Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-23
SUBMARINE RADIO
PATENT CASE ENDS
Two Youths in Bureau of
Standards Win
Rights:

Eight years of litigation over the
patent rights to the submarine radio
snvented during the wartime emer'
gency has resulted in victory for the
two youths, former radio research
workers at the Bureau of standards,
who were declared by Judge Morris
Soper in Federal District Court at
Baltimore this week to be the rightful
inventors of the underwater antenna
that is now standard equipment on all
submarines of the United States Navy.
The suit was against James II.
Rogers. the Hyattsville. Nd, inventor
of underground wireless, whose delay
in filing his patent for submarine
radio, the idea for which, he averred,
had come to him early in 1917. was
the ground on which both the Patent
Office and Judge Soper rendered de.
cisions in favor of John A. Willoughby
and Percival d. Lowell, reversing an
earlier decision of the Court of APP
peals of the District of Columbia.
Willoughby and Lowell, both in
their early eos, were working on
an idea of loop which worked with
a submarine hull as part of it, using
a radiator placed in a bathtub as their
Submarine" when early in 1918 Ad-
miral Sims besought the Navy De-
partment for submarine radio devices.
on which the Germans were reported
to have made great advances.
Their laboratory and home expert
ments, as we'll as those they had con-
Quoted on the Potomac, having in
terested Government officials, the two
youths were transferred to the New
London submarine base. Aboard the
old D-1. off Block Island. they were
XJ,ai,
ceiving and sending through the
water.
The result was the perfection of an
antenna which is insulated to with
stand sea water, but works both in
the water or out of it. The loop comes
out of the coming tower and is
grounded on each end of the hull. 1t
is efficient enough so that all subma-
rines now use is for communication
with surface craft.
Although they hold the patent
rights, Willoughby and Lowell are
quite unlikely to profit greatly by it,
for the Government claims license
privilege on all inventions developed
in it's laboratories or with the use of
it's facilities. The Government pays
no license fees on such patents. and
there are practically no commercial
agencies which use submarines that |
would need tn. device and therefore |
pay the inventors for its installation. |
It is conceivable, however. that there |
may be commercial adaptation some |
day of underwater radio. Mr.. |
Willoughbv is now with the Naval |
Research Laboratory here.
Two programs of unusual interest, |
one an hour-and half concert by the |
famous New York Philharmonic Or. |
chestra, under the direction of Willem |
Won Hoogstraten, will be broadcast to- |
night by WRC. The second feature |
will be an elaborate hours program |
by Roxy" and "his gang" one Of the |
series of three radio entertainments |
which the Buick Motor Co. will spon- |
sor tonight through a Nationwide |
hook-up of broadcast stations.
The Philharmonic concert will come |
to WRC over special leased wire di- |
rect from the Lewfsohn Stadium in |
New York. "Roxy" has promised q |
collection Of surprises for his special |
entertainment. Incidentally, ali of |
the Buick dealers in Washington and /
vicinity have made arrangements TO |
pick up this program for visitors to |
their Showrooms. |
The weekly Bible talk, which viii |
be given by Mai. W. A. Canoe Of the |
W ar COlIeSo, vacation 1OylIs, UNI |
ner concert by the Hofbrau Orchestra |
and a late dance program by the |
Palais dor Orchestra complete |
WRC's bill.
Vocal and instrumental selections, |
interspersed with another 'at home"
program and dance music. make up |
the program tonight of WMAL. The |
station will begin broadcasting at $50 |
o'clock and continue without Interrupt |
ton until 10.
The artists who will take part in |
the broadcast include Phil Hayden |
and Les" Colvin, popular radio en-
tertainers; L. z. Phillips, trombonist |
Beulah L. Brown, soprano; Donald |
Brown, pianist, and Tompkins' Trou |
badours.
Weak signals, which responded re. |
luctantly combined with periodical |
outbursts of static and some fading, |
made dialing for distant stations last |
night tedious and unproductive |
pastime. The super-power stations |
were about the only ones which could |
penetrate the atmospheric blanket, |
and their signals, too, came through |
feebly, in comparison with their nor
NAL strength.