Patents by Inventor Keith E. Sommer

Keith E. Sommer 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: 7180828
    Abstract: A hydrophone stave comprises a tubular member, a braided cord (or similar flexible structure), cylindrical hydrophones, pins, two plugs and two couplings. The hose (made of a thermoplastic material) is corrugated or convoluted, and is cuffed at both ends to permit a plug to engage at each end. Each coupling includes a wire rope (or similar flexible structure). Each hydrophone has a longitudinal through-aperture (through which the braided cord passes) and a perpendicularly transverse through-aperture (through which a pin passes while also passing through a void created between strands of the braided cord). The stave is suitable for incorporation into a hydrophone array assembly providing for a selected arrayal of hydrophones, e.g., an assembly including two opposite frames united therebetween by numerous congruous parallel staves, each stave including equally spaced hydrophones, each coupling linking a plug with a frame so that the staves are selectively arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Keith E. Sommer, Henry P. Stottmeister
  • Patent number: 5778591
    Abstract: Tuna are separated from dolphins who often travel together by temporarily stunning the tuna and allowing the dolphins to continue on course. The tuna stunning is accomplished by creating underwater sounds of a selected frequency range which has a maximum impact on the tuna and a minimum impact on the dolphins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Nature's Own Research Association
    Inventors: James L. Oschman, Nora H. Oschman, Keith E. Sommer
  • Patent number: 5473718
    Abstract: An adapter system protects optical fibers transitioning from a close-pack nfiguration within a rigid loose tube buffer to a fanned-out configuration using fan-out tube assemblies. Each fan-out tube assembly includes a hollow furcation tube surrounded firstly by a stranded strength member and secondly by an outer jacket surrounding the stranded strength member. The adapter system includes a first sleeve secured to an end of the loose tube buffer, a second sleeve joinable to the first sleeve, a first spacer plate incorporated in the second sleeve, and a second spacer plate maintained within the second sleeve and spaced apart from the first spacer plate. Each optical fiber exits the end of the loose tube buffer and is inserted through a furcation tube from a fan-out tube assembly such that the optical fibers are maintained in a spaced apart configuration when passing through the first and second spacer plates of the adapter system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Keith E. Sommer