Method and apparatus for cutting light waveguides

Claim 1

In a method for cutting a light waveguide by notching a stressed waveguide to start the cutting operation, said method comprising the steps of providing a pair of clamping devices, an anvil between the clamping devices, a notching device having a notching tool, and a tension device acting on one of the anvil and clamping devices to place the clamped waveguide in tension to form a stressed waveguide, clamping the waveguides in the clamping devices, actuating the tension device to place the clamped waveguides in contact with the anvil and in axial tension to form a stressed waveguide and actuating the notching device to notch the stressed waveguide to initiate the cutting operation, the improvements comprising in one step placing the clamping device in an open position, the tension device in a non-stressing position and the notching device in the retracted position, then positioning a waveguide between the jaws of the clamping device to extend across the anvil and then sequentially actuating the clamping devices to grip the waveguide, then actuating the tensioning device to axially stress the waveguide, finally actuating the notching device to notch the stressed waveguide to initiate the cutting operation, and then subsequent to the completion of the cutting operation separately releasing the waveguide from one of the clamping devices without releasing the other clamping device, the tensioning device and the notching device so that the waveguide in the one clamping device is removed without damaging the cut end face.

Claim 3

An apparatus for cutting light waveguides by notching the waveguide held in axial tension on an anvil, said apparatus comprising a housing, a pair of clamping means for gripping a waveguide being mounted in the housing in spaced relationship to each other and having means biasing the clamping means from an open position to a clamping position; an anvil being mounted in a housing between the pair of clamping means with the surface for engaging a waveguide gripped in the clamping means; tension means for acting on one of the clamping means to axially stress a waveguide and having means to urge the tensioning means toward a tensioning position from a non-stressing position; notching means having a tool coacting with the anvil to notch a stressed waveguide to initiate a cutting therof, said notching means including means urging the tool from a retracted position toward the anvil to notch the waveguide disposed therebetween; and an actuation element mounted in the housing for movement between a first and a second position, said element engaging each of the clamping means, tension means and the notching means when the element moves from the first position toward the second position to move the tool to the retracted position, the tension means to the non-stressing position and each of the clamping means to the open position to enable loading a waveguide in the apparatus and upon moving from the second position toward the first position sequentially allowing the clamping means to move to the clamping position to grip the waveguide in the clamping means, then allows the tensioning means to shift to a tension position to axially stress the waveguide and subsequently allows the tool to move toward the anvil to notch and initiate the cutting of the stressed waveguide.

Claim 4

An apparatus for cutting light waveguides by notching the waveguide held in axial tension on an anvil, said apparatus comprising a housing, a pair of clamping means for gripping a waveguide being mounted in the housing in spaced relationship to each other and having means biasing the clamping means from an open position to a clamping position; an anvil being mounted in a housing between the pair of clamping means with the surface for engaging a waveguide gripped in the clamping means; tension means for acting on one of the clamping means to axially stress a waveguide and having means to urge the tensioning means toward a tensioning position from a non-stressing position; notching means having a tool coacting with the anvil to notch a stressed waveguide to initiate a cutting therof, said notching means including means urging the tool from a retracted position toward the anvil to notch the waveguide disposed therebetween; and an actuation element mounted in the housing for movement between a first and a second position, said element engaging each of the clamping means, tension means and the notching means when the element moves from the first position toward the second position to move the tool to the retracted position, the tension means to the non-stressing position and each of the clamping means to the open position to enable loading a waveguide in the apparatus and upon moving from the second position toward the first position sequentially allowing the clamping means to move to the clamping position to grip the waveguide in the clamping means, then allows the tensioning means to shift to a tension position to axially stress the waveguide and subsequently allows the tool to move toward the anvil to notch and initiate the cutting of the stressed waveguide.