Claims
- 1. A method of making an optical fiber from a preform, comprising:heating at least a portion of the preform to a draw temperature; drawing optical fiber from the preform so that the optical fiber passes between and contacts a first and second roller, each roller rotating about an axis of rotation passing longitudinally through the center of each roller; and pivoting said rollers with respect to each other during the drawing step such that the axes of rotation cross to become non-parallel and to impart a spin to the fiber without displacing the fiber from a vertical path at a point of contact with the first and second rollers.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of modulating the angular alignment of the first and second rollers with time.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the spin imparted on the fiber is directly proportional to the modulation of the first and second rollers.
- 4. The method of claim 2 wherein a desired modulation of the angular alignment of the first and second rollers is programmed into a control mechanism.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein a desired angular alignment of the first and second rollers is programmed into a control mechanism.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical fiber is drawn at a constant draw speed.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the relation between the angular orientation of said rollers and the spin impressed on said fiber is substantially described by the relation Ω=(sin ψ)/a, where ψ is the angle measured between the fiber and a line parallel to the axis of the roller alone the surface of the roller and passing through the point of contact between the surface of the roller and the fiber.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the change of each axis of rotation of each roller is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction.
- 9. A method of making optical fiber, comprising:heating a preform; drawing optical fiber from the preform so that the optical fiber passes between and contacts a first and second roller, each roller rotating about an axis of rotation passing longitudinally through the center of each roller; and pivoting the rollers with respect to each other during the drawing step such that the axes of rotation cross to become non-parallel imparting spin to the fiber wherein a position of the fiber along a longitudinal length of the first and second rollers remains unchanged as spin is imparted.
- 10. A method of making optical fiber, comprising:heating a preform; drawing optical fiber from the preform; passing the optical fiber between a first and a second roller, each roller rotating about a longitudinal axis of rotation thereof; and pivoting said rollers with respect to each other such that the axes of rotation become non-parallel and impart fiber spin but without deflecting a lateral position of the fiber at a point of contact with the first and second rollers.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of Provisional application Serial No. 60/012,290, filed Feb. 26, 1996.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US97/02541 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO97/30945 |
8/28/1997 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (10)
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/012290 |
Feb 1996 |
US |