Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 4816694 | Radiation system A radiation system consists of a compound collection/beamforming system, surrounding a source of radiation, including an elevation collector/beamformer shaped as a compound parabolic concentrator and an azimuth collector/beamformer shaped so that tangenti... | 03/28/1989 |
| 4792809 | Microstrip tee-fed slot antenna A microstrip tee-fed slot antenna is made up of only a single printed circuit board having the tee feed and slot on the front side and a microstrip transmission line feed on the back side. A plurality of holes in the board surrounding the slot are electri... | 12/20/1988 |
| 4791573 | State-deviation-estimation circuit employing a phase-locked-loop phase reference A system (34) for determining deviations in the state of motion of a projectile (10) from its intended state includes a comparison module (38) that receives the outputs S of a sensor array (36). The comparison module (38) converts the sensor outputs to a ... | 12/13/1988 |
| 4766439 | Direction finding system An adcock DF-on-the-fly type direction finding system employing a beam forming dispersive delay line (BFDDL). A square array of four elements A1, B1, C1, and D1 with A1, C1 and B1, D1 being the diagonal pairs is used to input signals to combiner, shifter ... | 08/23/1988 |
| 4716930 | Pneumatic time delay valve A pneumatic time delay valve primarily adapted for use in the ejection system of electronic or optical countermeasure devices and the like wherein an explosive squib is employed to create a momentary charge of high pressure gas used to depress the firing ... | 01/05/1988 |
| 4710630 | Optical detection system An optical system to permit two detectors to see the same field of view includes an angle converting cone, for mixing radiation from a field of view so that it can be applied to two detectors, and a lens for focusing the radiation onto the cone.... | 12/01/1987 |
| 4701924 | Frequency discriminating laser A laser which discriminates against a high gain transition in laser materials allowing a low gain transition to oscillate is provided by using more than two mirrors in the laser cavity which are highly reflective at the frequency of the high gain transiti... | 10/20/1987 |
| 4701762 | Three-dimensional electromagnetic surveillance system and method A surveillance system for simultaneously identifying the directions and frequencies of a plurality of electromagnetic-radiation sources includes an irregular array (10) of antenna elements and employs a two-dimensional compressive receiver (14) that recei... | 10/20/1987 |
| 4694411 | Simulation apparatus and method A method and apparatus for simulating a network comprising a plurality of processing elements useful in simulating, for example, complex digital combinatorial electronic logic circuits. Each type of digital logic element is assigned a symbol, and the symb... | 09/15/1987 |
| 4692683 | Optical power distribution system An optical power distribution system for supplying power to low power electrical devices includes an electrically powered source of optical radiation the output of which is applied to a photovoltaic cell array arranged on the device to be powered and elec... | 09/08/1987 |
| 4688003 | Feed-forward error correction for sandaps and other phase-locked loops A signal source in the general form of a phase-locked loop (12, 20, 22, and 24) has its output fed to a phase modulator (32) controlled in response to the output of the phase-locked-loop phase detector (20). This provides feed-forward error correction tha... | 08/18/1987 |
| 4682338 | Multi-lamp laser pumping cavity An optically pumped solid-state laser system includes a rod (50) of laser material and a plurality of flashlamps (66) for pumping the laser. A surface for reflecting radiation from the flashlamp (66) to the rod (50) follows a set of curves (96). Each curv... | 07/21/1987 |
| 4677587 | Program simulation system including means for ensuring interactive enforcement of constraints An interactive simulation system for simulating an analog or a digital system defined by mathematical model representing the operation of the system. The mathematical model is represented by a network of function blocks specified by an operator, each func... | 06/30/1987 |
| 4662726 | Reflective optical element An optical element includes an ogival reflective surface which diverges an incident radiant energy beam substantially uniformly into a 2π solid angle. The precise shape of the reflective surface is defined mathematically in relation to the desired solid ... | 05/05/1987 |
| 4654700 | Optical decoder An optical decoder to permit differentiating between at least two flashing spots displayed on a cathode ray tube screen is provided by a photosensor and an electrical circuit which is responsive to the absence of flashes during a flashing sequence which i... | 03/31/1987 |
| 4649392 | Two dimensional transform utilizing ultrasonic dispersive delay line The invention of this disclosure comprises a system that simultaneously determines the frequency and direction of arrival of incoming signals. The apparatus of this invention comprises a layered half space dispersive delay line which is utilized as a beam... | 03/10/1987 |
| 4646644 | Pneumatic time delay valve A pneumatic time delay valve primarily adapted for use in the ejection system of electronic or optical countermeasure devices and the like wherein an explosive squib is employed to create a momentary charge of high pressure gas used to depress the firing ... | 03/03/1987 |
| 4585960 | Pulse width to voltage converter circuit A low-loss, low-cost passive pulse width to voltage converter is provided by utilizing a diode clamp having a resistor in series therewith to provide a soft clamp or integrating clamp.... | 04/29/1986 |
| 4571640 | Video disc program branching system A video disc program branching system comprising multiple programs frequency multiplexed on a video disc and co-located substantially in the same portion of the disc wherein branching is achieved by designating specific ones of said multiple programs thro... | 02/18/1986 |
| 4568039 | Guidance system for a projectile Guidance is provided for a spinning projectile by measuring the magnitude of the angle between the spinning projectile and a target. This information is processed in conjunction with a body rate sensor to deduce the angular rate of the line of sight betwe... | 02/04/1986 |
| 4561611 | Infrared target seeker for spinning projectile An infrared target seeker for a spinning projectile which does not require any reticle motor or gimbals is provided by a solid unit including lenses, detectors and a reticle, which is etched on one of the lenses.... | 12/31/1985 |
| 4540176 | Microprocessor interface device A user interface device for interfacing with a microprocessor driving a video display. The device is particularly adapted for the use of small children in interfacing with a microprocessor operating to drive a video game or a personal computer. The device... | 09/10/1985 |
| 4536879 | Pyrotechnic lamp A long-life pyrotechnic lamp particularly suited for use in a compact, low-cost laser employing a solid-state laser rod which is pumped by the optical radiation of a pyrotechnic lamp employing the direct combustion of a metal in a flowing oxygen-containin... | 08/20/1985 |
| 4518256 | Enhanced accuracy optical radar An optical radar is disclosed in which fine vernier range and angular displacement accuracy is achieved by projecting a burst of coherent pulses so as to strobe a target passing through the field of view of the projection apparatus. The use of the pulse b... | 05/21/1985 |
| 4512537 | Canard control assembly for a projectile Control is provided to conventional gun-fired projectiles by substituting for the standard fuze thereof a device comprising a canard frame and a main housing, which threads into the fuze well of the projectile, with the canard frame being rotatable with r... | 04/23/1985 |
| 4509333 | Brayton engine burner A heating chamber for supplying heated air in a Brayton engine or gas turbine plant including a compressor and turbine. The heating chamber includes a solar energy receiver that receives solar energy, converts it to heat, and heats air from the compressor... | 04/09/1985 |
| 4506221 | Magnetic heading transducer having dual-axis magnetometer with electromagnet mounted to permit pivotal vibration thereof A dual-axis magnetometer employs an electromagnet mounted by bender arms within a housing to permit pivotal vibration of the electromagnet with respect to the housing. The electromagnet is driven by an alternating current that causes it to vibrate in the ... | 03/19/1985 |
| 4503404 | Primed microwave oscillator A primed oscillator for microwave amplification includes a single tank conductor (16) coupled to a coupling conductor (17) by an interdigitated coupler (26). The coupling conductor (17) is connected to the cathode of an IMPATT diode (22) which is triggere... | 03/05/1985 |
| 4496158 | Electro-optical sensor for color television games and training systems Apparatus for discriminating at a distance between one or more colored symbols displayed on the screen of a television receiver from a plurality of other symbols of different colors includes a colored filter which corresponds to the color of the symbol wh... | 01/29/1985 |
| 4464745 | High dynamic range multiplexing system This invention is a system that is capable of having a high dynamic range for the transmission of electrical information from an array of sensing devices to processing equipment via transmissions paths. A high gain quadrature multiplexer is coupled to the... | 08/07/1984 |
| 4438893 | Prime power source and control for a guided projectile In a projectile including a spinning main housing and a despun canard frame having deflectable canards thereon, a pair of stator windings are disposed within the main housing and a cooperating pair of rotors are arranged within the canard frame. The first... | 03/27/1984 |
| 4439289 | Process for removal of magnetic coatings from computer memory discs Removal of magnetic coatings from computer memory discs is achieved by immersing the discs in a bath of a sulphuric-acid and glycerine solution while applying an electrical potential between electrodes in the bath, one of which is the disc itself. After r... | 03/27/1984 |
| 4423286 | Apparatus and method for determining the position of a driven coil within a grid of spaced conductors A digitizing system includes a first plurality of spaced parallel grid conductors and a second plurality of spaced parallel grid conductors orthogonal to the first plurality of spaced parallel grid conductors. The location of a movable coil arranged on a ... | 12/27/1983 |
| 4419895 | Cantilevered-beam, fiber-optic angular accelerometer An angular accelerometer comprising a pair of misaligned, spaced apart, cantilevered optical fibers whereby angular accelerations occasion modulation of an optical signal coupled between the two spaced apart, cantilevered-beam optical fibers.... | 12/13/1983 |
| 4414471 | Fiber optic acoustic signal transducer using reflector Sensing of acoustic waves is achieved by providing spaced apart stationary and cantilevered optic fibers whereby inertial forces created by acoustic signals modulate an optical signal carried by the fibers through vibration of the cantilevered fiber.... | 11/08/1983 |
| 4412332 | High efficiency storage laser A high efficiency storage laser is achieved by pumping a Tm:LiYF4 laser from an electrically excited XeBr* fluorescer.... | 10/25/1983 |
| 4412126 | Infrared source An infrared source comprising an electrically powered, hollow cylindrical rod which operates at lower temperatures and yet has no decrease in output power is configured by increasing the outside diameter of the rod and inserting grooves therein which prov... | 10/25/1983 |
| 4405010 | Sensible heat storage unit A sensibe heat storage unit is provided which has a "step function" thermal gradient, and is constructed so as to have alternated regions of different thermal conductivity along the flow path through the unit such that, in one embodiment, there are spaced... | 09/20/1983 |
| 4402602 | Knife edge system An improved knife edge system which enables testing of even high numerical aperture optics is achieved by using a microscope objective to gather the light from a small pinhole and fill a large optic under test, and in conjunction with a special eye piece ... | 09/06/1983 |
| 4395045 | Television precision target shooting apparatus and method Simulated shooting at displayed images on the screen of a television receiver using an untethered, simulated gun provides indication on the screen of where the gun was pointed at the time of trigger pull. This is achieved by flashing the screen white subs... | 07/26/1983 |
