satisfactorily for strategic grades and qualities of natural mica block, film, and splittings. The original approach of attempting to produce large single crystals of synthetic mica was supplemented after a time by efforts directed toward delaminating and reconstituting flake synthetic mica into a sheet having electrical and mechanical properties needed in electronic applications. Most of the developments that have been considered for patent action concern techniques, materials, and equipment directly related to advancing one of these two approaches. The only development of this research which is applied commercially at the present time is the process for manufacturing synthetic mica by internal electric-resistance melting. This process was developed in the search for a means of synthesizing large single crystals of mica. Although this process did not solve the problem of obtaining large crystals of synthetic mica in commercial quantities it did produce a material which rapidly found a market in the glass-bonded mica industry. A device was developed which is useful in controlling this process or any other using the melt to conduct the electric current furnishing heat to the reaction. At least two companies presently use the Bureau process to produce synthetic mica for use in glass-bonded mica. Because of its better molding characteristics, superior high-temperature properties, and more attractive appearance glass-bonded synthetic mica not only has filled a number of specialized needs but also has displaced glassbonded natural mica to an appreciable extent. Uses of glass-bonded mica include insulation in telemetering equipment, wire insulation, and other components in nuclear applications, and material for fabricating microwave equipment, switch panels, fuse boxes in aircraft, and sockets for miniature vacuum tubes. Ceramic bonded micas are not used commercially but might be useful materials at some future time. Several of the new processes for making synthetic micas require further development to evaluate their industrial significance. During basic research on synthesis of micas with various compositions, the processes of making the family of synthetic minerals of water swelling fluormicas was discovered. Their unusual properties were utilized to develop the process for producing a mica paper which differs widely from commercially available mica paper. The development so far is only in the preliminary stages but has aroused considerable interest in industry. Although the economic significance of this mica paper cannot be predicted yet, it stands a good chance of becoming a useful industrial material. The responsibility for the Department's patent policy was delegated to the Solicitor in 1945. After study, the present Solicitor issued a statement of the Department's patent policy on July 25, 1961. The Department's policy was restated as being that of taking title to any invention made under a research and development contract, except where it would be inequitable for the Department to take title because of substantial independent contributions to the invention by the contractor. However, in the case of Saline Water, Coal Research, and Helium Act research, a contractor who gets title is required to issue licenses to the public at reasonable royalties. Further, any contract wherein title is to be left with the contractor must be submitted in advance to the Solicitor for review and approval, together with a reasonable justification. After the passage of the Saline Water Act of September 22, 1961, the question of congressional intent was reviewed and after a searching analysis by the Solicitor's Office, it was decided by the Solicitor that the patent section of the Saline Water Act, the Coal Research Act and the Helium Act amended intended that all patents arising out of contracted research in these fields shall be made freely available to the public. 18 As a result, all contracts in these fields that have been negotiated in recent months include provisions which insure that any resulting inventions shall be made available to the public, free of charge. This may be accomplished by title in the Government, by joint title, title in the contractor with the right to issue sublicenses in the Government, dedication or by any other method so long as the desired result of making the invention freely available is obtained. The Department believes that the above changes in their policy makes it presently more effective in carrying our their duties, the congressional intent, and promotes the public interest. Therefore the Department feels there is no need to depart from the present policy. 19 B. RECOMMENDATIONS As to futuRE POLICY The Department of the Interior has not made any recommendations to the subcommittee because it believes the present policy to be effective and no specific instances in which a different policy might have proven more useful to the Government or in the public interest has come to its attention. Patent 1, 329, 853 1,330, 008 1,352, 916 APPENDIXES APPENDIX A Partial list of patents held by the Department of the Interior do. Water and Oil Gas Manufacture_. 2,033, 509 Bowie, Clifford P. 2, 119, 560 Shelton, Stephen M. 2, 169, 540 ..do.. Apparatus for Cracking Hydrocarbon Oils. Electrolytic Process for the Extraction of Purification of Manganese Sulfate Solutions. Clagett, William Horace, Jr. Instrument to Indicate Concrete Consistency. Fleischer, and William W. Buckmaster, James L...... Hanley, Herbert R., and Schroeder, Wilburn C., and Harrison, Lawrence H. Shaw, John M., Thomas R. 2,610, 506 Taliaferro, David B., Jr., Deaton, William M. Apparatus for Determining Dewpoint of Apparatus for Testing the Embrittlement Date issued Feb. 3, 1920 Sept. 13, 1920 Mar. 10, 1936 June 7, 1938 Aug. 15, 1939 Feb. 17, 1942 Apr. 28, 1942 May 26, 1942 Do. 2,629,253 Hatch, Robert A., and Jay Diamond-Harshaw Co., Cleveland, Ohio...... Aug. 9, 1946 Great Western Electro-Chemical Co., San Francisco, Calif. June 25, 1938 Ultrasonic Corp., 883 Boylston St., Boston, Sept. 10, 1946 Mass. National Aluminate Corp.............. W. H. & L. D. Betz Co., Danville, Ill.. Gilbert Associates, Inc., 412 Washington St., Reading, Pa. Cyrus Wm. Rice & Co., Inc., East Orange, N.J. Hagan Corp. and its subsidiaries; Hall Laboratories, Inc.; The Buromin Co.; Calgon, Inc., Hagan Bldg., 323 4th Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. Graver Tank & Manufacturing Co., Inc., East Chicago, Ind. Stout Engineering Co., Post Office Box 1453, Reading, Pa. The Detroit Edison Co., Detroit, Mich... National Aluminate Corp., Chicago, Ill... Cyrus Wm. Rice & Co., Inc., East Orange, Port Huron Sulphite & Paper Co., Port Huron, Mich. Hagan Corp. & subsidiaries: Hall Laborato ries, Inc.; The Buromin Co.; Calgon, Inc.; Hagan Bldg., 323 4th Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. Graver Tank & Manufacturing Co., Inc., East Chicago, Ind. American Die & Tool Co., Reading, Pa. Stout Engineering Co., Post Office Box 1453, Reading, Pa. Clinchfield Sand & Feldspar Corp., 618 Mercantile Trust Bldg., Baltimore, Md M. A. Boardman, Incend-X Co., Philadelphia, Pa. The Detroit Edison Co., Detroit, Mich. Texas Mica & Feldspar Co., Van Horn, Tex.. The Detroit Edison Co., Detroit, Mich.. National Aluminate Corp., Chicago, Ill. Cyrus Wm. Rice & Co., Inc., East Orange, Port Huron Sulphite & Paper Co., Port Huron, Mich. Hagan Corp. and subsidiaries; Hall Laboratories, Inc.; the Buromin Co.; Calgon, Inc.; Hagan Bldg., 323 4th Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co., Inc., East Chicago, Ill. American Die & Tool Co., Reading, Pa.. Graver Tank & Manufacturing Co., Inc., East Chicago, Ind. Allied Chemical & Dye Corp., 61 Broadway, New York, N.Y. Ultra-Violet Products, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif, May 15, 1943 |