US4684384A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Conveyor deposition method and apparatus for making optical fiber preforms
Assignee: Corning Glass Works
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Filing: 1986-09-29
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Granted: 1987-08-04
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Expires: 2006-09-29
Abstract
Abstract A plurality of optical waveguide preforms are simultaneously formed by depositing on a plurality of starting members layers of glass soot to build up a coating on each starting member. The soot layers are deposited by traversing a series of burners along the starting members in such a manner that a given one of the burners traverses the first starting member from a first end thereof to a second end thereof to form a layer of soot thereon. The remaining burners of the series similarly traverses the first starting member, a plurality of burners traversing the first starting member at any given time. After the first burner has traversed the first starting member it similarly traverses the second starting member. After the last of the series of burners has begun its traverse along the first starting member, the first of the series of burners completes its traverse of the second starting member and again begins traversing the first starting member immediately following the last of the series of burners.
Inventors
- 👤 George E. Berkey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 05:41
CPC Classifications
C; C03; C03B; C03B37/00; C03B37/01; C03B37/012; C03B37/014; C03B37/01413; C03B37/0142; C03B37/01486; C03B2207/00; C03B2207/42; C03B2207/50; C03B2207/52; C03B2207/60; C03B2207/66
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A method of forming at least one preform comprising providing at least one elongated cylindrical starting member, rotating said at least one starting member about the axis thereof, and depositing a plurality of layers of glass soot on said starting member to build up a coating thereon, said coating having first and second ends, the improvement comprising depositing said layers by providing a plurality of soot generating means, said soot generating means being arranged in a series the length of which is greater than the length of said coating, a portion of said series of generating means extending adjacent said starting member such that soot therefrom is directed toward that portion of the length of said starting member on which said coating is located, and traversing said series of generating means along said starting member.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
135 words
A method of forming at least one preform comprising providing at least one elongated cylindrical starting member, rotating said at least one starting member about the axis thereof, and depositing a plurality of layers of glass soot on said starting member to build up a coating thereon, said coating having first and second ends, the improvement comprising depositing said layers by providing a plurality of soot generating means, said soot generating means being arranged in a series the length of which is greater than the length of said coating, a portion of said series of generating means extending adjacent said starting member such that soot therefrom is directed toward that portion of the length of said starting member on which said coating is located, and traversing said series of generating means along said starting member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of providing at least one starting member comprises providing a plurality of starting members.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of providing a plurality of soot generating means comprises providing said soot generating means in such an arrangement that they form a complete loop.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of traversing said generating means comprising continuously moving said generating means in one direction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the step of traversing said generating means comprises alternately traversing said generating means in one direction and then in the opposite direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein each time that said series of generating means stops to change direction of traverse, it stops at a point along said coating that is different from the point at which it had stopped during the previous change of direction.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the spacings between the center lines of adjacent ones of said soot generating means is between 2.5 cm and 20 cm.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
180 words
A method of forming a preform comprising providing an elongated cylindrical starting member, rotating said starting member about its axis, and depositing a plurality of layers of glass soot on said starting member to build up a coating thereon, the improvement comprising depositing said layers by traversing a series of soot generating means along said starting member such that a given one of said generating means traverses said starting member along a first path from a first end thereof to a second end thereof to form a layer of soot thereon, the remaining generating means of said series similarly traversing said starting member, a plurality of said generating means depositing soot on said starting member at any given time, each of said soot generating means following a second path as it traverses from said second end of said starting member to said first end thereof, such that after the last of said series of generating means has begun its traverse along said first path, the first of said series of generating means begins a subsequent traverse along said first path.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
180 words
A method of forming a preform comprising providing an elongated cylindrical starting member, rotating said starting member about its axis, and depositing a plurality of layers of glass soot on said starting member to build up a coating thereon, the improvement comprising depositing said layers by traversing a series of soot generating means along said starting member such that a given one of said generating means traverses said starting member along a first path from a first end thereof to a second end thereof to form a layer of soot thereon, the remaining generating means of said series similarly traversing said starting member, a plurality of said generating means depositing soot on said starting member at any given time, each of said soot generating means following a second path as it traverses from said second end of said starting member to said first end thereof, such that after the last of said series of generating means has begun its traverse along said first path, the first of said series of generating means begins a subsequent traverse along said first path.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the steps of providing a second starting member adjacent a portion of said second path such that soot streams emanating from said soot generating means are directed toward said second starting member as said soot generating means pass thereby, whereby a coating of soot particles is built up on said second starting member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein, during a portion of the operating cycle of said method, said soot streams are directed to the side of said starting member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein, during at least a portion of the time that said coating is being built up, less than all of the soot generating means traversing said starting member are generating soot.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the step of varying the distance between said mandrel said soot generating means during the step of depositing a plurality of layers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the step of moving said starting member away from said soot generating means to maintain a substantially constant distance between the surface of said coating of soot and said generating means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the step of continually weighing said starting member and the soot deposited thereon and moving said starting member away from said soot generating means as the weight of said deposited soot increases.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method in accordance with claim 8 wherein, during at least a portion of the traverse of said generating means along said starting members, each of said generating means rotates about its axis.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
188 words
A method of forming a plurality of preforms comprising providing at least two elongated, cylindrical starting members, rotating each of said starting members about its axis, and traversing a series of soot generating means in a predetermined direction along a first of said starting members such that a given one of said generating means traverses said first of said starting members from a first end thereof to a second end thereof while depositing soot thereon, each of said generating means forming a layer of soot thereon, the remaining generating means of said series similarly traversing the first of said starting members to build up a coating of soot thereon, each of said soot generating means, after traversing said first of said starting members, similarly traversing the remaining of said starting members while directing soot thereon to build up a coating of soot on each of the remaining of said starting members, the first of said series of generating means beginning a subsequent pass along said first of said starting members in said predetermined direction immediately after the last of said series of starting members has begun its traverse.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
188 words
A method of forming a plurality of preforms comprising providing at least two elongated, cylindrical starting members, rotating each of said starting members about its axis, and traversing a series of soot generating means in a predetermined direction along a first of said starting members such that a given one of said generating means traverses said first of said starting members from a first end thereof to a second end thereof while depositing soot thereon, each of said generating means forming a layer of soot thereon, the remaining generating means of said series similarly traversing the first of said starting members to build up a coating of soot thereon, each of said soot generating means, after traversing said first of said starting members, similarly traversing the remaining of said starting members while directing soot thereon to build up a coating of soot on each of the remaining of said starting members, the first of said series of generating means beginning a subsequent pass along said first of said starting members in said predetermined direction immediately after the last of said series of starting members has begun its traverse.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
95 words
Apparatus for forming a plurality of porous glass preforms comprising a plurality of soot generating means, means for traversing said soot generating means around a closed loop, means for supporting a plurality of elongated, cylindrical starting members adjacent said loop, said starting members being situated in such a manner with respect to said generating means that soot emanating from any one of said generating means is directed along the greater portion of the length of each of said starting members as that generating means traverses said closed loop, and means for rotating said starting members.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
95 words
Apparatus for forming a plurality of porous glass preforms comprising a plurality of soot generating means, means for traversing said soot generating means around a closed loop, means for supporting a plurality of elongated, cylindrical starting members adjacent said loop, said starting members being situated in such a manner with respect to said generating means that soot emanating from any one of said generating means is directed along the greater portion of the length of each of said starting members as that generating means traverses said closed loop, and means for rotating said starting members.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said means for supporting comprises means for supporting two starting members in a parallel arrangement.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said means for supporting comprises means for supporting a plurality of starting members end to end so that they lie along the sides of a polygon.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said soot generating means are equally spaced around said loop.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said closed loop has a plurality of straight sections, one of said straight sections lying adjacent each of said starting members.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 further comprising means for determining the radius of each of said preforms and the means for moving each of said starting members away from said soot generating means in response to an increase in the radius of that preform.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 17 further comprising a plurality of sources of materials to be delivered to each of said soot generating means and means for coupling each of said sources to each of said soot generating means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus in accordance with claim 23 wherein said means for connecting comprises a rotary union.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of forming at least one preform comprising providing at least one elongated cylindrical starting member, rotating said at least one starting member about the axis thereof, and depositing a plurality of layers of glass soot on said starting member to build up a coating thereon, said coating having first and second ends, the improvement comprising depositing said layers by providing a plurality of soot generating means arranged in a series which traverses a path, the length of which is greater than the length of said coating, a first portion of said path extending adjacent said starting member such that soot from those of said soot generating means that are located on said first portion of said path is directed toward that portion of the length of said starting member on which said coating is located, and transversing said series of generating means along said path.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of forming at least one preform comprising providing at least one elongated cylindrical starting member, rotating said at least one starting member about the axis thereof, and depositing a plurality of layers of glass soot on said starting member to build up a coating thereon, said coating having first and second ends, the improvement comprising depositing said layers by providing a plurality of soot generating means arranged in a series which traverses a path, the length of which is greater than the length of said coating, a first portion of said path extending adjacent said starting member such that soot from those of said soot generating means that are located on said first portion of said path is directed toward that portion of the length of said starting member on which said coating is located, and transversing said series of generating means along said path.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein said path forms a complete loop.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method in accordance with claim 25 wherein the step of traversing said generating means comprising continuously moving said generating means in one direction.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of forming a preform comprising providing an elongated cylindrical starting member, rotating said starting member about its axis, and depositing a plurality of layers of glass soot on said starting member to build up a coating thereon, the improvement comprising depositing said layers by transversing a series of soot generating means along said starting member such that a given one of said generating means traverses said starting member along a first path from a first end thereof to a second end thereof to form a layer of soot thereon, the remaining generating means of said series similarly traversing said starting member, each of said soot generating means following a second path as it traverses from said second end of said starting member to said first end thereof.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
129 words
A method of forming a preform comprising providing an elongated cylindrical starting member, rotating said starting member about its axis, and depositing a plurality of layers of glass soot on said starting member to build up a coating thereon, the improvement comprising depositing said layers by transversing a series of soot generating means along said starting member such that a given one of said generating means traverses said starting member along a first path from a first end thereof to a second end thereof to form a layer of soot thereon, the remaining generating means of said series similarly traversing said starting member, each of said soot generating means following a second path as it traverses from said second end of said starting member to said first end thereof.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the steps of providing a second starting member adjacent a portion of said second path such that soot streams emanating from said soot generating means are directed toward said second starting member as said soot generating means pass thereby, whereby a coating of soot particles is built up on said second starting member.
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-08-03 | 1991-02-02 | 1991-08-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-08-03 | 1995-02-02 | 1995-08-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-08-03 | 1999-02-02 | 1999-08-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |