Collapsible core assembly for a molding apparatus

1. A method of assembling a collapsible core device for molding articles around said core device in a mold cavity, comprising:

providing a first sleeve having a plurality of first ribs extending from a first base in an axial direction, said first ribs defining a discontinuous first perimeter surrounding a central channel, said first base having an annular shoulder portion defining a portion of said central channel and said annular shoulder portion having a plurality of grooves extending therethrough;

providing a second sleeve having a plurality of second ribs extending from a second base in an axial direction, said second ribs defining a discontinuous second perimeter surrounding said central channel;

inserting said second sleeve within said first sleeve to the extent that each of said second ribs is arranged between adjacent ones of said first ribs and that at least a portion of at least one of said second ribs extends through at least one of said plurality of grooves of said annular shoulder portion of said first base;

and providing an expansion member configured to be forcibly fit within said central channel; forcibly fitting said expansion member within said central channel to displace said first and second ribs outwardly to form an overall perimeter defined by said first and second ribs for molding an article around said overall perimeter.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said first ribs are tapered in a radially inward direction and said second ribs are tapered in a radially outward direction and said overall perimeter is a substantially continuous surface, wherein said step of forcibly fitting causes said second ribs to forcibly wedge between adjacent first ribs.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said overall perimeter comprises a cylindrical surface with protruding threads.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said step of providing said second sleeve is further defined in that at least some of said second ribs comprise outside protuberances arranged around said second discontinuous perimeter, and comprising the further step of providing a collar surrounding said second discontinuous perimeter, said collar including a surface for sliding over said protuberances to drive said second ribs inwardly.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said step of providing said second sleeve is further defined in that at least some of said second ribs comprise outside protuberances arranged around said second discontinuous perimeter, and comprising the further step of providing a collar surrounding said second discontinuous perimeter, said collar including a surface for sliding over said protuberances to drive said second ribs inwardly.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of providing said second sleeve is further defined in that at least some of said second ribs comprise outside protuberances arranged around said second discontinuous perimeter, and comprising the further step of providing a collar surrounding said second discontinuous perimeter, said collar including a surface for sliding over said protuberances to drive said second ribs inwardly.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said steps of providing said first sleeve and said second sleeve are further defined in that said first base comprises a cap portion and said second base comprises a ring portion that is fittable into said cap portion, and said step of inserting said second sleeve within said first sleeve is further defined in that said ring portion fits into said cap portion when said second sleeve is inserted into said first sleeve.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said steps of providing said first sleeve and said second sleeve are further defined in that said second ribs have a natural resiliency to a collapsed position wherein said second discontinuous perimeter is smaller than said overall perimeter.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said step of providing said second sleeve is further defined in that said ring portion of the second base includes an inner annular surface defining a portion of the central channel and said second ribs initially extend radially inwardly from the inner annular surface of the ring portion toward the central channel before extending axially from said second base.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said step of providing said first sleeve is further defined in that said annular shoulder of said first base is defined as the transition between the annular inner portion of said cap adjacent to said central channel and said axially extending first ribs.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said step of providing said first sleeve is further defined in that said first ribs extend radially inwardly toward the central channel at said annular shoulder toward the central channel before extending substantially axially from said first base.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said steps of providing said first sleeve and said second sleeve are further defined in that said second ribs have a natural resiliency to a collapsed position wherein said second discontinuous perimeter is smaller than said overall perimeter.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of providing said first sleeve is further defined in that the shoulder portion of the first base defines a transition between said plurality of first ribs and said first base.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said step of providing said first sleeve is further defined in that the annular shoulder includes an exterior surface and said plurality of grooves of said annular shoulder extend from the exterior surface of said annular shoulder through to said central channel.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein step of providing said second sleeve is further defined in that each of said second ribs include an exterior surface portion dimensioned to be received by at least one of said plurality of grooves of said annular shoulder.