Abstract: The apparatus includes a gripping device (3) for picking up the parts (1, 2) to be joined and at least one screwdriver (6) comprising a screw spindle (10) and a drive (11) for the screw spindle. The screw spindle (10) is resiliently mounted for movement in the direction of the screw feed and it may be laterally adjusted in each of two perpendicular directions so as to permit an accurate alignment of the screw with the parts to be joined.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing light waveguide branch elements and multi/demultiplexer elements, which elements operate in accordance with the beam divider principle by providing a first body having a plurality of parallel extending waveguides adjacent one side thereof, cutting the body at an angle to the waveguides to form two parts, after preparing the cut surfaces of the parts, applying a mirror or filter structure onto one of the polished surfaces and reassembling the parts to form an assembly, and forming an element by subsequently positioning and securing a second body on the assembly with the second body having light waveguides extending to one surface and the end faces of the waveguides of the one surface being adjacent to the mirror or filter structure so that light traveling in the waveguides of the first assembly will be reflected into the waveguides of the second body.

Abstract: A device for coupling an incoming light conducting fiber cable to an outgoing light conducting fiber cable characterized by at least one housing and means secured in the housing for holding the end faces of the light conducting fibers of each cable in centered relationship to each other and for optically interconnecting the ends faces of the light conducting fibers of the incoming cable to the end faces of the light conducting fibers of the outgoing cable. The means includes at least one holder having a guide body with guide channels for the light conducting fibers extending inward from one surface of the body and a cover member disposed on the guide body to close off the guide channels so that the light guiding fibers disposed in the channels are held therein.

Abstract: A liquid crystal cell comprising a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between a pair of carrier plates with at least one plate being transparent characterized by a film of metal inorganic salt selected from a group comprising magnesium fluoride, thorium fluoride, zinc sulphide, aluminum oxide, or thorium oxide deposited on at least selected areas of a surface of one of the carrier plates to cause homeotropic orientation or a tilted homeotropic orientation of the molecules of the liquid crystal material contacting the film. To provide the film, the carrier plate is positioned in spaced relationship to a source of the salt which is vaporized and deposited on the plate in the desired areas to produce the column-like structure of the desired angular orientation.

Abstract: A device for coupling an incoming light conducting fiber cable to an outgoing light conducting fiber cable characterized by at least one housing and means secured in the housing for holding the end faces of the light conducting fibers of each cable in centered relationship to each other and for optically interconnecting the end faces of the light conducting fibers of the incoming cable to the end faces of the light conducting fibers of the outgoing cable. The means includes at least one holder having a guide body with guide channels for the light conducting fibers extending inward from one surface of the body and a cover member disposed on the guide body to close off the guide channels so that the light guiding fibers disposed in the channels are held therein.

Abstract: An optical layer device having a substrate with a surface having one or more layers of either dielectric or metallic materials provided thereon characterized by the substrate being mounted on a holder and being of an elastically deformable material and means for deforming the substrate so that the substrate may be deformed in a predetermined spherical or aspherical fashion. Depending on the construction of the layers, the device may be utilized as either a variable reflector or a variable interference filter. In one embodiment of the invention, the deforming of the substrate is accomplished by varying a pneumatic pressure in the chamber which pressure contacts one surface of the substrate. In another embodiment of the invention, the deforming is accomplished by selectively heating the holder and substrate so that a predetermined deformation is caused by the different rate of thermal expansion for the holder and substrate.

Abstract: An optical coupling device for coupling of integrated optical components which are arranged on separate component substrates that may have different thicknesses characterized by a base substrate, at least two component substrates disposed on the base substrate and arranged closely adjacent to each other, an intermediate substrate disposed between the two component substrates and in engagement therewith, and at least one waveguide disposed on a surface of the intermediate substrate and coupled to two optical components on their respective component substrates. Preferably, the intermediate substrate, which may be either a band, fiber, a portion of a cylindrical rod, or an integral portion of one of the component substrates, provides a curved surface which enables bridging the space between the two component substrates and allows compensation for different thicknesses therebetween.