Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Stanton E. Collier
  • Automated heat pipe processing system
    Patent number: 5226580
    Abstract: An automated heat pipe processing system is able to take a heat pipe casing and an end cap for the heat pipe casing and form these into a heat pipe within a totally contained system. The heat pipe casing and end cap are cleaned by means of glow-discharge plasma, a bakeout heating, if required. After cleaning, a working fluid is placed within the cleaned heat pipe after which the end cap is fixedly attached to the heat pipe casing by means of inertia welding. This in-situ fabrication of the heat pipe minimizes defective end products and steps to fabricate such.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Robert T. Hartle, Rodney McGann, Richard A. Thomas
  • Active cooling apparatus for afterburners
    Patent number: 5209059
    Abstract: The present invention comprises at least one active cooling apparatus incorporated into the nozzle liner of sidewall of an afterburner. The liner has a plurality of cooling air holes located under the apparatus. Within the liner is a supply of cooling air under high pressure. Over the holes in the liner is flexibly attached the active cooling apparatus which is composed of an inner manifold having a bottom layer with a plurality of receiving holes therein which are offset from the supply holes of the liner and a top layer also having a plurality of vent holes therein which are further offset from the holes in the bottom layer. Attached over the inner manifold is a hot cover layer which is located a small distance above the inner manifold top layer. The hot cover layer also has a plurality of flow path holes therein. A hot gas stream flowing over the hot cover layer bleeds into the inner manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Eric Ward
  • Helicopter blade crack detection system
    Patent number: 5205710
    Abstract: The invention is a helicopter blade crack detection system for blades that are hollow and pressurized or evacuated to a low pressure A rotating assembly having a rotating indicator assembly photo-optically communicates to an airframe detection assembly providing high reliability, ease of maintenance, and EMI secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Geoffrey P. Engels, Mark C. Thomas
  • Payload attitude control tester
    Patent number: 5197341
    Abstract: The testing device, also known as a totally integrated payload attitude control tester (T.I.P.A.C.T.), is suspend on a single, high strength, low torsional moment line through the gravity vector axis. Attached directly to this line is a strong back assembly having a fixed lateral width with ends thereon. Attached to the ends of the strong back assembly are thin, high strength straps which are connected to a pair of tensile universal joints which are further connected to, by way of this high strength straps, to a pair of trunnions. The trunnions are connected to the payload support frame which may have a satellite payload therein. The three orthogonal axes of the test device allow rotation to .+-.45 degrees, .+-.60 degrees and >360 degrees, simultaneously in roll, yaw, and pitch respectively. The thin fabric strap allows movement with virtually no friction or suspension resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Russell G. Steeves
  • Process for forming fiberglass articles
    Patent number: 5183619
    Abstract: A process of applying catalyzed resin through a vacuum bag onto a dry hand lay-up uses at least one resin reservoir with a valve nozzle thereon. The valve nozzle is placed between the lay-up and the vacuum bag. By lifting the resin reservoir connected to the valve nozzle, the catalyzed resin placed in the reservoir will be sucked by vacuum onto the laminate. The lowering of the resin reservoir stops the flow. The vacuum bag between the valve nozzle and the reservoir connector must be broken first to allow an open channel to the valve nozzle outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1993
    Inventor: Robert J. Tolton
  • N-dimensional fighter aircraft
    Patent number: 5176338
    Abstract: An improved fighter aircraft has three primary lifting surfaces acting as wings on the airframe. The lifting surfaces are attached 120 degrees apart on the airframe so the fighter may turn in any direction without prior movements. The pilot has means to position himself to feel only positive g's in these maneuvers. A rotatable cockpit section, for example, moves independent of the airframe with the canard wings thereon. The pilot flies the cockpit section and the airframe with wings thereon responds accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Bert A. Silich
  • Kinematic fixturing of optic components
    Patent number: 5172277
    Abstract: An optical mirror is kinematically mounted at its sides on one fixed point and two movable points which points are supported by a frame spaced from the mirror. One of the movable points is a ball on a cantilevered arm which rests in a cone or groove in the mirror, the other movable point is a mechanical flexure prelaod mounting or a pneumatic preload mounting, which mountings serve to apply constant preload to such mirror. The mirror is made of ceramic material, of low thermal expansion or contraction and has water cooling passages therein. The frame is made of metal of higher thermal expansion or contraction. However such mirors, when reflecting a high intensity laser beam can thermally expand relative to the frame and must do so with minimal deformation from the desired optical contour thereof which result is accomplished by the resilient and constant preload mountings of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Roger L. Wahl, Jorge I. Farah
  • Process and apparatus for preventing the pulse discharge of insulators in ionizing radiation
    Patent number: 5160374
    Abstract: A semi-insulating coating or surface layer is applied over insulating materials such as a circuit board or wiring harness or feedthrough insulator. The paint is electrically fixed to ground and as a result leaks away charge buildup before large pulse discharges occur. For example, pure tin oxide particles in phenoxy resin binder forms a paintable application for the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Arthur R. Frederickson, Joseph E. Nanevicz, Jeffrey S. Thayer, Dean B. Parkinson
  • Supercapacitor
    Patent number: 5151848
    Abstract: The invention is a supercapacitor cell having electrode plates of titanium coated with ruthenia impregnated with the solid polymer electrolyte perfluorosulfonic acid. The impregnation is carried out in a high pressure shock apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by The Secretary of The Air Force
    Inventor: Duane Finello
  • Dual laser beam angular separation control apparatus
    Patent number: 5147126
    Abstract: A dual laser beam angular separation control apparatus has a pair of rotatable mirrored flats that minimize the angular separation of two converging beams such that the beam crossing aperture is also minimized and remains fixed at a specific point. The apparatus further minimizes the optical path length that is required to cause two parallel laser input beams to be converged to a minimum aperature size at crossing without the use of lens, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Wilfred H. Bachle
  • Heat pipe susceptor for epitaxy
    Patent number: 5136978
    Abstract: The present invention is a heat pipe susceptor for use in a vapor deposition system. The multi-layered refractory material susceptor provides a highly uniform heated surface upon which wafers are placed for heating by a radio frequency (RF) source. Because of the highly uniform surface temperature, susceptors are able to hold a plurality of inch sized diameter wafers and the shape of the surfaces can be designed as the need arises. A cylindrically shaped top and a multi-faced frustum shaped top are examples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by The Secretary Of The Air Force
    Inventors: Brian S. Ahern, David W. Weyburne
  • Apparatus and method for controlling gradients in radio frequency heating
    Patent number: 5134261
    Abstract: A composite susceptor for a radio frequency (RF) heated crystal growing furnace has a plurality of stacked electrically insulating and electrically conducting elements about the crucible area so that a proper temperature gradient is established and controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: John J. Larkin, Meckie T. Harris, Alton F. Armington
  • Actively cooled effusion cell for chemical vapor deposition
    Patent number: 5129360
    Abstract: An actively cooled effuser for a vapor deposition reactor is placed in very close proximity to a substrate. The actively cooled effuser has combinations of gas directing plates, cooling plates and isolation plates attached together. Reactants and coolant are input into the stack of plates so formed. Selective heating of the substrate surface may occur through the use of heating lamps. Multiple units of the actively cooled effuser and heating lamps may be used in the reactor to form multiple layers on the substrate. The cooling plate has a cooling channel within a few thousandths of an inch of the output side of the stack. The presence of the cooling plates allows the effuser to be placed in very close proximity to the selectively heated substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Brian S. Ahern, David W. Weyburne
  • Ultra-high vacuum telescoping fiber optic feedthrough apparatus and method
    Patent number: 5123723
    Abstract: The ultra-high vacuum telescoping fiber optic feedthrough apparatus comprises a first tubular section having thereon a mounting flange, a quartz window aperture, and a collimating lens means. The second tubular section being in sliding contact with the first tubular section has a focusing lens means mounted therein. A third tubular section being in sliding contact with the second tubular section has mounted therein a fiber optic cable holding means. In order to provide adjustability between the various sections a first adjusting means being a micrometer screw is mounted onto the first and second sections and a second adjusting means is mounted onto the second and third sections whereby fine adjustment in translational movement is achieved so that the signal-to-noise may be maximized when observing an optically luminescent source such as a plasma formed during laser deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Julian M. Chesnutt, Thomas E. McNeil, James J. McNally, Duane K. Dunlap
  • Apparatus and method for improving diagnostic X-rays
    Patent number: 5107531
    Abstract: The present invention is especially suited for tomographic X-ray studies wherein dozens of exposures are required. A film cassette spacer having selected dimensions and having selected markings thereon is placed adjacent to the film cassette on a mechanically centering bucky tray in an X-ray machine. By use of the collimating means in the X-ray head, the number of exposures on the film can be maximized but still maintaining quality exposures for reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Inventor: Robert J. Elias
  • Gas cylinder safety valve
    Patent number: 5103860
    Abstract: A safety valve is adapted to fit into the stem of a conventional service valve of a high pressure gas cylinder to prevent the escape of gas when the external part of the service valve is broken off. A plunger within the safety valve is biased away from a valve seat until a high pressure differential exists within the flow channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Inventor: Arnold D. Morris
  • Vane control mechanism
    Patent number: 5102049
    Abstract: A thrust reverser in a two dimensional jet engine exhaust nozzle employs a plurality of reverser apparati that maintain a constant flow throat area, for example, in the reverse throat mode. A single reverser apparatus includes an actuator that operates through a lever upon linkage and a coupler to drive a set of parallel vanes and at least one independent vane. The parallel vanes are connected by a parallelogram of links to the coupler. The independent vanes move in a manner as defined by a cam having a preselected path therein that causes the independent vanes to move in a desired manner to provide the constant throat area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Eric J. Ward
  • Composite vane
    Patent number: 5085559
    Abstract: Metal darts are captured either in bonded assembly or in riveted assembly with composite airfoil skins. The darts have a thin fin extending rearward with a dam at its rear end forming a hot air duct on either side of the fin. As hot compressor bleed air is diverted down through the fin duct, heat is transferred forward to the dart leading edge. The fin may contain ripples or other perturbances to improve heat transfer if necessary. Sufficient heat should be transferred to inhibit ice buildup on the final coating that covers the entire airfoil and further provides FOD protection by having a metal leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Lewis J. Stoffer, Andrew MacGee
  • Cable shield termination backshell
    Patent number: 5052947
    Abstract: The cable shield termination backshell connects to a shielded cable having ndividually shielded conductors to prevent electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic pulses (EMI/EMP) from entering therein. The backshell has a groove thereabout having a plurality of holes therethrough. The individual braid ends, pigtails, are passed through the holes. An appropriate ring is placed over the groove and the braid ends and compressed thereon. The braid ends remaining exposed are cut off. The outer braid on the cable is attached to the end of the backshell with a ring and then the overall backshell is covered by a boot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Brodie, Donald W. Fitzwater
  • Method for the production of size, structure and composition of specific-cluster ions
    Patent number: 5051582
    Abstract: The method of producing specific cluster ions utilizing an ionization source to produce ions which are then sorted or resolved according to velocity and mass. The selected ions are passed through a growth chamber containing a gaseous vapor of a specified element and are coated by the vapor to provide coated cluster ions. The coated cluster ions are mass selected and held in an ion trap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: John T. Bahns, William C. Stwalley