Posts Tagged: "world war II"

Howard S. Jones, Jr., Revolutionizes Long-Range Air Communications with Conformal Antennas

Thanks to the work of Howard S. Jones, Jr., one of the 2018 inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the United States was able to advance antenna technology in the latter part of the 20th century. Jones’ innovative work in developing conformal antennas has been crucial for the development of enabled enhanced capabilities for spacecraft, rockets and other aeronautical technologies. This March 1st marks the 41st anniversary of the issuance of the U.S. patent for which Jones has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Today, we return to our Evolution of Technology series to explore the early development of antennas and see how Jones was able to make a great step forward in improving our nation’s defense systems.

75th Anniversary of the Original Jeep Patent

The government was looking for a multi-purpose four-wheel-drive vehicle. Only American Bantam Car Company responded to the request within the given time, which was just 49 days to produce a working prototype. The government was impressed with Bantam’s design and shared the blueprints with several other companies, which not surprisingly soon followed with their own very similar designs. Adding insult to injury, the government applied for a patent in the name of Colonel Byron Jones as the inventor despite the fact that he did not work on the design of the vehicle.

Remembering a Great US Inventor on Memorial Day

On holidays I frequently try and find a patent or innovation angle and write something cheerful and in keeping with the theme of the day being celebrated. As I sat here trying to figure out what to do for Memorial Day, a day that in my opinion simply cannot be over celebrated, I wondered how I would tastefully weave a patent related theme into what is a very solemn day of remembrance and thanks for the many men and women who have served the United States of America, and particularly for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. I thought about profiling a patent or two where they inventor was a member of the US Armed Services, but that didn’t seem to be enough. I thought maybe it would be interesting to profile the first patent assigned to say the United States Navy.