Abstract: Core rod sections useable for production of finished optical fiber preforms are fabricated by inserting one or more core body pieces axially end-to-end inside a glass cylinder, thereby defining joints between adjacent ones of the inserted pieces. The cylinder is mounted with the contained core body pieces in the region of a furnace. The glass cylinder and core body pieces are heated together in the furnace, thereby elongating the cylinder and the core body pieces contained in the cylinder, and the cylinder collapses to form a finished core rod. Core rod sections are cut from the finished core rod at positions that coincide with the joints between the core body pieces. One or more of the cut core rod sections are useable for the production of optical fiber preforms.

Abstract: An optical fiber management tray system includes a tray or drawer including a base panel having a number of slots formed in the panel, and a number of retention clips for mounting fiber optic devices of different shapes and dimensions on the panel. Two or more of the clips each has a main body with a different retention portion for enveloping part of a corresponding fiber optic device, and a pair of latch fingers that project from the clip body in the direction of the base panel when the device is enveloped in the retention portion clip and placed at a desired location on the panel. The latch fingers have free ends for engaging edges of the slots in the base panel when the corresponding device is enveloped in the retention clip, thus securing the device at the desired location on the panel.

Abstract: A surgical bone wax applicator includes one or more layers of absorbent material such as cotton, and a mass of bone wax adhered on the material. A heating device such as, for example, a resistive electrical conductor is fixed on or within the absorbent material. The heating device has associated electrical contact terminals and operates to heat and soften the bone wax in response to an electric potential applied across the terminals. The potential may be applied through blades of bipolar forceps after the forceps are connected to a bipolar generator, and the forceps blades are placed in contact with the terminals of the heating device. When the wax softens, the surgeon may continue to grip the applicator with the forceps and manipulate the applicator over the pores of bone tissue to effect hemostasis.

Abstract: A cable trough and system for routing and managing cables associated with equipment that has first cable ports at a first side of the equipment and second cable ports at a second side of the equipment. The trough includes an elongated trough body having a ported side wall constructed to mount at either one of the first and the second sides of the equipment. The ported side wall of the body has one or more first trough cable ports each located and dimensioned to align or interface with a different one of the first equipment cable ports when the ported side wall is mounted at the first side of the equipment, and one or more second trough cable ports each located and dimensioned to align with a different one of the second equipment cable ports when the ported side wall is mounted at the second side of the equipment.

Abstract: A tool device includes a frame, a barrel extending from the frame, a first magazine having first passages for containing work or drive bits, and a second magazine having second passages for containing fasteners. A shaft is movable over a path that extends through the barrel. When a second passage is vacant and aligned with a selected first passage, a work bit in the first passage is urged by the shaft through the vacant second passage and through the barrel, to be set at a distal end of the barrel for use on a work object. When a second passage containing a fastener is aligned with a selected first passage, a drive bit in the first passage is urged by the shaft to engage the fastener and advance the fastener to the distal end of the barrel, to enable the bit to drive the fastener into the work object.

Abstract: An optical fiber preform is fabricated by inserting a number of core body pieces end-to-end inside a glass cylinder, wherein the pieces may have a cladding-to-core diameter (D/d) ratio within the range of one to four. The cylinder with the inserted core body pieces is mounted vertically on a furnace and heated so that the cylinder becomes elongated and its outside diameter collapses to form a core rod from which core rod sections with D/d ratios greater than five, can be cut. A soot overcladding is deposited on the circumference of a core rod section until the diameter of the deposited soot builds to a determined value. The core rod section with the deposited soot overcladding is consolidated to obtain a finished optical fiber preform. The preform preferably has a D/d ratio of about 15 or more, and an optical fiber may be drawn directly from the preform.

Abstract: A bend insensitive fiber optic cable includes a singlemode fiber, a buffer layer surrounding the fiber wherein a thickest component of the buffer layer has an elastic modulus greater than 515 MPa (75,000 psi), and a jacket surrounding the buffer layer, wherein the jacket has a thickness of at least 1.2 mm. In one preferred embodiment, the buffer layer includes a nylon 12 resin with a nominal elastic modulus of approximately 218,000 psi. In this embodiment, an inner thin component of the buffer layer is made of an ethylene/ethyl acrylate resin so as to facilitate stripping of the buffer layer away from the fiber.

Abstract: A spooling tool for paying out a fiber optic cable prewound on a spool region of a drop box or on an associated spool, when installing a cable at a user's premises. In one embodiment, the tool includes a base plate and a stud projecting from one side of the plate. An elongate arbor has one end secured to the stud in such a manner as to support the arbor perpendicular to the base plate. The arbor is dimensioned to pass through an axial passage in the box so that the box pivots on the arbor when the cable is unwound by an installer. A cap mechanism at the opposite end of the arbor retains the drop box on the arbor, and applies enough drag on the box to inhibit it from free wheeling on the arbor.

Abstract: Core rods or other glass components associated with optical fiber preforms are cleaned by loading them into a number of first sleeves, and partially obstructing entrance and exit ends of the sleeves to retain the components. The sleeves are contained inside a second sleeve so that the entrance ends of the first sleeves face an entrance end of the second sleeve. A fluid delivery system supplies cleaning fluids to the entrance end of the second sleeve, so that the fluids enter the first sleeves and contact exposed surfaces of the loaded components. The fluids leave the exit ends of the first sleeves and purge from an exit end of the second sleeve. Separators may be placed between the components in the first sleeves to enhance cleaning action and to cushion adjacent end faces of the components. Cleaned components may be unloaded from the first sleeves without risk of contamination.

Abstract: Apparatus for storing slack fiber optic cabling. A cabinet enclosure has an opening for allowing access to cabling and other components inside the enclosure, and a number of spool tracks are supported inside the enclosure. Each of a number of cable spool assemblies includes a spool dimensioned to guide a length of fiber optic cabling in a desired path over part of the spool circumference with at least a minimum cable bend radius, and a mechanism for (i) mounting the spool on a corresponding spool track for sliding movement to a desired position along the track, and (ii) fixing the spool at the desired position. Slack fiber optic cabling can be stored in the cabinet with an optimum lay when the cabling is guided by selected spools of the spool assemblies, and the spools are moved to and fixed at certain positions on the spool tracks.

Abstract: A network provider cable is routed to a splitter box in a multi-dwelling unit or commercial building where the cable fibers are terminated. One or more riser cables, each terminated at one end at the splitter box, are routed through a building shaft. Each riser cable contains fibers associated with units located on a certain set of one or more floors of the building. The other end of each riser cable is terminated at an aggregation box associated with the floors of the set. A feeder cable is routed between the aggregation box and each floor of the set, or a corresponding floor area of one floor. A drop box is provided for each floor or floor area for terminating the corresponding feeder cable. Drop cables are routed between the drop box and units on the floor or in the floor area to be served.

Abstract: A fiber optic cable distribution box has an interface compartment for interfacing a first set of fibers when routed inside the compartment, with a second set of fibers associated with a fiber optic cable that is routed to the box. A drum region is disposed beneath the interface compartment. The drum region includes a cylindrical wall for supporting a fiber optic cable wound about the wall. The drum region is formed so that the box can turn about the axis of the cylindrical wall when a cable is paid out from the drum region. The interface compartment and the drum region are constructed so that the first set of fibers inside the interface compartment, originate from an inside end portion of the cable wound on the drum region.

Abstract: A device that releases an operating collar from an open position on the mast of an opened beach or patio umbrella in the presence of a strong wind, allowing the umbrella canopy to close thereby diminishing the wind force acting on the umbrella. The device includes a locking pin and an associated biasing mechanism. In a working configuration of the device, the pin is exposed for insertion through certain holes in the mast. A distal end of the mechanism faces the mast while a proximal end of the mechanism applies a bias force to a proximal end of the pin. The collar rests on the inserted pin with enough force to overcome the bias force tending to eject the pin. When the collar is urged to rise because of a strong wind acting on the umbrella, the pin ejects thus freeing the collar to move downward as the umbrella canopy closes.

Abstract: A water blocking configuration for a low temperature, dry loose tube fiber optic cable includes one or more flexible buffer tubes each having a passage sized to contain one or more optical fibers. A single yarn is disposed in the passage of each buffer tube, and the yarn has a denier of not more than 1500. The yarn is coated with particles of a water absorbent material having a size distribution of between zero and not more than 160 microns. A dry loose tube fiber optic cable having the disclosed configuration meets the Telcordia GR 20 (Issue 2) industry standard with respect to water penetration, change of fiber attenuation, and fiber tensile strength at a low temperature of ?60 degrees C.

Abstract: A fiber optic gyroscope includes a light source and a phase modulator coupled to an optical fiber coil. Light from the source is divided into a pair of first light signals that are directed into opposite ends of the coil to counter propagate through the coil and produce corresponding second light signals the relative phases of which are shifted by the modulator. In one embodiment, a waveform generator defines a modulation waveform so that a determined sequence of five or more phase shifts are set between the second light signals, including shifts of zero degrees, +90 degrees, ?90 degrees, +180 degrees and ?180 degrees. The second light signals interfere with one another to define a recombined light signal, and measurement signals corresponding to the intensity of the recombined light signal are obtained for each phase shift in the sequence. A rate of rotation of the coil is determined continuously in accordance with the measurement signals and a given interference function.

Abstract: A fiber optic attenuating element is formed of a thermoplastic polymer having (i) a refractive index in the range of between about 1.42 and 1.47 as measured at a temperature of 23° C. and a wavelength of 1550 nm, (ii) a glass transition temperature of at least 105° C., and (iii) an intrinsic loss of less than one dB/mm at 1310 and 1550 nm. In disclosed embodiments, the polymer includes at least one monomer including fluorinated moieties and, optionally, one or more additional monomers. A main body portion of the element has a first planar contact face on a first side and a second planar contact face on a second, opposite side. The contact faces are dimensioned to couple optically with first and second optical fibers when ends of the fibers are urged against the faces by parts of an attenuator device in which the element is mounted.

Abstract: A glass tube for use in an optical fiber preform is produced by applying a first soot on an end face of a starting member to form an elongated, porous cylindrical soot core having a first density, and applying a second soot including SiO2 on the periphery of the soot core to form a porous soot cladding having a second density greater than that of the soot core at the periphery of the core. The core and the cladding are later heated together at a temperature sufficient for sintering to form a core glass and a cladding glass. Because the soot core collapses at a greater rate than the soot cladding during sintering, the core glass separates or delaminates radially from the cladding glass. The core glass is then removed from the surrounding cladding glass, and the latter is treated to provide a high purity glass tube suitable for use as part of an optical fiber preform.

Abstract: An engine block has one or more cylinders with associated pistons connected to turn a crankshaft. A distributor housing mounted on the block has a base with one or more first ports that open into corresponding cylinders. A hollow cylindrical distributor mounted for rotation in the distributor housing has one or more second ports formed in its circumference to align with the first ports in the housing base, at corresponding angular positions of the distributor. A combustor housing forms a combustion chamber with a fuel inlet, an air inlet, and a hot gas outlet. The combustor housing is joined to the distributor housing so that the combustion chamber opens into the interior of the distributor. A turbine plant has a gas inlet connected to the gas outlet on the combustor housing, and an output shaft that drives a compressor. The compressor has an air outlet connected to the air inlet on the combustor housing for supplying air to the combustion chamber.

Abstract: Safe-N-Sound premises protection safety system comprises a smoke detector, a remote control and a wall holder. It detects and warns of plurality of life threatening conditions include smoke, fire, and poisonous gases like carbon monoxide. The remote control unit includes control signal to temporarily silence said alarm and the wall mounted remote control housing unit includes remote finder button means operated with radio frequency signals.