Method and apparatus for inserting resilient rods into flexible tubes

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR INSERTING AN ELONGATED COMPRESSIBLE CORE INTO TUBING OF SMALLER INTERNAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA NORMAL TO ITS AXIS THAN THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF THE CORE NORMAL TO ITS AXIS, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES HOLDING SAID CORE IN ELONGATED FORM CONFINED IN A CONFINING ZONE HAVING ITS CONFINING WALL PERIPHERALLY SPACED AWAY FROM THE OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THE CORE; CONNECTING SAID TUBING, WHICH IS TO RECEIVE THE CORE, IN CONTINUOUS GAS-TIGHT COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CONFINING ZONE; COMPRESSING SAID CORE TO A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA NORMAL TO ITS AXIS SMALLER THAN THE INSIDE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID TUBING NORMAL TO ITS AXIS AND PROPELLING SAID COMPRESSED CORE THROUGH SAID TUBING BY FEEDING INTO SAID CONFINING ZONE HOLDING SAID CORE, AND THEREBY AROUND AT LEAST A MAJOR PART OF THE LONGITUDINAL OUTER-PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF THAT LENGTH OF SAID CORE WHICH IS WITHIN SAID ZONE, A STREAM OF CORE-PROPELLANT GAS AT A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO COMPRESS THE CORE AND PROPEL IT THROUGH THE TUBING BY SUCTION ACTING ON THE LEADING END PORTION OF THE CORE, SAID SUCTION BEING DEVELOPED BY THE SPEED OF FLOW OF SAID CORE-PROPELLANT GAS OVER SAID PERIPHERAL SURFACE AND AROUND SAID LEADING END PORTION OF SAID CORE.