US3662260A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electric field measuring instrument with probe for sensing three orthogonal components
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1971-02-12
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Granted: 1972-05-09
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Expires: 1991-02-12
Abstract
Abstract An instrument is disclosed which includes a probe for sensing the x, y, and z orthogonal components of an electric field occurring at any given place in an environmental medium and for producing a trio of analog signals proportional thereto. A computer is connected to said probe for the processing and resolving of said analog signals in such manner as to cause an output signal to be produced thereby that is proportional to the magnitude of the resultant thereof. Further computer structure is optionally employed to make computations and produce signals that are proportional to the vector quantity of the aforesaid resultant with respect to a given reference, as well as the angles thereof relative to the x, y, and z axes which are coincident with the aforesaid sensed electric field x, y, and z orthogonal components. Any or all of said signals are read out in terms warranted by any given operational circumstances.
Inventors
- 👤 Aubrey M Thomas
- 👤 Aubrey G Holston
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 04:45
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R29/00; G01R29/24; G01R29/08; G01R29/0864; G01R29/0878; H; H01; H01Q; H01Q9/00; H01Q9/04; H01Q9/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
235 words
An instrument for sensing an electric field within a predetermined environmental medium, comprising in combination: an electrically nonconductive housing; a trio of passageways disposed in said housing in such manner that they meet at substantially a common junction and extend along orthogonal axes thereof; a sextet of metallic rods respectively mounted on said housing in such manner as to have the inner ends thereof in communication with the outer extremities of said trio of passageways and with the longitudinal axes thereof located so as to be extensions of the aforesaid orthogonal axes; a sextet of metallic tips connected to the outer ends of said sextet of metallic rods, respectively; means coating the outside of each of said sextet of rods for effecting the electrical insulation of the outside surface thereof between the respective tips thereof, said housing, and said predetermined environmental medium; another passageway located in said housing in such manner as to be in communication with the aforesaid trio of passageways; a trio of pairs of electrical conductors, effectively and respectively connected to the diametrically opposed inner ends of said sextet of metallic rods and extending out of said another passageway, adapted for being connected to a utilization apparatus at the other ends thereof; and means connected to said housing at said another passageway and disposed around said sextet of electrical conductors for the electrical insulation thereof from the aforesaid predetermined ambient environmental medium.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
235 words
An instrument for sensing an electric field within a predetermined environmental medium, comprising in combination: an electrically nonconductive housing; a trio of passageways disposed in said housing in such manner that they meet at substantially a common junction and extend along orthogonal axes thereof; a sextet of metallic rods respectively mounted on said housing in such manner as to have the inner ends thereof in communication with the outer extremities of said trio of passageways and with the longitudinal axes thereof located so as to be extensions of the aforesaid orthogonal axes; a sextet of metallic tips connected to the outer ends of said sextet of metallic rods, respectively; means coating the outside of each of said sextet of rods for effecting the electrical insulation of the outside surface thereof between the respective tips thereof, said housing, and said predetermined environmental medium; another passageway located in said housing in such manner as to be in communication with the aforesaid trio of passageways; a trio of pairs of electrical conductors, effectively and respectively connected to the diametrically opposed inner ends of said sextet of metallic rods and extending out of said another passageway, adapted for being connected to a utilization apparatus at the other ends thereof; and means connected to said housing at said another passageway and disposed around said sextet of electrical conductors for the electrical insulation thereof from the aforesaid predetermined ambient environmental medium.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
103 words
The device of claim 1, wherein said sextet of metallic rods respectively mounted on said housing in such manner as to have the inner ends thereof in communication with the outer extremities of said trio of passageways and with the longitudinal axes thereof located so as to be extensions of the aforesaid orthogonal axes each comprise: a metallic shaft; external threads located at the inner end of said shaft; a flange attached to said shaft in contiguous disposition with the outer end of the external threads located at the inner end thereof; and external threads located at the outer threads of said shaft.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said sextet of metallic tips each have: an internally threaded hole extending a partial distance therethrough; and a slot cut in the outer end thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The device of claim 1, wherein said means connected to said housing at said another passageway and disposed around said sextet of electrical conductors for the electrical insulation thereof from the aforesaid predetermined ambient environmental medium comprises a rigid hollow elongated pipe for supporting the aforesaid electric field sensing instrument.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device of claim 1, wherein said means connected to said housing at said another passageway and disposed around said sextet of electrical conductors for the electrical insulation thereof from the aforesaid predetermined ambient environmental medium comprises a flexible insulated cable for towing the aforesaid electric field sensing instrument.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
195 words
The invention of claim 1 further characterized by: a sextet of enlarged, internally threaded sections located at the outer extremities of said trio of passageways in such manner as to effect a like sextet of outwardly facing shoulders at the inner ends thereof, respectively; a sextet of metallic washers, having holes through the centers thereof, disposed within the sextet of enlarged, internally threaded sections located at the outer extremities of said trio of passageways in such manner as to have the inner faces thereof abut the aforesaid outwardly facing shoulders, respectively; a metallic insert, having an internally threaded aperture therethrough and external threAds that are compatible with the internal threads of the aforesaid enlarged internally threaded sections located at the outer extremities of said trio of passageways, disposed within said enlarged internally threaded sections in such manner as to be secured therein; and an electrically nonconductive washer, having a center hole that is greater in diameter than the internally threaded aperture of said metallic insert, abutting the outer surface of the aforesaid electrically non-conductive housing in such manner that the center hole thereof is in alignment with the longitudinal axis of said internally threaded aperture.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
The invention of claim 1 further characterized by a sextet of flat surfaces cut into said electrically non-conductive housing in such manner as to exist around the ends of said trio of passageways and be substantially normal to the longitudinal axes thereof, respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
129 words
The device of claim 1 wherein said utilization apparatus to which the other ends of said trio of pairs of electrical conductors are adapted for connection comprises: means connected to said trio of pairs of electrical conductors for the processing of the trio of output signals therefrom in such manner that they will have optimum useful strength levels, respectively; circuit isolation means connected to the outputs of aforesaid output signals processing means for the buffer amplification of each of said trio of signals; a computer connected to the outputs of said circuit isolation means for computation of the magnitude of the resultant of the processed and buffer amplified trio of signals and for producing an output signal proportional thereto; and a readout connected to the output of said computer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
150 words
The invention of claim 8 further characterized by: means effectively connected to said computer and to said circuit isolation means for dividing one of said trio of signals by the resultant thereof and for producing a first output signal proportional thereto; means effectively connected to said computer and to said circuit isolation means for dividing another of said trio of signals by the resultant thereof and for producing a second output signal proportional thereto; means effectively connected to said computer and to said circuit isolation means for dividing the remainder of said trio of signals by the resultant thereof and for producing a third output signal proportional thereto; a resolver computer having a trio of inputs and an output, with the trio of inputs thereof respectively connected to the outputs of said first, second, and third signal producing dividing means, and with the output thereof connected to the aforesaid readout.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention of claim 9 further characterized by a buffer amplifier connected between the output of said first mentioned computer and inputs of the aforesaid first, second, and third signal producing dividing means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3132342A
Cited
US3458805A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-09 | 1975-11-08 | 1976-05-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-09 | 1979-11-08 | 1980-05-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-09 | 1983-11-08 | 1984-05-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |