Patents by Inventor David B. Steele

David B. Steele 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).

  • Method for consolidating doped glass using an encapsulating structure
    Patent number: 5039325
    Abstract: A fluorine-doped silica soot cylinder (11) is consolidated by containing it within an encapsulation structure (29) within a furance (21). The atmosphere within the encapsulation structure is kept substantially stagnant during the consolidating, and the volume enclosed by the encapsulation structure (29) is only slightly greater than the volume of the soot cylinder (11). A gap (52) between the volume enclosed by the encapsulating structure and the furnace is kept small enough to impede gas flow to a sufficient extent that the atmosphere within the encapsulating structure (29) is substantially stagnant during consolidation. During consolidation, fluorine concentration within the encapsulation structure (29) is uniformly distributed within the soot cylinder (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Thomas J. Miller, Douglas W. Monroe, David A. Nicol, David B. Steele
  • Method of fluorine doped modified chemical vapor deposition
    Patent number: 4968339
    Abstract: A fluorine-doped silica soot cylinder (11) is consolidated by containing it within an encapsulation structure (29) within a furnace (21). The atmosphere within the encapsulation structure is kept substantially stagnant during the consolidating, and the volume enclosed by the encapsulation structure (29) is only slightly greater than the volume of the soot cylinder (11). A gap (52) between the volume enclosed by the encapsulating structure and the furnace is kept small enough to impede gas flow to a sufficient extent that the atmosphere within the encapsulating structure (29) is substantially stagnant during consolidation. During consolidation, fluorine concentration within the encapsulation structure (29) is uniformly distributed within the soot cylinder (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Thomas J. Miller, Douglas W. Monroe, David A. Nicol, David B. Steele