Filament wound tubular column

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a structural support column system having a molded neck piece capable of transmitting axial loading to a fiber-reinforced composite tubular column member.
It is also an object of the invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide such a column system wherein the exterior transition between the column member and neck piece is substantially continuous so as to be characterized by an absence of open gaps and protruding edges.
It is an additional object of the invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide such a column system having exceptionally thin tubular walls.
It is another object of the invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide such a column system capable of resisting significant architectural axial load distributions.
The above objects and others not specifically recited are realized in a specific illustrative embodiment of a molded neck piece for mounting upon a composite tubular support column.
A high-strength plastic neck body includes an insertable portion and a contacting face extending radially outward from the insertable portion.
The insertable portion is configured and dimensioned for telescopic insertion into the upper open-end of the composite support column.
The contacting face abuts against the upper open-end face of the column in end-to-end contact sufficient to enable axial load transfer between the neck body and the thin walls of the plastic support column.
The column body is a one-piece tubular member and is preferably made of a fiber-reinforced; low-grade polyester system.
The column body tapers radially inwardly from the lower third of the body to the upper end thereof in the manner of traditional architectural design.
The tubular walls of the column body are exceptionally thin and capable of resisting significant architectural axial load distributions.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention