Patents Represented by Attorney Linda B. B. Blackburn
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Patent number: 6060811Abstract: The present invention relates to the mounting of pre-stressed electroactive material in such a manner that large displacement actuators or sensors result. The invention comprises mounting the pre-stressed electroactive material to a support layer. This combination of a pre-stressed electroactive material and support layer may in turn be attached to a mounting surface. The pre-stressed electroactive material may be a ferroelectric, pyroelectric, piezoelectric, or magnetostrictive material. The size, stiffness, mass, and material of the support layer is selected to result in the electroactive device having dynamic response properties, environmental capability characteristics, and the required resilience optimized for a given application. The capacity to connect the support layer to a surface expands the arenas in which the pre-stressed electroactive device may be used.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 1997Date of Patent: May 9, 2000Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: Robert L. Fox, Richard F. Hellbaum, Robert G. Bryant, Benjamin M. Copeland, Jr.
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Patent number: 6018861Abstract: A device for measuring turbulence in high-speed flows is provided which includes a micro-sensor thin-film probe. The probe is formed from a single crystal of aluminum oxide having a 14.degree. half-wedge shaped portion. The tip of the half-wedge is rounded and has a thin-film sensor attached along the stagnation line. The bottom surface of the half-wedge is tilted upward to relieve shock induced disturbances created by the curved tip of the half-wedge. The sensor is applied using a microphotolithography technique.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 1996Date of Patent: February 1, 2000Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: Mark Sheplak, Catherine B. McGinley, Eric F. Spina, Ralph M. Stephens, Purnell Hopson, Jr., Vincent B. Cruz
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Patent number: 6000844Abstract: A method and a portable apparatus for the nondestructive identification of defects in structures. The apparatus comprises a heat source (20) and a thermal imager (30) that move at a constant speed past a test surface (10) of a structure. The thermal imager (30) is off set at a predetermined distance from the heat source (10). The heat source (10) induces a constant surface temperature. The imager (20) follows the heat source (10) and produces a video image of the thermal characteristics of the test surface. Material defects produce deviations from the constant surface temperature that move at the inverse of the constant speed. Thermal noise produces deviations that move at random speed. Computer averaging of the digitized thermal image data with respect to the constant speed minimizes noise and improves the signal of valid defects. The motion of thermographic equipment coupled with the high signal to noise ratio render it suitable for portable, on site analysis.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 1997Date of Patent: December 14, 1999Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: K. Elliott Cramer, William P. Winfree
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Patent number: 5949364Abstract: A method and system are provided to produce images of an object. A receiving station is positioned in view of a range-coded signal emitting satellite and the object. The receiving station is sensitive to direct transmission of the range-coded signal and reflections of the range-coded signal from the object. Both range from the receiving station to the object and a Doppler frequency shift history between the receiving station and the object is determined using the direct transmission and reflections of the range-coded signal. An image is formed using the two-dimensional record provided by the range and the Doppler frequency shift history.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 1998Date of Patent: September 7, 1999Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administration of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: Stephen J. Katzberg, James L. Garrison, Jr.
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Patent number: 5465762Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming woven fabrics through the use of an adjustable reed. The adjustable reed has multiple groups of reed wires that guide the warp yarns. The groups of reed wires move on reed rails parallel to the warp direction. In addition, rail expanders permit the space between the reed wires to be modified and telescoping rods attached to the rail sliders can be turned to permit the reed wires to be skewed to alter the fill yarn angle. These adjustments to the reed permit simultaneous variation of fill yarn angles and fabric widths and allow these variations to be made during fabrication, without the need to halt production.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 1994Date of Patent: November 14, 1995Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventor: Gary L. Farley
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Patent number: 5457984Abstract: A vertical dropped-weight impact test machine has a dropped-weight barrel vertically supported on upper and lower support brackets. The dropped-weight barrel is chambered to receive a dropped-weight assembly having a latch pin at its upper end, a damping unit in the middle, and a tup at its lower end. The tup is adapted for gathering data during impact testing. The latch pin releasably engages a latch pin coupling assembly. The latch pin coupling assembly is attached to a winch via a halyard for raising and lowering the dropped-weight assembly. The lower end of the dropped-weight barrel is provided with a bounce-back arresting mechanism which is activated by the descending passage of the dropped-weight assembly. After striking the specimen, the dropped-weight assembly rebounds vertically and is caught by the bounce-back arresting mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 1994Date of Patent: October 17, 1995Assignee: The United States of Americas as represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: Damodar R. Ambur, Chunchu B. Prasad, William A. Waters, Jr., Robert W. Stockum, Manfred A. Water
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Patent number: 5451769Abstract: A high speed, metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector includes a pair of generally circular, electrically conductive electrodes formed on an optically active semiconductor layer. Various embodiments of the invention include a spiral, intercoiled electrode geometry and an electrode geometry having substantially circular, concentric electrodes which are interposed. These electrode geometries result in photodetectors with lower capacitances, dark currents and lower inductance which reduces the ringing seen in the optical pulse response.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 1994Date of Patent: September 19, 1995Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: James A. McAdoo, Elias Towe, William L. Bishop, Liang-Guo Wang
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Patent number: 5394906Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating straight or curved planar or three-dimensional (C channel, for example) fabric for fabrication into composite structures. In the first embodiment, the fill yarns are inserted between layers of warp yarns, and a canted or curved reed, depending on the desired orientation of the fill yarns, is used to compact or "beat-up" the fill yarns. In the second embodiment, the warp yarns of the fabric are curved using a conical or a combination of conical and cylindrical rollers to effect differential fabric take-up of the warp yarns for obtaining a constant radius of curvature of the warp yarns. In a third embodiment, a clamping bar fabric take-up device is used to effect the differential fabric take-up of the warp yarns for obtaining straight warp yarns, curved warp yarns with a constant radius of curvature, curved warp yarns with a non-constant radius of curvature, or some combination of straight and curved warp yarns.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 1993Date of Patent: March 7, 1995Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventor: Gary L. Farley
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Patent number: 5392683Abstract: A machine for three-dimensional braiding of fibers is provided in which carrier members travel on a curved, segmented and movable braiding surface. The carrier members are capable of independent, self-propelled motion along the braiding surface. Carrier member position on the braiding surface is controlled and monitored by computer. Also disclosed is a yarn take-up device capable of maintaining tension in the braiding fiber.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1992Date of Patent: February 28, 1995Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventor: Gary L. Farley
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Patent number: 5390544Abstract: A method and related apparatus for non-destructive evaluation of composite materials by determination of the quantity known as Integrated Polar Backscatter, which avoids errors caused by surface texture left by cloth impressions by identifying frequency ranges associated with peaks in a power spectrum for the backscattered signal, and removing such frequency ranges from the calculation of Integrated Polar Backscatter for all scan sites on the composite material.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 1993Date of Patent: February 21, 1995Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventor: Eric I. Madras
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Patent number: 5377100Abstract: A method of encouraging attention in persons such as those suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder is provided by correlating the level of difficulty of a video game with the level of attention in a subject. A video game comprises a video display which depicts objects for interaction with a player and a difficulty adjuster which increases the difficulty level, e.g., action speed and/or evasiveness of the depicted object, in a predetermined manner. The electrical activity of the brain is measured at selected sites to determine levels of awareness, e.g., activity in the beta, theta, and alpha states. A value is generated based on this measured electrical signal which is indicative of the level of awareness. The difficulty level of the game is increased as the awareness level value decreases and is decreased as this awareness level value increases.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 1993Date of Patent: December 27, 1994Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: Alan T. Pope, Edward H. Bogart
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Patent number: 5375221Abstract: A storage control system includes an apparatus and method for user control of a storage interface to operate a storage medium to store data obtained by a real-time data acquisition system. Digital data received in serial format from the data acquisition system is first converted to a parallel format and then provided to the storage interface. The operation of the storage interface is controlled in accordance with instructions based on user control input from a user. Also, a user status output is displayed in accordance with storage data obtained from the storage interface. By allowing the user to control and monitor the operation of the storage interface, a stand-alone, user-controllable data storage system is provided for storing the digital data obtained by a real-time data acquisition system.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 1991Date of Patent: December 20, 1994Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: Kenneth D. Wright, David L. Gray