Patents by Inventor David L. Reasoner

David L. Reasoner 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: 4742232
    Abstract: A vacuum chamber (12) within which an instrument (22) to be calibrated or tested is placed, is fitted with an ion gun (14) having an ion source (48). The source (48) has an electron emitting filament (60) positioned adjacent one end of an ionization chamber (71), with a negatively biased grid (72) located behind the filament (60). Gas is injected into the source (48) by a gas flow regulator (54) in one end (52) of the source (48). The chamber (71) is surrounded by a plurality of independently energizable coils (82, 84, 86, 88, 90), with the last coil (90) being operated at the highest current level, thus producing the highest magnetic flux. This presents a region (160) of magnetic repulsion to the electrons produced by the filament (60) and causes them to be confined between the grid (72) and the region (160), greatly increasing the chances that an ionization collision will occur between the electrons and atoms of injected gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1988
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Adminstrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Alan P. Biddle, Nobie H. Stone, David L. Reasoner, William L. Chisholm, John M. Reynolds