The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 27, 1979
Filed:
Jun. 30, 1977
Thomas E Caffarella, Tucson, AZ (US);
George J Radda, Tucson, AZ (US);
David J Watts, Tucson, AZ (US);
American Atomics Corporation, Tucson, AZ (US);
Abstract
A focused laser beam is directed at the wide side surface of a long, sealed, gas-filled, glass tube having a longitudinal axis and an elongated cross section. Repeated relative back and forth movement is introduced between the laser beam and the wide surface of the tube transverse to its longitudinal axis to heat and soften the tube along a cut line until the tube divides to form ends and collapses to seal the divided ends. Preferably, the tube is held in fixed position, while the laser beam is scanned across both of its wide side surfaces. The intensity and/or the velocity of the laser beam are modulated. After the tube divides along the cut line, the divided ends are annealed while still in the tube holder by defocusing the laser beam. In one embodiment, plural simultaneous cuts are made by directing a plurality of focused laser beams onto the tube at spaced intervals along its longitudinal axis.