Patents by Inventor Bradley Kent Shepard
Bradley Kent Shepard 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).
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Publication number: 20240150217Abstract: A lathe system for producing an optical fiber preform, the lathe system including a rotating bait rod, a burner box configured to deposit silica-containing soot on the rotating bait rod, a hood configured to direct airflow within the lathe system through an exhaust, and a perforated floor configured to expel air within the lathe system as a plurality of air jets from a bottom portion of the lathe system to a top portion of the lathe system.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2023Publication date: May 9, 2024Inventors: Kirk Patton Bumgarner, Stephen Mitchell Carlton, Elena Alekseevna Chizhova-Notkina, Robert James Davis, Nikolay Anatolyevich Panin, Bradley Kent Shepard
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Patent number: 11840473Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical fiber, the method including drawing a bare optical fiber from an optical fiber preform along a draw pathway. The method further includes during the drawing step, moving a first fluid bearing from a first position to a second position, the first position being removed from the draw pathway and the second position being disposed in the draw pathway such that the movement of the first fluid bearing to the second position causes at least a first portion of the draw pathway to change direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2021Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Steven Joseph Gregorski, Kenneth Spencer Morgan, Richard Alan Quinn, Bradley Kent Shepard, John Christopher Thomas, David Andrew Tucker
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Publication number: 20230312390Abstract: A system and methods are described herein for preheating a preform in a preheater furnace and then transferring the preheated preform to a consolidation furnace for chemical treatment and sintering the preform into a clear glass which can be drawn into optical fiber. In addition, the preheater furnace is described herein which is configured to heat the preform per a predetermined heat-profile until the preform is uniformly heated to a temperature above 1000° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2023Publication date: October 5, 2023Inventors: Raymond David Groh, Joseph Leroy Morse, Bradley Kent Shepard, Ian Anthony Smith, Eric Wade Thornton
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Patent number: 11713272Abstract: A system and methods are described herein for preheating a preform in a preheater furnace and then transferring the preheated preform to a consolidation furnace for chemical treatment and sintering the preform into a clear glass which can be drawn into optical fiber. In addition, the preheater furnace is described herein which is configured to heat the preform per a predetermined heat-profile until the preform is uniformly heated to a temperature above 1000° C.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2020Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Raymond David Groh, Joseph Leroy Morse, Bradley Kent Shepard, Ian Anthony Smith, Eric Wade Thornton
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Patent number: 11554981Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for processing optical fiber preforms are disclosed. According to one aspect, an apparatus generally includes a furnace body and a muffle disposed within the furnace body. A space between the muffle and the furnace body defines a first interior volume. The muffle defines a second interior volume sealed from the first interior volume. An annulus gas is supplied to the first interior volume and a process gas is supplied to the second interior volume. A differential pressure gauge is coupled to the interior volumes. A flow controller is coupled to at least one of the gas sources and to the differential pressure gauge. The flow controller receives a differential pressure signal from the differential pressure gauge and adjusts a flow of a gas such that the pressure differential between the first interior volume and the second interior volume is minimized.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2020Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Randy Allan Binko, Steven Bruce Dawes, Nikolay Anatolyevich Panin, Bradley Kent Shepard
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Publication number: 20220073408Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical fiber, the method including drawing a bare optical fiber from an optical fiber preform along a draw pathway. The method further includes during the drawing step, moving a first fluid bearing from a first position to a second position, the first position being removed from the draw pathway and the second position being disposed in the draw pathway such that the movement of the first fluid bearing to the second position causes at least a first portion of the draw pathway to change direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2021Publication date: March 10, 2022Inventors: Steven Joseph Gregorski, Kenneth Spencer Morgan, Richard Alan Quinn, Bradley Kent Shepard, John Christopher Thomas, David Andrew Tucker
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Publication number: 20200392034Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for processing optical fiber preforms are disclosed. According to one aspect, an apparatus generally includes a furnace body and a muffle disposed within the furnace body. A space between the muffle and the furnace body defines a first interior volume. The muffle defines a second interior volume sealed from the first interior volume. An annulus gas is supplied to the first interior volume and a process gas is supplied to the second interior volume. A differential pressure gauge is coupled to the interior volumes. A flow controller is coupled to at least one of the gas sources and to the differential pressure gauge. The flow controller receives a differential pressure signal from the differential pressure gauge and adjusts a flow of a gas such that the pressure differential between the first interior volume and the second interior volume is minimized.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2020Publication date: December 17, 2020Inventors: Randy Allan Binko, Steven Bruce Dawes, Nikolay Anatolyevich Panin, Bradley Kent Shepard
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Publication number: 20200283329Abstract: A system and methods are described herein for preheating a preform in a preheater furnace and then transferring the preheated preform to a consolidation furnace for chemical treatment and sintering the preform into a clear glass which can be drawn into optical fiber. In addition, the preheater furnace is described herein which is configured to heat the preform per a predetermined heat-profile until the preform is uniformly heated to a temperature above 1000° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2020Publication date: September 10, 2020Inventors: Raymond David Groh, Joseph Leroy Morse, Bradley Kent Shepard, Ian Anthony Smith, Eric Wade Thornton
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Patent number: 8541064Abstract: A method for producing a coated optical fiber may include drawing an optical fiber from a draw furnace along a first vertical pathway. The optical fiber may then be routed through at least one fluid bearing thereby redirecting the optical fiber along a second vertical pathway. Thereafter, a thermoplastic coating may be applied to the optical fiber with a thermoplastic coating system. The optical fiber may then be wound onto a fiber storage spool with a fiber take-up system. The fiber take-up system may be space apart from the thermoplastic coating system such that the thermoplastic coating may be cooled before the optical fiber is wound onto the fiber storage spool.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2009Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: James Henry Faler, Bruce Warren Reding, Bradley Kent Shepard, David Andrew Tucker
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Patent number: 8528368Abstract: Methods for producing a coated optical fiber may include drawing an optical fiber from a draw furnace along a first pathway and redirecting the optical fiber along a second, different pathway which is non-parallel with the first pathway. The optical fiber may be coated as it travels along the second pathway.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2008Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: James Henry Faler, Andrey V. Filippov, Bruce Warren Reding, Bradley Kent Shepard, David Andrew Tucker
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Patent number: 7963124Abstract: A method for producing an optical fiber that includes a method for producing an optical fiber, said method comprising: (i) drawing a bare optical fiber from a preform along a first pathway at a rate of at least 10 m/sec; (ii) contacting said bare optical fiber with a region of fluid in a fluid bearing and redirecting said bare optical fiber along a second pathway as said bare optical fiber is drawn across said region of fluid cushion; (iii) coating the bare optical fiber; and (iv) irradiating said coated fiber in at least one irradiation zone to at least partially cure said coating, while subjecting the optical fiber to UV light.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2008Date of Patent: June 21, 2011Assignee: Corning IncorporatedInventors: Andrey V Filippov, Bruce Warren Reding, Bradley Kent Shepard, David Andrew Tucker
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Publication number: 20090297722Abstract: A method for producing a coated optical fiber may include drawing an optical fiber from a draw furnace along a first vertical pathway. The optical fiber may then be routed through at least one fluid bearing thereby redirecting the optical fiber along a second vertical pathway. Thereafter, a thermoplastic coating may be applied to the optical fiber with a thermoplastic coating system. The optical fiber may then be wound onto a fiber storage spool with a fiber take-up system. The fiber take-up system may be space apart from the thermoplastic coating system such that the thermoplastic coating may be cooled before the optical fiber is wound onto the fiber storage spool.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2009Publication date: December 3, 2009Inventors: James Henry Faler, Bruce Warren Reding, Bradley Kent Shepard, David Andrew Tucker
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Publication number: 20090158779Abstract: Methods for producing a coated optical fiber may include drawing an optical fiber from a draw furnace along a first pathway and redirecting the optical fiber along a second, different pathway which is non-parallel with the first pathway. The optical fiber may be coated as it travels along the second pathway.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2008Publication date: June 25, 2009Inventors: James Henry Faler, Andrey V. Filippov, Bruce Warren Reding, Bradley Kent Shepard, David Andrew Tucker
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Publication number: 20090139269Abstract: A method for producing an optical fiber that includes a method for producing an optical fiber, said method comprising: (i) drawing a bare optical fiber from a preform along a first pathway at a rate of at least 10 m/sec; (ii) contacting said bare optical fiber with a region of fluid in a fluid bearing and redirecting said bare optical fiber along a second pathway as said bare optical fiber is drawn across said region of fluid cushion; (iii) coating the bare optical fiber; and (iv) irradiating said coated fiber in at least one irradiation zone to at least partially cure said coating, while subjecting the optical fiber to UV light.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2008Publication date: June 4, 2009Inventors: Andrey V. Filippov, Bruce Warren Reding, Bradley Kent Shepard, David Andrew Tucker