Method of 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.
Claims8
A method of making a rigid article that has a tubular body comprising a straight portion and an arcuate portion, which method comprises:
- (a) forming a rigid tubular article having a straight portion and an arcuate portion on a mandrel that comprises a plurality of shape-providing elements slidably disposed on a means for retaining the shape-providing elements, the shape-providing elements defining a straight portion and an arcuate portion of the mandrel and the retaining means being straight and arcuate to pass through the straight and arcuate portions of the mandrel, respectively, and;
- (b) removing the mandrel from an interior of the rigid tubular article by the steps comprising:
- (i) separatively sliding the shape-providing elements of the mandrel from the rigid tubular article having the straight and arcuate portions;
- and
- (ii) removing all of the shape-providing elements and the means for retaining the shape-providing elements from the interior of the rigid tubular article having the straight and arcuate portions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.