Optical fiber light transfer apparatus, method and apparatus for making same

A combination for making a light transfer apparatus having a screen row assembly, the combination comprising:

• a bottom row clamp on which a plurality of screen units are disposed face down and side by side in a row, said screen units having an adhesive applied to selected surfaces which contact one another when said units are side by side, said screen units having a fiber ribbon along one side and a spacer portion along an opposite side,
• an alignment rib between adjacent screen units,
• a top row clamp disposed on said ribs,
• a pair of end row clamps at opposite ends of said top and bottom row clamps,
• at least one alignment rod extending through a first transverse hole in each rib, and
• means for clamping said row clamps together in an oblong configuration with a preselected length dimension between said end row clamps thereby clamping said row of screen units together in a straight row to a selected length dimension with substantially uniform spacing between the fiber ribbons in each screen unit and adjacent connected screen units.

In a method of making light transfer apparatus, the steps for making a matrix row assembly comprising:

• providing a row clamp assembly including a bottom wall portion, top wall portion with a top slot and oppositely disposed end wall portion defining a space of a preselected length dimension and of a generally oblong configuration,
• placing a first T-block in said top slot, and a first end cap in said space below said first T-block, said end cap having at least one vertical guide hole,
• securing a second T-block in the top slot in a loosely fastened manner to said top wall portion,
• positioning a plurality of matrix units side by side in said space in a row, there being an adhesive on the contacting side surfaces of said matrix units and end caps,
• positioning a third T-block in the top slot and a second end cap under said third T-block, and
• advancing a clamping block adjacent said third T-block in the space to a final clamping position and firmly fastening said second T-block in place to clamp the matrix units and end caps together to form a clamped straight matrix row assembly.

A combination method of making a light transfer apparatus comprising the steps of:

• providing a pair of supporting guide rails extending parallel to one another,
• positioning a plurality of aligned rows of screen units held in a row clamping assembly on a guide that locates the screen units in aligned columns and overlapping an end portion of one row of screen units with an adjacent end portion of the next row,
• interfitting end portion of ribs between each screen unit in each row with the end portion of an adjacent rib of the next row of screen units,
• connecting the abutting ribs end to end in a straight line,
• securing terminator bars at opposite ends of the columns of screen units,
• securing fastening brackets to the back of the aligned ribs,
• securing a top connector member across the top of said column of screen units,
• securing a bottom connector member across the bottom of said columns of screen units,
• connecting a pair of spaced side frame members and top and bottom frame members in an oblong configuration to form a screen frame,
• applying an adhesive to contacting surfaces of a plurality of rows of matrix unit assemblies,
• successively sliding a plurality of matrix unit row assemblies, having at least one vertical guide hole at opposite ends down over a pair of spaced upright guide rods, said guide rods extending up from opposite end portions of a first frame member to form a plurality of columns of matrix units, there being a pair of second frame members secured at the ends of said first frame member and outside and parallel to said guide rods,
• clamping a fourth frame member to the ends of said second frame members to form a matrix frame of an oblong configuration around said columns of matrix units,
• adding an auxiliary frame that extends beyond the ends of the formed assembly of units,
• mounting said matrix frame at the rear of the screen frame, and
• cutting across the face of the matrix ends and through the auxiliary frame to form a substantially planar matrix end surface.

Light transfer apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of bundles of optical fibers extending between a screen and a matrix,
• said optical fibers terminating at one end in a screen surface of a screen unit assembly including a plurality of screen units arranged in an array of rows and columns,
• said optical fibers terminating at the other end in a matrix unit assembly including a plurality of matrix units aligned in an array of rows and columns,
• a screen frame including a top frame member, bottom frame member and a pair of spaced side frame members interconnected together in an oblong configuration,
• a matrix frame mounted to said screen frame,
• each said row of screen units having an alignment rib connected between each screen unit, at least one alignment rod extending through each screen unit of each row, a terminator bar connected to said screen frame and connected at each end of each row of screen units to the ends of said alignment rods,
• each said rib having male and female coupling portions at opposite ends so that the male and female connecting portions of adjacent ribs in each column interfit,
• means connecting the ends of the interfitting aligned ribs together in straight columns, one row of screen units being in an overlapping relationship with the next lower row of screen units with the overlapping portions being connected together.