Patent ID: 7931839

Claim:
A method of forming a structure comprising the steps of: a. providing a single hollow tube of an uncured composite material having an interior and a pair of opposed wall sections; b. forming an opening through each said opposed wall section; c. inserting an internal support element within the interior of said hollow tube for use in shaping the tube during molding, wherein said internal support element is selected from a group consisting of an inflatable bladder system, a rigid light weight foam, a rigid salt compound which can be dissolved by water, glass beads, and bladders containing a liquid that changes to a gas under the heat of the molding process; d. inserting a hollow, tubular plug through the pair of opposed openings such that said plug has a first portion disposed in one of said openings, a second portion disposed in the other of said openings, and a third portion which extends through the interior of said single hollow tube through said support element, thereby forming a moldable tube assembly in which at least a portion of the interior of said hollow tube contains only said internal support element and the third portion of said plug; e. placing said moldable tube assembly into a mold; and then f. heating said mold such that said first and second portions of said plugs fuse to said openings, and wherein said plug forms hollow port which extends through said single hollow tube between said openings.