Abstract: A method for the sealing of glass tubes in a hot softened state is provided. The method includes softening the glass at a severing zone adjacent to an end portion of the glass tube and rotating the glass tube about its longitudinal axis while being heated until a hot softened state is reached in which the end portion is severed off. The hot softened end portion of the glass tube can be pulled-off from the severing zone by a pulling-off device in such a way that the glass tube is simultaneously heat sealed at the severing zone during the severing process.

Abstract: A known method for producing a cylinder of quartz glass comprises a soot depositing process, in which SiO2 particles are deposited on an elongate carrier rotating about an axis of rotation with formation of a porous, hollow-cylindrical soot body, and a sintering process in which the soot body comprising an inner bore with inner wall, a longitudinal axis, an upper end and a lower end is held suspended in vertical orientation in a furnace, a holding element being provided for holding purposes, which projects from the upper end into the inner bore of the soot body and acts on a bearing provided in the inner bore.

Abstract: Apparatus for shaping a selected end region and the opening at a selected end of a hollow cylindrical glass tube includes a support member for holding and rotating the tube in a controlled manner and a heat source for supplying sufficient heat to the selected end region of the tube to place it in a malleable state. The apparatus also includes an actuatable mechanical holding means for holding a multi piece mold and for selectively applying the mold to the selected end region of the tube, when the tube is rendered malleable, for shaping the selected end region of the tube including its rim and for controlling the inner diameter of the tube throughout its end region. In one embodiment the apparatus includes a temperature sensor for controlling the operation of the mechanical holding means and the action of the heat source and a micro-controller for automatically activating the application and retraction of the mold.

Abstract: A glass tube is positioned over a heater and stretched until drawn apart into two drawn portions. A controlled pulling force is applied to the tube by a powered driver such as a linear motor. After separation, one of the drawn glass portions is repositioned over the heater and reciprocated in a controlled fashion by the driver to refine the geometry of the fine tip formed on the resulting pipette.

Abstract: A method and an machine for the manufacturing of syringes by vertically feeding long glass tubes to an intermittently rotary forming machine, having two horizontally rotary machine sections each intermittently rotating on a central vertical axis of a stationary machine frame, to a plurality of forming stations, each machine section having a plurality of continuously rotary gripping chucks mounted on the stationary machine frame, a plurality of burner nozzles and a plurality of forming tools, for firstly opening a closed lower end of a glass tube, forming a tip for a needle at the lower end of the glass tube, cutting off a syringe body including the tip at a lower end, and then translating the syringe body to the second machine forming section for opening a closed upper end of the syringe body, forming a finger flange at the upper end of the syringe body and release the finished syringe body at a discharging machine.

Abstract: A method and an machine for the manufacturing of syringes by vertically feeding long glass tubes to an intermittently rotary forming machine, having two horizontally rotary machine sections each intermittently rotating on a central vertical axis of a stationary machine frame, to a plurality of forming stations, each machine section having a plurality of continuously rotary gripping chucks mounted on the stationary machine frame, a plurality of burner nozzles and a plurality of forming tools, for firstly opening a closed lower end of a glass tube, forming a tip for a needle at the lower end of the glass tube, cutting off a syringe body including the tip at a lower end, and then translating the syringe body to the second machine forming section for opening a closed upper end of the syringe body, forming a finger flange at the upper end of the syringe body and release the finished syringe body at a discharging machine.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for drawing low loss fluoride glass fibers from a preform. A stream of reactive gas is passed around the preform and fiber so as to prevent moisture and oxygen contamination of the fiber while the fiber is being drawn. The apparatus includes an insulating vessel which surrounds a heating chamber in which the fiber is drawn, and a very narrow heating zone within the chamber for preventing crystallization of the drawn fiber.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for controlling the free deformation of thermoplastic material in an automated process for processing the material to form articles. These articles are especially ampules, small bottles and the like produced from glass tubes. In this method, in order to obtain a high dimensional accuracy of the article, a corrective action is carried out by applying heat to the starting material in the deformation region in the heating phase. This corrective action takes place in dependence on a desired-value/actual-value comparison of the deformation of a workpiece achieved in a predetermined working step. In order to exclude interference influences in the development of the deformation, the measurement of the deformation achieved, the desired-value/actual-value comparison and the corrective action are carried out in situ on one and the same workpiece during shaping of the deformation in the heating phase.

Abstract: Multiple fold, single tube glass vessels, as well as a process and device for producing multiple fold, single tube glass vessels. An even number of parallel glass tubes open at both ends are assembled under the influence of heat into a multiple fold, single tube glass vessel that is characterized by an essentially constant wall thickness and by an essentially constant inside diameter. The object of the invention is to produce multiple fold, single tube glass vessels suitable in particular as discharge vessels for compact lamps.

Abstract: An apparatus and process is provided for the deformation of the heat-softened end of a glass tube. In the formation of hollow articles such as, for example, vials from glass tubes, either large processing pauses occur or the formation elements have to be moved with high speed to the next tube being processed. To keep the processing pause short a forming roller is provided, which is shifted back and forth relative to the glass tube. Shifting of the forming roller takes place in such a manner that the forming roller, toward the end of the rolling, is at the starting position for forming the next glass tube.

Abstract: A device and forming finger for forming a mouth area on a glass vial and a process for forming the glass vial wherein wear of the finger is reduced to a minimum so that better production tolerances for the formed mouth is possible. This is achieved by a forming finger being allocated either to each glass tube of a vial machine, or by providing play to the forming finger, or by providing the forming finger with lateral recesses. Preferably, the forming finger has a ratio of cross-sectional surface to circular segment area of the forming finger which is larger than or equal to 0.55.times.r. The aforedescribed forming fingers are used in all vial machines, in which from many glass tubes in a cycle, step by step vials are produced by rolling and melting the tube pieces.

Abstract: Apparatus for engaging and holding a non-oriented hot glass container of predetermined square cross sectional contour and closed end that includes a chuck having an open end for receiving the container and an internal valve plate for abutment with the end of the container received in the chuck. The chuck is coupled to a cam-operated arm for lowering the chuck over a container. A transition plate has a square opening contoured to be closely received over the square cross section of the container, and is mounted for free rotation adjacent to the open end of the chuck. Guide fingers project from the plate away from the open end of the chuck so as to engage the container end as the chuck is lowered over the container, and to rotate the plate relative to the chuck so that the plate opening is aligned with the square cross section of the container end. A vacuum is applied to the valve plate within the chuck for holding the container end against the valve plate.

Abstract: An apparatus for shaping a tube into circle includes a dummy rod to be engaged to a rear end of the tube for constituting an extention of the tube and a support for supporting the combination of the tube and the dummy rod so that the combination is movable toward the front end of the tube. The support initially supports the tube section of the combination and finally supports the dummy rod section of the combination. A heater is located in front of the support for locally softening the tube. A turning arm is coupled at its free end to the front end of the tube for pulling the tube along a circle around the axis of the other end of the turning arm so that the tube is shaped into a circle defined by the turning movement of the turning arm. A motor moves the combination ahead.

Abstract: In a holding chuck (3) for tubes of glass-working machines, clamping jaws (7) which are guided in a basic body (5) and have, at their ends, plates (9) provided with a bore for receiving a ball (12) are used. Each ball is guided in a bore (14) in a thrust ring (13), whilst the plates (9) are additionally guided in slots (15) of the thrust ring (13).

Abstract: In an apparatus for shaping the neck of small glass bottles (28) produced from tubes, shaping rollers (14, 15) are arranged on a guide mount (5) which can execute a movement parallel to the longitudinal axis (29) of the glass bottles (28) and which affords the possibility of combining the rolling movement with a drawing movement during the shaping of the neck (27) of the glass bottle (28), in order thereby to prevent adverse accumulations of material.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading and unloading glass articles from an article cutting machine where the glass remainders of the said glass articles are removed during the manufacturing process. Said apparatus comprising: a supporting structure with a vertical shaft; means of rotating transference that are attached in axial coincidence with the said vertical shaft in order to hold and transport the articles; cams attached to the vertical shaft, wherein said transference means are placed in order to determine, through the cams the path that must be imparted to the said transference means; and drive means attached to the said transference means in order to make them rotate in a predetermined time relationship, at the stations positions of reception, feeding and delivery of articles.

Abstract: For the purpose of feeding glass tubes (2) to a glass-processing machine, use is made of an appliance which essentially comprises a glass-tube magazine (1), a separating unit (17), and an endless conveyor (25), the latter being fitted with feeding tongs (23). Individual glass tubes (2) are supplied to the feeding tongs (23) by the separating unit (17). The glass-tube magazine (1) can be loaded with a bundle of glass tubes.

Abstract: A machine for fabricating articles such as glass vials from tubular stock includes a plurality of rotating chucking stations which revolve about the central vertical axis of the machine and a plurality of tooling stations which form the vial finish. The plurality of tooling stations are disposed in euqal numbers related to the number of chucking stations on two conveyor assemblies disposed adjacent the periphery of the circle defined by the revolving chucking stations. The tooling stations each include rollers which form the outside of the vial finish and a segmented mandrel which forms the inside of the vial finish including, if desired, a blowback cavity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for press sealing a tubular quartz arc tube body section about a ribbon-type metallic seal. The method includes applying different intensities of heat to the quartz arc tube body section to be pressed in such a manner that four portions of the quartz arc tube body section which are located within diametrically opposed quadrant sections are heated to a higher softened-state temperature than those portions of the heated quartz arc tube body which are positioned intermediate the higher-heated quartz arc tube body portions, with the higher-heated quartz arc tube body portions collapsing somewhat due to the surface tension of the softened quartz. Utilizing this method results in an improved press seal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a machine for working glass tubes, with several chucks circulating on a common axis and sweeping past several processing stations, there being mounted above each chuck a stepwise rotating magazine storing several glass tubes, each tube resting by its lower end on a non-rotating supporting plate which has a hole for the glass tubes to fall through for engagement by the chuck therebelow, the machine having a switch which causes the magazine to rotate, one step at a time, each step corresponding to the distance between two neighbouring tubes, in order to bring the next glass tube to the hole, and wherein between the hole of the supporting plate and the chuck therebelow there is a mobile arrestor blade which allows the magazine to rotate stepwise without a tube falling through the hole, until the chuck is empty, whereupon the blade can disengage so that it no longer blocks the hole.

Abstract: A machine for the manufacture of ampullae, particularly pharmaceutical ampullae, of the type according to which the ampullae are formed from sticks of glass.The machine has an automatic control device for sequentially introducing, at a determined position in said path, thelower end of each of the sticks of the bundle into a stick guide and supply scoop between the two corresponding mandrels.Principal applications: manufacture of pharmaceutical ampullae.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing a glass tube with a uniform nozzle portion, i.e., one which has a true centerline. The method involves suspending the tube on vertically space suspension points therealong, with the lower of the suspension points being arranged to apply a dead weight to the tube. The tube is rotated at the upper of the suspension points as it is heated above its vertical center to a temperature at which it becomes slightly plastic, but below the temperature at which the dead weight could significantly stretch the tube. This heating to the point of plasticity allows the dead weight to straighten out any axial deviations in the tube. Following the straightening, the tube is heated centrally to a higher drawing temperature sufficient to allow the dead weight to stretch the tube to a predetermined length and thereby provide a uniform necked down portion centrally of the tube. The necked down portion can then be severed at its midpoint to provide two glass electrode tubes.

Abstract: An ampoule filling and sealing machine with feeding, filling, sealing and loading stations. A horizontally oriented endless chain drive moves the ampoules through the filling and sealing stations. Belts or a reciprocating agitator are provided in the feeding station. A plurality of spring-loaded movable rails and a final stationary rail guide the line of ampoules in the filling station. The filled ampoules in the sealing station are spun by rotating pinions of cylindrical rollers on the endless chain drive in cooperation with inclined discs. In the loading station a channel receives a line of sealed ampoules. One side of the middle portion of the channel is a horizontal flat spring backed up by a spring-loaded bar. A fixed stop is spaced from the backing bar. A spring-loaded gate is at the inlet to each loading tray.

Abstract: The invention relates to a machine for making containers from glass tubes, with several chucks circulating through a succession of processing stations, each chuck having jaws to grip a glass tube or container, and with the chucks being brought successively to a position in which they are superposed above a stationary supporting plate at at least one processing station, this plate being for limiting downward movement of the length of tube which falls downwards through the chuck, wherein the chucks move up and down on at least one circulating column, the processing station which has the supporting plate being equipped with a senser which triggers a releasing device which releases the chuck which has reached this station, so that it moves downwards, the senser responding to the absence of a tube above the upper surface of the jaws of the chuck by initiating downward movement of the chuck.

Abstract: The invention relates to a machine for manufacturing phials, ampoules or the like from thermoplastic substances, in particular glass, having a number of holders capable of rotating around their own axes and around a central axis, which are distributed around the circumference of the machine and are supported on a frame in the nature of a turntable, whose axis of rotation constitutes the central axis. The holders are mounted on segment-like carriers which together form a cylinder, and which are fastened to a support ring mounted on part of a ball race.

Abstract: Tubes of transparent, translucent or opaque fused silica are made by heating a hollow cylindrical blank in a drawing zone, drawing the blank from the zone while maintaining its interior under pressure and rotating same about its longitudinal axis, and calibrating the still-plastic tube immediately upon leaving the drawing zone in a calibration zone defined by two graphite plates. Apparatus for carrying out the method includes means for heating the blank to a drawing temperature in a drawing zone, means for drawing the blank from the zone, means for maintaining the interior of the blank under pressure and means for rotating the blank as it is drawn, and calibrating means for calibrating the still-plastic tube immediately upon leaving the drawing zone including two graphite plate means disposed on metal plates through which a coolant can flow.