Method and device for continuous production of glass-sheathed metal wires
AssigneeCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorsSylvie Deprot, Olivier Acher, Frederic Bertin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The device and process allow for continuous processing of metal wire sheathed in glass (10) of considerable length. Normally a feed pipe (15) containing all the necessary metal, itself placed into a glass tube (20), so as to continuously supply a bead (14) to the lower part of the glass tube (20). Heat from a first inductor (23) around the glass tube (20) and a second inductor (24) under the glass tube (20) allow to maintain a bead (14) at a stable temperature and in a continuous manner and to obtain the continuous drawing process of a metal wire sheathed in glass (10).
Claims8
A method for continuous processing of a metal wire sheathed in glass (10), comprising the steps of:
- inserting metal (12) into a glass tube (20);
- heating the metal until the metal melts inside the glass tube (20), at a lower part of the glass tube (20), so as to create a proceeding bead (14) at the lower part (21) of the glass tube (20) so as to soften the lower part of the glass tube (20);
- and
- drawing in a continuous manner an assembly comprising molten metal surrounded in glass, which came from the lower part (21) of the glass tube (20), whilst slowly lowering the glass tube (20) partially melted at the level of the lower part (21), as the glass tube (20) is consumed through the drawing of the obtained glass sheathed wire, characterised in that a heat resistant feed pipe (15) including an external diameter less than the internal diameter of the glass tube (20) is placed inside the glass tube (20) and filled with all of the metal needed to process a quantity of metal wire sheathed in glass (10), wherein the feed pipe (15) is inert as regards to the metal and includes a nozzle (13) at a lower part of the feed pine (15), wherein the nozzle (13) is positioned at a set distance from the lower part (21) of the glass tube (20) and in contact with the proceeding bead (14), thus allowing the formation of the proceeding bead (14) and permitting the dimensions of the proceeding bead (14) to remain substantially constant during the drawing of the wire, and using means of applying negative pressure within the feed pipe (15) to retain the metal (12) in the feed pipe (15), and then to release and regulate the negative pressure within the feed pipe (15) so as to provoke the start of the flowing of molten metal via the nozzle (13) and to control the continuous flow of the metal (12) throughout the drawing of the assembly.
A device for continuous processing of a metal wire sheathed in glass (10), the device comprising:
- a glass tube (20) closed at a lower part (21);
- means of heating (23) to melt a metal mass (12) placed inside the glass tube (20) and to maintain a proceeding bead (14) in a liquid state softening the lower part (21) of the glass tube (20);
- a feed pipe (15) containing the metal mass (12) and including an external diameter that is less than an internal diameter of the glass tube (20), wherein the feed pipe (15) is configured such that the feed pipe (15) does not soften at the melting temperature of the metal mass (12), the feed pipe (15) including a nozzle (13) at a lower part of the feed pipe (15), wherein the feed pipe (15) is placed inside the glass tube (20) such that the nozzle (13) is positioned adjacent the lower part (21) of the glass tube (20);
- means of moving the glass tube (20) to make the glass tube (20) progressively descend as the glass tube (20) is consumed through a drawing of the wire;
- and
- means of applying negative pressure to the feed pipe (15) to create and manage a negative pressure within the feed pipe (15), so as to regulate and control the flow of a molten part of the metal mass (12).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.