Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1938 [PAGE 198]

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[March 9

Under the agreement the cooperating agencies or sponsors are given the right to use any patentable discoveries arising from this investigation without payment of royalties or fees. Professor H. F . Moore, who is in charge of the investigation, has reported a preliminary development of a process for detecting minute cracks in railway rails without injuring the rails (a combined acoustic and electrical method in which the rail is set into vibration and the energy given off, as the vibration dies out, is measured by electrical means). The question has been raised whether the process should be protected by an application for a patent, and if so who should bear the expense and be the owner of any patent issued. In Professor Moore's opinion the use of this process would be so limited that no objectionable monopoly would result if the University should release to the cooperating agencies the patent rights to the process and permit them to apply for and secure at their expense a patent. The alternative would be t h a t the University secure the patent, in which case it would have to bear the expense of securing it without any monetary return, since, under the agreement with the sponsors of the research it would be obliged to give them a license to use the patent without charge. In view of these circumstances, the Faculty Committee on Patents recommends t h a t the cooperating agencies be given whatever release may be required in conformity with the terms of their contract to enable them to file an application for a patent to be owned and controlled by them if obtained.

On motion of Mr. Cleary, this recommendation was approved.

B U S W E L L S E W A G E TREATMENT AND S L U D G E DIGESTION P A T E N T S (9) The Pacific Flush Tank Company, which has been licensed by the Board of Trustees to use the Buswell Patents Nos. 1,838,474 (sewage sludge digestion) and 1,838,475 (sewage treatment), covering the circulation of supernatant liquor in single and two-stage sewage sludge digestion tanks, has offered to purchase these two patents outright for ?3,ooo cash. This offer was referred to the Faculty Committee on Patents which, after giving it careful consideration, recommends t h a t an offer be made to the Pacific Flush Tank Company of an exclusive license in municipal waste for the remaining life of the patents for a consideration of $5,000. This is not an outright sale of all rights under the patents, but such a license will cover the field in which the Company is interested. The Committee recommends further t h a t a reservation be made in such a license in favor of the State of Illinois and all its institutions, such as the University and others operated by the State. Such a reservation would not apply to cities, villages, and other municipal bodies.

This matter was referred to the Board Committee on Patents for investigation and recommendation to the Board.

A G R E E M E N T WITH ILLINOIS C R O P I M P R O V E M E N T ASSOCIATION F O R DISTRIBUTION O F HYBRID S E E D C O R N (10) A recommendation for the approval of an agreement with the Illinois Crop Improvement Association, Incorporated, for the distribution of seed corn. One of the recent developments in agronomy has been the great increase in the yield of corn through the use of hybrid seed, and the University has been a leader in this field. T h e amount of seed is limited, and it is necessary t h a t certain restrictions be placed on its sale for its effective use to the best advantage. This agreement will insure a distribution of the hybrid seed corn under terms and conditions satisfactory to the Department of Agronomy and will relieve the Department of the details of handling the actual distribution. This agreement is for the current calendar year and will expire December 31, 1937. No expense is involved.

On motion of Mrs. Freeman, the execution of this agreement was authorized.

A G R E E M E N T WITH T E N N E S S E E VALLEY AUTHORITY F O R EXPERIMENTAL AND D E M O N S T R A T I O N W O R K O N F E R T I L I Z E R S (11) A recommendation from the Dean of the College of Agriculture for the approval of an agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority for cooperation between the College of Agriculture, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Agricultural Extension Service, and the Authority in distributing and using for experimental