Patent ID: 8419887

Claim:
A method for producing a composite structural member, the method comprising: providing a metallic fitting having a coupling region and an outwardly extending shoulder, the coupling region defining at least one recessed portion bounded by one or more non-recessed portions; forming a tubular shaft around said fitting such that a mating region of said shaft has a stiffness greater than another region of the shaft and defines a lumen, said tubular shaft formed around said fitting such that the fitting is disposed in the lumen such that the mating region mates with the coupling region of said fitting, said tubular shaft including both the mating region and the another region being formed of a common fiber-reinforced material with the mating region including fibers that are provided such that the mating region has increased stiffness for radial expansion relative to the another region of said shaft; and coupling a sleeve coupled to said shaft for discouraging expansion of the mating region of said shaft, said sleeve comprising first and second portions with the first portion having smaller internal dimensions than the second portion to thereby define a shoulder extending outwardly from the first portion to the second portion, said sleeve positioned relative to the fitting such that the shoulder of the sleeve abuts the shoulder of the fitting as a result of the internal dimensions of the first portion of the sleeve being smaller than outer dimensions of the shoulder of the fitting with the fitting extending into the second portion and impeding movement of the first portion over the shoulder of the fitting, wherein said shaft and fitting are mechanically restrained from at least some relative movement due to interference of said shaft and said fitting.