Braided sleeve, tubular article and method of manufacturing the tubular article

A method of forming a rigid, tubular article of manufacture of varying cross sections, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a tubular woven sleeve having a longitudinal axis, a plurality of first filaments being elastic and extending in a first direction, said first direction being at an angle to said longitudinal axis, a plurality of second filaments being elastic and extending in a second direction different than said first direction and a plurality of reinforcement filaments extending generally parallel to said longitudinal axis, said reinforcement filaments being generally inelastic when under tension relative to said first filaments and said second filaments,
• providing a mandrel having the same general shape as the article of manufacture,
• stretching the sleeve over the mandrel,
• subjecting the sleeve to heat and pressure,
• allowing the sleeve to cool into the rigid, tubular article of manufacture, and
• removing the article from the mandrel.

A method of reinforcing a rigid, tubular article of manufacture having inner and outer walls with a woven sleeve, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a tubular woven sleeve having a longitudinal axis which is longitudinally elastically expandable and contractible, said sleeve being radially contracted hen longitudinally expanded and radially expanded when longitudinally contracted,
• placing the sleeve inside the tubular article while the sleeve is longitudinally expanded and radially contracted based on tension applied to the sleeve along the longitudinal axis,
• allowing the sleeve to longitudinally contract and radially expand so as to conform to the inner wall of the article by releasing the tension along the longitudinal axis, and
• subjecting the sleeve to the heat and pressure to fuse the sleeve to the inner wall of the article.