Fiber optical image magnifier panel and method of manufacture

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FABRICATING A FIBER OPTICAL IMAGE TRANSFER AND MAGNIFIER DEVICE COMPRISING: THREADING A PLURALITY OF LIGHT CONDUCTING FIBERS THROUGH AN ORDERLY ARRAY OF HOLES IN AN APERTURE PLATE FORMING THE BOTTOM OF A MOULD CAVITY; CASTING AN INTERISTITIAL MATRIX BY POURING A LIQUID MATRIX MATERIAL INTO SAID CAVITY AND SOLDIFYING THE LIQUID; REMOVING SAID MATRIX FROM THE MOULD WHILE MAINTAINING THE PLURALITY OF ATTACHED FIBERS INTACT AND LIFTING THE MATRIX TO A POSITION TO OBTAIN A DESIRED FIBER LENGTH WHILE FEEDING TH PLURALITY OF FIBERS THROUGH THE HOLES OF THE APERTURE PLATE; CASTING A SECOND METAL MATRIX IN THE MOULD CAVITY WHILE THE PLURALITY OF FIBER ARE LOCATED IN THE ARRAY HOLES OF THE APERTURE PLATE AND AFFIXED TO THE PREVIOUS CASTING; INSERTING MOVABLE FIBER GUIDES INTO THE SPACES BETWEEN ADJACENT ROWS OF OPTICAL FIBERS, TWO INTERSECTING SETS OF SAID GUIDES BEING INSERTED BETWEEN FIBER ROWS AT A T POSITION LOCATED BETWEEN SAID CASTINGS: PLACING COMPRESSION DIE JAWS AROUND THE PLURALITY OF FIBERS BETWEEN THE FIBER GUIDES AND THE PREVIOUS CASTING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE FIBER GUIDES; COMPRESSING THE PLURALITY OF FIBERS IN THE DIE JAWS TO A CLOSE PACKED CONFIGURATION; CUTTING THE PLURALITY OF FIBERS NEAR THE GUIDES; PLACING AND SETTING A BINDER ON THE CLOSE PACKED FIBER CONFIGURATION AND THEN GRINDING AND POLISHING BOTH FIBER END SURFACE ARRAYS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FABRICATING A FIBER OPTICAL IMAGE TRANSFER AND MAGNIFIER DEVICE COMPRISING: THREADING A PLURALITY OF LIGHT CONDUCTING FIBERS THROUGH AN ORDERLY ARRAY OF HOLES IN AN APERTURE PLATE FORMING THE BOTTOM OF A MOULD CAVITY; CASTING AN INTERISTITIAL MATRIX BY POURING A LIQUID MATRIX MATERIAL INTO SAID CAVITY AND SOLDIFYING THE LIQUID; REMOVING SAID MATRIX FROM THE MOULD WHILE MAINTAINING THE PLURALITY OF ATTACHED FIBERS INTACT AND LIFTING THE MATRIX TO A POSITION TO OBTAIN A DESIRED FIBER LENGTH WHILE FEEDING TH PLURALITY OF FIBERS THROUGH THE HOLES OF THE APERTURE PLATE; CASTING A SECOND METAL MATRIX IN THE MOULD CAVITY WHILE THE PLURALITY OF FIBER ARE LOCATED IN THE ARRAY HOLES OF THE APERTURE PLATE AND AFFIXED TO THE PREVIOUS CASTING; INSERTING MOVABLE FIBER GUIDES INTO THE SPACES BETWEEN ADJACENT ROWS OF OPTICAL FIBERS, TWO INTERSECTING SETS OF SAID GUIDES BEING INSERTED BETWEEN FIBER ROWS AT A T POSITION LOCATED BETWEEN SAID CASTINGS: PLACING COMPRESSION DIE JAWS AROUND THE PLURALITY OF FIBERS BETWEEN THE FIBER GUIDES AND THE PREVIOUS CASTING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE FIBER GUIDES; COMPRESSING THE PLURALITY OF FIBERS IN THE DIE JAWS TO A CLOSE PACKED CONFIGURATION; CUTTING THE PLURALITY OF FIBERS NEAR THE GUIDES; PLACING AND SETTING A BINDER ON THE CLOSE PACKED FIBER CONFIGURATION AND THEN GRINDING AND POLISHING BOTH FIBER END SURFACE ARRAYS.