Continuous method for making hose with destruction of mandrel

Abstract

A process for the continuous production of a hose formed and vulcanized on a mandrel, comprising continuously forming and advancing a hollow mandrel, continuously forming said hose about said mandrel and continuously vulcanizing said hose while advancing said hose in axial direction with said mandrel, after said mandrel arrives at a predetermined location continuously destroying said mandrel within said hose, and removing the remnants of said mandrel from said hose. The mandrel may be formed of a brittle material such as sintered metal or of a relatively low melting material and its destruction can be effected by longitudinal severance into strips and/or melting by induced current and/or fragmentation by ultrasound. Alternatively the mandrel may be made of soluble material and subsequently dissolved away. Endless reinforcements may also be circulated and the mandrel formed so as to partially embed said reinforcements. Corresponding apparatus is provided.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.