Patent ID: 8663528

Claim:
A method of processing a polymeric tubular member using a mechanical caterpillar apparatus, the apparatus comprising first and second elastically extensible traction members, and first, second, third and fourth rotatable members, both of said traction members having an interior portion and an exterior portion, and each of said rotatable members having an outer drive surface, the method comprising the steps of: forming the polymeric tubular member such that there is tensile strain energy stored within the polymeric tubular member; elastically stretching the first traction member around the first and second rotatable members in order to tension both the interior portion and the exterior portion of the first traction member and thereby provide frictional grip between the first traction member and said outer drive surfaces of the first and second rotatable members; elastically stretching the second traction member around the third and fourth rotatable members in order to tension both the interior portion and the exterior portion of the second traction member and thereby provide frictional grip between the second traction member and said outer drive surfaces of the third and fourth rotatable members, such that the interior portion of each traction member opposes the interior portion of the other traction member; using a motor connected to each of the rotatable members by a respective drivable connection to drive each of the rotatable members such that the first and third rotatable members are driven by said drivable connections at a first speed and the second and fourth rotatable members are driven by said drivable connections at a second speed, such that the polymeric tubular member is pulled into the opposed interior portions of the first and second traction members between the first and third rotatable members and advanced towards the opposed interior portions of the first and second traction members between the second and fourth rotatable members; wherein the first speed is not equal to the second speed such that in both of said traction members the tension in one of said portions is reduced owing to elastic compression of said portion and the tension in the other one of said portions is increased owing to elastic extension of said portion, the first traction member being driven by frictional grip with the first and second rotatable members and the second traction member being driven by frictional grip with the third and fourth rotatable members, such that as the polymeric tubular member is advanced between the opposed interior portions of the first and second traction members, the polymeric tubular member is processed by linear compression or by linear extension depending on said speed difference in order to change the tensile strain energy stored within the polymeric tubular member.