Process for fabricating filament wound hollow members

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR FABRICATING A FILAMENT-WOUND HOLLOW MEMBER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING AN EXPANDABLE MANDREL SYSTEM; APPLYING A LAYER OF MATERIAL TO CONSTITUTE SAID HOLLOW MEMBER AND COMPRISING FILAMENT REINFORCEMENT MEANS WOUND ABOUT SAID MANDREL SYSTEM AND A THERMOSETTING RESIN BINDER IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID FILAMENT REINFORCEMENT MEANS AND PERMEATING SAID MATERIAL, INTO SAID MANDREL SYSTEM; EXPANDING SAID MANDREL SYSTEM TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER AND THEREBY DISTRIBUTIVELY TENSIONING SAID FILAMENT REINFORCING MEANS; CURING SAID MATERIAL UPON SAID MANDREL SYSTEM; AND REMOVING THE HOLLOW MEMBER FORMED BY SAID MATERIAL FROM SAID MANDREL SYSTEM AFTER SUFFICIENT CURING HAS TAKEN PLACE, AND WHEREIN THE STEP OF EXPANDING SAID MANDREL SYSTEM IS AT LEAST IN PART PERFORMED CONCURENTLY WITH THE SAID STEP OF APPLYING THE LAYER OF MATERIAL AND, THEREIN, DURING THE WINDING OF SAID FILAMENT REINFORCEMENT MEANS UPON SAID MANDREL SYSTEM.