Abstract: A substantially pure Vitamin E type compound is added to tobacco for a smokeable or smokeless tobacco product to achieve less irritation and antioxidant benefits. In a preferred embodiment, a substantially pure "dry" powdered ester analog of Vitamin E, such as Vitamin E acid succinate or spray dried Vitamin E acetate, is mixed directly with the tobacco during the manufacturing process. These Vitamin E analogs can also be inserted into a cigarette filter, holder and/or paper, either in powdered form or in microencapsulated form. Although not preferred, a common oily form of Vitamin E can be used in the present invention so long as it does not ruin the appearance and function of the smokeable or smokeless tobacco product.

Abstract: In a quenching apparatus for quenching a glass sheet that has been heated and bent in a heating furnace, a cooling gas blows onto the glass sheet to provide a distribution of a temperature and/or a distribution of a static pressure in at least one section in the quenching apparatus. The distribution of a temperature provides different temperatures between the both surfaces of the glass sheet, while the distribution of a static pressure is nonuniform in a part of at least one surface of the glass sheet. The distributions can modify a shape of the glass sheet given in the heating furnace so that a degree of freedom in shape for manufacturing a bent and tempered glass sheet by utilizing its self-weight can be improved.

Abstract: In a process for manufacturing glass in a furnace a glass charge in solid form is introduced into a furnace-charging zone at an upstream part of a furnace. The glass charge is moved from the furnace-charging zone to a zone for removing the combustion smoke from the furnace downstream from the furnace-charging zone. The glass charge is moved from the zone for removing combustion smoke to a charge-melting zone downstream from the furnace-charging zone and located substantially in a middle of the furnace and heated by at least one burner. The glass charge is moved from the charge-melting zone to a charge-refining zone downstream from the charge-melting zone. The glass charge is brought to a desired temperature and viscosity in the charge-refining zone. The glass charge is removed from the furnace after the glass charge has been brought to the desired temperature and viscosity. The glass charge, after it has been removed from the furnace, is moved into a feed channel of glass-forming machines.

Abstract: A bending mold for bending glass sheets is provided. The mold comprises a frame having longitudinally parallel side walls and a bottom. Support devices having support surfaces are connected between the side walls. An elongated member is provided on the bottom of the frame and is movable in relation to the frame. Support arms are connected by joints between the support device and the elongated member. Movement of the elongated member twists the support devices about a horizontal twisting center.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for a shaping sheet including a support frame and a shaping rail supported on the frame. The shaping rail has a sheet shaping surface that conforms in elevation and outline to a final desired shape of a marginal edge of a glass sheet to be shaped. An auxiliary rail having a sheet shaping surface which generally corresponds to a preliminary shape of a selected marginal edge portion of the sheet is positioned along a section of the shaping rail having a sheet shaping surface portion which generally corresponds to the final desired shape of the selected marginal edge portion of the sheet.

Abstract: Chalcogenide glass fibers having a glass core with two cladding glass layers, the second cladding glass layer having a refractive index lower than that of the core glass and higher than that of the first cladding glass. The core glass does not contain germanium. Glass fiber having this core-cladding structure is mechanically strong and exhibits only small transmission loss of infrared light passing through the fiber.

Abstract: A laser surface method involves applying a laser beam treatment in one or several steps to a series of generally similar surfaces of given depth. Properties of the laser treatment are selected so as to change the physical state of each surface. Ellipsometry measurements are made in a region of the first surface before application of the laser beam treatment to the second surface, so as to obtain a physico-chemical characterization of the first surface. Both the laser beam application and the ellipsometry measurement are conducted under generally similar working conditions, so that the change of the physical state of each surface produced by the laser treatment can be controlled in a real time, in-situ, rapidly and nondestructively.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the heat-soak treatment of tempered glass panels. After tempering, the glass is heated or cooling of the glass is stopped for maintaining the temperature for the duration of e.g. a good minute within the range of 340-370.degree. C., such that the glasses, which break spontaneously in time as a result of NiS-stones, can be broken already in a so-called heat-soak treatment. During the heating sequence or the cooling stop sequence and during the subsequent cooling sequence, the glass panel is carried in a horizontal plane, e.g. back and forth on rollers in an oscillating fashion. The process is a continuous-action process and the apparatus for implementing the same can be hooked up with a tempering machine for an on-line operation.

Abstract: Method of making polarizing glass having integral polarizing and non-polarizing regions is disclosed. The method involves applying a protective glass/frit material capable of blocking reducing gas to the surface of the glass to form a desired pattern, exposing the glass to a reducing gas atmosphere to render unprotected glass polarizing, and removing the protective glass/frit material to reveal underlying non-polarizing regions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatuses for processing homogeneous/heterogeneous radioactive wastes comprising ion-exchange resins. A cooled discharge unit comprises a discharge pipe, a cooling jacket having a U-shaped form in cross section, a collector for feeding a coolant into the jacket, a discharge gate comprising a pipe, on one end of which a cone-shaped tip is positioned, on the other end a lid with an aperture. A cooled induction melter comprises a housing, side walls and bottom of which are made of metal pipes disposed with a gap therebetween and combined by a collector for supplying and discharging the coolant, an inductor positioned adaptable for displacement along the longitudinal axis of the melter and concentrically encompassing the side walls of the housing, the gaps between the pipes of which ensure transparency of the housing for an electromagnetic field of the inductor.

Abstract: A deposition system (20) for depositing a material layer on a glass sheet substrate includes a lateral alignment mechanism (28) for laterally aligning glass sheet substrates with an ingress seal (48) of a deposition station (22). The lateral alignment mechanism (28) includes a pair of banks (164, 166) of alignment members (168) spaced laterally with respect to each other along the direction of conveyance. Round alignment surfaces (170) of the alignment members (168) are located above conveyor rolls (96) upstream from the housing of the deposition station and are rotatable about associated vertical axes. A positioner (172) moves one of the banks of alignment members (168) laterally with respect to the direction of conveyance toward the other bank of alignment members to laterally align the glass sheet substrate along the direction of conveyance with the ingress seal assembly (48).

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for substantially extending the useful life of fused silica elements used in high energy ultraviolet optical systems. The fused silica bulk material is pre-compacted by illuminating it with radiation prior to final mechanical fabrication and polishing to the required final surface figure. When the optical element is subsequently used in a high energy ultraviolet environment, it will continue to be compacted but at a lower effective rate. As a result, the useful life of fused silica optical elements can be increased substantially.In preferred embodiments the fused silica material is precompacted with multiple passes of short-pulse ultraviolet radiation. Multiple passes can reduce precompaction time. In one example useful life of the fused silica is increased from about 150 days to 3.8 years by about 5 days of precompaction.

Abstract: Treatment methods for glass medical adhesive applicators in which a glass applicator is exposed to ammonium sulfate, an acidic gas, a plasma or a silanizing agent in order to remove or coat alkalide materials trapped in the glass.

Abstract: There are provided an optical fiber rod overcladding apparatus and method, and an optical fiber drawing method. In the preform rod overcladding method, a preform rod is clamped in a top chuck and leveled, and a glass tube is mounted in a bottom chuck and leveled. The preform rod is coaxially inserted into a glass tube. Then, the glass tube is preheated by the furnace and heated by the burner until the glass tube reaches a softening point. The preform rod is completely sealed in the glass tube by sucking air in a clearance between the preform rod and the glass tube by application of a negative vacuum pressure. Thus, a preform is completed.

Abstract: A method of controlling the amount of firing shrinkage of a ceramic green body prepared by molding a ceramic powder (A) to a desired value A.sub.1 by heat treating the powder at a temperature T.sub.1 that provides the firing shrinkage A.sub.1 at a predetermined firing temperature. The temperature T.sub.1 is determined based on an established correlation between an amount of firing shrinkage at the predetermined firing temperature and a heat-treatment temperature of a powder (B) having a composition similar to that of the powder (A) in such an extent that a total amount of a greatest common content of an individual component common between the powders (A) and (B) in terms of percent is 90% by weight or more, and satisfying such a relation that the spherical diameter of powder (A) is within a range of .+-.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for melting recycled silicate starting materials. A rotating transport flow with helical flow filaments of transport air and starting material is supplied in the direction of the helix axis into the combustion chamber of a cyclone furnace. Preferably, pre-heated fresh air is used which is supplied partly into the combustion chamber as combustion air therefor and partly in the form of the transport air. Furthermore, the present invention concerns a device for melting recycled silicate starting materials. The device includes a combustion chamber where fuel and combustion air can be burnt up in the presence of the starting material. A forechamber is arranged between an admixer for generating an injector flow and the combustion chamber. The injector flow can be supplied into the forechamber through a charging conduit to generate a transport flow made up of starting material and transport air. The forechamber includes an outlet port opening into the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A unitary shear blade (20) for shearing a plurality of spaced apart streams of molten glass into individual gobs, the shear blade having a free end (20a) and an opposed end (20b). The free end is provided with a plurality of side-by-side shearing surfaces (22, 24, 26) each of which has a generally V-shaped machined shearing edge. A plurality of fastener receiving openings (28) extends through the shear blade at locations adjacent the opposed ends thereof to permit the shear blade to be removably secured to a carriage (10) by a plurality of threaded fasteners (12).

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement to a fiber optic draw furnace for drawing an optical fiber from a preform. The fiber optic draw furnace has a heating element having a shape for enclosing and heating the preform, and has a graphite liner having a corresponding shape to the shape of the heating element for providing a barrier between the heating element and the preform. In the fiber optic draw furnace, either the graphite liner is a high density extruded graphite liner that is impregnated with vitreous carbon completely through its entire graphite liner matrix, or the heating element is a high density extruded graphite heating element that is impregnated with vitreous carbon completely through its entire graphite heating element matrix, or both.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for forming glass sheets includes a topside transfer platen (44) that releases a heated glass sheet onto a mold supported in an upper position by a mold support frame assembly (62) which then moves the mold vertically downward and rotationally to a lower position for movement horizontally on a track (66) from below the topside transfer platen for continuation of the forming. The apparatus includes an elevator mechanism (84) having a pair of elevators (86) and an associated pair of actuators (88) that are movable different extents in order to provide the vertical and rotational movement of the mold frame support assembly (62).

Abstract: A glass gob delivery system for conveying gobs of molten glass from an oscillating gob delivery chute to a blank mold of a glass container forming machine of the I.S. type. The delivery system comprises an elongate trough that extends downwardly from an inlet to an outlet and a deflector with an inlet near the outlet from the trough and an outlet near the blank mold. The trough has a cross-section in the form of an upwardly facing U whose opposed legs extend parallel or substantially parallel to one another, the spacing between the opposed legs tapering gradually from a greater spacing at the inlet to a lesser spacing at the outlet.