Exhaust connection member with braided cover and method of making the same
AssigneeTru-Flex, LLC
InventorsRobert F. Stalcup, II, Scott R. Swank
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exhaust connection coupler and a method for manufacturing a braid cover incorporated therein are provided. The method of manufacturing comprises the steps of providing a tubular sleeve formed of braided wire filaments and forming at least one end of the sleeve into shape using a forming die such that the at least one end of the cover includes a circumferential neck portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of a body portion of the cover. In the method, the sleeve may be pressed between male and female forming dies in order to create the cover's desired shape, which can include a shoulder extending radially outwardly from the cover's neck portion and meeting the cover's body portion at a corner.
Claims7
A method of manufacturing an intertwined cover member for use in an exhaust system coupler, said method comprising the steps of:
- intertwining a plurality of wire filaments to form a sleeve having a first end, a second end, and a body positioned between the first end and the second end,
- positioning the sleeve on a male forming die,
- inserting the male forming die and the sleeve into a female forming die, and
- compressing the sleeve between the male forming die and the female forming die to form a circumferential neck portion and a shoulder of the cover member from the first end of the sleeve, the shoulder being generally perpendicular to the body of the sleeve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.