Patent ID: 7254963

Claim:
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.