppet valve, is disposed at a working position X where an opening 4a is directed upward. A cavity 4 of the workpiece 1 is open at a free end of the valve stem 2. A nozzle 7 is inserted into the opening 4a. An inert gas is jetted from the nozzle 7 and is fed into the cavity 4. Then, the nozzle 7 is moved up, and a holder 11 that holds the rod-like metallic sodium 10 is disposed between the workpiece 1 and the nozzle 7. While the inert gas is jetted from the nozzle 7, the metallic sodium 10 is pressed into the cavity 4 of the workpiece 1.