Patents by Inventor Bruce E. Woodgate

Bruce E. Woodgate 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).

  • Method and apparatus for slicing crystals
    Patent number: 4184472
    Abstract: A crystal is sliced in a plane parallel to flat, opposed parallel end faces of the crystal. The end faces of the crystal are gripped by a pair of opposed, perforated platens of a pair of vacuum chambers, one of which is translatable relative to the other. A blade cuts the crystal through the desired plane. A spring biases one of the vacuum chambers away from the other vacuum chamber while both of the faces are gripped by the vacuum chambers and the blade is cleaving the crystal. Thereby, a sliced portion of the crystal gripped by one of the vacuum chambers is pulled away from the remainder of the crystal gripped by the second vacuum chamber when the crystal has been cleaved by the blade through the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1980
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: John S. J. Benedicto, Bruce E. Woodgate, Frederick C. Hallberg