Patents by Inventor Keith A. Snail

Keith A. Snail 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: 8500307
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus is presented, having a Lambertian or quasi-Lambertian light source with an emitter side, as well as a reflector structure having an output side and a reflective surface with a concave parabolic contour that reflects light from the emitter side of the light source to provide Lambertian or quasi-Lambertian output light from the output side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Paul S Lebow, Keith A Snail
  • Publication number: 20110063841
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus is presented, having a Lambertian or quasi-Lambertian light source with an emitter side, as well as a reflector structure having an output side and a reflective surface with a concave parabolic contour that reflects light from the emitter side of the light source to provide Lambertian or quasi-Lambertian output light from the output side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Paul S. Lebow, Keith A. Snail
  • Patent number: 6927850
    Abstract: Disclosed is an integrating sphere for measuring the diffuse reflectivity of material samples in the infrared. The sphere is disposed in an airtight vacuum chamber under an atmosphere that does not absorb in the infrared. The sphere has two positions at which a sample may be mounted, one on a rod at the sphere's center, another on the sphere's wall, each mounting position corresponding to two different modes of testing samples. The rod acts as a mounting pedestal for a center mounted sample, and is rotatably mounted about its elongate vertical axis so that the sample can rotate with the rod in a horizontal plane. The rod penetrates the sphere and the chamber, and terminates in a knob or handle by which the rod can be rotated to position the sample at a preselected angle. Adjacent to the position for wall mounting, there is a sample heater. This configuration allows one to measure diffuse reflectance of a sample as a function of incidence angle and temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Keith A. Snail, Kevin F. Carr
  • Patent number: 5804321
    Abstract: A unitary article that is solid at a temperature in excess of about 1100.ree. C. which includes a diamond, a metal, and a brazing material brazing the diamond and the metal. The brazing material includes a metal carbide adhering to the diamond and a platinum family metal or nickel adhering to the metal. The platinum family metal has dissolved therein carbide forming metal and contains particles of metal carbide. The article is made by depositing a platinum family metal or nickel on a metal melting above the melting point of the platinum family metal or nickel, depositing a carbide forming metal which is soluble in molten platinum family metal or nickel, heating the assembly until platinum family metal or nickel is in a molten state, and cooling the molten platinum family metal or nickel to a solid state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Thomas P. Thorpe, Keith A. Snail
  • Patent number: 5745234
    Abstract: A reflectometer and a method for measuring the reflectance and transmittance of material using an integrating sphere and a light concentrator. The reflectance and transmittance measurements are performed as a function of the angle of incidence of a beam of light onto a sample and reference material. In a preferred embodiment, a CHC-lens concentrator having a high f/# and a low index of refraction is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Keith A. Snail, Leonard Hanssen, David Chenault
  • Patent number: 5704976
    Abstract: A method for synthesizing large, single crystal diamond comprising mixing carbon source and a hydrogen source to form a mixture. The mixture is excited and reacted to form a reactive species in a laminar plasma plume. A substrate having a diamond seed crystal is disposed in the laminar plasma plume while maintaining the diamond seed crystal at a growth temperature between 1100.degree. and 1700.degree. C. for the deposition of diamond, thereby inducing deposition of single crystal diamond on the diamond seed crystal.An apparatus for synthesizing diamond (10;15) comprising a plasma torch (30;31) for producing a laminar plasma plume (44;54). A carbon source (CH.sub.4) and a hydrogen source (H.sub.2,CH.sub.4) are excited and reacted in the laminar plasma plume (44;54) so as to form a reactive species in the laminar plasma plume (44;54).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Keith A. Snail
  • Patent number: 5527392
    Abstract: One of the critical experimental parameters affecting the quality and gro rate of chemical vapor deposition species, such as, diamond is the substrate temperature. An apparatus and technique for the precise control of the substrate temperature in a chemical vapor deposition environment has been developed. In a preferred embodiment, the technique uses a variable gas mixture in conjunction with the disclosed apparatus of the present invention to precisely control the temperature of the substrate to within at least .+-.20.degree. C. for extended periods of time and over large area substrates on the order of 1" in diameter or larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Keith A. Snail, Thomas P. Thorpe
  • Patent number: 5517315
    Abstract: A reflectometer wherein a light having a predetermined wavelength is projected into an integrating sphere containing a sample whose reflectance is to be measured. As the projected light strikes the sample, rays are reflected back the walls of the integrating sphere; some of which strike the area within the field-of-view of a concentrator. The rays striking within the field-of-view of the concentrator are focused upon a detector element which allows one to determine the reflectance of the sample. A control means is utilized to control the wavelength of the projected light through a spectrophotometer, and calculate the reflectance of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Keith A. Snail, Roy Schiff, David B. Chenault, Leonard M. Hanssen
  • Patent number: 5381755
    Abstract: Diamond crystals and films having a well-controlled amount of dopant therein are synthesized by incorporating a dopant into a deposition species formed from a gaseous source of carbon and a gaseous source of hydrogen. Flame and/or plasma deposition may be used. Various apparatuses for carrying out the growth of the doped diamond are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: John W. Glesener, Arthur A. Merrish, Keith A. Snail
  • Patent number: 5318801
    Abstract: One of the critical experimental parameters affecting the quality and gro rate of chemical vapor deposition species, such as, diamond is the substrate temperature. An apparatus and technique for the precise control of the substrate temperature in a chemical vapor deposition environment has been developed. In a preferred embodiment, the technique uses a variable gas mixture in conjunction with the disclosed apparatus of the present invention to precisely control the temperature of the substrate to within at least .+-.20.degree. C. for extended periods of time and over large area substrates on the order of 1" in diameter or larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Keith A. Snail, Thomas P. Thorpe
  • Patent number: 5174983
    Abstract: A method for synthesizing diamond which comprises flowing together a gaseous carbon source and a gaseous hydrogen source to form an at least partially turbulent mixture. The at least partially turbulent mixture is excited to form an at least partially turbulent reactive species which is reacted to form a deposition species. A substrate is disposed in the deposition species while maintaining the substrate at a temperature for the deposition of diamond, thereby inducing deposition of diamond on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Keith A. Snail
  • Patent number: 4988205
    Abstract: System for measuring the diffuse reflectances of various samples are conscted to include a primary mirror (e.g., an ellipsoidal mirror) and a secondary mirror (e.g., a compound parabolic concentrator) cooperating with a radiation source and a radiation detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Keith A. Snail
  • Patent number: 4815858
    Abstract: Systems for measuring the diffuse reflectances of various samples are constructed to include a primary mirror (e.g., an ellipsoidal mirror) and a secondary mirror (e.g., a compound parabolic concentrator) cooperating with a radiation source and a radiation detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Keith A. Snail