Abstract: A method of manufacturing a tip for use with smokeable substances. A tube is rotated while applying heat to a section. The heated section is squeezed with tapered rollers and a pivoting rod is inserted. The rollers and rod are removed and heat is again applied. The heated portion is squeezed a second time with the tapered rollers and the rod is reinserted. The rollers and rod are removed and heat is again applied. The heated portion is again squeezed with the tapered rollers and the pivoting rod is again reinserted. The rollers and rod are removed and heat is applied to the end of the tube. The tube is scored above the end to form a scored line. Heat is applied to the scored line. Water is sprayed onto the scored line to split the tube into two pieces. Heat is applied to the tube at the split end.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that heats the glass of a primary glass product to be formed. The apparatus includes a laser that emits light at a wavelength for which the glass of the primary glass product is at most partly transparent, such that the light is absorbed at least partially in the glass. The apparatus also includes a mold having a forming mandrel having a thermally stable ceramic material, at least in the region that forms the contact surface with the glass during the forming process.

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 shaping a tubular object made of glass or glass ceramics or any other thermoplastic material, comprising the following method steps: the object is heated up to softening; an inner shaping tool and an outer shaping tool are provided for shaping The outside and inside jacket surface of the object, of which at least the inner shaping tool consists at least in the region of its shaping surface of open-pored material with a permeability of between 10?11 and 10?16 m2; a free-flowing pressurized medium is conducted through the open-pored material towards the surface of the object to be shaped; the inner shaping tool is introduced into the object; the outer shaping tool is applied on to the object in order to shape the same

Abstract: A method and device for making high precision glass forms (110). A glass rod (1) is pushed into a melting tube (47) and the glass form is pulled from the chamber. Preferably, both the push rate and the pull rate are controlled. Fiber optic glass ferrules and other components manufactured by the use of this invention have precision dimensions that fall well within the tight dimensional tolerances required for ferrules and others.

Abstract: A heat source is formed within one piece of a multi-piece mold designed to shape a glass tube. The one piece of the mold can then be used as a source of intense heat to render the glass malleable and to also contribute to shaping the tube in conformance with the mold. In one embodiment, the heat source includes channels formed throughout the one piece of mold for distributing a gas therethrough with jets of gas emanating from the inner surface of the mold piece for heating the tube to be shaped to a desired temperature. In apparatus embodying the invention, there is no need for a separate torch and for moving the torch during the shaping process. Also, in accordance with the invention, better control of the heat supplied to the tube being shaped is obtained.

Abstract: Apparatus for shaping a selected end region of a hollow cylindrical glass tube includes an internal mold placed within the selected end region for supporting the walls of the tube and controlling the shape of the internal surface of selected end region of the tube, during the period of time heat is applied to the tube and the tube is being shaped. In one embodiment the internal mold has a variable configuration and may be selectively set to an extended (open) configuration or to a collapsed (closed) configuration. With the internal mold set to its extended configuration, sufficient heat may be applied to the selected end region to render it malleable. Then, compression forces may be applied to the exterior surface of the tube to press the inner surface of the selected end region of the tube against the outer surface of the internal mold, causing the inner surface of the selected end region to conform to the outer surface of the internal mold.

Abstract: An apparatus and process is provided for the deformation of the heat-softened end of a glass tube. In the formation of hollow articles such as, for example, vials from glass tubes, either large processing pauses occur or the formation elements have to be moved with high speed to the next tube being processed. To keep the processing pause short a forming roller is provided, which is shifted back and forth relative to the glass tube. Shifting of the forming roller takes place in such a manner that the forming roller, toward the end of the rolling, is at the starting position for forming the next glass tube.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a groove in a glass tube without contacting the glass tube in the groove region. The apparatus includes a pair of chucks for holding opposite ends of the glass tube. The chucks are coupled to a motor for rotating the glass tube about its longitudinal axis. The apparatus further includes one or more torches for noncontact heating of the groove region of the glass tube sufficiently to soften the glass tube in the groove region. The chucks which hold the glass tube are axially movable for stretching and then compressing the glass tube along its longitudinal axis, when the glass tube has been softened in the groove area. The chucks are rotated during heating, stretching and compressing of the glass tube.

Abstract: A method for forming a groove in a glass tube without contacting the glass tube in the groove region. The method includes the steps of rotating the glass tube about its longitudinal axis, heating a localized area of the glass tube where a groove is to be formed sufficiently to soften the glass tube in the localized area, stretching the glass tube along its longitudinal axis by a first distance sufficient to cause a reduction in the diameter of the glass tube in the localized area, and compressing the glass tube along its longitudinal axis by a second distance sufficient to produce a groove in the localized area. The glass tube is rotated during the steps of heating, stretching and compressing the glass tube. Heating is preferably performed by directing the flames from one or more torches at the groove area.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a fluorescent lamp envelope comprises means for holding the envelope, a plurality of heat sources, means for providing relative rotation between the envelope and the plurality of heat sources with the heat therefrom acting on substantially narrow axially spaced regions on the envelope, means for engaging the envelope and for forming a plurality of constricting portions at axially spaced regions on the envelope, means for moving the forming means to engage the envelope and means for applying a positive pressure within the envelope while the forming means is engaged with the envelope.

Abstract: A pusher is disclosed for transferring plural glass containers onto a conveyor. The pusher includes a finger for each glass container. Each finger is separately retractable after its container has been transferred onto a conveyor so as to prevent a collision between the second container and the finger for the first container.

Abstract: A machine for fabricating articles such as glass vials from tubular stock includes a plurality of rotating chucking stations which revolve about the central vertical axis of the machine and a plurality of tooling stations which form the vial finish. The plurality of tooling stations are disposed in euqal numbers related to the number of chucking stations on two conveyor assemblies disposed adjacent the periphery of the circle defined by the revolving chucking stations. The tooling stations each include rollers which form the outside of the vial finish and a segmented mandrel which forms the inside of the vial finish including, if desired, a blowback cavity.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a cathode-ray tube is provided by drawing a glass tube section softened by heating onto a mandrel whose transverse dimensions increase near one end of the tube section in the direction of the end at least twice in a generally stepwise manner, so that in the direction of the end, upon drawing, at least a first and a second wall portion of the inner wall of the tube section become located in planes substantially perpendicular to the tube axis. The first wall portion may serve as an engaging surface for an electrode and the second wall portion may serve as an engaging surface for the window. A third drawn wall portion may serve as a reference face of the tube in a device.

Abstract: An elongated envelope for a fluorescent light bulb is held at each of its ends, and heated to a degree by which it is bendable. The ends are then moved relatively to each other in a path by which they are turned inwardly in opposition to each other and toward the center portion of the envelope while being directed out of the plane of the center portion to in part overly the center portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for calibrating sections of glass tubing, wherein a glass-tubing section is heated to a softening temperature, shaped to the calibrating dimension, and allowed to cool. The invention furthermore concerns suitable equipment for implementing this process.

Abstract: Tubes of transparent, translucent or opaque fused silica are made by heating a hollow cylindrical blank in a drawing zone, drawing the blank from the zone while maintaining its interior under pressure and rotating same about its longitudinal axis, and calibrating the still-plastic tube immediately upon leaving the drawing zone in a calibration zone defined by two graphite plates. Apparatus for carrying out the method includes means for heating the blank to a drawing temperature in a drawing zone, means for drawing the blank from the zone, means for maintaining the interior of the blank under pressure and means for rotating the blank as it is drawn, and calibrating means for calibrating the still-plastic tube immediately upon leaving the drawing zone including two graphite plate means disposed on metal plates through which a coolant can flow.