Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7624597 | Insulation shielding for glass fiber making equipment Apparatus for making glass fibers has AC induction coils for AC inductive heating of a spinner for spinning molten glass into molten glass fibers, an enclosure that at least partially surrounds the AC induction coils to protect a human worker, and electrically insul... | 12/01/2009 |
| 7185517 | Double crucible for a glass drawing method and method of making glass fiber or a preform with the double crucible The double crucible for a glass drawing method has a heatable outer crucible (1) and an inner crucible (2) surrounded by the outer crucible (1), which is heatable separately from the outer crucible (1). Both crucibles (1,2) have an... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7003985 | Method and apparatus for removing polymeric coatings from optical fiber in a non-oxidizing environment In accordance with the invention, the polymeric coating is removed from a coated optical fiber by disposing the fiber within a non-oxidizing environment and applying sufficient heat to volatilize at least a portion of the polymeric coating. The result is that the co... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6134922 | Method for drawing a glass ingot A method for drawing a glass ingot into a rod having a given outer diameter is described. The method is characterized in that when the glass ingot is fed into a heating zone at a final tapered portion thereof, a temperature in the heating zone is decrease... | 10/24/2000 |
| 5951735 | Method and apparatus for connecting two optical fibers by arc welding To compensate for disturbing influences during arc welding of at least two optical waveguide fiber ends, an impedance of the discharge path of the arc is measured and at least one of the welding parameters is varied based on the measured impedance.... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5595669 | Method of forming coupling diopters at the ends of optical fibers To enable surface tension forces to confer upon an optical fiber end (P1), a shape procuring good optical coupling the end is partially melted in an electric arc (ZC). To improve the reproducibility of this shape movement into the arc is achieved by a uni... | 01/21/1997 |
| 5367532 | Furnace for the continuous melting of oxide mixtures by direct induction with high frequency, a very short refining time and a low energy consumption Furnace for the continuous melting of mixtures of oxides by direct induction at high frequency and a very short refining time and with a low energy consumption, comprising an intake (14) and a nozzle (15) for the continuous discharge of oxides into a meta... | 11/22/1994 |
| 5364431 | Apparatus for production of glass fibers utilizing spinning cup structure A method and apparatus for producing glass fibers wherein molten glass is deposited onto a spinning cup structure. Centrifugal force urges the molten glass outwardly and upwardly along the inner surface of an upstanding wall of the cup structure. The glas... | 11/15/1994 |
| 5338329 | Process and device for obtaining mineral fibers For obtaining mineral fibers from a thermoplastic material having a high melting point, and more precisely for the regulation of the flow rate and temperature of the stream of molten material distributed on the fiber-drawing machine, the molten material i... | 08/16/1994 |
| 5308947 | Iridium fiber draw induction furnace An induction furnace for reflowing a portion of an optical preform in order to draw a lightguide fiber therefrom. The furnace has an axially located tubular iridium susceptor which is centrally disposed within a beaker and a sleeve is positioned concentri... | 05/03/1994 |
| 5226101 | Method of laser polishing fiber optic connectors Disclosed is an improved method for polishing fiber optic connectors. After a light waveguide distal end is mechanically ground and/or polished, the distal end is slightly melted in order to reduce reflectance. Melting may be induced by a laser, microtorc... | 07/06/1993 |
| 5217518 | Apparatus for making coated optical fiber In the manufacture of coated optical fiber, fiber (21) is drawn from a preform (22) and is coated with one or preferably two layers (42,44) of light curable coating materials. Afterwards, the coating materials are cured. Increases in manufacturing line sp... | 06/08/1993 |
| 5123941 | Apparatus for producing mineral wool The present invention relates to a method of producing mineral wool, mineral raw material (2) is introduced into a melting unit (3), preferably a cupola furnace, for heating the mineral raw material in such a manner that molten mineral material (4) is for... | 06/23/1992 |
| 5114338 | Furnace for heating highly pure quartz preform for optical fiber A heating furnace for heating a porous preform made of fine particles of highly pure quartz glass for an optical fiber, which furnace comprises a cylindrical furnace body, a heater installed in said furnace body and a muffle tube installed inside said hea... | 05/19/1992 |
| 4906267 | Heating oven for preparing optical waveguide fibers A heating oven is provided for processing glass materials, e.g., porous glass preforms, from which optical waveguide fibers are prepared. The oven includes a stationary elongated chamber, e.g., a silica muffle, for receiving the glass material which is to... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4778501 | Process and furnace for heat application Control of speed and uniformity of the heating of the working zone of the preform in a glass drawing operation in which the softening heat is applied by forced convection (13), using a separate fluid heating zone to introduce temperature and velocity cont... | 10/18/1988 |
| 4746344 | Fiber forming bushing and method for providing A fiber glass bushing having a thermocouple embedded in the bottom thereof and a method of preparing the same is described. The thermocouple is carried in a plate member which is welded to the bushing bottom by a weld on the outside of the busing.... | 05/24/1988 |
| 4740224 | Terminal connection for fiber glass bushing A lightweight, precious metal containing, glass fiberizing bushing having a novel power terminal ear arrangement is disclosed. The novel terminal ear arrangement has two relatively thin ears which extend from an area located near the midpoint of each end ... | 04/26/1988 |
| 4738701 | Method and apparatus for forming glass fibers A glass fiber forming assembly is described which permits rapid change of a production fiber glass bushing. The system includes a secondary bushing and means to heat it as well as a glass delivery bushing permanently connected to a forehearth. The product... | 04/19/1988 |
| 4631381 | Magnetic yoke inductor for glass fiber manufacturing equipment The novel inductor is used in a glass fiber manufacturing equipment comprising a centrifuge heated by a main gas heating device and a complementary induction heating device. The efficiency of the inductor is increased by a magnetic flow guiding element di... | 12/23/1986 |
| 4608473 | Modified zirconia induction furnace A high temperature induction furnace (10) for drawing lightguide fiber (52) from a silica preform (44) has an axially located tubular zirconium dioxide susceptor (34) therein. Prior to use, at least a portion of the inside surface of the susceptor (34) is... | 08/26/1986 |
| 4594087 | Three-terminal controller for fiber glass bushing A bushing controller circuit for regulating the current flow through a fiber glass bushing to thereby control the temperature of the molten glass being drawn into fibers is disclosed. The bushing temperature is measured by a plurality of thermocouples whi... | 06/10/1986 |
| 4584464 | Heating element An electrically energizable high intensity, radiant energy heater (8) having a general M-shape for providing a pocket (20) for localized high intensity isothermal heating for fusion and fiber processing. The heater is shaped to provide easy access for a f... | 04/22/1986 |
| 4547644 | Apparatus for heating a preform from which lightguide fiber is drawn An induction furnace (60) for reflowing a portion of an optical preform (12) in order to draw a lightguide fiber (11) therefrom includes a tubular susceptor (80) which is disposed centrally within a beaker (75) and a sleeve (82) which is disposed concentr... | 10/15/1985 |
| 4544392 | Apparatus for thermally conditioning heat softenable material The present invention is an auxiliary heated bushing block for a fiber forming furnace. The bushing block fits below an opening in the bottom of a forehearth of a glass melting furnace. A non-circular opening through the bushing block allows molten materi... | 10/01/1985 |
| 4496210 | Low temperature-flexible radiation-curable unsaturated polysiloxane coated fiber optic Optical fibers are coated with a radiation-curable liquid, polyethylenically unsaturated coating composition consisting essentially of an organic polysiloxane having from 2 to 6 reactive side chains each of which carry a functional group providing one rea... | 01/29/1985 |
| 4491463 | Laser sizing method and apparatus for fiber optic buffers A system for machining and sizing optical fibers is described herein. The system uses a laser beam to machine oversized regions of a buffer material surrounding an optical fiber to create a coated optical fiber having a substantially uniform maximum outer... | 01/01/1985 |
| 4450333 | Zirconia induction furnace A high frequency induction furnace (10) for reflowing a portion of a lightguide preform (44) in order to draw a fiber (52) therefrom. The furnace (10) has a centrally located tubular susceptor (34) therein having a thin coating of the preform material (e.... | 05/22/1984 |
| 4440558 | Fabrication of optical preforms by axial chemical vapor deposition Hydroxyl free deposition with high efficiency and at a high deposition rate may be achieved, even with use of relatively inexpensive raw materials, by utilizing a ring-shaped plasma activated axial chemical vapor deposition obtaining 100% chemical convers... | 04/03/1984 |
| 4325721 | High pressure modular forehearth A high pressure modular forehearth which receives molten glass under pressure and supplies the molten glass to a plurality of high pressure glass fiber forming bushings is disclosed. Glass is melted in suitable means and is supplied to a modular molten gl... | 04/20/1982 |
| 4304582 | Apparatus for increasing the breaking strength of glass fibers The breaking strength of glass fibers, such as generally utilized in optical communication techniques, is materially improved by subjecting a glass fiber to a heat treatment whereby the glass fiber is relatively slowly pulled through a controlled heat zon... | 12/08/1981 |
| 4285712 | Apparatus and method for the production of glass fibers The invention relates to apparatus and method for producing fibers from heat-softened mineral material, such as glass. More specifically, this invention relates to method of, and apparatus for, producing glass fibers from an electrically heated bushing ha... | 08/25/1981 |
| 4215263 | Drawing optical waveguides by heating with laser radiation In drawing an optical waveguide, the blank is heated by a beam of laser radiation which has substantially zero power from the axis of the blank to a prescribed radial position and substantially uniform power from that position to a greater radial position... | 07/29/1980 |
| 4202679 | Process and apparatus for the continuous production of elongate light conductors An elongate light conductor of circular or other cross-section is continuously produced by depositing, in a vacuum chamber, a powdered glassy (i.e. vitreous or vitrifiable) material upon the upper end of a descending rod of like material while training a ... | 05/13/1980 |
| 4167403 | Apparatus and method for maintaining calibration of a thermocouple used in a bushing for the drawing of glass fiber A thermocouple connection for a platinum/rhodium glass fiber drawing bushing wherein the dissimilar leads of the thermocouple are extended directly from the bushing and over a length so closely adjacent the bushing that the temperature of the leads over s... | 09/11/1979 |
| 4155731 | Fiber forming bushing construction In apparatus for heat-softening and attenuating glass material into fibers, an improved low temperature electrical resistance bushing having extremely thin side walls and other electricity conducting components running from end to end in the bushing, rela... | 05/22/1979 |
| 4135902 | Method and apparatus for drawing optical fibers A laser beam (FIG. 1; 28) is reflected from a first oscillating galvanometer controlled mirror (14) onto a second oscillating galvanometer controlled mirror (15). The laser beam is reflected from the second mirror as a pattern (29) having an annular cross... | 01/23/1979 |
| 4090055 | Apparatus for manufacturing an optical fibre with plasma activated deposition in a tube An optical fibre is manufactured by forming a layer of fused silica, which may or may not be doped, on the inner wall of a fused silica tube by producing a plasma in the reactant gases flowing through the tube. By this means a higher temperature can be ma... | 05/16/1978 |
| 4012213 | Apparatus for forming refractory fibers Apparatus for forming fibers of refractory materials. A melt volume is continuously formed on a feed rod of the material to be fiberized and a fiber drawn therefrom. The melt volume is formed by introducing the feed rod at a predetermined velocity into a ... | 03/15/1977 |
| 4003730 | Apparatus for making glass fibers A heating unit for converting batch mineral material to molten glass is disclosed. The unit includes a receptacle for the flowable material, heating elements for supplying heat to the flowable material, and movably mounted bus bars for supplying electrica... | 01/18/1977 |
