Patents by Inventor Alfred A. Wolf

Alfred A. Wolf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4414461
    Abstract: A superconductive energy storage system comprising a magnetic field surrounding a superconducting coil having large currents circulating therein, cooling said coil to superconducting temperatures, starting said circulating current in said superconducting coil inductively by a small primer coil, transmitting additional energy into said energy storage system utilizing a laser beam, and retaining said energy in said energy storage system until needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Alfred A. Wolf
  • Patent number: 4369204
    Abstract: A method for preparing a nonflammable insulating sheath on a metal conduc wherein the sheath does not shed, slough off, wipe off, or crack when said conductor is flexed or bent comprising the steps of adding impurities to a metal electrical conductor, zonally annealing said conductor, and rectifying said conductor metallurgically by exposing said conductor to a magnetic or electrical field. The method yields a resultant sheathing on said conductor that does not burn, smoke, smolder, yield toxic fumes or crack during bending or flexing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Alfred A. Wolf, Ernest H. Halpern
  • Patent number: 3956727
    Abstract: A superconducting switch or bistable device comprising a superconductor in a cryogen maintaining a temperature just below the transition temperature, having a window of the proper optical frequency band for passing a laser beam which may impinge on the superconductor when desired. The frequency of the laser is equal to or greater than the optical absorption frequency of the superconducting material and is consistent with the ratio of the gap energy of the switch material to Planck's constant, to cause depairing of electrons, and thereby normalize the superconductor. Some embodiments comprise first and second superconducting metals. Other embodiments feature the two superconducting metals separated by a thin film insulator through which the superconducting electrons tunnel during superconductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Alfred A. Wolf
  • Patent number: 3944578
    Abstract: Organic compounds exhibit superconducting-like behavior, as to magnetic and lectrical properties, at elevated temperatures above 21.degree.K, where 21.degree.K is the transition temperature of most known metallic superconducting materials. The structure of the organic materials according to this invention is a plurality of superconducting clusters, forming islands within a matrix of insulating material. The ratio of the clusters to the matrix material is a minimum at 1:10.sup.4. The organic compound comprises two distinct atomic groups termed an R group and COOM group combining as R--COOM with the COOM group clustering to form superconducting islands, within the R material matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1973
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Alfred A. Wolf, Ernest H. Halpern