Stamped tubular member and method and apparatus for making same

1. A method for manufacturing a tubular work piece, comprising the steps of:

providing a blank having a first wall thickness and at least two opposing edges;

stamping said blank into an over-sized tubular form using a plurality of successive stamping dies until said at least two opposing edges are proximate one another;

stamping said substantially tubular form within another of said plurality of successive stamping dies until said at least two opposing edges abut one another substantially forming the tubular work piece; and

stamping the substantially formed tubular work piece in yet another of said plurality of successive stamping dies to tightly abut said at least two opposing edges against one another, closing a seam of the tubular work piece, and compacting the substantially formed tubular work piece into a finished tubular work piece.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of coining at least a first end of said work piece after the step of compacting.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of coining at least a first end of said work piece prior to the step of compacting.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of stamping a predetermined profile along each of said at least two opposing edges prior to the step of stamping said blank into an over-sized tubular form.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of stamping interlocking profiles along each of said at least two opposing edges prior to the step of compacting.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the step of stamping said blank comprises the step of cold forging.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of interlocking said at least two opposing edges end-to-end.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein the step of interlocking provides torsional rigidity to said tubular work piece.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of coating an interior wall of said tubular work piece with a polymeric material.

10. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the step of coating said interior wall comprises the step of injecting an interior of said tubular work piece with a polymeric material.

11. The method as defined in claim 8 , wherein the step of coating said interior wall comprises the step of filling an interior of said tubular work piece with a polymeric material.

12. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of filing said tubular work piece with a polymeric material following the step of compacting.

13. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of filing said tubular work piece with a polymeric material prior to the step of compacting.

14. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of filing said tubular work piece with a polymeric material during the step of compacting.

15. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the step of stamping said blank into a substantially arcuate tubular form comprises the steps of drawing said blank into a generally U-shaped body at a first station; and stamping the upper ends of said generally U-shaped body toward one another in one or more of said plurality of successive stamping dies.

16. A method for making a tubular work piece from a blank of flat material, comprising the steps of:

providing the blank with a first wall thickness and predetermined shape based upon the geometry and dimension of a finished tubular work piece, said blank having at least two opposing edges

stamping said blank using a plurality of successive stamping dies to substantially form said blank into a tubular form of predetermined arcuate shape;

stamping said tubular form of predetermined arcuate shape in yet another of said plurality of successive stamping dies to bring said at least two opposing edges proximate one another and substantially close a side of said tubular form;

stamping said substantially closed tubular form in yet another of said plurality of successive stamping dies having a dimension substantially equal to a finished tubular work piece, forcing said at least two opposing edges firmly against one another and substantially completing the forming of the tubular work piece.

17. A method for making a arcuate tubular work piece from flat stock, comprising the steps of:

providing a blank having a shaped based upon the arcuate geometry of the finished tubular work piece, said blank have a first wall thickness and at least two opposing edges;

stamping said blank in a first plurality of successive stamping dies to bring said at least two opposing edges generally together in a manner to substantially form said blank into a arcuate tubular form;

stamping said blank in a second plurality of successive stamping dies to substantially bring said at least two opposing edges together to form a seam along said tubular form; and

stamping said blank in at least a third successive stamping die to compact and compress said tubular form into a finished arcuate shape and form using a stamping die cavity smaller than any previous stamping die, forcing said at least two opposing edges into intimate contact with one another and increasing said first wall thickness.

18. A method for progressively forming an arched tubular work piece, comprising the steps of:

providing a flat sheet of metal stock having a first wall thickness;

feeding said flat sheet of metal stock into a stamping assembly having a plurality of tool stations;

punching a blank substantially from said flat sheet of metal stock at a first station;

draw-forming said blank into a substantial arched U-shape at a second station forming two leg members spaced from one another and each having a longitudinal edge;

bending said two leg members toward one another in at least a third station so that said longitudinal edges of said two leg members are proximate one another substantially forming a tube;

stamping said substantially formed tube in at least a fourth station radially compressing said tube to force said longitudinal edges of said two leg members together to complete an over-sized tubular shape;

radially compacting said over-sized tubular shape at a fifth station to a reduced finished size, and thereby increasing said wall thickness of the metal forming said tubular shape and substantially forming a completed work piece; and

moving said substantially completed work piece to a storage bin.