Patents by Inventor Ian D. Harding

Ian D. Harding has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and apparatus for contaminant removal in manufacturing optical fibre
    Patent number: 4988374
    Abstract: An extrnal fibre drawing furnace is maintained at or close to its normal working temperature while contaminants are removed between fibre pulls. Either a removable insert, replaceable gas port assembly, or cleanable gas transfer duct, enable this to be achieved while the furnace is maintained at or near its operating temperature, so that the down time is of the order of minutes rather than hours.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: STC PLC
    Inventors: Ian D. Harding, Peter R. Ince, Roger S. Preston
  • Optical fibre manufacture
    Patent number: 4793840
    Abstract: Optical fibre (4) is drawn from a preform (1) by a capstan (5), and a control circuit (22) drives the capstan and the preform at respective predetermined rates during ramp-up. The capstan drive rate is modified (controller 31) in response to deviations from the nominal fibre diameter as measured by a fibre diameter monitor (9) over short-term periods, and the preform feed rate (20) is modified (algorithm 21) to maintain an average fibre pulling rate within .+-.5% of the present pulling rate, to thus control the glass melting rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1988
    Assignee: STC PLC
    Inventor: Ian D. Harding