Duct and method of construction
AssigneeTalana Investments Limited
InventorWilliam James Donnelly
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible duct construction and method of manufacture is provided in which the duct is formed from a continuously wound elongate member comprising a core of insulating material, a reinforcing wire element and a casing comprising a strip of substrate material extending around the core and the reinforcing element. In the preferred method of manufacture, adhesive is applied to one side of the strip of substrate, the casing has a tail part extending from a generally circular part which encapsulates the core and the reinforcing element, and the elongate encapsulated insulating member is wound helically so that the circular part of one winding overlies and adheres to the tail part of the previous winding.
Claims40
A flexible tubular duct comprising:
- a core of insulating material,
- a wire-like reinforcing element, and
- a casing covering the core and the reinforcing element.
A flexible tubular duct formed from a continuously wound elongate member, wherein the elongate member comprises:
- a core of insulating material;
- a wire-like reinforcing element;
- and
- a casing comprising at least one strip of material covering the core and the reinforcing element.
An elongate member for forming a flexible tubular duct comprising:
- a core of insulating material;
- a wire-like reinforcing element;
- and
- a casing comprising at least one strip of material covering the core and the reinforcing element.
A method of manufacturing a flexible tubular duct comprising:
- providing an elongate core of insulating material;
- providing a wire-like reinforcing element;
- providing a strip of substrate material;
- bending the strip of substrate material around the insulating core and reinforcing element to form an elongate encapsulated insulating member;
- and
- winding the elongate encapsulated insulating member in a helical path to form the flexible tubular duct.
Apparatus for manufacturing ducting comprising a rotatable mandrel, substrate supplying means for supplying a strip of substrate to the mandrel, adhesive applying means for applying an adhesive to a surface of the substrate, core feeding means for feeding an elongate core onto the strip of substrate, wire feeding means for feeding a wire onto the strip of substrate, wire feeding means for feeding a wire onto the strip of substrate alongside and substantially parallel to the core, means for bending the strip of substrate around the core and the wire to form a casing surrounding the core and wire in an encapsulated insulating member, and means for rotating the mandrel to wind the encapsulated insulating member in a helical path around the mandrel to form a tubular duct.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.