FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Act, 2005
AND
The Patents Rules, 2003
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2006
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
An improved annealing mechanism for lamp making machines.
APPLICANT(S)
Crompton Greaves Limited, CG House, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai 400 030, Maharashtra, India, an Indian Company
INVENTOR(S)
Shah Sachinkumar Ashokchandra, Padhiyar Murjibhai Jadavbhai and Shukla Anilkumar Mataprasad; all of Crompton Greaves Limited, Baroda Lamp Works (BLW), Village Kural, Padra Jambusar Road, Padra Taluka, Vadodara - 391430, Gujrat, India; all 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 electrical and electronic assemblies and engineering.
Particularly, this invention relates to the field of equipment, assemblies, and machines for fluorescent tube lamp.
Specifically, this invention relates to an improved annealing mechanism for lamp making machines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also called compact fluorescent light, energy-saving light, and compact fluorescent tube, is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent lamp; some types fit into light fixtures formerly used for incandescent lamps.
The lamps use a tube which is curved or folded to fit into the space of an incandescent bulb, and further use compact electronic ballast in the base of the lamp. The tubes are coated tubes.
For the production of these CFL, the following steps are practiced:
1. In one of the steps, cutting of tube is done.
2. In another step, a bending machine bends the cut tube.
3. In yet another step, an annealing machine anneals the cut tubes to form the lamp.

Also, According to the prior art, annealing conveyor that was provided by the original line manufacturer was used.
However, in practice, it has been observed that there were breakages of tubes at unloading in old system.
While the tubes move forward in the machine the hanging faulty tubes may interfere with the machine mechanism and cause breakage,and damage to the machine.
These machines are in operation continuously. Any stoppage time on this machine results in loss of production.
Machine heads are held in position by the spring tension during the operation and if the spring tension fails, the head slips from its position and gets stuck with other machine parts. This results in damaged machine head and loss of production due to major down time for correction of the damaged head,
Hence, there is a need for a system to avoid such breakage and damage and to reduce or avoid downtime.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
An object of the invention is to provide a mechanism to avoid breakage of lamp capsules at unloading.
Another object of the invention was to provide an improved annealing machine.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide uniform bending gap in lamp capsules, during it manufacturing.
Still another object of the invention is to avoid forced cooling during annealing on lamp capsules.
Yet another object of the invention is to reduce machine down time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
According to this invention, there is provided an improved annealing mechanism for lamp making machines, said annealing mechanism comprises:
a. electrical heater based annealing conveyor adapted to receive lamp capsules;
b. transfer conveyor adapted to receive and transfer unloaded lamp capsules;
and
c. Annealing conveyor adapted to convey transferred lamp capsules through an
annealing zone.
According to this invention, there is also provided a lamp making machine with an improved annealing mechanism for lamp making machines, said annealing mechanism comprises: i. electrical heater based annealing conveyor adapted to receive lamp capsules; ii. transfer conveyor adapted to receive and transfer unloaded lamp capsules;
and iii. Annealing conveyor adapted to convey transferred lamp capsules through an
annealing zone.

Typically, said electrical heater based annealing conveyor comprises means to provide air based annealing of lamp capsules.
Typically, said transfer conveyor comprises an endless belt loop for conveying lamp capsules.
Typically, said annealing conveyor comprises an endless belt loop for conveying lamp capsules.
Typically, said mechanism comprising forced air cooling means in two positions, a first position at unloading position and a second position prior to unloading to bring temperature in the range of annealing temperature range as per properties of glass tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
Figure 1 illustrates an annealing conveyor of the prior art; and
Figure 2 illustrates a transfer mechanism to the annealing conveyor of Figure 1.
The invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 3 illustrates an improved annealing conveyor; and
Figure 4 illustrates a transfer mechanism to the improved annealing conveyor of Figure 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
Figure 1 illustrates an annealing conveyor of the prior art.
Figure 2 illustrates a transfer mechanism to the annealing conveyor of Figure 1.
Reference numeral 10 refers to the lamp capsules to be annealed. Reference numeral 12 refers to the annealing zone of the annealing conveyor where lamp capsules (10) are annealed. Annealing occurs, typically, in the zone of 400 degree Celsius to 500 degree Celsius. Forced cooling takes place which results in damage to glass and wastage. The arrow, A, depicts transfer to annealing conveyor.
According to this invention, there is provided an improved annealing mechanism for lamp making machines.
Figure 3 illustrates an improved annealing conveyor.
Figure 4 illustrates a transfer mechanism to the improved annealing conveyor of Figure 3.
In accordance with an embodiment of this invention, there is provided an electrical heater based annealing conveyor. The annealing conveyor of the prior art is eliminated and annealing is performed by providing air. Reference numeral 20 refers to the transfer conveyor. Reference numeral 22 refers to the annealing conveyor. Reference numeral, B, refers to direct unloading of tube to a annealing conveyor. This results in zero wastage of tube at unloading.

In this current mechanism, forced air cooling is used in two positions, one at unloading and prior to unloading to bring temperature in the range of annealing temperature range as per soda lime glass properties i.e. from 450 to 550 °C at the point of unloading.
The technical advancement of this invention lies in provisioning an improved annealing mechanism for lamp making machines such that breakage of lamp capsules during unloading is eliminated by providing transfer conveyors and annealing conveyors to an electrical heater based annealing zone.
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 annealing mechanism for lamp making machines, said
annealing mechanism comprising:
a. electrical heater based annealing conveyor adapted to receive lamp
capsules;
b. transfer conveyor adapted to receive and transfer unloaded lamp
capsules; and
c. annealing conveyor adapted to convey transferred lamp capsules
through an annealing zone.
2. The improved annealing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrical heater based annealing conveyor comprising means to provide air based annealing of lamp capsules.
3. The improved annealing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transfer conveyor comprising an endless belt loop for conveying lamp capsules.
4. The improved annealing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said annealing conveyor comprising an endless belt loop for conveying lamp capsules.
5. The improved annealing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanism comprising forced air cooling means in two positions, a first position at unloading position and a second position prior to unloading to

bring temperature in the range of annealing temperature range as per properties of glass tube.
6. A lamp making machine with an improved annealing mechanism for lamp making machines, said annealing mechanism comprising: i. electrical heater based annealing conveyor adapted to receive lamp
capsules; ii. transfer conveyor adapted to receive and transfer unloaded lamp
capsules; and iii. annealing conveyor adapted to convey transferred lamp capsules through an annealing zone.
7. The lamp making machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said electrical heater based annealing conveyor comprising means to provide air based annealing of lamp capsules.
8. The lamp making machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said transfer conveyor comprising an endless belt loop for conveying lamp capsules.
9. The lamp making machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said annealing conveyor comprising an endless belt loop for conveying lamp capsules.
10.The lamp making machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said mechanism comprising forced air cooling means in two positions, a first position at unloading position and a second position prior to unloading to bring

temperature in the range of annealing temperature range as per properties of glass tube.