Method and apparatus for joining optical elements

A kit of parts comprising:

• at least two optical elements each having an end face;
• and an apparatus adapted for joining said optical elements including an elongate housing having first and second longitudinally opposed entry apertures for said optical elements and terminating means having first and second sets of surfaces discontinuous about the longitudinal axis of said housing and adapted to be abutted by the respective end faces of said optical elements and respectively disposed in facing relation to said first and second entry apertures, said first and second sets of surfaces being longitudinally spaced from one another, said terminating means comprising at least one unitary body defining a surface of each of such first and second surface sets.

A method for terminating, along an axis, an elongate optical element having an end face, comprising the steps of:

• defining a plurality of surfaces mutually discontinuously spaced about said axis and mutually spaced in a circular locus having a diameter less than the maximum dimension of said optical element end face transversely of the element longitudinal axis;
• and placing said optical element and optical element end face in abutting relation with said discontinuous surfaces such that said optical element does not pass axially through said discontinuous surfaces.

Apparatus for joining optical elements comprising an elongate housing having first and second longitudinally opposed entry apertures for said optical elements and means for terminating said optical elements in spaced disposition having first and second sets of surfaces discontinuous about the longitudinal axis of said housing and respectively lying in facing relation to said first and second entry apertures, said terminating means including at least one unitary body defining a surface of each of said first and second surface sets, said first and second sets of surfaces being longitudinally spaced from one another within said housing.