Patent ID: 7722020

Claim:
An arrangement for clamping a thin rod ( 3 ) of glass or quartz having a diameter below 1 mm in two mutually-spaced clamping locations for holding said rod extended between the two clamping locations, said arrangement comprising first clamping means arranged to clamp said rod ( 3 ) in a first clamping location, said first clamping means having a first clamping member ( 22 ) with a clamp face ( 23 ) shaped as a substantially V-shaped groove for receiving the rod in the groove ( 24 ), and a second clamping member ( 21 ) having a substantially flat opposing clamp face for retaining the rod in the groove, wherein the arrangement further comprises a first driving means ( 26 ) for moving said first clamping member for creating a rectilinear relative movement of said clamping members ( 21 , 22 ) towards and away from each other for clamping and releasing said rod, respectively, and an additional member ( 14 ) besides said first ( 22 ) and second ( 21 ) clamping members, said additional member having at least one inclined surface and a second drive means for moving said additional member laterally towards said rod being clamped in the first clamping location through said first clamping means, wherein the at least one inclined surface ( 17 , 18 ) is brought into abutment against the rod for influencing the rod by sliding thereof upon said at least one inclined surface so that the rod reaches a position desired for said first clamping location before clamping the rod by said first clamping means in said first clamping location, and wherein said additional member ( 14 ) comprises two members ( 15 ) extending from a frame ( 16 ) and being arranged on opposite sides of said first ( 21 ) and second ( 22 ) clamping members, and each of the two members has two oppositely-inclined surfaces ( 17 , 18 ).