Method of making a tubular pressure vessel

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING A TUBULAR PRESSURE VESSEL FROM A FLAT METAL STRIP, A SKIRTED CAP AND A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL REINFORCING RING, SAID PRESSURE VESSEL BEING OPEN AT LEAST AT ONE END, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: SUPPORTING THE REINFORCING RING UPON A MANDREL WITH ITS OUTER SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE EXPOSED OUTER SURFACE PORTIONS OF THE MANDREL ON EITHER SIDE THEREOF; AXIALLY CLAMPING THE SKIRTED CAP AGAINST ONE END OF THE MANDREL WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SKIRT OF THE CAP FORMING A CONTINUATION OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE MANDREL AND OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE RING; COATING EXPOSED SURFACES OF THE MANDREL WITH A PARTING AGENT; DEGREASING OUTER SURFACES OF THE SKIRT OF THE CAP AND THE REINFORCEING RING AND THEN APPLYING AN ADHESIVE TO THE DEGREASED SURFACES; APPLYING AN ADHESIVE TO THE FLAT METAL STRIP; HELICALLY WINDING IN THE SAME DIRECTION LAYERS OF THE FLAT METAL STRIP ABOUT THE SKIRT OF THE CAP, REINFORCING RING AND MANDREL WITH THE EDGES OF EACH HELIX IN A LAYER ABUTTING WITH EDGES OF ADJACENT HELIXES OF THE SAME LAYER AND THE ABUTTING EDGES OF ONE LAYER BEING COVERED BY A SUCCESSIVE LAYER, THE LAYERS OF STRIP BEING CONTINUED PAST THE SKIRT OF THE CAP IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION; SETTING THE ADHESIVE AND THEN REMOVING THE FORMED TUBULAR VESSEL FROM THE MANDREL.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING A TUBULAR PRESSURE VESSEL FROM A FLAT METAL STRIP, A SKIRTED CAP AND A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL REINFORCING RING, SAID PRESSURE VESSEL BEING OPEN AT LEAST AT ONE END, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: SUPPORTING THE REINFORCING RING UPON A MANDREL WITH ITS OUTER SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE EXPOSED OUTER SURFACE PORTIONS OF THE MANDREL ON EITHER SIDE THEREOF; AXIALLY CLAMPING THE SKIRTED CAP AGAINST ONE END OF THE MANDREL WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SKIRT OF THE CAP FORMING A CONTINUATION OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE MANDREL AND OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE RING; COATING EXPOSED SURFACES OF THE MANDREL WITH A PARTING AGENT; DEGREASING OUTER SURFACES OF THE SKIRT OF THE CAP AND THE REINFORCEING RING AND THEN APPLYING AN ADHESIVE TO THE DEGREASED SURFACES; APPLYING AN ADHESIVE TO THE FLAT METAL STRIP; HELICALLY WINDING IN THE SAME DIRECTION LAYERS OF THE FLAT METAL STRIP ABOUT THE SKIRT OF THE CAP, REINFORCING RING AND MANDREL WITH THE EDGES OF EACH HELIX IN A LAYER ABUTTING WITH EDGES OF ADJACENT HELIXES OF THE SAME LAYER AND THE ABUTTING EDGES OF ONE LAYER BEING COVERED BY A SUCCESSIVE LAYER, THE LAYERS OF STRIP BEING CONTINUED PAST THE SKIRT OF THE CAP IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION; SETTING THE ADHESIVE AND THEN REMOVING THE FORMED TUBULAR VESSEL FROM THE MANDREL.