Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1968 [PAGE 813]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1967]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

761

Hughes, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Jones, Mr. Pogue, Mr. Swain; no, none; absent, Governor Kerner, Mr. Page, Dr. Weatherly.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY PATENT COMMITTEE (30) The University Patent Committee, with the concurrence of the Chairman of the University Research Board, submits the following reports and recommendations relating to patentable inventions by members of the staff. 1. High temperature electric cell for solid fuels — Shao L. Soo, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Gerald M. Colver, Assistant in Mechanical Engineering, inventors. This high temperature electric cell for solid fuels produces electricity from a solid fuel (such as graphite, coal, etc.) and an oxidizer (such as oxygen). The electrodes consist of an anode formed by fuel fed into the reaction zone and a cathode formed by a porous metal rod feeding oxygen. After ignition, combustion raises the gap (y£ to 1 mm.) to high temperature and electricity is generated. This disclosure covers the basic ideas for a solid fuel cell such as for coal. Claim should include multiple electrodes and extended surface electrodes and a feed means for fuel. The Committee recommends assignment of the rights of the University to the inventors. 2. Gamma-electric cell — Henry T. Sampson, Graduate Student in Nuclear Engineering, inventor. The gamma-electric cell is a device that produces electrical energy when placed in a gamma radiation field. The output current from the cell is proportional to the intensity of the radiation field. Therefore a calibrated cell can be used to measure the intensity of an unknown field. The gamma-electric cell can also be used as a high voltage source when attached to a high impedance load. The Committee recommends assignment of the rights of the University to the inventor. 3. Telepedometer for the remote measurement of human locomotor activity — R. E. Herron and R. W. Ramsden of the Motor Performance Laboratory, Children's Research Center, inventors; developed under the sponsorship of the State of Illinois Department of Mental Health. This device consists of a short-range, inexpensive, transmitter-transducer designed for installation in the heel of a shoe. It was intended as a means of monitoring foot contact with the ground in order to provide information about "natural" patterns of daily physical activity in children. An important aim was to eliminate possible artifacts due to the subject's awareness that he is under study. The instrument seems to have acceptable stability and reliability and it may be installed and remain in the heel of a shoe, unknown to the wearer, for a matter of days. The Committee recommends assignment of the rights of the University to the inventors. 4. Feed system for paraboloidal antennas — John H . Bruning, Research Assistant in Electrical Engineering, inventor; developed under a contract with the Andrew Corporation. It has been demonstrated mathematically and experimentally that for a uniform illumination design, the gain loss incurred by using the best fit paraboloid in place of the specially shaped main reflector gives a significant net increase in gain over the more conventional conic dual reflector system. For the case of the high performance or low sidelobe type aperture distributions (tapered or Taylor distribution), it has been demonstrated mathematically that the best fit paraboloid fits the specially shaped surface to within an even higher degree of accuracy. The Committee recommends assignment of the rights of the University to the Andrew Corporation. 5. Edible food coatings — A. I. Nelson, Professor of Food Science, and Dov Hartal, Research Assistant in Food Science, inventors; developed under the sponsorship of the State of Illinois Department of Agriculture. The initial work on this project was directed toward development of an edible corn carbohydrate coating for meat and other food products. Representative products of the various starches, dextrins, corn sirups and corn sugar were evaluated alone and in combination as food coatings. The major, and unsurmountable, problem was the difficulty encountered in fixing and firming these coatings. No single starch or combinations of carbohydrates were suitable because a long time was required for the coatings to set or dry. This problem was solved by the addition of sodium alginate to the carbohydrate coating. After being dipped in the coating material, the food