Morrison & Foerster LLP
Apparatus for manufacturing spiral fluorescent tube
 A device for manufacturing a spiral fluorescent tube is disclosed. The device includes a rod aerially supported in a first predetermined direction; a first clamp supporting a straight fluorescent tube in a second direction which is at right angles to the first predetermined direction; heating device for heating a part of the straight fluorescent tube, which is not facing the rod, to a glass softening temperature; two second clamps disposed in a direction parallel to the rod for clamping ends of the straight fluorescent tube; and device for winding the straight fluorescent tube around the rod by rotating the two second clamps in opposite directions to each other around an axis of the rod while shifting the two second clamps away from each other in a direction parallel to the first predetermined direction. 
Matsushita Electronics Corporation
H H H H C Y
H01J H01J H01J H01J C03B Y10S
additional additional inventional additional inventional additional
Masaru Toshiyoshi Shunji
Saito Oga Asai