Method and apparatus for making elongated articles of fiber reinforced resin material

Claim 1

IN THE MAKING OF FIBER REINFORCED RESIN ARTICLES BY HARDENING THE RESIN IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL FORMING PASSAGE, THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING A STREAM OF LIQUID HEAT HARDENABLE RESIN MATERIAL FLOWING DOWNWARDLY ON THE OUTSIDE SURFACE OF A CORE ELEMENT EXTENDED FROM A POINT SPACED ABOVE THE UPPER END OF THE FORMING PASSAGE DOWNWARDLY INTO THE FORMING PASSAGE, FEEDING FIBER REINFORCEMENTS TO THE RESIN CARRYING SURFACE OF THE CORE ELEMENT TO EFFECT IMPREGNATION OF THE REINFORCEMENTS WITH THE RESIN MATERIAL, THE REINFORCEMENTS FED TO THE CORE COMPRISING AT LEAST THREE PLIES THE INNERMOST AND OUTEMOST OF WHICH COMPRISE ELONGATED REINFORCEMENT ELEMENTS EXTENDED SUBSTANTIALLY LONGITUDINALLY OF THE DIRECTION OF FEED THROUGH THE FORMING PASSAGE AND AN INTERMEDIATE PLY OF WHICH INCLUDES AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED ELEMENT HELICALLY WOUND AROUND THE CORE,