Patents by Inventor Samuel C. Sutton

Samuel C. Sutton 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).

  • Silicon alloy coating of insulated wire
    Patent number: 7686925
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for sputter coating an insulated wire with a silicon and metal alloy, to provide the wire with sufficient surface conductivity to protect against build-up of electrostatic charge. A sputtering target of silicon has a metal plate positioned close enough to the sputtering site on the target to permit metal atoms to be dislodged by sputtered silicon, and deposited with the silicon to form an alloy. In the disclosed form of the invention, the wire is insulated with a polyimide material and the metal alloyed with silicon in the sputtered coating is stainless steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Samuel C. Sutton, Michael W. Mills, Craig R. Wilkinson