Abstract: An incandescent lamp containing a coiled filament within a vitreous envelope wherein the filament is supported at at least one point along its coil length by a refractory metal support wire one end of which is welded to a coil and the other end secured to the envelope wall by a glass bead. The support prevents filament sag during lamp operation and is especially useful with double-ended high intensity tungsten-halogen lamps having an elliptically shaped filament chamber with an infrared reflecting and visible light transmitting optical interference coating on the chamber.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for performing a joining operation to couple a first component to a second component. One embodiment of the present method includes the steps of aligning the first component and the second component so that a first portion of the first component is aligned with a first portion of the second component, heating the first component so that a melt is formed at the first portion of the first component, and forcing the first portion of the second component into the melt so that when the melt solidifies, the first component and the second component are bonded.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for performing a joining operation to couple a first component to a second component. One embodiment of the present apparatus includes means for aligning the first component and the second component so that a first portion of the first component is aligned with a first portion of the second component, means for heating the first component so that a melt is formed at the first portion of the first component, and means for forcing the first portion of the second component into the melt so that when the melt solidifies, the first component and the second component are bonded. In the exemplification embodiment, the heating means is an Nd:YAG laser source which emits at least a first laser beam which impinges upon one of the components.

Abstract: A photoflash unit having one or more flash lamps, and a transparent cover in front of the flash lamps which is provided with elongated light-refractive prisms in front of each flash lamp so as to refract directly radiated light from the lamp when flashed in a more frontward direction and into the area to be illuminated. Prisms may be provided on both sides of the cover.