Patent ID: 7036766

Claim:
A reusable collapsible core for winding sheet material thereon such that said reusable collapsible core with the sheet material wound thereon can be placed in a press having at least one mandrel with an outside radius and length, said reusable collapsible core comprising: a first arcuate section having a predetermined inside arc radius and a predetermined length which respectively corresponds to the outside radius and length the mandrel of said press; a second arcuate section having an inside arc radius and a predetermined length substantially the same as said first arcuate section and wherein said first and said second arcuate sections each having an arc length that is substantial the same; a third arcuate section have inside arc radius and a predetermined length which is also substantially the same as said first and second arcuate sections and wherein said third arcuate section has an arc length that is substantially less than the arc length of said first and second sections such that the arc length of said first, second, and third arcuate sections when added together is substantially the same as the outside radius of said mandrel; each arcuate section having a first and second interlocking joint assembly along longitudinal edges of each of said arcuate sections; wherein the first interlocking joint assembly of said first arcuate section is attached to the second interlocking joint assembly of said second arcuate section; and wherein the second interlocking joint assembly of said first arcuate section is attached to the first interlocking joint assembly of said third arcuate section; and wherein the first interlocking joint assembly of said second arcuate section is attached to the second interlocking joint assembly of said third arcuate section; such that said reusable collapsible core is provided; and wherein releasing the first interlocking joint assemblies of said third arcuate section collapses said reusable collapsible core such that said core can be easily removed from the sheet material wound thereon.