Apparatus for making fiber energyconducting devices

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ZONE FUSING, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HIGH EXTERNAL PRESSURE AND INTERNAL PARTIAL VACUUM, AN ELONGATED TUBULAR MEMBER OF GLASS HAVING A CLOSED ONE END AND OPPOSITE OPEN END AND CONTAINING A NUMBER OF GLASS CLAD ENERGY-CONDUCTING FIBERS; SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A RIGID MAIN FURNACE BODY OF HOLLOW CONFIGURATION FORMING AN ELONGATED HEATING CHAMBER, SAID FURNACE BODY HAVING MEANS ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING SAID TUBULAR MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY WITHIN SAID CHAMBER; MEANS FOR HERMETICALLY SEALING SAID CHAMBER FROM THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND FROM THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT OF SAID FURNACE BODY WHEN SAID TUBULAR MEMBER IS RECEIVED AND SUPPORTED THEREWITHIN; MEANS THROUGH WHICH AIR AND GASES MAY BE SELECTIVELY EVACUATED FROM SAID CHAMER AND FORCED UNDER HIGH PRESSURE THEREINTO; MEANS THROUGH WHICH AIR AND GASES MAY BE SELECTIVELY DIRECTED INTO AND EVACUATED FROM SAID TUBULAR MEMBER INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID CHAMBER; A CYLINDRICAL HEATING MEMBER DISPOSED INTERNALLY OF SAID CHAMBER AND COAXIAL THEREWITH, SAID HEATING MEMBER BEING OF GREATER INTERNAL DIAMETER THAN THE EXTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER OF GLASS AND MOVABLE LINGITUDINALLY IN SAID CHAMBER BETWEEN OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF INTO ENCIRCLING RELATIONSHIP WITH AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER OF GLASS; AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID HEATING MEMBER TO PRODUCE ZONAL HEATING OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AND FIBERS CONTAINED THEREWITHIN PROGRESSIVELY ALONG AT LEAST SAID SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID LENGTH THEREOF.