FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Act, 2005
&
The Patents Rules, 2003
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2006
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
A flare jaw mechanism for stem machine for making lamps, and a stem
machine thereof.
APPLICANTS
Crompton Greaves Limited, CG House, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai 400 030, Maharashtra, India, an Indian Company
INVENTORS
Mukhekar Jaykrishna Parshuram and Kumaraswamy Konamki Kanakadriah of Crompton Greaves Ltd., Baroda Lamp Works (BLW), Village Kurai, Padra Jambusar Road, Padra Taluka, Vadodara- 391430, Gujrat, India; both Indian Nationals.
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the nature of this invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
This invention relates to the field of mechanical assemblies and mechanical engineering.
Particularly, this invention relates to the field of equipment, assemblies, and machines for lamp making.
More particularly, this invention relates to stem machines for making HID lamps.
Specifically, this invention relates to a flare jaw mechanism for stem machine for making lamps, and a stem machine thereof
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Stem machine is a machine for making stems of a bulb or an incandescent lamp, also known as a flare.
A bulb includes a glass enclosure having a neck or a stem member. It includes a stem tube, lead-in wires inside the stem tube, a rod inside the stem tube, and an exhaust tube in the stem.
The machine includes a rotary table with a plurality of carriers for holding the stem tube and the lead-in wires along with exhaust tube. I.e., the carriers are adapted to hold the flares.
A pair of jaws operates to align the exhaust tube, the flare, and the lead-in wires in a centred, co-axially matching manner at the centre of a weld pocket. The pair of jaws operates transverse to the axis of the flare. The jaws oppose each other

facially and are operated by rotatable shafts at one pivoting end so as to make the jaws come towards the flare in order to grip the flare from either side.
These flare jaws do not have any adjustment settings to accommodate the variations in flare contour or flare design. Hence, these jaws do not always provide accurate centering to the gripping part, resulting in bad quality of lamps.
PRIOR ART:
GB1138455 discloses a jaw with two parts and a V-groove to grip an exhaust tube (during the manufacture of lamps). Centering is also provided by shafts. However, there is no adjustable mechanism for accommodating variations in contours of the flare.
GB1061127 discloses another kind of jaws for gripping and centering. However, no adjustable means of mechanism for centering has been disclosed here.
GB513608 discloses the mechanism and use of V-shaped grooves. However, there is no feature for centered gripping and adjustable centering.
GB217519 discloses the use of mechanical fingers which grip the step tube under action of a spring. But, any mechanism for effective centering and / or adjustable centering is not disclosed herein.
There is a need for an improved flare jaw for a stem machine, and an improved stem machine, thereof.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
An object of the invention is to manufacture and provide relatively better quality of flares (bulbs).
Another object of the invention is to reduce wastage of bulbs (flares) during manufacturing of bulbs using a stem machine.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a better grip for holding on to a flare in a stem machine.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable grip for holding on to a flare in a stem machine.
An additional object of the invention is to prevent slipping of flare jaw action of a stem machine.
Yet an additional object of the invention is to provide accurate centering of flare on a stem machine
Still an additional object of the invention is to provide relatively less repetitive maintenance of stem head centering.
Another additional object of the invention is to provide reduction in stem wastage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
According to this invention, there is provided an improved flare jaw mechanism for a stem machine, for gripping a flare, said mechanism comprises:

a) a first jaw being a fixed straight jaw having a straight inner surface to mate with said flare, and having a fixation point; and
b) a second jaw being a V-jaw having a recess such that inclined surfaces which form the arms of said V-jaw mate with said flare said second jaw characterised by a pair of flare centering screws orthogonally passing through each of said arms of said V-jaw such that said screws are adapted to move radially in and out of said jaw so as to obtain accurate centering whilst gripping said flare from a direction which is angularly displaced with respect to said first jaw gripping.
According to this invention, there is also provided an improved stem machine with an improved flare jaw mechanism, for gripping a flare, said machine comprising: i. an improved flare jaw mechanism comprises:
a) a first jaw being a fixed straight jaw having a straight inner surface to mate with said flare, and having a fixation point;
b) a second jaw being a V-jaw having a recess such that inclined surfaces which form the arms of said V-jaw mate with said flare said second jaw characterised by a pair of flare centering screws orthogonally passing through each of said arms of said V-jaw such that said screws are adapted to move radially in and out of said jaw so as to obtain accurate centering whilst gripping said flare from a direction which is angularly displaced with respect to said first jaw gripping; and
ii. square cross-sectioned rotatable shaft adapted to pass through a pivoting point of said second jaw for angularly displacing said second jaw in order to grip said flare at distal points of said screws.
Typically, said screws are flare-centering screws.

Typically, said screws are threaded screws.
Typically, said second jaw includes a square section pivoting point for allowing a square rotatable pass through for angular displacement of said second jaw about said pivoting point.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
Figure 1 illustrates a schematic view of the flare jaw mechanism of the prior art.
The invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of the flare jaw mechanism; and
Figure 3 illustrates a portion of the stem machine with a flare jaw mechanism.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
Figure 1 illustrates a top view of the jaws (12, 14) in an opposing position gripped onto a flare (10).
A first jaw (12) is a straight jaw having a straight inner surface to mate with the flare (10). Its fixing point is seen by the reference numeral 16. This jaw is preferably a fixed jaw.
A second jaw (14) is a V-jaw having a recess such that inclined surfaces of the V-arms mate with the flare (10). Its pivoting point is seen by the reference numeral 18. A rotatable shaft, circular in cross-section, passes through the pivot point in

order to operate the angular displacement of the second jaw to release said flare and to grip said flare from one side.
Thus, a flare (10) is gripped at three points. However, any aberrations in flare contours results in a non-accurate grip and an ineffective centering, thereby leading to bad quality of lamps.
According to this invention, there is provided an improved flare jaw for a stem machine, and an improved stem machine, thereof
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of the flare jaw mechanism.
Figure 3 illustrates a portion of the stem machine with a flare jaw mechanism.
In accordance with an embodiment of this invention, there is provided a first jaw (12) which is a straight jaw having a straight inner surface to mate with the flare (10). Its fixing point is seen by the reference numeral 16. This jaw is preferably a fixed jaw.
In accordance with another embodiment of this invention, there is provided a second jaw (22) which is a V-jaw having a recess such that inclined surfaces which form the arms of the V-jaw mate with the flare (10). The second jaw is characterised by a pair of flare centering screws (24) orthogonally passing through each of the arms of the arms of the V-jaw. The screws are adapted to move radially in and out of the jaw so as to obtain accurate centering. The flare, therefore, is in communication with a surface of the fixed jaw at one side, and with the distal tips of the screws on two other angularly displaced sides.

These screws are flare-centering screws.
The second jaw is angularly displaceable about a pivoting point. This pivoting point is seen by the reference numeral 26. In accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, the rotatable shaft, square in cross-section, passes through the pivot point in order to operate the angular displacement of the second jaw to release said flare and to grip said flare from one side. The square cross-section ensures that there is a stepwise displacement and slipping is avoided.
The technical advance lies in the modification of the flare jaw design coupled with the provisioning of the adjustable mechanism for centering and bettering gripping after centering of the flare in a bulb, along with change in rotatable shaft cross section.
While this detailed description has disclosed certain specific embodiments of the present invention for illustrative purposes, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, and it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.

We claim,
1. An improved flare jaw mechanism for a stem machine, for gripping a flare, said
mechanism comprising:
a) a first jaw being a fixed straight jaw having a straight inner surface to mate with said flare, and having a fixation point; and
b) a second jaw being a V-jaw having a recess such that inclined surfaces which form the arms of said V-jaw mate with said flare said second jaw characterised by a pair of flare centering screws orthogonally passing through each of said arms of said V-jaw such that said screws are adapted to move radially in and out of said jaw so as to obtain accurate centering whilst gripping said flare from a direction which is angularly displaced with respect to said first jaw gripping.
2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said screws are flare-centering
screws.
3. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said screws are threaded screws.
4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said second jaw includes a square section pivoting point for allowing a square rotatable pass through for angular displacement of said second jaw about said pivoting point.
5. An improved stem machine with an improved flare jaw mechanism, for gripping a flare, said machine comprising:
i. an improved flare jaw mechanism comprising:

a) a first jaw being a fixed straight jaw having a straight inner surface to mate with said flare, and having a fixation point;
b) a second jaw being a V-jaw having a recess such that inclined surfaces which form the arms of said V-jaw mate with said flare said second jaw characterised by a pair of flare centering screws orthogonally passing through each of said arms of said V-jaw such that said screws are adapted to move radially in and out of said jaw so as to obtain accurate centering whilst gripping said flare from a direction which is angularly displaced with respect to said first jaw gripping; and
ii. square cross-sectioned rotatable shaft adapted to pass through a pivoting point of said second jaw for angularly displacing said second jaw in order to grip said flare at distal points of said screws.
6. A mechanism as claimed in claim I wherein, said screws are flare-centering screws.
7. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said screws are threaded screws.
8. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said second jaw includes a square section pivoting point for allowing a square rotatable pass through for angular displacement of said second jaw about said pivoting point.