Hideo tatibana

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FUSION SEALING THE OPEN NECK PORTION OF A GLASS AMPULE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID AMPULE IN AN INCLINED SUPPORTED POSITION ALONG A PATH OF ADVANCEMENT WITH THE NECK PORTION OF THE AMPULE EXTENDING UPWARDLY, MEANS SUPPORTED PROXIMATE THE FIRST SAID MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID AMPULE TO ROTATE THE SAME AS THE AMPULE IS BEING ADVANCED, MEANS LOCATED ALONG THE PATH OF ADVANCEMENT OF THE AMPULE FOR HEATING THE NECK PORTION THEREOF TO HEAT SOFTEN THE SAME WHEREBY THE NECK PORTION OF THE AMPULE WILL SAG, MEANS EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCEMENT OF THE AMPULE AT A LOCATION BENEATH THE NECK PORTION FOR RECEIVING THE LATTER TO SUPPORT AND CONVEY THE SAME IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCEMENT AFTER THE NECK PORTION HAS SAGGED DUE TO THE HEATING THEREOF, AND A ROTATABLE CONE ELEMENT SUPPORTED ADJACENT THE MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE SAGGING NECK PORTION OF THE AMPULE AND EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCEMENT OF THE AMPULE, SAID CONE ELEMENT HAVING INCREASING DIAMETERS IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCEMENT OF THE AMPULE, SAID CONE ELEMENT BEING OPERATIVELY SPACED FROM THE MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE NECK PORTION OF THE AMPULE TO CONTACT THE SAGGED NECK PORTION AND URGE THE SAME AWAY FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE AMPULE TO THEREBY SEVER THE NECK PORTION FROM THE AMPULE, SAID MEANS FOR HEATING THE NECK PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND THE ROTATABLE CONE ELEMENT FOR FUSION SEALING THE AMPULE AFTER THE NECK HAS BEEN SEVERED.