Mandrel for making a rigid tubular article
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorMikhail Leyderman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mandrel for making a rigid tubular article that has integrally-formed straight and arcuate portions. The mandrel has a plurality of shape-providing elements slidably disposed on interconnected straight and arcuate rods. After a rigid tubular article has been formed about the mandrel, the shape-providing elements can be slid off the straight and arcuate rods so that the mandrel can be removed from the rigid tubular article's interior. This provides for easy separation of the mandrel from the tubular article.
Claims7
A mandrel useful for forming a rigid, tubular ceramic composite article that has a straight portion and an arcuate portion, which mandrel comprises:
- (a) a plurality of shape-providing elements that:
- (i) define a straight portion and an arcuate portion of the mandrel;
- and
- (ii) include first and second terminal shape-providing elements;
- and
- (b) a means for retaining the shape-providing elements in an aligned position the retaining means consisting essentially of:
- (i) at least one member that is straight and arcuate to pass through the shape-providing elements of the straight portion and arcuate portion of the mandrel, respectively;
- and
- (ii) first and second fasteners disposed immediately adjacent to the first and second terminal shape-providing elements;
- wherein the straight and arcuate portions of the mandrel are disposed on the at least one member that passes through the straight and arcuate portions of the mandrel such that after removing one or more of the first and second fasteners all of the shape-providing elements of the straight and arcuate portions of the mandrel are slidably and separatively removable from the at least one member when the rigid, tubular article has been formed about the straight and arcuate portions of the mandrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.