Method of manufacturing an elongated structural member

Claim 1

A method of manufacturing an elongated, multi-component structural member having a substantially uniform cross-section comprising a pultrusion process including the steps of: (a) forming a porous core having an outer surface; (b) applying a first layer comprising an air-tight skin over the outer surface of said porous core; (c) applying a second layer comprising peripherally-extending fibers over said first layer; (d) applying a third layer comprising axially-extending fibers impregnated with an excess of uncured thermosetting plastic over said second layer; (e) applying a fourth layer comprising peripherally-extending fibers over said third layer, said fibers of said fourth layer being substantially free of uncured thermosetting plastic; (f) positioning the resulting multi-component member in a mold and curing said multi-component member, wherein excess uncured thermosetting plastic from said third layer indirectly impregnates said fourth layer.

Claim 2

A method of manufacturing an elongated, multi-component structural member having a substantially uniform cross-section comprising a pultrusion process including the steps of: (a) forming a porous core having an outer surface; (b) applying a first layer comprising an air-tight skin over the outer surface of said porous core; (c) applying a second layer comprising peripherally-extending fibers over said first layer; (d) applying a third layer comprising axially-extending fibers impregnated with an excess of uncured thermosetting plastic over said second layer; (e) applying a fourth layer comprising peripherally-extending fibers over said third layer, said fibers of said fourth layer being substantially free of uncured thermosetting plastic; (f) positioning the resulting multi-component member in a mold and curing said multi-component member, wherein excess uncured thermosetting plastic from said third layer indirectly impregnates said fourth layer.

Claim 5

A method for manufacturing an elongated structural member of substantially uniform cross-section, comprising the steps of: providing two elongated multi-component members, each multi-component member comprising a compressible core and a shell enclosing said core; said shell including a plurality of layers of fibers impregnated with an uncured thermosetting plastic, each multi-component member including a substantially circular section having an outer diameter D; providing two separate mold parts, each mold part having a cavity with a U-shaped cross-section including a semicircular portion and a rectangular portion, said semicircular portion having a diameter D and said rectangular portion having a pair of parallel long sides and a pair of parallel short sides, each of said long sides having a length D, one of said long sides being positioned adjacent the diameter of said semicircular portion, said short sides having a length less than D/2 and greater than D/4, said two mold parts being positioned with said open ends facing each other and with said multi-component members, when inserted into said cavities, extending past said rectangular portion; positioning said two multi-component members in said separate mold cavities; closing the mold parts while compressing and deforming the cores of the multi-component members and curing said multi-component members to produce an elongated structural member.

Claim 6

A method for manufacturing an elongated structural member of substantially uniform cross-section, comprising the steps of: providing two elongated multi-component members, each multi-component member comprising a compressible core and a shell enclosing said core; said shell including a plurality of layers of fibers impregnated with an uncured thermosetting plastic, each multi-component member including a substantially circular section having an outer diameter D; providing two separate mold parts, each mold part having a cavity with a U-shaped cross-section including a semicircular portion and a rectangular portion, said semicircular portion having a diameter D and said rectangular portion having a pair of parallel long sides and a pair of parallel short sides, each of said long sides having a length D, one of said long sides being positioned adjacent the diameter of said semicircular portion, said short sides having a length less than D/2 and greater than D/4, said two mold parts being positioned with said open ends facing each other and with said multi-component members, when inserted into said cavities, extending past said rectangular portion; positioning said two multi-component members in said separate mold cavities; closing the mold parts while compressing and deforming the cores of the multi-component members and curing said multi-component members to produce an elongated structural member.