William H George

45347425, Aug 13, 1985

Jan 4, 1984

6/568023

Mark W. Grossman - Framingham MA
William A. George - Rockport MA
Robert Y. Pai - Hamilton MA

GTE Products Corporation - Stamford CT

H01J 9395

445 9

A technique for opening an evacuated and sealed glass capsule containing a material that is to be dispensed which has a relatively high vapor pressure such as mercury. The capsule is typically disposed in a discharge tube envelope. The technique involves the use of a first light source imaged along the capsule and a second light source imaged across the capsule substantially transversely to the imaging of the first light source. Means are provided for constraining a segment of the capsule along its length with the constraining means being positioned to correspond with the imaging of the second light source. These light sources are preferably incandescent projection lamps. The constraining means is preferably a multiple looped wire support.

45966818, Jun 24, 1986

Jan 4, 1984

6/568022

Mark W. Grossman - Framingham MA
William A. George - Rockport MA
Jakob Maya - Brookline MA

GTE Products Corporation - Stamford CT

B29C 5908
B29C 3106

264 25

A method of forming a sealed capsule containing a submilligram quantity of mercury or the like, the capsule being constructed from a hollow glass tube, by placing a globule or droplet of the mercury in the tube. The tube is then evacuated and sealed and is subsequently heated so as to vaporize the mercury and fill the tube therewith. The tube is then separated into separate sealed capsules by heating spaced locations along the tube with a coiled heating wire means to cause collapse spaced locations therealong and thus enable separation of the tube into said capsules.