[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 237 (Friday, December 8, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77014-77017]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31327]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Availability of Exclusive or Partially Exclusive Licenses

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
announces the general availability of exclusive, or partially exclusive 
licenses under the following patents. Any license granted shall comply 
with 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR Part 404.

    Patent Number: 5,849,984
    Title: Method and System for Treating Waste Nitrocellulose
    Issue Date: 12/15/98

    Patent Number: 5,858,082
    Title: Self-Interlocking Reinforcement Fibers
    Issue Date: 1/12/99

    Patent Number: 5,861,756
    Title: Method of Detecting Accretion of Frazil Ice on Water
    Issue Date: 1/19/99

    Patent Number: 5,863,483
    Title: Shock-Absorbing Block
    Issue Date: 1/26/99

    Patent Number: 5,864,059
    Title: Self-Recording Snow Depth Probe
    Issue Date: 1/26/99

    Patent Number: 5,865,439
    Title: Pop-Up Target System
    Issue Date: 2/2/99

    Patent Number: 5,888,559
    Title: Press for Compacting Plastic Explosive Material
    Issue Date: 3/30/99

    Patent Number: 5,890,836
    Title: Interlocking Blocks for Stream Erosion Control
    Issue Date: 4/6/99

    Patent Number: 5,900,820
    Title: System and Method for Detection of Frazil Ice on Underwater 
Grating
    Issue Date: 5/4/99

    Patent Number: 5,902,939
    Title: Penetrometer Sampler System for Subsurface Spectral Analysis 
of Contaminated Media
    Issue Date: 5/11/99

    Patent Number: 5,913,179
    Title: Method for Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Nested Graphical 
Data
    Issue Date: 6/15/99

    Patent Number: 5,995,451
    Title: Multiple Sensor Fish Surrogate Interface System for Acoustic 
and Hydraulic Data Collection and Analysis
    Issue Date: 11/30/99

    Patent Number: 6,003,251
    Title: Debris Separator for Dredge or Slurry Pump
    Issue Date: 12/21/99

    Patent Number: 6,032,538
    Title: Pressure Sensor Mounting Device for High Temperature 
Environments
    Issue Date: 3/7/00

    Patent Number: 6,047,782
    Title: Assembly and Method for Extracting Discrete Soil Samples
    Issue Date: 4/11/00

    Patent Number: 6,053,479
    Title: Self-Aligning Vortex Snow Fence
    Issue Date: 4/25/00

    Patent Number: 6,064,760
    Title: Method for Rigorous Reshaping of Stereo Imagery with Digital 
Photogrammetric Workstation
    Issue Date: 5/16/00

    Patent Number: 6,084,393
    Title: Scour Probe Assembly
    Issue Date: 7/4/00

    Patent Number: 6,095,052
    Title: Corrosion Resistant Metal Body, Bullet Blank, and Bullet and 
Method for Making Same
    Issue Date: 8/1/00

    Patent Number: 6,104,298
    Title: Roof Moisture Detection Assembly
    Issue Date: 8/15/00

    Patent Number: 6,109,486
    Title: Dry Sand Pluviation Device
    Issue Date: 8/29/00

    Patent Number: 6,116,353
    Title: Method and Apparatus for Installing a Micro-Well with a 
Penetrometer
    Issue Date: 9/12/00

ADDRESSES: Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity, Office of 
Counsel, 7701 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22315-3860.

DATES: Applications for an exclusive or partially exclusive license may 
be submitted at any time from the date of this notice. However, no 
exclusive or partially exclusive license shall be granted until 90 days 
from the date of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia L. Howland (703) 428-6672 or 
Alease J. Berry, (703) 428-8160.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: USP 5,849,984--A method for treating waste 
nitrocellulose, the method comprising the steps of treating 
nitrocellulose with acid in a hydrolysis process to break the 
nitrocellulose down to glucose, recovering a majority of the acid by 
electrodyialysis, neutralizing a remainder of the acid, and fermenting

[[Page 77015]]

the glucose to convert the glucose to a useful product. The invention 
further comprises a system for performing the above method.
    USP 5,858,082--The invention's first embodiment of uses shape 
memory alloy (SMA) fibers that are blended into a concrete composite 
material as straight fibers and are made to deform themselves and 
anchor and interlock themselves after dispersement in the composite 
material resulting in a more evenly distributed and interlocked fiber 
reinforcement of the cementitious material. A self-shaping fiber can be 
imparted to the concrete material by making the fibers out of SMA such 
as nickel-titanium alloy known as nitinol where the cementitious 
composite material mixture is briefly heated above the ``transition'' 
temperature prior to hardening that causes the fibers to change shape. 
Nitinol fibers are used alone in place of conventional steel fibers. A 
second embodiment uses conventional coiled metal steel fiber combined 
with a SMA clip for retaining the coiled metal fiber during the 
blending of this clipped fiber into a cementitious material with 
required heating yielding a shape change of the coiled metal fibers 
ultimately resulting in improved reinforcement characteristics.
    USP 5,861,756--The spaced plates of a capacitor are immersed in 
water adjacent water intake grating so that water flowing toward the 
grating passes between and in contact with the plates so that frazil 
ice may accrete on the facing surfaces of the plates. As accretion 
occurs, the capacitance changes to indicate the amount of accretion of 
frazil ice which is detected thereby providing an indication of the 
amount of accretion of frazil ice on the grating.
    USP 5,863,483--Shock-absorbing blocks for bullet stops at firing 
ranges and for traffic control are made by encasing scrap rubber tires 
in concrete. To ensure firm attachment of the tires to the concrete, 
reinforcements such as wire loops are fastened to the tire. To prevent 
the formation of air pockets during the pouring of the concrete mixture 
into a mold holding the tire, vent holes are punched into the side 
walls of the tire. To allow the concrete mixture to flow under the tire 
in the mold, the tire is propped up with support blocks. Wires may be 
strung across the top of the tire and attached to the side walls of the 
mold to prevent movement of the tire while the concrete is being poured 
into the mold. The concrete mixture may contain an aqueous foam 
additive, a stabilizer, and fiber reinforcements such as steel or 
organic polymers.
    USP 5,864,059--A snow probe device with a portable data logger that 
measures snow depths in snow covered areas. The snow probe components 
include: (i) A linear displacement magnetostrictive transducer composed 
of a long probe shaft with an internal magnetostrictive transducer 
filament that operates in conjunction with a small electronics package 
for signal generation and detection; (ii) a floating plate assembly 
that includes a magnet that slides on the probe shaft along with a 
floating plate that rests upon the snow's surface during a measurement 
event; (iii) a pointed tip designed for easy penetration of snow 
attached at the probe's bottom end portion; (iv) a thumb switch for 
actuating measurements on a cylindrical handle attached at the upper 
end of the probe shaft; and (v) a data logger for controlling and 
recording the magnetostrictive transducer measurements. Optionally, the 
device can include a polar fleece sleeve to thermally insulate the 
transducer's electronics package and a digital counter to record the 
number of measurements performed.
    USP 5,865,439--The invention is a pop-up target system wherein a 
three-dimensional target is raised by a knee-like action. The target 
may take the form of a head and torso manufactured in two parts, a 
front half and a back half, which are hinged at the top of the head 
portion and may incorporate a thick, relatively massive material which 
will absorb incoming bullets. The bases of the torso halves are each 
mounted through hinges to two separate four-wheeled platforms or trucks 
which are constrained by tracks or guide cables to move linearly to 
move the bases of the torso halves together in an upright position or 
apart in a flat horizontal position. The linear relative position of 
the torso halves is controlled by linear moving means attached to the 
wheeled platforms or trucks such that at the maximum separation between 
the torso halves, the two halves of the target lays inclined on a brace 
so as to be out of horizontal alignment, preferably 5 to 10 degrees out 
of alignment. The slight inclination with the hinge at the head portion 
of the target elevated above the base assures that any lateral force 
will fold the two halves at the hinge rather than directing the force 
across two aligned members attached with a hinge.
    USP 5,888,559--A press for compacting plastic explosive materials 
comprises a base plate, a support column upstanding from the base 
plate, a tubular housing mounted on an upper end of the column and 
extending widthwise of the column, a slide member slidably moveable in 
the tubular housing substantially parallel to the base plate and an 
elongated handle pivotally mounted at a distal end thereof on the slide 
member. A press piston is slidably disposed in a bore in the slide 
member and is slidably moveable in directions normal to the slide 
member, a distal end of the piston being disposed over the base plate, 
the piston having at a proximal end thereof a handle housing through 
which extends the handle, the handle housing having first and second 
rollers therein with the handle disposed between the rollers. Pivotal 
movement of the handle is operative to move the piston reciprocally 
toward and away from the base plate.
    USP 5,890,836--Interlocking blocks for the stabilization of stream 
and river banks and coast lines, road bed embankments, and boat ramps, 
are made of concrete, and have a high proportion of open area. 
Interlocking connections between adjacent blocks are made by radial 
projecting members and recesses on the periphery of each block, the 
projecting members of one block fitting into the recesses on adjacent 
blocks. Projections and recesses are alternately provided at regular 
angular intervals such that blocks can be assembled in either square or 
an equilateral triangular patterns. A layer of filter cloth material is 
laid on the sloping surface and upon which the blocks are then placed; 
this filter cloth slows down the leaching of water through the open 
areas between the interlocking blocks and prevents the washing away of 
sand and silt by stream or river water or rainwater runoff.
    USP 5,900,820--A system for detecting accretion of frazil ice on 
underwater gratings includes a housing for disposition beneath a water 
surface and spaced from but proximate an underwater intake grating. A 
pair of parallel electrically conducive bars are mounted side-by-side 
in the housing and extend therefrom. The bars are in communication with 
an electromagnetic wave generator in the housing. A coaxial 
transmission line is connected at a first end to the housing and in 
communication with the pair of bars for extension from the housing 
upwardly above the water surface. A monitoring station is disposed 
above the water surface for receiving signals from the bars, the 
monitoring station having a second end of the transmission line fixed 
thereto. The wave generator propagates electromagnetic waves to the 
bars for further travel to distal ends of the bars, and back to the 
housing and thence to the monitoring station. The

[[Page 77016]]

monitoring station is adapted to compute wave round trip travel time in 
the bars and to compute changes in the round trip travel time, from 
which is determined absence, presence, and build-up of frazil ice on 
the bars, thereby providing an indication of same on the grating.
    USP 5,902,939--The present invention pertains to a direct push 
small diameter fluorescence based penetrometer system for performing in 
situ spectral analysis on subsurface liquid or gaseous samples. The 
invention is configured to collect liquid or gaseous analyte samples 
within the penetrometer's sample chamber through a port that is 
juxtaposed to a heating element that accelerates the separation of 
volatile chemical materials from the soil matrix. Fiber optic cables 
are linked to surface mounted real-time data acquisition/processing 
equipment from the sample chamber. The penetrometer sampling device is 
also equipped with a standard penetrometer electric cone sensor module 
containing cone and sleeve strain sensors that are used to calculate 
soil classification/layering in real-time during penetration. The 
invention integrates soil classification/layering data with spectral 
signature data of suspect subsurface liquid or gaseous fluids for 
assessing whether the subsurface soil and ground water regions are 
contaminated without the requirement of transporting the sample and/or 
analyte to the surface for analysis. Moreover, the system integrates a 
means for grouting the bore hole upon retrieval of the penetrometer.
    USP 5,913,179--A computer implemented method for analyzing data 
utilizes a program and computer for processing input data in the form 
of digitized map representing a physical structure. The microprocessor 
performs the steps and stores the results of the steps in an attached 
storage device. The computer is programmed to employ or use various 
linear scales to establish critical dimensions of the curve and to 
analyze the dimensions in terms of orthogonal components. These are 
also stored for later processing or analysis to predict physical 
behavior associated with the structure. In a particular embodiment the 
curve represents a river bottom and predictions may be made about flows 
and the like.
    USP 5,995,451--The invention is a processor based analysis system 
with appropriate interface that includes multiple fish surrogates that 
each have a plurality of piezoelectric and triaxial accelerometer 
sensors for emulating sensory organs of a particular fish. The multiple 
fish surrogate array is immersed in flowing water intakes of hydraulic 
structures such as intakes, intake bypasses, and diversion structures, 
and natural geological formation such as riffles, shoal areas, and 
pools. The invention is an interface system for data acquisition 
analysis and perspective display of acoustic and fluid dynamic data in 
or near these hydraulic structures and/or natural formations. To 
accomplish this, multiple sensors in each of the fish-shaped surrogate 
physical enclosures that form the array are deployed at the same time 
to describe a fish's aquatic environment at the hydraulic structure 
location. The gathered data can then be correlated with fish behavior 
for the purpose of developing methods of diverting fish from such areas 
of danger of a water intake or to attract them to a water bypass 
entrance system.
    USP 6,003,251--A debris separator for a dredge pump includes a body 
portion having a top wall, bottom wall, first and second side walls, 
and an aft end wall defining a separator outlet for connection to the 
pump, a funnel portion having an entry end defining a separator inlet 
and a larger discharge end fixed to a forward inlet end of the body 
portion. The separator further includes a door hingedly mounted on the 
body portion first side wall and spring biased to a closed position 
overlying an opening in the first side wall, and a floor in the body 
portion slanted toward the bottom wall and toward the first side wall 
opening. Thus, upon stopping of the pump, backpressure is generated in 
the body by backflow of water into the separator. Backpressure causes 
the hinged side door to open. Heavy objects which have fallen to the 
slanted floor, due to the reduction of flow velocity through the 
separator, are flushed out of the separator with discharge water. When 
the discharge line empties, or the pump is restarted, the door closes 
under the spring bias.
    USP 6,032,538--A mounting device for pressure transducers comprises 
a housing with two chambers separated by an acoustic filter/heat sink. 
A blast shield having at least one opening allows communication between 
the measured environment and the first chamber and provides protection 
to the acoustic filter/heat sink film blast particles and flame. The 
acoustic filter/heat sink comprises a plurality of tortuous paths 
through a material having a high thermal conductivity and high specific 
gravity. The pressure transducer is located in the second chamber and 
is mounted on a thermally insulating mounting plate. The tortuous paths 
provide attenuation of high frequency, high amplitude pressure 
transients, cools the medium entering the filter due to the pressure 
transient and protects the transducer from corrosive particles and 
aerosols.
    USP 6,047,782--An assembly for extracting discrete soil samples 
from subsurface soil at a plurality of selected depths includes an 
elongated outer tubular housing, and a soil sample tube for disposal in 
the outer tubular housing. The soil sample tube is movable axially in 
the outer tubular housing and provided with a feature thereon for 
locking the soil sample tube in the outer tubular housing in a fully 
inserted position in the outer tubular housing. The replaceable soil 
sample tube defines a sample chamber proximate a distal end thereof. 
The assembly further includes a cone tip assembly including a cone tip 
member and a cone tip rod, the cone tip member being fixed to a distal 
end of the cone tip rod. The cone tip rod is movable axially in the 
soil sample tube, the cone tip member having a locking feature thereon 
for locking the cone tip member at the distal end of the soil sample 
tube with a cone portion of the cone tip member extending distally 
beyond a distal end of the outer tubular housing. A method for 
extracting soil samples, utilizing the above assembly, is also 
contemplated.
    USP 6,053,479--The invention relates to a passive snow removal 
system which deliberately forms vortices from a passing airflow and 
directs the vortices into scouring contact with snow accumulation on a 
target surface. The apparatus includes a base and a vortex producing 
plate rotatably mounted at an inclined angle relative to an upper 
portion of the base near the plate's center of mass. The geometry of 
the plate, which is preferably triangular, is used to aerodynamically 
form vortices from a passing airflow and direct the vortices onto a 
target surface. Once the vortices are in scouring contact with the 
target surface, they act upon the surface to dislodge and carry away 
any accumulated snow in the direction of the airflow and redeposit it 
downwind, thus removing the snow from the target surface.
    USP 6,064,760--A method for rigorously reshaping a pair of 
overlapping digital images using a Digital Photogrammetric Workstation 
(DPW) is disclosed. The overlapping images are imported into the DPW as 
a pair of originally distorted images having an associated sensor 
model. The original images are triangulated to adjust sensor 
parameters. Orthophotos are created with a flat digital terrain matrix 
(DTM) to leave terrain displacements within themselves, and

[[Page 77017]]

according to a sensor model and formula for exact projective 
computations. The orthophotos are aligned by rotation, and interior 
orientation coordinates of the equivalent vertical frame images are 
determined. The orthophotos are imported as a pair of overlapping 
equivalent vertical frame images according to the interior orientation 
coordinates. A digital terrain model is generated in the DPW using the 
overlapping equivalent vertical frame images. Another orthophoto is 
produced using the digital terrain model to remove the measured terrain 
displacements. In an alternative embodiment, the equivalent vertical 
frame images are aligned by using the classical pair-wise rectification 
method or by separately rotating each image without aligning the 
orthophotos by rotation during their creation. In each embodiment, the 
sensor model of the original distorted images is dissociated from the 
orthophotos for subsequently greater distribution and usage of the 
stereo imagery.
    USP 6,084,393--A scour probe assembly comprises an elongated rigid 
tubular member of electrically insulative material, an anchoring 
structure fixed to a distal end of the tubular member, and a signal 
transmission device mounted on the tubular member. A pair of 
substantially parallel electrically conducive sensor lines are fixed to 
an external wall of the tubular member and extend along at least a 
portion of an axial length of the tubular member from a closed proximal 
end toward the distal end and extend through the closed proximal end to 
an interior of the tubular member. Electronic components are disposed 
in the interior of the tubular member and are interposed between ends 
of the sensor lines in the interior of the tubular member and the 
signal transmission device mounted in the tubular member.
    USP 6,095,052--A bullet comprises a lead sheet and a zinc foil 
fixed to the lead sheet, the sheet and foil being rolled and pressure 
formed into a bullet having generally helical layers of the lead sheet 
and zinc foil. The bullet exhibits an improved environmental impact on 
soil, relative to all-lead bullets.
    USP 6,104,298--A roof moisture detection assembly includes an 
imaging system for obtaining thermal and visible images of a roof 
surface, an imaging system support structure for mounting the imaging 
system in a position elevated relative to the roof surface, a reference 
target mounted on the roof surface, and an image-processing system 
adapted to compare current thermal and visible images of the roof 
surface with previous thermal and visible images of the roof surface 
and detect shapes and areas of anomalous features, and to compare the 
current thermal and visible images with each other and detect shapes 
and areas of anomalous features.
    USP 6,109,486--Dry sand is ``rained'' or pluviated into a receptor 
container used in the study of soil mechanics. A supply vessel in the 
shape of an open-top rectangular box has four vertical side walls, a 
perforated bottom tray, and a slidable perforated tray in contact 
therewith, whereby sand flows by gravity from the supply vessel through 
perforations in the stationary and slidable trays and rains or 
pluviates into the receptor container when the slidable tray is in the 
``open'' position, and sand is blocked from flowing from the supply 
vessel with the slidable tray in the ``closed'' position.
    USP 6,116,353--A well assembly device comprises an outer tubular 
sleeve with a first end and second end. An inner tubular member has a 
first end and second end. An inner tubular member has a first end, and 
the inner tubular member is disposed within the outer tubular sleeve. 
The inner tubular member includes a screened portion at its second end. 
A tip is frictionally secured to the second end of the outer tubular 
sleeve, so that the outer tubular sleeve and the tip may selectively 
disengage.
    Applications for an exclusive or partially exclusive license should 
contain the information set forth in 37 CFR 404.8. Applications will be 
evaluated utilizing the following criteria: (1) Ability to manufacture 
and market the technology; (2) Manufacturing and marketing capability; 
(3) Time required to bring technology to market and production rate; 
(4) Royalties; (5) Technical capabilities; and, (6) Small Business 
status.

Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-31327 Filed 12-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-92-P