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. 25, 2003
Filed:
Feb. 02, 2000
Peter M. Mueller, Suwanee, GA (US);
Ivan Pawlenko, Holland, PA (US);
Fitel USA Corp., Norcross, GA (US);
Abstract
A mold for shaping the end region and the opening at a selected end of a first, hollow, generally cylindrical, glass tube to enable a second tube, of smaller diameter than the first tube, to be inserted snuggly a first distance within the selected end of the first tube resulting in the two tubes nesting and being self-centered. The mold includes two complementary elongated side pieces having inner side surfaces for, when joined, encircling the periphery of the first tube along a given portion of its selected end region, and an end cap with a cylindrical stub for insertion within the opening of the first tube at its selected end. The two elongated side pieces and the end cap stub are shaped and interact to cause a gradual tapering and narrowing of the inner diameter of the first tube from a first point to a second point along the first tube, where the second point is at the first distance from the selected end of the first tube, and to also cause an enlargement of the inner diameter of the first tube from the second point until the end edge of the first tube. The inner diameter of the first tube at the second point is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the second tube, while the inner diameter of the first tube, between the second point and the end of the tube, is just slightly greater than the outer diameter of the second tube.