Patents Represented by Attorney Milton W. Lee
  • Patent number: 5018163
    Abstract: A laser oscillator system which transmits laser input beam pulses through optical diode and into a plurality of time-multiplexed phase conjugate amplifier which sequentially amplify in chronological order subsequent input beam pulses. The optical diode is positioned on the oscillator laser beam pulse axis and is comprised of a polarizer, a half-wave plate which rotates the pulse polarity by 45.degree. in one direction and a Faraday rotator which rotates the pulse polarity 45.degree. in the opposite direction. A plurality of grouped Pockels cells and polarizers are positioned on the oscillator axis past the Faraday rotator. The polarizers route the input beam pulse toward a phase conjugate amplifier when a half-wave voltage is applied to the Pockels cell. Each phase conjugate amplifier has a phase conjugate mirror, at its output for retroreflecting the once amplified input laser beam pulse back therethrough for a second amplification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Geraldine H. Daunt, Richard A. Utano, Suresh Chandra
  • Patent number: 5001719
    Abstract: The invention provides an array wherein thin laser diodes are mounted with heir broad surfaces in intimate contact with a planar heat input surface of a heat sink; the laser radiation emerges from two opposite ends of the diodes parallel to the heat input surface, to provide more efficient lasing and faster uniform dissipation of heat; and elongated inverted V-shaped cross-section mirrors redirect the radiation into a single combined beam substantially normal to the heat input surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: C. Ward Trussell
  • Patent number: 4998259
    Abstract: A laser oscillator system which transmits laser input beam pulses through a olarizer onto the surface of a rotating mirror which routes the laser beam pulses sequentially into a plurality of stationary phase conjugate amplifiers. The pulse repetition frequency of the oscillator input beam pulses is much higher than any one of the amplifiers can handle without overheating. The amplifiers are positioned in a circle around the laser oscillator axis. The polarizer and rotating mirror are positioned on the oscillator axis. The mirror is synchronized with the input beam pulses so that each subsequent input beam pulse enters the next amplifier in sequence. Each phase conjugate amplifier has associated therewith a quarter-wave plate and a phase conjugate mirror at its output. The phase conjugate mirror is preferably comprised of a focusing lens and a stimulated Brillouin scattering cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Suresh Chandra, Geraldine H. Daunt
  • Patent number: 4993324
    Abstract: A retainer for retaining a body loading assembly of a U.S. Army M42 or M46 eneral purpose grenade in firm intimate contact with at least one detonating cord, or an electric or non-electric blasting cap for use in explosive demolition of unexploded ordnance designated for disposal. The inner diameter of the retainer is nominally the same as the outer diameter of the body loading assembly with retention achieved by friction after insertion of a grenade body into the retainer. Holes in the wall of the retainer allow insertion and retention of one or two segments of detonating cord, or of an electric or non-electric blasting cap against the primer lead cup of the grenade body loading assembly for reliable initiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: David Stefanye
  • Patent number: 4987608
    Abstract: A flip-up mounting bracket for use of a stripped down ground system type ht vision goggle on an aviators helmet. The frame and excess padding surrounding the ground system goggle is removed and the mounting bracket is substituted for the frame as a threadable mount for the ground system goggle. The bracket is rotatably connectable to standard aviators night vision imaging system (ANVIS) hardware on the helmet. The mounting bracket and goggles are rotatable about the hardware for stowing the ground system goggles up in the vertical flip-up position or down in the direct view of the pilot for use in night observation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Bernard A. Cobb
  • Patent number: 4989216
    Abstract: A double conjugate laser beam amplifier which twice conjugates the laser ut beam and provides an output beam in exactly the same direction and of the same polarization as the input beam while retaining the alignment stability of singly conjugated amplifiers even when the thin film polarizer between two conjugate amplifiers is not stable. A half-wave voltage at a Pockels cell positioned on the beam axis immediately prior to the polarizer controls whether the oscillator beam is transmitted through the polarizer or is reflected off the polarizer toward a first conjugate amplifier for amplification and retroflection back through the first conjugate amplifier and the polarizer into a second conjugate amplifier for further amplification and retroreflection back and is reflected off the polarizer a second time. The double conjugate amplifiers may be cascaded to both increase output and laser beam pulse repetition rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Suresh Chandra, Geraldine H. Daunt
  • Patent number: 4987494
    Abstract: The invention provides a composite CCD storage chip, i.e. a chip with two D's or equivalent charge packet storage devices mounted on opposite sides of the same chip, wherein the charge packets are transferred in parallel through the small dimension of the chip using central boundary layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Charles F. Freeman
  • Patent number: 4983839
    Abstract: The invention provides a new low Curie temperature pyroelectric material related sensing devices based on lead titanate doped with various percentages of calcium, lanthanum, bismuth, cobalt and tungsten processed to provide a fine grain structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 8, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Krishna K. Deb
  • Patent number: 4980554
    Abstract: The Laser Line Identifier (LLI) is a real-time device which can indicate wavelengths of the laser radiations. LLI mainly consists of a beam splitter, narrow bandwidth transmission filters and detectors. The filters and the detectors form a unique pair so that a signal detected at a particular detector can only mean the radiation of a certain wavelength. The detectors are hardwired to a set of indicators such as a set of colored lights or a voice recording so that the wavelength of the radiation is clearly indicated even to a non-technical person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Byong H. Ahn
  • Patent number: 4965447
    Abstract: Incident infrared radiation is focussed through a rotatable disk of germam onto a detector array. The disk has a thickness many times the wavelengths of the incident radiation and is partly covered with a pattern of germanium one-half wavelength of some preselected wavelength of the incident radiation. The pattern is a regular array of mesas, and acts as a phase grating which diffracts incident radiation. The diffracted (or blurred) image on the detector array is used as a reference level for background suppression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Vincent T. Bly, Conrad W. Terrill, Donna J. Advena
  • Patent number: 4959546
    Abstract: An infrared detecting system with a unique detector. The detector consists f an infrared-radiation absorbing layer on one side of thin-film substrate. On the other side of the substrate is a light reflecting layer, with a transducing material on the reflecting layer having a temperature-dependent index of refraction. Infrared radiation falling on the absorbing layer causes a temperature rise in this layer, a consequent rise in temperature of the reflecting layer and the transducing material, and a resulting change in refractive index of the material and a corresponding change in reflectance of the transducing material-reflecting layer combination. A read laser beam directed onto the material is thus reflected in accordance with the infrared radiation on the detector. Alternately, the reflecting layer may be on the same side of the substrate as the absorbing layer. Also, an additional reflector may be used between the reflecting layer and the transducing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Vincent T. Bly
  • Patent number: 4950896
    Abstract: An electrooptic support measure comprised of black hole radiometer within a orward looking infrared (FLIR) scanning imaging video processing system to provide friendly military personnel with the capability of surveying terrain to determine if enemy thermal imaging devices (TIDs), which have cryogenic temperature detectors therein, are being used in surveillance against the friendly military personnel. The lens and scanners of the FLIR scanning imaging video processing system have wide field of view (FOV) for search operation, and each of the plurality of the IR detectors that form an IR detector array operate as a plurality of radiometers having narrow (FOVs) when the black hole radiometer capability circuit of this disclosure is being used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Wilbur Liebson
  • Patent number: 4948973
    Abstract: A method and means for detecting the presence of infrared radiation and/or he presence of an optical dielectric transmitting element, such as a lens or window, is provided. By correlating the radiation wavelength with a visible detector wavelength and a specific dielectric element, the element can be identified or the alignment of a beam of radiation passing through the element can be established. In some cases the presence of a quiescent radiation device can be deduced from the identification of the dielectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Robert G. Comeyne
  • Patent number: 4948957
    Abstract: The method includes the steps of making a video recording of an infrared ne, of producing an infrared image from the recording and projecting it onto a screen, and of converting the projected image into a visible image at a user's infrared imager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Gerald A. Rusche
  • Patent number: 4946231
    Abstract: A method of forming polarization grids for infrared optic systems is provd which uses conventional photographic media such as ordinary black and white film or plates in conjunction with a silver reduction process and far-infrared coating techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Helmut H. Pistor
  • Patent number: 4945248
    Abstract: A waterproof container such as a plastic or treated paper bag is filled w a dry biodegradable vegetable material such as hay, grass clippings, wood shavings, etc. When water is added to the container to wet its contents, the normally-occurring micro-organisms on the vegetable matter decompose it and release heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: John F. Farr
  • Patent number: 4937442
    Abstract: A fast acting electromagnetically operated shutter for protecting an imag system from damaging light, such as intense laser light, comprised of a plurality of vane type shutters driven by magnetically moveable linear racks transferring linear to rotary motion to the midportion of each vane to aid in overcoming inertia. The linear racks are comprised of an upper rack at one end of the shutters and a lower rack at the opposite end of the shutters wherein both upper and lower racks simultaneously move reciprocally together. The racks have gear teeth thereon that are meshed with alternate vanes from first the upper and then the lower racks to transfer opposing directional rotation to adjacent vanes. An electronic shutter control means responds to input damaging light intensity signals impinging light detecting sensor means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 26, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Stanley L. Carts, Jr., James R. Adamson, Jr., Elliott Lloyd
  • Patent number: 4934085
    Abstract: The invention provides a bracket to mount a standardized nightsight to a ndardized anti-armor rocket launcher which requires no modification of either standardized item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Lewis E. Lough
  • Patent number: 4931646
    Abstract: A multichannel coincidence nuclear detector system for spectral charactertion of nuclear radiation sources at a remote location. The system is designed to detect and classify the radiation source in unfriendly territory and to provide a radio link back to a friendly receiver user station. The sensing elements are comprised of a plurality of plastic scintillator fiber sensors which may be several meters long and with each fiber having a different spectral sensitivity to gamma and neutron sources. Each of the scintillator fibers is connected to a transmitting optical fiber which may be 1 kilometer or more in length. The plurality of optical fibers transmit the optical signal generated by the radiation from a nuclear source impinging on the scintillator fibers to an electronic system. The electronic system is a sealed self contained battery operated device which is comprised of a photomuliplier detector and microprocessor based signal processing and data storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Walter Koechner, Deborah R. Van Wyck, Garry B. Spector, Tom McCollum
  • Patent number: 4927771
    Abstract: A method of thermally isolating detector elements in an uncooled focal pl array. A backfill material of arsenic trisulfide is deposited inside reticulated grooves in a detector material to provide strength prior to the step of bump bonding the detector elements of the detector material to a readout device array. After the bump bonding step, an oxygen rich gas, such as a dry oxygen and nitrogen mixture, is flowed between the detector and readout arrays to remove the arsenic trisulfide material therefrom leaving an air gap between the detector elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Donald A. Ferrett