Method of manufacturing means for storing and transporting liquids, gases or fluidized solid particles under pressure

Claim 1

A method for manufacturing tubular means for storing and transporting liquids, gases and fluidized solid particles under pressure, comprising the steps of: a. arranging a pair of thin, flexible, stretchable, liquid tight inner wall sheet portions in abutting surface relationship; b. joining the pair of inner wall sheet portions to each other along at least one free edge contour to form a continuous inner wall channel network, the inner wall channels in the unexpanded state having a normally flat cross-section and expandable under internal pressure to have a circular cross-section; c. arranging each of a pair of flexible outer wall sheet portions upon each of a pair of opposed outwardly directed surfaces of the normally flat inner wall, the outer wall sheet having a strength relatively greater than the inner wall sheet and sufficient to withstand the expansion pressure within the inner wall channel network; and d. joining the pair of outer wall sheet portions to each other along at least one edge contour outwardly positioned beyond the periphery of the inner wall channel network to form a continuous, normally flat outer wall network unattachedly enclosing the inner wall channel network, the outer wall assuming a substantially circular cross-section responsive to the expansion of the enclosed inner wall, thereby limiting the expansion of the inner wall channel network.

Claim 2

A method for manufacturing tubular means for storing and transporting liquids, gases and fluidized solid particles under pressure, comprising the steps of: a. arranging a pair of thin, flexible, stretchable, liquid tight inner wall sheet portions in abutting surface relationship; b. joining the pair of inner wall sheet portions to each other along at least one free edge contour to form a continuous inner wall channel network, the inner wall channels in the unexpanded state having a normally flat cross-section and expandable under internal pressure to have a circular cross-section; c. arranging each of a pair of flexible outer wall sheet portions upon each of a pair of opposed outwardly directed surfaces of the normally flat inner wall, the outer wall sheet having a strength relatively greater than the inner wall sheet and sufficient to withstand the expansion pressure within the inner wall channel network; and d. joining the pair of outer wall sheet portions to each other along at least one edge contour outwardly positioned beyond the periphery of the inner wall channel network to form a continuous, normally flat outer wall network unattachedly enclosing the inner wall channel network, the outer wall assuming a substantially circular cross-section responsive to the expansion of the enclosed inner wall, thereby limiting the expansion of the inner wall channel network.

Claim 7

A method for manufacturing a branched network of tubular means for storing and transporting liquids, gases and fluidized solid particles under pressure, comprising the steps of: a. cutting a first pair of thin, flexible, stretchable, liquid tight sheets of material to a predetermined branched network shape; b. arranging both material sheets in abutting surface relationship one upon the other; c. cutting a second pair of flexible material sheets to have the same predetermined branched network shape; d. arranging each of the second pair of flexible sheets upon an opposed outwardly directed surface of the overlaid first pair of cut sheets; e. joining the first pair of overlaid sheets along a pair of opposed edge contours to form a normally flat continuous branched inner wall channel network; and f. joining the second pair of material sheets to each other along a pair of opposed edge contours outwardly positioned beyond the inner wall edge contours to form a normally flat branched continuous outer wall network unattachedly enclosing the inner wall branched network, the inner branched channel network in the unexpanded state being normally flat and assuming a substantially circular cross-section resPonsive to internal pressure, the outer wall material having a strength sufficient to withstand the pressure within the inner wall branched channel network to form a relatively stiff branched outer shell having a substantially circular crosssection limiting the inner wall branched channel network expansion under pressure.

Claim 8

A method for manufacturing a branched network of tubular means for storing and transporting liquids, gases and fluidized solid particles under pressure, comprising the steps of: a. cutting a first pair of thin, flexible, stretchable, liquid tight sheets of material to a predetermined branched network shape; b. arranging both material sheets in abutting surface relationship one upon the other; c. cutting a second pair of flexible material sheets to have the same predetermined branched network shape; d. arranging each of the second pair of flexible sheets upon an opposed outwardly directed surface of the overlaid first pair of cut sheets; e. joining the first pair of overlaid sheets along a pair of opposed edge contours to form a normally flat continuous branched inner wall channel network; and f. joining the second pair of material sheets to each other along a pair of opposed edge contours outwardly positioned beyond the inner wall edge contours to form a normally flat branched continuous outer wall network unattachedly enclosing the inner wall branched network, the inner branched channel network in the unexpanded state being normally flat and assuming a substantially circular cross-section resPonsive to internal pressure, the outer wall material having a strength sufficient to withstand the pressure within the inner wall branched channel network to form a relatively stiff branched outer shell having a substantially circular crosssection limiting the inner wall branched channel network expansion under pressure.