Method for forming refractory tubing

Claim 1

A method of forming refractory tubing, comprising the steps of (a) providing a preformed tubing blank of a refractory material as a feed tube in the form of a first solid section; (b) providing around said tubing blank a concentrated heating zone of laser energy of substantially uniform intensity thereby to initially form on one end of said tubing a molten ring of said refractory material by (1) expanding a laser beam; (2) splitting the resulting expanded laser beam into a plurality of laser beams essentially equally spaced around the surface of said tubing, and (3) focusing each of said plurality of said laser beams onto said surface of said tubing by forming each of said laser beams into a half-annular configuration and focusing the resulting half-annular beams onto said tubing in a manner to adjust the energy density distribution of each of said beams to essentially equalize the absorption of laser energy around the entire surface of said tubing within said molten ring; (c) bringing a pick-up member as a second solid section into contact with said molten ring within said heating zone thereby to attach said pick-up member to said feed tube through said molten ring; (d) controllably effecting relative translational movement between said solid sections and said heating zone thereby to advance said molten ring through said tubing; and (e) controlling the characteristics of said heating zone to maintain said molten ring at an essentially uniform height and extending completely through said tubing, said height being such that the forces of surface tension and gravity maintain said molten ring connected in a substantially stable conditiou to said solid sections on either side of said molten ring of said tubing.

Claim 2

A method of forming refractory tubing, comprising the steps of (a) providing a preformed tubing blank of a refractory material as a feed tube in the form of a first solid section; (b) providing around said tubing blank a concentrated heating zone of laser energy of substantially uniform intensity thereby to initially form on one end of said tubing a molten ring of said refractory material by (1) expanding a laser beam; (2) splitting the resulting expanded laser beam into a plurality of laser beams essentially equally spaced around the surface of said tubing, and (3) focusing each of said plurality of said laser beams onto said surface of said tubing by forming each of said laser beams into a half-annular configuration and focusing the resulting half-annular beams onto said tubing in a manner to adjust the energy density distribution of each of said beams to essentially equalize the absorption of laser energy around the entire surface of said tubing within said molten ring; (c) bringing a pick-up member as a second solid section into contact with said molten ring within said heating zone thereby to attach said pick-up member to said feed tube through said molten ring; (d) controllably effecting relative translational movement between said solid sections and said heating zone thereby to advance said molten ring through said tubing; and (e) controlling the characteristics of said heating zone to maintain said molten ring at an essentially uniform height and extending completely through said tubing, said height being such that the forces of surface tension and gravity maintain said molten ring connected in a substantially stable conditiou to said solid sections on either side of said molten ring of said tubing.