Method of making a miniature lens

Claim 1

IN THE FABRICATION OF A SMALL, MOUNTED, SPHERICAL LENS: ROTATING A GLASS ROD, OF SMALL DIAMETER, ABOUT THE AXIS THEREOF, IN A COOLING ATMOSPHERE, AT A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR VELOCITY, TO PROVIDE COOLING OF THE GLASS PURSUANT TO HEATING THEREOF, AND WHILE HOLDING THE ROTATING ROD IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION; SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATING A RING-SHAPED LENS HOLDER, HAVING SIMILAR DIAMETER, AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME ANGULAR VELOCITY AND IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHILE HOLDING SAID HOLDER COAXIALLY WITH SAID GLASS ROD AND VERTICALLY SPACED THEREBELOW A DISTANCE OF THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF SAID SMALL DIAMETER; APPLYING HEAT TO THE LOWER END OF THE ROTATING ROD TO PROVIDE A LIQUID GLASS DROP DEPENDENT FROM AND ROTATING WITH SAID LOWER END; EFFECTING SLIGHT RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE DROPCARRYING ROTATING ROD AND THE ROTATING HOLDER TO LESSEN SAID DISTANCE AND FILL A TOP PART OF SAID HOLDER WITH A BOTTOM PART OF SAID DROP DEPENDENT FROM THE ROTATING ROD AND THEREBY TO SEAL SAID GLASS DROP INTO SAID HOLDER; THEN SLIGHTLY INCREASING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ROTATING ROD AND SAID HOLDER AND LOCALLY APPLYING HEAT TO THE ROD AND TO THE SERVERED OF THE GLASS DROP TO SERVE THE LIQUID GLASS DROP THEREFROM, THEREBY ALLOWING INNER PORTIONS OF THE SEVERED LIQUID GLASS DROP GRAVITATIONALLY TO SINK INTO SAID HOLDER; AND CONTAINUING SAID ROTATING OF THE DROP WITH THE LENS HOLDER TO COOL AT LEAST SURFACE PORTIONS OF THE DROP AND THUS TO CONGEAL IT, WHILE LOCALLY APPLYING FURTHER HEAT TO AN UPPER INNER PART OF SAID SURFACE PORTIONS AT LEAST DURING PART OF THE CONTINUED ROTATING, TO PERMIT SURFACE TENSION OF THE SINKING AND CONGEALING GLASS DROP TO DEVELOP APPROXIMATELY SHERICAL FORM OF SAID DROP.