Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for the manufacture of an optical fiber preform having incorporated therein a comparatively high concentration of rare earth dopant material, and which thus can be drawn and processed into an optical fiber having low numerical aperture, low core attenuation, and high pumping power absorption. The high concentrations of rare earth dopant material are accomplished through either the “hybrid vapor processing” (HVP) method or a “hybrid liquid processing” (HLP) method, each capable of being practiced in combination or independently of one another. The HVP method involves the vaporization of a rare earth halogen by the exposure thereof to a sufficiently elevated temperature, independently, or contemporaneously with the transport of the resultant rare earth halogen laden vapor, into a glass forming oxidation reaction zone on a flowing stream of essentially an unreactive inert gas, such as helium.

Abstract: A method of embedding a magnetically attractable member (25) in a ceramic material (1) and a system therefor wherein there are provided a magnetically attractable member and a ceramic member capable of being placed in a molten state. The magnetically attractable member is disposed over the ceramic member and the ceramic member is placed in a molten state. The magnetically attractable member is then disposed in the molten ceramic member by magnetic attraction and the molten ceramic member is then hardened around the magnetically attractable member. The magnetically attractable member is taken from the class consisting of Alloy 42 and Kovar. The ceramic member is preferably a glass. The ceramic member is preferably disposed on a semiconductor package and the magnetically attractable member is preferably at least a portion of a semiconductor lead frame.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a optical fiber which includes a furnace for softening an optical fiber blank; a tractor for drawing the optical fiber from the softened optical fiber blank; and a first applicator for applying a coating of a first coating material to the optical fiber, the first applicator having a rotatable die.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical waveguide fiber having a compressive outer layer that includes TiO2 in the SiO2 matrix glass. The compressive outer layer includes crystalline structures containing TiO2 that are predominately rutile. Also disclosed is a method for making an optical waveguide fiber having a compressive outer layer. The compressive outer layer can contain an additional metal oxide that is preferentially lost from the outer layer, instead of the TiO2, during the drying and consolidation step.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming coated fibers suitable for making a composite article. A plurality of fibers are coated with an aqueous- or non-aqueous-based chemical treatment containing a curable resin such that the resin on the fibers is in a partially cured or uncured state. The coated fibers may then be formed into a composite article in a subsequent forming operation, for example, by filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, knitting, or extrusion coating. The strand of fibers may also be shaped into a preform which can be used in resin transfer molding (RTM) and injection molding processes.

Abstract: An electric open-top melter for use in the manufacture of mineral fibers, such as fiberglass, is provided with a side-discharge outlet. The side-discharge outlet allows the melter, conditioner/refiner, and forehearth to all be located on substantially the same level, thereby allowing molten glass to flow from the side of the melter, through the conditioning zone, and into the forehearth from which spinners produce glass fibers or the like. Isolation members are provided in the conditioning or refining area so as to enable molten glass therein to be isolated from the melter and forehearth when the molten glass level is lowered below the tops the isolation members.

Abstract: A ceramics dress substrate of the present invention capable of both performances of cutting a cut material with a high accuracy and dressing a diamond cutting grindstone with an excellent cutting property and an reduced wearing amount of the grindstone. This ceramics dress substrate comprises sintering a mixture of ceramics grinding particles and a silicate mineral, The ceramics grinding particles are preferably uniformed and have a scratch hardness ranging from 6 to 10. Alumina grinding particles, silicon carbide and mullite are preferably used as the ceramics grinding particles, and a kaolin mineral, pyrophyllite, montmorillonite, sericite, talc and chlorite are preferably used as the silicate mineral. The ceramics dress substrate is preferably coated with glass.

Abstract: A device for impregnation of webs of porous materials with a liquid impregnating medium under increased pressure comprises a roller rotatable about a horizontal axis, a trough arranged so that the roller is partially inserted in the trough to form a chamber between an inner surface of the trough and an outer surface of the roller, a unit for supplying an impregnating medium into the chamber, and a unit forming an inlet slot for introducing a web to be impregnated into the chamber and an outlet slot for withdrawing the impregnated web from the chamber. The chamber over a path from the inlet slot to the outlet slot narrows and again increases many times.

Abstract: A density inspection apparatus and method. The apparatus is disposed downstream of a wrapping section of a cigarette manufacturing machine. In accordance with pulse output signals generated by a rotary encoder in synchronism with the travel of a cigarette rod, a zone of the rod is subjected to density inspection. An actual density signal indicating the tobacco shred filling density in the inspected zone is intermittently supplied from a density detector, and a group of reference density signals indicative of a change in density of a low-density portion of a dummy cigarette is supplied from a storage device. A difference between each actual density signal and a corresponding reference density signal is calculated, and the square sum of the signal differences in respect of all the density signals is calculated to determine a nonconformity degree between the actual and reference density signals.

Abstract: A fiberizer has a spinning head that is partitioned to create separate extrusion zones for fiber formation. Molten feed stock is allocated between the zones to promote a greater formation of fiber of having a narrow spectrum of fiber diameters.

Abstract: (1) Alignment mark transfer portion(s) is/are formed on the transfer molding surface of a mold that is used for press-molding a optical element fixing member and having alignment marks; (2) alignment mark(s) is/are formed on the mold material by dry-etching, and the mold material is worked using the alignment mark(s) as a reference to form the transfer molding surface constituted by a plurality of transfer patterns, in order to obtain a mold for press-molding; and (3) the transfer patterns are formed by dry-etching, or a transfer molding bare surface for transfer patterns is formed by dry-etching and a mold release film is formed thereon to reflect the shape of the transfer molding base surface, in order to obtain a mold for press-molding.

Abstract: For the continuous production of the cigarette rod (10), the strip-like outer wrapper (12) and a tobacco strand (11) are provided on a forming belt (15) and conveyed, with the latter, through a rod-forming unit (13). Located within the latter is a forming bed (19) which, during transportation, deforms the forming belt (15) along with the outer wrapper (12) and the tobacco rod (11) so as to produce a cigarette rod (10). A compensating belt (21) is provided in order to avoid or reduce the friction of the forming belt on the forming bed (19), and said compensating belt circulates at reduced speed between the forming belt (15) and forming bed (19) The compensating belt (21) reduces the friction and dissipates (frictional) heat.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing dried, chopped strands from a supply of continuous fiber strands by the direct deposition of wet, chopped strands ejected from a chopping assembly into a drying chamber is disclosed. A transition chute is interposed between the chopping assembly and the drying chamber to guide the chopped strands to pass directly into the drying chamber.

Abstract: A description is given of a filter cigarette, whose filtera) contains fibrous filter material,b) contains an additive with an antimutagenic action on the cigarette smoke in a quantity of less than 15 wt. %, based on the fiber weight of the filter andc) on smoking a similar unventilated filter cigarette, but not containing additive, has a nicotine retention R.sub.N (in %) (determined according to CORESTA recommended method No. 9) satisfying the following formula:R.sub.N .gtoreq.100*(1-D)in which:D=exp(A*B+C),withA=21 mm-filter length (mm) for filter lengths.ltoreq.25 mm orA=-4 mm for filter lengths>25 mm,B=9.3*10.sup.-3 (1/mm) andC=-(d.sup.4 *.DELTA.p*K+L)with d=filter diameter (mm),.DELTA.p=draw resistance of filter (mm hydraulic pressure),K=1.0228*10.sup.-6 (1/(mm.sup.4 *mm hydraulic pressure)) andL=0.2334.

Abstract: A source gas delivery system 4 which delivers the source gas to the surface of the heated substrate 20 is furnished with a gas delivery guide 44 of a shape such that the distance from the substrate 20 becomes narrower either gradually on in steps from the edge of the gas delivery port 443 on the same axis as the substrate 20 toward the outer edge, and delivers the source gas in such a way that the thickness distribution of the boundary layer which is the region in the vicinity of the surface of the substrate 20 where the velocity of the flow of source gas along the surface of the substrate is essentially zero is almost constant or gradually becomes narrower in the direction of the flow.

Abstract: A device (1) for packaging finely divided, moistened tobacco material in individual portion packages, comprising a means (2) for feeding the material into pockets (4) formed in a rotary portioning wheel (3) for portioning the material into portions. The device further comprises at least one compression means (10, 11, 12) for compressing these portions, a unit (23, 27) for advancing a packaging material (17) in synchrony with the compressed portions, at least one means (14, 15, 16) for discharging the portions from the pockets and advancing them the packaging material, and a unit (28, 29, 30, 31, 33) for forming individual portion packages from the discharged portions and the packaging material. At the intended point of discharge of the portions to the packaging material, said material has the form of a tape (17), the compression means (10, 11, 12) being arranged to compress the portions in a direction which differs from the discharging and the feeding directions.

Abstract: Methods of reducing the content of and preventing formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in harvested leafy plants such as tobacco and marijuana, are disclosed. The methods are directed to subjecting the plant to microwave radiation, at appropriate times in the cure cycle. With tobacco, products suitable for human consumption, such as cigarettes, cigars, etc., can be made in accordance with the present invention, having contents of tobacco-specific nitrosamines on a par with fresh-cut, green tobacco. In preferred embodiments, the resultant tobacco products are dried, golden-yellow leaves having almost negligible amounts of the known carcinogens NNN and NNK, in comparison to conventionally cured tobacco.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for forming glass article from sheet glass. More specifically the apparatus comprises a mold, a plunger being cooperative alignment with the mold, wherein the mold and the plunger form a cavity exhibiting the shaped of the glass article, an outer trimmer for separating the glass article from the surrounding excess sheet glass, and an inner trimmer for forming the aperture in the glass article, and the method involves forming the aperture during the hot-forming process, therefore eliminating a post-formation step.

Abstract: A method for drawing a mother ingot into a preform for optical fibers comprises providing a mother ingot, subjecting the mother ingot to measurement of a distribution of refractive index along radial directions thereof to determine a ratio of a core diameter to a clad diameter, and comparing the thus determined ratio with a predetermined ratio between the core diameter and the ingot diameter which ensures intended optical transmission characteristics, under which if the determined ratio is insufficient for the intended light transmission characteristics, the mother ingot is further processed until the predetermined ratio is substantially attained, and the resultant ingot is drawn to a preform, or if the determined ratio is acceptable on comparison with the predetermined ratio, the mother ingot is finally drawn.

Abstract: A method and furnace for heating a glass sheet by lower electric resistance elements (50) supported by a furnace housing (12) below a roll conveyor (40) and by supplying a gas burner heated hot gas flow from a forced convection heater (56) that provides a dominant mode of external heat for heating the conveyed glass sheet from above. The furnace can also be manufactured by retrofitting an electric resistance heater type glass sheet furnace.