Abstract: Provided is a method of cleaving and separating a glass sheet, the method comprising: a cleaving step of cleaving a glass sheet (G) along preset cleaving lines (X, Y) by a laser cleaving method; and a separation step of separating adjacent pieces of the cleaved glass sheet (G) from each other, wherein the cleaving step is performed under a state in which the glass sheet (G) is placed on support members (1) provided respectively in segment regions (P1 to P9), which are segmented by the preset cleaving lines (X, Y), and the separation step is performed by separating the support members (1) from each other in adjacent segment regions (P1 to P9).

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a layer of vitreous silica adjacent at least a portion of an inner surface of a fused silica body is described, comprising a heat source disposed to apply sufficient heat to at least a portion of the inner surface to cause a layer of said at least a portion of the inner surface to vitrify. In certain embodiments the heat source is configured to heat at one time a relatively small area of the inner surface, and the apparatus comprises a positioning mechanism for moving the heat source with respect to the inner surface. In certain embodiments the heat source is a hydrogen-oxygen surface-mix fueled torch that is moved helically with respect to the inner surface of the body under the control of a programmed CNC motion control system.

Abstract: A known method for producing a cylinder of quartz glass comprises a soot depositing process, in which SiO2 particles are deposited on an elongate carrier rotating about an axis of rotation with formation of a porous, hollow-cylindrical soot body, and a sintering process in which the soot body comprising an inner bore with inner wall, a longitudinal axis, an upper end and a lower end is held suspended in vertical orientation in a furnace, a holding element being provided for holding purposes, which projects from the upper end into the inner bore of the soot body and acts on a bearing provided in the inner bore.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating the ends of glass rods in which glass rods are inserted into receptacles in a carrier and with the carrier are carried past a burner and at least one rail in an advancing direction, the flame of the burner melting at least one end of the glass rods and the glass rods being lifted by the rail in the receptacles and rolling on the rail so that the glass rods are made to rotate during the melting process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for treating the ends of glass rods in which glass rods are inserted into receptacles in a carrier and with the carrier are carried past a burner and at least one rail in an advancing direction, the flame of the burner melting at least one end of the glass rods and the glass rods being lifted by the rail in the receptacles and rolling on the rail so that the glass rods are made to rotate during the melting process.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus for supporting a preform manufactured in an installation for manufacturing or building up preforms having supporting cores, said installation including at least rotation means having a horizontal axis of rotation and two mounting points between which the supporting core of the preform to be manufactured or built up is mounted, plasma-torch and material-supply means disposed radially relative to said supporting core and being mounted to move in axial translation relative to and parallel to the supporting core so as to make said preform around said supporting core, said apparatus being wherein it includes controlled support means constituting additional localized abutment points between said mounting points for said preform being manufactured or built up.

Abstract: A method for processing a preform supported with a stationary chuck and a movable chuck of a glass-working lathe comprises providing a burner of a type which is able to create flame-controlled conditions by controlling flow rates of a flammable gas and a supporting gas wherein the supporting gas is discharged from at least one group of discharge pipes co-axially classified into plural groups that are, respectively, controllable with respect to a gas flow rate. The preform is processed under the flame-controlled conditions. A burner system and a preform processing apparatus comprising the burner system, both suited for realizing the method, are also described.

Abstract: The apparatus for melting off a glass top part from a hollow glass blank has individual burner sections (3) each containing at least one burner nozzle. The individual burner sections (3) are held in a cutting plane and movably connected with each other. A control device (4a, 4b, 5) controls the respective positions of the burner sections (3) so that they fit any arbitrary outer contour of the hollow glass blank (1). The control device (4a, 4b, 5) holds and maintains the burner sections (3) at a constant distance from the exterior surface of the hollow glass blank (1). The burner device with the burner sections (3) is mounted on two half frames pivotally connected with each other for better access to the glass object (1). This apparatus separates the glass top part from oval or triangular glass objects, which should be cut at an inclined orientation, in a single step.

Abstract: The apparatus for melting off a glass top part from a hollow glass blank has individual burner sections (3) each containing at least one burner nozzle. The individual burner sections (3) are held in a cutting plane and movably connected with each other. A control device (4a,4b,5) controls the respective positions of the burner sections (3) so that they fit any arbitrary circumference of the hollow glass blank (1). The control device (4a,4b,5) holds and maintains the burner sections (3) at a constant distance from the exterior surface of the hollow glass blank (1). This apparatus separates the glass top part from oval or triangular glass blanks, or also from glass objects with a circular cross-section, but which should be cut at an inclined orientation, in a single step.

Abstract: A method and an machine for the manufacturing of syringes by vertically feeding long glass tubes to an intermittently rotary forming machine, having two horizontally rotary machine sections each intermittently rotating on a central vertical axis of a stationary machine frame, to a plurality of forming stations, each machine section having a plurality of continuously rotary gripping chucks mounted on the stationary machine frame, a plurality of burner nozzles and a plurality of forming tools, for firstly opening a closed lower end of a glass tube, forming a tip for a needle at the lower end of the glass tube, cutting off a syringe body including the tip at a lower end, and then translating the syringe body to the second machine forming section for opening a closed upper end of the syringe body, forming a finger flange at the upper end of the syringe body and release the finished syringe body at a discharging machine.

Abstract: A method and an machine for the manufacturing of syringes by vertically feeding long glass tubes to an intermittently rotary forming machine, having two horizontally rotary machine sections each intermittently rotating on a central vertical axis of a stationary machine frame, to a plurality of forming stations, each machine section having a plurality of continuously rotary gripping chucks mounted on the stationary machine frame, a plurality of burner nozzles and a plurality of forming tools, for firstly opening a closed lower end of a glass tube, forming a tip for a needle at the lower end of the glass tube, cutting off a syringe body including the tip at a lower end, and then translating the syringe body to the second machine forming section for opening a closed upper end of the syringe body, forming a finger flange at the upper end of the syringe body and release the finished syringe body at a discharging machine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of assembling two optical fiber preforms together end-to-end, the method comprising the following operations: the two cylindrical preforms are placed in alignment along a common longitudinal axis; the preforms are rotated about the common longitudinal axis; the facing ends of said preforms are heated by a heater; and the preforms are moved towards each other parallel to the common axis to press them against each other so as to form intimate contact between the ends after cooling. According to the invention, the heating is performed by causing the preforms or heater to move in a radial direction orthogonal to the common longitudinal axis in such a manner as to heat the peripheries and then the cores of said preforms.

Abstract: In the method of drawing fiber continuously from preforms for manufacturing an optical fiber, a first preform is displaced along a fiber-drawing axis and is drawn into an optical fiber through a fiber-drawing furnace disposed on the fiber-drawing axis, and a second preform is displaced along the fiber-drawing axis, which second preform is butt welded to the first preform so as to be drawn into an optical fiber following on from the first fiber. The two preforms are butt welded, i.e. they are welded together end-to-end, by displacing at least one power laser along the fiber-drawing axis, and by servo-controlling the displacement of said laser to the displacement of the two preforms so as to maintain a laser beam emitted by the power laser at the same height as the two ends to be welded together, thereby making it possible to reduce considerably the size of the zone affected by the welding, and to avoid polluting the side surfaces of the two preforms upstream and downstream from the weld.

Abstract: The apparatus for preparing quartz micropipettes includes a pair of carriers mounted on a linear ball bearing guide which grasp opposite ends of a quartz glass capillary tube. A pair of miniature torches fueled by a mixture of oxygen and propane simultaneously heat a portion of the center of the capillary tube and an inverted U-shaped bar disposed between the torches in propinquity to the capillary tube. A cable having one end attached to one of the carriers and the other end attached to the core of a solenoid, the intermediate portion of the cable being wound around a pulley and attached to the second carrier, is used to pull the capillary tube in opposite directions as the tube softens. The cable is also wound around the axle of an optical encoder assembly which sends an electrical signal to a computer based upon either the distance or velocity at which the tubing is pulled apart.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a glass container and an apparatus therefor capable of providing the container by pressing of a glass substrate using a die while keeping the glass substrate uniformly heated and softened. The glass substrate is heated while being kept lifted from a lower mold of a forming die and then subject to integral forming by the forming die. This permits the glass substrate to be integrally formed into the glass container in the form of a finished product, resulting in the number of steps and time required for processing being reduced.

Abstract: A spout forming assembly for glassware and a method therefor in which the assembly includes a spout forming device for forming a pour spout on the edge of a piece of glassware, an actuation device for actuating the forming device, and a control device for controlling the actuation device. The method generally includes the steps of: (a) moving a piece of glassware having an edge along a predetermined path; (b) heating the edge; and (c) engaging the edge with forming means to form a spout on the edge of the glassware.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for controlling the free deformation of thermoplastic material in an automated process for processing the material to form articles. These articles are especially ampules, small bottles and the like produced from glass tubes. In this method, in order to obtain a high dimensional accuracy of the article, a corrective action is carried out by applying heat to the starting material in the deformation region in the heating phase. This corrective action takes place in dependence on a desired-value/actual-value comparison of the deformation of a workpiece achieved in a predetermined working step. In order to exclude interference influences in the development of the deformation, the measurement of the deformation achieved, the desired-value/actual-value comparison and the corrective action are carried out in situ on one and the same workpiece during shaping of the deformation in the heating phase.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing a linearly tapered bore in quartz/glass tubing includes a laser and elements for focusing the laser onto the glass tubing. The glass/quartz tubing is rotated in the laser beam and is moved vertically in the laser beam to provide a linear taper in the interior bore. The power of the laser beam is controlled and the laser beam is appropriately focused by a lens to provide a desired width of the beam at the glass/quartz tubing.

Abstract: A device for treating glassware and crystalware articles driven in rotation about an axis of rotation, which includes a mandrel upon which the articles is rotatably mounted. The device includes one of a heating source and a cooling source movable along a direction parallel to the treatment plane, and a data recording system having a control unit for storing and handling the data measured by a sensor relating to the angular position of each glassware or crystalware article. An intersection sensor is included to measure the distance between the external wall of each article and the heating mechanism. Further, a command unit controls the displacement and the location of the one movable heating and cooling source during treatment of the rotating article so as that a substantially constant spacing between the heating mechanism and the rotating articles is maintained.

Abstract: A universal glass sheet mold support assembly (10) is disclosed as including a mold support frame (18) mountable in the bending section (14) of a glass sheet heating furnace (12). The mold support frame (18) includes a first registration member (22) that defines in part a standardized registration system. An intermediate frame (26) having a shaping mold (16) mounted thereon forms a replaceable unit. The intermediate frame (26) includes a second registration member (28) that completes the definition of the standardized registration system. The standardized registration system and a quick disconnect linkage assembly (40) mount a variety of shaping molds (16) on the single mold support frame (18).

Abstract: A heat-sealable glass container is heat-sealed by an apparatus which heats the container with an infrared lamp while rotating the container and elongating the heat-softened top portion. The elongation of the softened glass pulls the glass to a point and results in an airtight seal.

Abstract: In a method for ceramising glass plates, in which the plates to be ceramised are hung vertically, a plurality of plates are hung transversely of the transport direction so that they form a plate package. This plate package is passed through a plurality of chambers of an oven in which it is subjected to a direct succession of different temperatures.

Abstract: In a holding chuck (3) for tubes of glass-working machines, clamping jaws (7) which are guided in a basic body (5) and have, at their ends, plates (9) provided with a bore for receiving a ball (12) are used. Each ball is guided in a bore (14) in a thrust ring (13), whilst the plates (9) are additionally guided in slots (15) of the thrust ring (13).

Abstract: The method of the present invention consists of the steps of heating an area along the length of a small diameter glass tube while the tube is being rotated, pulling the heated tube using an unidirectional force to rapidly extend the heated area while mechanically maintaining the heat source centrally located along the portion of the tubing being extended. The extended tubing is subsequently cooled and separated at the narrowed portion to produce two capillary tubes. The apparatus of the present invention consists of two independently rotatable, co-axially aligned chucks. The chucks rotate in an essentially simultaneous manner, that is, the speed of rotation of each chuck is essentially the same. Each of the chucks has an adjustable collet thereon adapted to receive and hold a section of glass tubing aligned therebetween. A means of moving one of said chucks away from the other is provided. A moveable heating means is positioned intermediate the chucks.

Abstract: An apparatus for loading and unloading glass articles from an article cutting machine where the glass remainders of the said glass articles are removed during the manufacturing process. Said apparatus comprising: a supporting structure with a vertical shaft; means of rotating transference that are attached in axial coincidence with the said vertical shaft in order to hold and transport the articles; cams attached to the vertical shaft, wherein said transference means are placed in order to determine, through the cams the path that must be imparted to the said transference means; and drive means attached to the said transference means in order to make them rotate in a predetermined time relationship, at the stations positions of reception, feeding and delivery of articles.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for tubulating a glass barrel including a glass lathe with the tubing in one chuck and a barrel holding device in the other chuck having a pair of spring members to engage the openings of the barrel and hermetically seal the barrel with an air pressure source to induce pressure to the inside of the barrel with the method including heating the end of the tubing and the point on the barrel for attachment, blowing a hole out through the point and welding the tube over the hole while the parts are spinning on the lathe.

Abstract: A preform from which lightguide fiber is drawn is made by depositing optically suitable layers of doped silicon dioxide on an inner wall of a rotating glass substrate tube which is exposed to a moving zone of heat during a deposition mode and during a collapse mode. During at least a first pass following the deposition mode, a contact device is caused to engage each successive increment of length of the tube during exposure to the zone of heat. The contact device causes any sagged or offset portions of the tube to be reconfigured and causes the tube to have a central longitudinal axis which is a straight line which extends between stocks of a lathe by which ends of the tube are supported. The contact device may also be used to cause the tube to have a predetermined configuration along its length.

Abstract: Apparatus for turning bottles and the like during exposure to a jet of hot gas or other heat source. Bottles are individually passed by an air cylinder gate and travel to a drive wheel and a spring loaded idler, where they are trapped by a second air cylinder gate. The drive wheel turns the bottle over a predetermined revolution while the bottle face is exposed to heat. The bottle is then permitted to exit by retraction of the second air cylinder gate. A pneumatic assembly controls gate operation, along with mechanical actuation to prevent bottle entrapment in the heating area.

Abstract: A system for machining a glass workpiece comprises means for rotating the workpiece. A concentrated beam of energy is axially directed to the surface of the workpiece to soften the glass material. The softened glass material is then removed by a pointed or relatively narrow tool which is precisely located with respect to the area treated by the energy beam.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for making capillary glass liners for use in ink jet writing devices. The capillary glass blanks are suspended within a heating coil which melts the glass locally so that the blank stretches to form two well defined jet liner nozzles. Liners with inlet and outlet orifices and with bent or angled outlet nozzles are also made.

Abstract: Method and machine for making vials from glass tubing, wherein at least one glass tube (22) with closed bottom is loaded on a rotatable plate (11), having a series of holes circumferentially passing therethrough, and is then grasped by upper pliers (23'), provided on a plane not coincident with the rotatable plate (11), and then grasped by lower pliers (23) also provided on a horizontal plane not coincident with a lower rotatable plate (10), the tube (22) being continuously rotated on its axis by rotating elements of the pliers (23, 23'), and rotated throughout the circumference of the machine by rotation of the suitably controlled rotatable plates (10, 11). In this rotation the tube, as drawn or pulled at suitable intervals by the pliers, is caused to pass in front of a series of burners (17) arranged in suitable number on the entire periphery of the machine, such burners being provided with parabolic arc flames.

Abstract: An automatic tipping-off apparatus for hermetically sealing the exhaust tubulation of a dosed and otherwise processed arc tube for a high-intensity-dicharge device. The apparatus for use with an arc tube fabricating machine including a rotatable turret having a plurality of arc tube holding members mounted about the peripheral portion thereof. The turret is operational to move the arc tube holding members in a sequential stop-and-go fashion to and from a plurality of operating stations located in close proximity to the turret. The tipping-off apparatus maintains the arc tube in a vertical orientation and utilizes spring-loaded jaws to retain the arc tube while a burner moves into position about the exhaust tubulation.

Abstract: A glass optical waveguide filament preform is prepared by chemical reaction of vapor ingredients within a glass bait tube. As the reactants flow through the bait tube, a hot zone traverses the tube to cause the deposition of sooty reaction products in the region immediately downstream of the hot zone. A baffle tube extends into that end of the bait tube into which the reactants flow. The baffle tube, which traverses the bait tube along with the burner, ends just short of the hot zone so that no soot is deposited thereon. A gas flowing from the baffle tube creates a gaseous mandrel which confines the flow of reactant vapors to an annular channel adjacent the bait tube wall in the hot zone, thereby increasing deposition rate and efficiency.

Abstract: The disclosure is of apparatus including two pairs of metal gripping blocks held together by a spring and mounted adjacent to wedge blocks carrying wedges for opening each pair. An operating plate is provided which drives the apparatus to cause the wedge blocks to open the gripping blocks to permit a length of capillary tubing filled with mercury to be inserted between the pairs of gripping blocks. The apparatus is then driven to cause the tubing to pass through a flame positioned to melt the tubing at a desired location and to form two separate seal portions at this location which are gripped by the two gripping blocks; and, on the next cycle, when the gripping blocks are opened, the portion of the tubing which is the desired capsule is released from its pair of gripping blocks and fed to a suitable receiver.