Method and apparatus for moulding elongate members and in particular golf club shafts

摘要

The invention provides a method of moulding an elongate member (20) in which an amount of fibre filled molten plastics material is introduced through an injection aperture (23) into a mould space (17) having a longitudinal axis and including a peripheral wall surface (18) which conforms to the corresponding external configuration of the elongate member. Pressurized fluid is introduced into the plastics material to form a hollow cavity (29) within the plastics material in the mould space. The mould space has an axially extending chamber (22) upstream of the peripheral wall surface. The injection aperture projects the plastics material into the chamber at an obtuse angle to the axis of the mould space in the direction of plastics flow whereby the plastics material is introduced through the injection aperture without jetting and the fibres remain substantially unbroken and oriented substantially longitudinally of the elongate member. The pressurized fluid is introduced into the chamber through a separate opening (49) which is directed at least substantially along the axis of the mould space in the direction of plastics flow. The invention also provides apparatus for carrying out the method defined above. One use is a golf club shaft (44) comprising an elongate member or blank (42) moulded as above, and wrapping material (32 to 36) around at least part of its length including the end of the blank forming a handle portion (39).