Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm William E. Eshelman
  • Patent number: 8286283
    Abstract: A patient positioning support for an operating theatre table (2) has a saddle (18) for clamping to the rail (8) which runs alongside the edge of the table and a pair of articulating arms (26, 32) attached to the saddle for holding a pad in contact with a patients body or limb. The devices are mounted in pairs and are lockable in positions which overlie the tame or lie outboard of the table or below the table when not required. The locking action is by friction but radial arrays of teeth (66, 68), which are locked by hand screws (62), give the preferred locking action. Other items of equipment such as arm boards, neural head supports and stirrups can be substituted for the pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Surgipod Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: John Robert Copeland, Noel Robert Hughes
  • Patent number: 8272584
    Abstract: A gravity-feed spreader for particulate matter may include a rotor. The spreader may be operable for gravity-feed operation with the longitudinal axis of the rotor in a horizontal position. A generally cylindrical rotor housing with a pair of closed, axial ends may be coaxial with the rotor. Entrance and exit apertures for the particulate matter may be formed in the surface of the rotor housing between the closed, axial ends. A rotor driver may be coupled to the rotor shaft for rotating the rotor. An intake housing may include a passageway therethrough for the particulate matter. A gate may be provided for selectively opening and closing the particulate matter passageway in the intake housing. An agitator may be coupled to the rotor shaft for facilitating movement of particulate matter through the passageway in the intake housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: ICG Saltshooter, LLC
    Inventors: Wade Charles Barnett, Matthew S. Kressy
  • Patent number: 6180270
    Abstract: A GaN epilayaer grown on a lattice mismatched saphire substrate is subjected to rapid thermal processing in order the reduce the defect density especially in the proximate the top (device) surface of the GaN epilayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Melanie Cole, Kezhou Xie
  • Patent number: 6178813
    Abstract: A method for improving images of surface features of a sample, constructed by a scanning probe microscope, includes constructing images of surface features of a sample with a scanning probe microscope; measuring a displacement of the sample that occurs during the constructing step; and correcting the images using the measured displacement. An apparatus for improving images of surface features of a sample, constructed by a scanning probe microscope, includes a vacuum chamber; a sample holder disposed in the vacuum chamber; at least one spring connected between the vacuum chamber and the sample holder; at least one magnet disposed in the vacuum chamber for damping vibrations of the sample holder; a probe and piezo tube assembly disposed in the vacuum chamber for scanning surface features of a sample; and an interferometer disposed in the vacuum chamber wherein the interferometer measures a distance between the sample and a point fixed with respect to the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: John D. Bruno, Donald E. Wortman, John L. Bradshaw, Romel D. Gomez
  • Patent number: 6168111
    Abstract: A fold-out fin has a fin geometry defined by two cross-sectional cuts through the cylindrical projectile body, both cuts being parallel to the boattail surface. This geometry insures that the stowed fin assembly fits within the gun tube. This geometry also exhibits low drag and good aerodynamic behavior. Upon launch, the fins are deployed and then locked in the fully open position with a spring loaded pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Lyle D. Kayser, T. Gordon Brown
  • Patent number: 6125308
    Abstract: A method for determining the trajectory of a projectile on a ballistic trajectory includes creating a sequence of images of the projectile using a passive image sensor located at an observer; determining the time the projectile started on its trajectory; determining relative positions of the projectile's launch point, the observer, and an expected impact point; ballistically modelling the projectile; and tracking the projectile through the sequence of images using a track before detect algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: David B. Hills, Jonathan A. Bornstein
  • Patent number: 6098516
    Abstract: To increase a yield of a hydrocarbon such as oil from a subsurface reserv, the reservoir is stimulated by pumping liquid gun propellant (LP) into the reservoir and igniting the LP. The LP is pumped into a packed-off region in a cased well; the depth of the packed-off region is selected to lie within the reservoir. The ignition of the LP causes a pressurization of the reservoir, thus fracturing the reservoir. The fracture increases a surface area through which the hydrocarbon can be extracted, and the heat from the ignition reduces the viscosity of the hydrocarbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: George A. Gazonas
  • Patent number: 6055523
    Abstract: A method and apparatus wherein a Genetic Algorithm is used as an intelligent search technique addresses the problem of assigning sensor reports in multi-target tracking with one or more sensors. The inventive technique of tracking objects includes receiving sensor reports from at least one sensor over multiple time scans; formulating individuals in a GA population as permutations of the sensor reports; using each permutation to construct a hypothesis containing at least one track by a process of taking each sensor report in turn (in the order determined by the permutation) and making the best assignment available (either to an existing track or as the start of a new track); scoring each of the hypotheses; searching through a portion of the possible hypotheses, using a GA, to find a good hypothesis; and determining the state of the tracked object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: David B. Hillis
  • Patent number: 6052218
    Abstract: A high brightness optical parametric amplifier array uses energy--scaleable optical parametric amplifiers that provide high brightness output. The leability in energy is achieved by using an array of parallel crystal amplifiers to handle high laser energies. High brightness is obtained by using an optical phase conjugator to keep the phase front of the array coherent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Suresh Chandra, Geraldine H. Daunt, Michael J. Ferry
  • Patent number: 6041712
    Abstract: The invention is a non lethal weapon cartridge comprising a projectile and means for propelling the projectile through a weapon barrel. A munition of this type can be employed by soldiers during operations-other-than-war, such as riot control during humanitarian missions, or by law enforcement personnel when a lethal response is not warranted. The projectile comprises a full-bore projectile body fitted with a compliant nose. The projectile is designed to be spin-stabilized such that it will fly, and impact, nose first, while describing a ballistic trajectory. The projectile is intended to be launched from a rifled weapon tube. The rifling imparts the spin necessary to achieve dynamic stability. The propulsion system utilizes a modern smokeless propellant in combination with a high-low technique to produce consistent interior ballistics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: David H. Lyon
  • Patent number: 5999285
    Abstract: Quantum key distribution (QKD) employs non-orthogonal quantum states to distribute a random bit sequence between two users for use as a provably secure key for encryption and authentication. The key generation procedure involves the transmission, interception, and reception of two nonorthogonal photon polarization states. At the receiving end, a positive-operator-valued measure (POVM) is employed in the measurement process. The invention is a receiver that is an all-optical realization of the POVM and includes a Wollaston prism, a mirror, two beam splitters, a polarization rotator, and three photodetectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Howard E. Brandt, John M. Myers
  • Patent number: 5907290
    Abstract: A stationary microwave system for irradiating microwave frequency energy 200-40 GHz) at target vehicles disrupts the operation of the target vehicle's electronic engine control systems, rendering it incapable of fleeing law enforcement agents (LEAs). The system includes a microwave generation source; a triggering system to control pulsewidth, periodic frequency, duration, and time on; an interlock system for safety; and a delivery system for directing the microwave energy and irradiating the target vehicle. The parameters of the microwave energy are optimized by the system such that the radiated microwave energy has the characteristics required to disrupt the target vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Todd M. Turner, Mark D. Berry, Edward P. Scannell
  • Patent number: 5845716
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing a liquid, such as a fire suppressing gent, with a gas wherein both the liquid and a combustible propellant for generating the gas are stored in separate sealed compartments at atmospheric pressure. The liquid is stored in a chamber between an annular piston and a central pedestal containing a gas generating canister. A portion of the gas generated drives the piston to expel the liquid into a mixing chamber in the pedestal, and another gas portion is fed into the mixing chamber so as to mix with and propel the liquid through a nozzle. The liquid may be atomized or vaporized depending on its composition. Mixing of the liquid with the gas may be enhanced by tangentially injecting the liquid into the mixing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Aviezer Birk
  • Patent number: 5841057
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for injecting a liquid through a liquid passage cocting a liquid chamber to an outlet in the vicinity of the entrance of a gun bore. The liquid is forced through the passage by a piston movable in the liquid chamber in response to the pressure of a gas generated in a propellant chamber by combustion of a propellant for propelling a projectile down the bore. Two pistons and two liquid chambers may be arranged opposite to each other in a common plane with the propellant chamber and the outlets of the liquid passages may be located substantially opposite to each other in a wall of the bore. Each liquid passage may be arranged to inject the liquid in a tangential direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the bore so that centrifugal forces spread the liquid as a film around the circumference of the bore. Valves may be provided to close the respective liquid passages in the absence of pressure in the liquid chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Aviezer Birk
  • Patent number: 5793931
    Abstract: A method and apparatus wherein a Genetic Algorithm or an Evolutionary Program is used as an intelligent search technique addresses the problem of assigning sensor reports in multi-target tracking with one or more sensors. The inventive technique of tracking objects includes receiving sensor reports from at least one sensor over multiple time scans; formulating hypotheses as lists of associations between the sensor reports; constructing at least one track for each of the hypotheses; scoring each of the hypotheses; searching through a portion of the hypotheses, using an intelligent search algorithm, to find a good hypothesis; and determining the state of the tracked objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: David Hillis
  • Patent number: 5711810
    Abstract: In a pulsed laser deposition system, the two optical actions of focusing rastering, and the optical chamber window are combined into a single optics system. The single optics system is mounted on the processing chamber. Combining the three separate optical functions into one optics system facilitates laser beam control and reduces the space needed for the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Somnath Sengupta
  • Patent number: 5691501
    Abstract: A nonlethal long-range bullet designed to be fired from a conventional hipowered rifle or pistol spreads apart on impact, thereby delivering a nonlethal blow to the target. Prior to impact, the inventive bullet maintains its aerodynamic shape. The bullet includes a front section in a forward portion of the bullet, the front section having a tail that extends to a rear portion of the bullet; a solid section in the rear portion of the bullet, the solid section including most of the mass of the bullet and being substantially disposed around the tail; at least two longitudinal scribe lines that extend along the front section and the tail; and at least another two longitudinal scribe lines that extends along the solid section and are aligned with the at least two longitudinal scribe lines, wherein depths of the at least two and at least another two longitudinal scribe lines are such that the bullet maintains shape integrity during flight while readily deploying into a flattened shape upon impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Raine M. Gilbert
  • Patent number: 5686889
    Abstract: Firing of small arms results in a muzzle flash that produces a distinctive ignature conducive to automated or machine-aided detection with an IR (infrared) imager. The muzzle flash is intense and abrupt in the 3 to 5 .mu.m band. A sniper detection system operating in the 3 to 5 .mu.m region must deal with the potential problem of false alarms from solar clutter. The invention reduces the false alarm rate of an IR based muzzle flash or bullet tracking system (during day time) by adding a visible light (standard video) camera. The standard video camera helps detect (and then discount) potential sources of false alarm caused by solar clutter. If a flash is detected in both the IR and the visible spectrum at the same time, then the flash is most probably the result of solar clutter from a moving object. If a flash is detected only in the IR, then it is most probably a true weapon firing event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of The Army
    Inventor: David B. Hillis
  • Patent number: 5644100
    Abstract: A shotgun shell includes a sabot with a tubular portion extending from a e, a chamber disposed within the tubular portion in communication with an opening in the base, a load of shot disposed within the tubular portion around the chamber, and a valve disposed between the chamber and the opening to control the flow of propellant gases into and out of the chamber. The valve can be a choke with a flow constricting orifice that delays pressurization and depressurization of the chamber. Alternatively, or in addition to a choke valve, a movable valve member can be disposed between the chamber and the opening to seal with a valve seat in order to capture high pressure propellant gases which, upon emergence of the sabot from the gun barrel, will assist in creating a highly dispersed shot pattern at close range. Also disclosed are a number of ways in which the sabot can be modified to control the stiffness of the tubular portion in order to change the shape of the shot pattern to suit specific applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Puckett, Robert P. Kaste
  • Patent number: H1832
    Abstract: An electromagnetically transparent fluidic operator for adapting a conventional, mechanically operated electric switch to remote, fluidic operation includes a non-metallic housing for being rigidly attached to the electric switch with a chamber in the housing aligned with a mechanical actuator of the electric switch and a non-metallic, expandable reservoir mounted by the housing. The reservoir includes a nipple rigidly attached to the housing and a deformable diaphragm forming a seal with the nipple and being disposed in the chamber close to the mechanical actuator. The reservoir is pressurized with fluid from a remote location causing the diaphragm to deform and the reservoir to expand thereby applying a positive pressure or operating force against the mechanical actuator to operate the electric switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Vincent Ellis