Patents Examined by Arthur Kellogg
  • Patent number: 4964903
    Abstract: An apparatus for molding a glass mold for subsequent molding of glass optical elements or lenses is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a master having a snout and a master ring disposed around the snout. The master and master ring may be of unitary construction and are disposed within constraining means or sleeve in an operative association with a means for exerting a force to effect molding. The apparatus also comprises a means for heating the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Larry L. Carpenter, Mark L. Morrell, Peter A. Schrauth
  • Patent number: 4940479
    Abstract: A direct current magnetic field is applied to a molten metal bath to control the movement of molten metal. A glass ribbon is formed on the molten metal bath to have a predetermined thickness and is moved on the surface of the molten metal bath controlled by the magnetic field, during which the glass ribbon is cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Sato, Tsunehiro Saito, Toshihito Kamioka, Yukio Yoskikawa, Masaaki Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 4936890
    Abstract: The invention concerns the use of a convexing/tempering installation for the manufacture of flat sheet glass or, in general, of glass not bent into convex shape on said installation. It proposes passing glass plates are passed through a conventional convexing/tempering installation, omitting the convexing operation, providing additional heating in the space initially set aside for convexing and/or modifying the tempering conditions initially provided for glass bent into convex shape in said installation. It makes it possible to take advantage of a given convexing/tempering installation for manufacturing tempered flat sheet glass or for heating glass plates with a view to having them bent into convex shape in another installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Vitrage
    Inventors: Daniel Colmon, Bernard Parnet, Alain Mercier, Claude Bourelier
  • Patent number: 4935046
    Abstract: A quartz glass crucible adapted for use in a process for pulling a single crystal semiconductor material having an opaque outer substrate of a quartz glass with a relatively high bubble content and an inner transparent glass layer which is substantially free from bubbles. The crucible is produced while the substrate is supported by a rotating mould by forming an atmosphere of high temperature gas and supplying a metered quantity of powders of quartz to the high temperature gas atmosphere to have the quartz powders molten at least partly and directed toward an inner surface of the substrate to be adhered thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1990
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Company, Limited, Shin-Etsu Quartz Products Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Uchikawa, Atsushi Iwasaki, Toshio Fukuoka, Mitsuo Matsumura, Hiroshi Matsui, Yasuhiko Sato, Masaaki Aoyama, Eiichi Shinomiya, Akira Fujinoki, Nobuyoshi Ogino
  • Patent number: 4929265
    Abstract: A method of molding precision glass optical elements or lenses is disclosed. Precision molded glass molds are first provided which define a glass mold cavity having a predetermined desired size, shape and volume corresponding to the glass optical element. To facilitate formation of the glass optical elements, shaped and polished preforms are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Larry L. Carpenter, Robert J. Hagerty, Richard O. Maschmeyer, Mark L. Morrell, Peter A. Schrauth
  • Patent number: 4925475
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fluoride glass fiber preform are disclosed which preclude the step of pouring a glass melt into a mold from a crucible, and hence permit the fabrication of a long, homogeneous fluoride glass fiber preform free from foreign substances and air bubbles leading to scattering and which also allow ease in the fabrication of a preform having an elliptic core portion for drawing a polarized wave retaining fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Kokusai Denshin Denwa Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Mimura, Yukio Noda, Naoki Norimatsu, Hideharu Tokiwa, Osamu Shinbori
  • Patent number: 4923499
    Abstract: Plural article transfer mechanisms are operated in timed sequence by an electronic control synchronized to a main drive shaft. Each article transfer mechanism transfers articles from a dead plate to a moving conveyor. An extensible-retractable pusher arm engages, moves and releases the articles between 90.degree. positions under control of a fluid motor mounted on a turntable. Operation of the fluid motor is based on rotary alignment of a pair of turntable ports with a pair of fluid supply channels in a turntable drive body. The turntable is stepped in rotary increments between 90.degree. positions by an electric stepping motor. The angular speed profile of the pusher arm between the 90.degree. positions is governed by a programmed electronic control, including a PROM, which drives the stepping motor. An adjustable finger clip assembly is snap-fitted on the pusher arm and provided with a handle for ease of replacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: Maul Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Mark C. Newkirk
  • Patent number: 4923496
    Abstract: Integrated optical guides are fabricated on fluoride glass plates by expog such plates to an atmosphere of a gaseous halogen other than fluorine, or of a compound capable of generating such a halogen, at high temperature and pressure, so as to obtain a ion exchange between fluoride ions in the glass and halide ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignees: Societa' Cavi Pierelli S.p.A., Sirti S.p.A., SIP-Societa Italiana Per L'Esercizio Telecommunicazione P.A.
    Inventor: Marco Braglia
  • Patent number: 4921520
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and a device for applying tensile forces, with no contact with solid walls, to glass sheets, in particular at high temperatures, wherein a gas or vapor is blown between the glass sheet and a wall closely approached, and parallel, to said glass sheet. Between the glass sheet and said wall a gas cushion is established, in that the sections through which the gas flows inside the air gap between the glass sheet and the wall increase on the average in the direction of streaming of the gas, so as to allow the gas speed to decrease, and a recovery in gas pressure to consequently take place. Several forms of practical embodiment of the device are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Inventor: Giovanni M. Carlomagno
  • Patent number: 4921522
    Abstract: The micropipette puller of this invention includes a pair of gripping jaws that pull a length of glass tubing in opposite directions. The source of heat is a laser device and a laser beam is directed against the glass tubing between the gripping jaws and beyond the tubing into a concave mirror, which reflects that portion of the beam that bypassed the tubing, back against the back side of the tubing for uniform heating around the circumference of the tubing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Inventor: Dale G. Flaming
  • Patent number: 4918946
    Abstract: A glass sheets is loaded flat on the end of a conveyor going through a tunnel furnace; comes out again through the other end of the conveyor after having reached its bending temperature; is conveyed by a first transfer device to a bending unit which includes at least one upper bending form; is vacuum-gripped by the upper bending form; is raised along with the upper bending form; is bent to the desired shape by the bending unit; and then is directed by a second transfer device to a cooling station for heat tempering. The transfer from the furnace to the bending unit is obtained by reversible movement, parallel to the general direction of movement of the glass sheet, from the front end of a flexible conveyor belt the rear end of which is under the transport plane of the glass sheet. The initial position of the front end of the flexible sheet is located between the downstream end of the conveyor and the bending unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Vitrage
    Inventors: Luc Vanaschen, Hans W. Kuster, Herbert Radermacher
  • Patent number: 4917934
    Abstract: A telescope mirror blank having a supporting network core composed of sintered ceramic struts, and a method of forming such core from a thermally crystallizable, powdered glass and as a separate component from the faceplate, are disclosed. Optionally, the mirror faceplate may be formed in a similar manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Daniel R. Sempolinski
  • Patent number: 4917717
    Abstract: Apparatus for pyrolytically forming a metal compound coating on an upper face of a hot glass substrate 1 comprises conveyor means 2 for conveying the substrate 1 in a downstream direction 3. A coating chamber 6 opening downwardly onto the path 1 and means 7 for spraying coating precursor downwardly towards the substrate.The spraying means 7 is located to spray the coating precursor solution from a height above the substrate path 1 of at least 75 cm. Heating means are provided for supplying heat to the spraying zone 9. Means such as aspirator boxes 39 is provided for generating aspirating forces on atmospheric material within the passageway 13 to encourage such material to flow along the substrate path to the downstream end (27) of the passageway and to enter exhaust ducting leading such material away from the substrate path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Thomas, Robert Terneu, Albert Van Cauter, Robert Van Laethem
  • Patent number: 4915723
    Abstract: For the continuous casting of silicon, an electrically conductive bottomless crucible is circumferentially divided by axial slits and is positioned within an electrical induction coil. The slits form circumferential gaps of between 0.3 mm and 1.0 mm and the inner wall of the crucible is inclined by between 0.4.degree. and 2.0.degree., so that the crucible expands in the downstream direction of movement of the silicon. In order to reduce the temperature gradient of the solidified silicon to between 20.degree. C./cm and 100.degree. C./cm, an additional heating element is disposed downstream of the boundary surface between the molten and solidified silicon. The crucible may be cooled by forming the crucible as a double walled cylinder and flowing a coolant therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: Osaka Titanium Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyojiro Kaneko, Jun-Ya Masuda
  • Patent number: 4913718
    Abstract: Disclosed is a glass press molding method which comprises a step of heating glass material and a mold die composed at least of an upper mold die and a lower mold die for molding the glass material;a step of pressing the glass material by means of the mold die;plural pallets for supporting the glass material and the mold die, each of the pallet supporting the glass material and the mold die in independent manner;a step of transporting, in succession, the pallets each supporting the glass material and the mold die; anda step of transferring the glass material, prior to the pressing step, in such a manner as to place the glass material, heated to a predetermined temperature in the heating step, between the lower mold die and the upper mold die, and to transfer the pallet with the glass material inserted in the mold die to the pressing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumitaka Yoshimura, Tomomasa Nakano, Isamu Shigyo
  • Patent number: 4913720
    Abstract: A glass sheet tempering method and resultant glass sheet are disclosed as being provided by modulated quenching that initially cools the oppositely facing surfaces of a conveyed glass sheet at a first cooling station (14) with a first rate of heat transfer for a finite time to cool the surfaces from tempering temperature to below the strain point without cooling the center of the glass sheet below the strain point. Thereafter the oppositely facing surfaces of the conveyed glass sheet are cooled within a second cooling station (15) at a second rate of heat transfer less than the first rate to initially cool the center of the glass sheet below the strain point without corresponding surface cooling, and thereafter further cools the center and the sruface. The second rate of heat transfer is of a magnitude so that the surface temperature initially increases without going back substantially above the strain point prior to subsequently again cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Assignee: Glasstech, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Gardon, Alejandro G. Bueno, Donivan M. Shetterly
  • Patent number: 4913719
    Abstract: A micropipette puller of this invention includes a pair of gripping jaws that pull a length of glass tubing in opposite directions. The source of heat is a laser and a beam is directed into a zoom lens, or a selected one of a series of lenses, so that a beam of selected length and configuration is refracted against the glass tubing between the gripping jaws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1990
    Inventor: Dale G. Flaming
  • Patent number: 4911743
    Abstract: A method of producing a superior quality of glass or other brittle material. The resulting end product is substantially stronger than conventional glass and exhibits greater strength consistency than was previously known. The techniques include various combinations of operations including substantially reducing the thickness of a blank of raw material; preparing formed edges including chamfered edges, rounded edges, and undercut edges; super polishing all edges and surfaces of a glass item; tempering the glass either thermally, chemically, or both; super polishing again after the tempering operation; and etching the glass after one or more of several steps in the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company
    Inventor: John P. Bagby
  • Patent number: 4911744
    Abstract: In a glass melting furnace of the type that has a basin wherein a bath of molten glass is heated by a blanket of flame that extends over the molten bath, performance and productivity are enhanced by installing oxygen injection lances through holes that are drilled through walls of the furnace at tuck stone levels just above the top surface of the molten bath of glass in the furnace basin. The lances are thin walled tubes that each carry an adjustable flange for preventing unwanted convection and radiation through furnace wall holes that receive the lances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: AGA A.B.
    Inventors: Martin E. Petersson, Robert L. Strosnider, Howard N. Hubert
  • Patent number: 4909820
    Abstract: Two glass plates on a bending mold are heated in a heating/bending furnace so that they are subjected to provisional deep-bending operations by their own deadweight, and the provisionally shaped deep-bent portion is pressed by an auxiliary pressing member to thereby form a laminated glass for, for instance, an automobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Hirotsu, Yukiyasu Mori, Hiroshi Tsuji, Tatsuo Sugiyama, Yoshihiro Watanabe