Abstract: A spiral parts heat treatment apparatus includes a first guide, a transfer unit, a second guide, and a controller. The first guide has a carrier portion that continuously conveys the manufactured spiral parts carried thereon in a longitudinal direction. The transfer unit is disposed downstream from the first guide to feed the spiral parts one by one after discrimination. The second guide is provided continuously to the transfer unit and has a carrier portion and a driving portion. The carrier portion serves to guide the spiral parts carried thereon in the longitudinal direction in the heat treatment furnace. The driving portion serves to push the spiral parts from a rear end side thereof and a driving portion. The controller performs a control operation so as to feed the spiral parts one by one.

Abstract: A product, such as a process cartridge, is provided with a plurality of functional units that can be easily disassembled so as to be recycled. The product is constructed to have an equipment body having an attachment member in which to hold the functional units. A joint section portion of the attachment member has a through-slit provided which can be broken off and thereby facilitate removal of the respective functional units.

Abstract: A method for forming a glass preform into an optical element utilizing a formation chamber having a central axis and including a plurality of glass preform heaters, a plurality of glass preform pressing molds, and a conveyor, an exchanging chamber and a controller, comprises the steps of providing the heaters and the pressing molds along a circular path substantially concentric with the formation chamber and providing the conveyor to rotate coaxially with the central axis of the formation chamber. The operating condition of the heater is detected, the glass preform is conveyed from the exchanging chamber to a heater based on the detected condition of the heaters, and the glass preform is heated.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously processing articles includes a pre-heating chamber for confining a vacuum therein provided with four openings by which an entrance chamber, two depositing chamber and an exit chamber communicate therewith individually. Each of the openings is provided with a gate valve mounted therein for covering the openings, and particularly the entrance and exit chambers serving to maintain the vacuum in the pre-heating chamber at a predetermined level while feeding unprocessed articles to and removing the processed articles from the pre-heating chamber in such a manner that the vacuum is not affected by the ambient atmosphere. The pre-heating chamber comprises a cylindrical housing in which a water-wheel-like conveyor having means for receiving and holding vacuum deposition jigs carrying articles such as optical elements is intermittently rotated to advance the vacuum deposition jigs through the pre-heating chamber.