Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1956 [PAGE 1004]

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1956]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

IOOI

EXECUTIVE SESSION

At this point, an executive session was requested and ordered for the consideration of a recommendation from the President of the University relating to patents and a recommendation from the Committee on the Chicago Departments relating to land acquisitions in the Medical Center District.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY PATENT COMMITTEE (24) The University Patent Committee submits, with the concurrence of the Chairman of the University Research Board, the following recommendations relating to inventions by members of the staff. 1. Regenerative heat exchanger — John C. Miles, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Norman A. Parker, Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, inventors. This equipment comprises a heat exchanger suitable for the exchange of heat energy from one gas stream to another. It is applicable to such equipment as gas turbines where heat energy could be recovered from the hot exhaust gases and delivered to the compressed air stream ahead of the combustor, thereby reducing the quantity of fuel oil required. The invention was referred to the University of Illinois Foundation (as authorized by the Board of Trustees on April 27, 1955) for investigation and report. The University Patent Committee now recommends that this invention be released to the Foundation for the purpose of applying for a patent and proceeding with possible commercial development. (At its meeting on September 23, 1955, the Board approved a recommendation that a related invention described as combustion system for regenerative gas turbine developed by Professors Miles and Parker be released to the Foundation for patent application and development.) 2. A bistable element using cross coupling of two grounded base transistor amplifiers — Wolfgang Poppelbaum, Visiting Research Professor, Digital Computer Laboratory, inventor. This is a new circuit for a bistable element which, with the use of transistor amplifiers, gives promise for improved operation of electronic computers. T h e discovery which is in the highly competitive and rapidly developing field of electronics appears to have definite commercial possibilities. The Patent Committee requested the University of Illinois Foundation to investigate these possibilities. As a result of this investigation, the Patent Committee authorized the Foundation to file an application for a patent, the title of which, if issued, would be held by either the University or the Foundation. This application has been filed. T h e Committee recommends the release of the rights of the University in this invention to the University of Illinois Foundation for commercial development. 3. Drag indicator for aircraft cockpits — Malcolm L. Ritchie, Research Associate in Psychology, inventor. This device, developed under a contract with the Air Force, is an indicator for determining the drag of elements which project into the airstream — wheels, flaps, chute, etc. — and enhances safe operation. At its meeting on November 23, 1955, the Board approved the recommendation of the Patent Committee that this invention be referred to the University of Illinois Foundation for investigation and report. The Foundation has reported that this interesting development may improve the operation of airplanes — with its greatest use in military aircraft, chiefly those of single pilot operation — but that its commercial possibilities will not warrant the financial outlay required to secure a patent. The Patent Committee concurs and recommends that the rights of the University to this invention be released to the inventor, recognizing the contractual obligations of the University to the government, or, if the inventor does not wish to apply for a patent that the invention be released to the United States Air Force, the sponsoring agency. 4- Adapter G-R banana jack to R F connectors — James O. Austin, Jr., Research Associate in the Control Systems Laboratory, inventor. This device, developed in the Control Systems Laboratory, provides for a rapid method for attaching certain electronic elements. It is the opinion of the Director of the Laboratory that this invention has little commercial value. H e recommends, and the Patent Committee concurs, that the University's rights in this invention be released to the inventor, recognizing the contractual obligations of the University to the federal government which supports the Control Systems Laboratory, or,