Abstract: A method for producing a silica container having a rotational symmetry is provided. The method includes forming a preliminarily molded article by feeding a powdered substrate's raw material to an inner wall of an outer frame having aspiration holes with rotating the frame, and forming a silica substrate. The preliminarily molded article is aspirated from an outer peripheral side with controlling a humidity inside the outer frame by ventilating gases present in the outer frame with charging from inside the preliminarily molded article a gas mixture comprised of an O2 gas and an inert gas and made below a prescribed dew-point temperature by dehumidification, and at the same time heated from inside the preliminarily molded article by a discharge-heat melting method with carbon electrodes, thereby making an outer peripheral part of the preliminarily molded article to a sintered body while an inner peripheral part to a fused glass body.

Abstract: In the process a glass tube line is drawn from a glass tube production plant and the glass tube is severed from the glass tube line. At the same time the still heated glass tube is subjected to a selective local heat treatment of the at least one tube end section prior to cooling down completely in order to reduce the stresses in the respective tube end section. Not the entire glass tube but instead only the respective tube end section is subjected to the selective local heat treatment. The heat treatment is performed in particular in such a manner that the mechanical tensile stress in the region between 7 mm and 20 mm from the tube end or ends is reduced to below 6.0 MPa, more preferably to below 4.5 MPa.

Abstract: A process including holding sensor chip; holding glass tube surrounding the outer periphery of the side surface of sensor chip; applying a wind pressure to the side surface of glass tube from the outside of glass tube and melting glass tube to be glass-welded to the side surface of sensor chip. Thereby, the outer periphery of sensor chip can be surrounded by a highly hydrophilic glass tube. Thus, a cell electrophysiological sensor with high measurement accuracy can be produced.

Abstract: A method for producing a silica container that includes forming a powder mixture by adding an Al compound or a crystal nucleating agent into a first powdered raw material (silica particles), preliminarily molding to an intended shape by feeding the powder mixture to an inner wall of an outer frame while rotating the outer frame having aspiration holes, forming a silica substrate, wherein the preliminarily molded article is degassed by aspiration from a peripheral side and at the same time heated from inside the preliminarily molded article at high temperature thereby making a peripheral part of the preliminarily molded article to a sintered body while an inner part to a fused glass body, and forming a transparent silica glass layer on an inner surface of the silica substrate, wherein a second powdered raw material having a higher silica purity than the first powdered raw material is spread from inside the silica substrate and at the same time heated from the inside at high temperature.

Abstract: A process including holding sensor chip; holding glass tube surrounding the outer periphery of the side surface of sensor chip; applying a wind pressure to the side surface of glass tube from the outside of glass tube and melting glass tube to be glass-welded to the side surface of sensor chip. Thereby, the outer periphery of sensor chip can be surrounded by a highly hydrophilic glass tube. Thus, a cell electrophysiological sensor with high measurement accuracy can be produced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing a graded refractive index optical element, the method being capable of easily forming a graded refractive index distribution in a desired portion of a glass substrate without the need for a specific treatment atmosphere, and without using a molten salt. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of producing a graded refractive index optical element comprising applying a paste containing a copper compound, an organic resin and an organic solvent to a glass substrate containing an alkali metal component as a glass component, and then performing heat treatment at a temperature below the softening temperature of the glass substrate.

Abstract: The data storage and processing resources required for an electric meter are reduced by basing the selection and application of phase error correction on a root mean square load current flowing through the meter.

Abstract: A method of assembling two optical fiber tube preforms end-to-end without negatively impacting the local glass chemistry at the joint. The ends of two tubes to be joined together are reverse-tapered by a grinding such that the outside portion of the tube walls extend further outward than the inner portions of the tube walls. Two tubes having such ends are briefly heated and brought together, and the reverse taper minimizes the size of the cross-sectional area of the tube portions to be joined. A minimal amount of heat that does not significantly impact the glass chemistry at the joint is applied to the outside of the tubes to effect a tack weld that joins the tubes. Once the tack weld is in place, additional heat in combination with a vacuum force can be applied to the tubes, which completes the sealing of the weld.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus consistent with the present invention use a beam of laser energy to concentrically form an optical preform from two or more concentric glass objects, such as two glass tubes or a hollow glass tube and a solid glass rod. The glass objects are placed in a concentric configuration where the outer object has an inner surface that is placed proximate to an outer surface of the inner object. Once these are assembled, a beam of laser energy is generated, positioned, and applied to a starting point in the gap defined by the inner surface and the outer surface. Once the laser beam is applied and is reflecting down into the gap, the beam of laser energy is moved relative to the starting point as the beam is concurrently applied. This heats the inner surface and outer surface so that the two objects can be joined to form the optical preform. In another aspect of the invention, a coating layer is disposed within the gap and can be heated by the laser as it is applied within the gap.

Abstract: A pair of chucks, which grip end portions of a cylindrical glass tube blank, are moved by a chuck moving mechanism toward each other, so that softened glass in an intermediate portion of the cylindrical glass tube blank is gathered, thereby forming a shape that is suitable for blow molding a light emitting tube portion. In the approaching movement, the position of one chuck is detected by using a laser position detector, and a result of the detection is fed back to the chuck moving mechanism, so as to control the approach distances of the chucks. The laser position detector detects the position of the chuck itself. Therefore, even when the positional relationship between the chuck and the chuck moving mechanism is varied, or backlash or deformation occurs in the chuck moving mechanism, the correct position of the chuck still is detected irrespective of such variation, backlash or deformation.

Abstract: In a method for producing a streak-free quartz glass sheet with a highly homogeneous degree of refraction, a quartz glass rod is lowered into a melting pot parallel to a longitudinal axis of the quartz glass rod. A cross-section of the melting pot is larger than a cross-section of the quartz glass rod and determines a contour of the quartz glass sheet. The quartz glass rod is heated in the melting pot to a flow temperature whereupon the quartz glass rod is lowered until the quartz glass rod melts and a height of the quartz glass flowing in the melting pot reaches a desired quartz glass sheet thickness. The melting pot and the quartz glass rod move relative to each other in a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the quartz glass rod during the melting process. Preferably, the movement involves a rotational and a transverse movement.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for making an article such as the body of a needleless injector capsule, from a formable material, such as glass, the article having a cavity communicating with the exterior via an orifice. A blank having an open end is mounted on a first forming tool, and the open end is engaged by a second forming tool while an end region of the blank adjacent the open end is in a condition to permit it to be formed. One of the tools has a pin extending therefrom, and when the tools are brought together to form the end region into the desired shape the pin defines the orifice.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a vitreous quartz pipe or container having a connector including a flange formed from at least one strip or rod-shaped piece of transparent quartz glass which is wound circumferentially around either an inner or outer surface of a portion of the pipe or container and secured to the pipe or container to thereby form a closed-ring flange. The portion of the pipe or container having the attached flange may be an open end of the pipe or container or may be a wall portion where a connector for mounting to fixtures or other fittings may be desired. This type of strip or rod-shaped piece of quartz glass can be made via a conventional pulling technique such that a strip or rod having the appropriate uniform cross-sectional shape is obtained. The prepared strips or rod-shaped pieces are then easily cut with a saw device to appropriate lengths.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for making an article such as the body of a needleless injector capsule, from a formable material, such as glass, the article having a cavity communicating with the exterior via an orifice. A blank (1a) having an open end is mounted on a first forming tool, and the open end is engaged by a second forming tool (22) while an end region of the blank (1a) adjacent the open end is in a condition to permit it to be formed. One of the tools (7a) has a pin (21) extending therefrom, and when the tools are brought together to form the end region into the desired shape of the pin (21) defines the orifice.

Abstract: A known method for producing an object having a flanged tubular portion at the outer periphery, comprises supplying a continuously extended, cylindrical body made of the flange material to a welding zone at the tubular portion of the object and welding the flange material to the welding zone by heating and winding the cylindrical body around the object.

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: An apparatus for manufacturing a chamber, the chamber including first and second glass substrates and an enclosure arranged between the substrates or an enclosure and at least one spacer arranged between the substrates. The apparatus includes a pair of heating plates, having heaters therein, for holding the glass substrates, a temperature controller for controlling the temperature of the heaters, a position alignment device for moving at least one of the pair of heating plates in X-, Y-, and .theta.

Abstract: A method to provide a glass tube with an internal glass spiral being formed from a straight glass rod and fastened to the internal wall of the glass tube by merging the glass rod with the glass wall in the line of contact between the glass wall and the spiral wherein the glass rod is conducted into the glass tube through a guiding tube placed inside the glass tube at a velocity v.sub.1 relative to the guiding tube, the guiding tube being provided with a heating zone at its front end inside the glass tube, the glass rod being heated to its softening point in the heating zone before leaving the guiding tube through a mouth piece, at the same time the glass tube and/or the guiding tube being rotated at a frequency n, and the glass tube being moved at a velocity v.sub.2 relative to the guiding tube.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a plurality of elongated refractory bodies are laminated together by placing the bodies in close adjacency, exposing the adjacent bodies to a plasma torch heat source, and moving the bodies longitudinal past the torch at a nonzero average rate which includes a reciprocating (e.g., oscillatory) component to longitudinally spread the zone of heating. Where the bodies are a rod to be laminated within a hollow tube, it is advantageous to reduce the air pressure between the rod and tube, thereby eliminating potential contaminants and, at the same time, biasing the tube to collapse against the rod. This method is particularly useful in laminating overcladding tubes to core rods to form optical fiber preforms.

Abstract: One method of the present invention provides a method of connecting a flange to a cylinder. This method includes securing the cylinder in a first chuck of a lathe and securing the flange in a second chuck of the lathe. The method also includes rotating the first and second chuck such that the cylinder and flange are rotated while bringing an end of the cylinder and the flange in proximity of a heating element associated with the lathe contemporaneously with the rotating step. Finally, there is the step of bringing the end of the cylinder in contact with the flange. Novel apparatus consistent with the present invention are also disclosed.

Abstract: A thermal print head having a base, a glass glaze layer formed on the base by electrically-heated welding, and heating elements formed on the glass glaze layer. A manufacturing method of a thermal print head uses a furnace to accommodate molten glass and a pair of opposed electrodes disposed within the furnace to melt the glass by flowing the current. The method comprises the steps of supplying electric power across the electrodes to cause electric current to flow through glass so as to melt glass, passing an elongated base through the molten glass accommodated in the furnace to form a glass glaze layer on the base, and forming heating elements on the glass glaze layer.

Abstract: A novel method for fabricating glass micropipettes comprises assembling glass tubes side-by-side in a bundle, softening an axially central region of the bundle by heating, axially elongating the softened central region to create two opposing tapers, and then dividing the bundle in two at the axial midpoint of the central region to thereby create two micropipettes. The distal tip end of each micropipette at which it was separated from the other is then relatively advanced toward a hot flame to create a spherical enlargement at the tip end. This spherical enlargement facilitates subsequent gripping of this end when the micropipette is subsequently finished to produce desired orifice sizes for the barrels at the distal tip end. It is also desirable to perform a twisting step after the softening step and before the elongating step.

Abstract: The body of an ion-sensitive electrode is formed from a bulb (32) of an ion-selective material that is transparent to infrared radiation. A glass tube (12) made of material that absorbs infrared radiation is inserted into the bulb, and a source (15) of infrared radiation is focused through the bulb (32) onto the end of the tube (12) on which the bulb (32) rests. The resultant heating causes the tube and the bulb to fuse together, and the portion of the bulb outside the tube is then removed to result in an electrode body (FIG. 4).

Abstract: In an apparatus for mounting, within the glass neck of a cathode ray tube envelope, an electron gun assembly which includes the usual glass stem in the form of a disk with an exhaust tubulation extending centrally therefrom for eventual evacuation of the envelope, an upright support tube is provided with a central bore which is closed at its lower end and opened at the upper end for receiving the exhaust tubulation when the electron gun assembly is supported by such tube with the stem above the upper end of the support tube, and the support tube further has longitudinal passages therein spaced outwardly from the central bore and isolated from the latter, such longitudinal passages opening at ends thereof adjacent the upper end of the support tube.

Abstract: In the method for manufacturing annular portions of magnetic heads, a gap between the confronting end surfaces of the magnetic heads is filled with glass. In one of the conventional processes, the glass is sucked into the gap by a capillary action of the gap, but bubbles are liable to form in the glass. The method according to the present invention comprises a step of heating the glass to a relatively low temperature capable of causing the glass to be flowable and applying a centrifugal force to the glass being heated in a rotatable support of a heating furnace. As a result of the centrifugal force, the tendency to form bubbles is considerably reduced as compared with the conventional methods.

Abstract: An apparatus for drawing a dielectric optical waveguide having minimal attenuation characteristics comprises a double crucible in a closed atmosphere container with glass rod supply means and atmosphere supply means.

Abstract: A process for the production of gradient fibers of glass by depositing layers of glasses having selected indices of refraction and then drawing fibers therefrom. The process is carried out by sequentially introducing a plurality of glass masses to form layers having progressively higher refractive index of refractions. The resulting layers are formed into an unitary body which is drawn into an optic fiber.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method particularly suited to lampworking for producing unique surface effects on glass. In addition interlocking glass sections formed from bundles of rods preassembled on a cyclindrical core are disclosed.