Page 16
THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1980
Energy crisis brings flood ol inventions
Everything from toilet paper oil filters to motorized skateboards
United Press International
Louisiana businessman Willie
Klump dreams of the day when
America s motorists will drive hun
dreds of thousands of miles without
changing their motor oil because
they bought Klump-manufactured
oil filters stuffed with toilet paper.
In San Jose, Calif., Bill Posey en
visions freeways jammed with peo
ple riding his motorized skateboards
at speeds up to 35 miles an hour,
while in Southern Pines, N.C., Pe
ter Greenspan sees compressed air
powered cars on the hprizon.
In a more conventional vein in
New York City, scores of Stuart
Pivar’s gasoline-powered Microcars
are already in use as he begins pro
duction of an electric-powered
model.
They are among thousands of in
ventors across the country who have
answered the call in the battle
against rising gasoline prices and
dwindling oil supplies. Annually
they submit tens of thousands of
ideas to government and private in
dustry officials, and occasionally, as
in Pivar’s case, some of their inven
tions find their way to the production
line.
the U.S. Bureau of Standards for
evaluation.
Mello said “the winners” are then
sent back to the Department of
Energy to be considered for a federal
grant. So far, the bureau of standards
has recommended 128 ideas to the
Energy Department for grant con
sideration.
Among those in the field of trans
portation that have been pursued are
advanced carburetors, a new spark
ignition system, and what Mello cal
led an “optimizer” to keep all of an
automobile’s systems running as effi
ciently as possible.
“Our goal is to give this little guy a
chance at least to compete effective
ly,” said Mello. “One man cannot
run an enterprise alone. What are
needed are specialists in marketing,
specialists in finance, and other
areas. All of those go into making a
successful product.”
The U.S. Patent Office in Arling
ton, Va., also speeds up action on
energy and environmentally related
inventions.
Don Stocking, of the patent
office’s Heat and Power Engineering
Examining Group, said there has
been a boom in recent years in solar-
related patent requests, while patent
requests in other energy-related
fields have remained stable.
Private corporations also offer
another avenue for the private in
ventor to get his idea into produc
tion.
At the General Motors Technical
Center at Warren, Mich., the new
devices section receives about 4,000
proposals each year from private in
dividuals.
“Most of them are from your next
door neighbor or mine, saying why
don’t you do something rather than
saying how,” said Jerry Rumbold,
assistant director of the new devices
section. “Very, very few of these are
way off the deep end, just enough to
keep us light hearted.”
John Dobb, director of the new
devices section, said that in 1978,
General Motors received 3,800
proposals from inventors.
“We purchased the rights to only
two of them to investigate further
and pursue, and in both cases they
related to engine design features or
power train features relating to fuel
economy,” said Dobb.
"We’re seeing an awful lot of sug
gestions on fuel economy, emission
control, that type of thing,” said
Rumbold. ‘Thesuggesl
follow the media, what4?
concerned about.”
Dobb said there area
reasons why suggestions sm
down, ranging from beinj
ly infeasible to costing too J
“For example, somelkiJ
solve one problem wbil- *
others,” said Dobb. “An
improve fuel economy, W:
emissions or result
bility.”
“The private inventor is probably
the best source of ideas available,”
said Dave Mello, a project engineer
in the Department of Energy’s ener
gy-related inventions program,
headquartered in Washington.
In the six years the program has
been in existence, Mello said, the
Energy Department has received
60,000 proposals from small inven
tors that range from the totally in
competent to the technically
feasible.
“About half of them are good
enough to warrant further evalua
tion,” Mello said. The Energy De
partment then submits the ideas to
Regents
(continued from page 1)
The 11 men and the positions they
were appointed to are:
— Dr. Dean C. Corrigan, dean of
Texas A&M’s College of Education.
Corrigan is currently dean of educa
tion at the University of Maryland.
He will fill a position which was left
empty when Hubert became chan
cellor last year. Dr. P.C. Limbacher
has held the job on an interim basis
since then.
— Robert G. Cherry, assistant
chancellor. Cherry was formerly
assistant to the chancellor. He will
continue to serve as secretary to the
Board of Regents.
— Dr. Perry Adkisson, deputy
chancellor for agriculture. Adkisson
has been university vice president
for agriculture until that office was
phased out by the chancellor’s prop
osal.
— Dr. O.D. Butler, associate de
puty chancellor for agriculture. He
has been the University associate
vice president for agriculture.
— Dr. Fred J. Benson, deputy
chancellor for engineering. Like
Adkisson, Benson was a university
vice president for his area before the
office was eliminated.
— W.A. Porter, director of the
Texas Engineering Experiment Sta
tion. Porter has been the station’s
assistant director and is a professor of
electrical engineering at Texas
A&M. He will replace Benson.
— Heston Cherry and Edwin
Fenner, associate deputy chancel
lors for engineering. Cherry’s re
sponsibilities will involve plans and
operations and Fenner’s will be
administrative. Both have been asso
ciate vice presidents for the Univer
sity.
— Stanley H. Lowy and Terry E.
Shoup, assistant deans for Texas
A&M’s College of Engineering.
Lowy is a professor of aerospace en
gineering at Texas A&M. Shoup is a
mechanical engineering professor at
the University of Houston and will
assume his new position July 1.
— Robert L. Smith, assistant ex
ecutive vice chancellor for adminis
tration. He is now assistant to the
executive vice chancellor for admi
nistration.
Head basketball coach Shelby
Metcalf was given a five-year con
tract at Tuesday’s meeting of the
Texas A&M University System
Board of Regents.
Salary terms of the contract were
not disclosed.
Spec Gammon, sports information
director for the University, said Met
calf has not worked under contract
before.
“No one in the athletic depart
ment but the head football coach has
been working under a contract,”
Gammon said.
Texas A&M had its best year ever
in basketball this season, with a re
cord of 26-8. The Aggies progressed
to the Midwest Regionals of the
NCAA playoffs before losing to even
tual national champion Louisville in
overtime, 66-55.
Somethin’s
Special
PLAY & WIN!
ODDS CHART
Everytime You
Shop
PIGGLY WIGGLY
■ These prices good
■ Thurs., Fri,, & Sat.
a March n-li-lV
WE ■:
oivk9K^
rat* boneless
BRISKETS
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TOTALS
44,165
115
44.500
« 107.616
1 to 61
1 to 4J
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Local Winners:
Eva Gustavus
Bryan 20.00
Ray Robinson
Somarvilla 50.00
Blossie T. Payton
C.S. 100.00
Robert C. Jones
C.S. 100.00
Nancy Satterfield
C.S. 100.00
Tom Decker
C.S. 50.00
James M. Lewis
Gainesville 51000.
Ciy-O-Vac
Heavy
Beef
SMOKED
PICNICS
WE gi
GIVE 5
BONELESS HAMS
1/4 PORK LOIN..
FRESH FRYERS %
SLICED BACON
PORK ROAST
PORK ROAST
Rodeo, Whole
• •••• Fully Cooked....
Sliced into chops
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••a
Certihn:
24 oz
Family Pack
Center •••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••a
} p.rtioi
} kraatt f.rtWaa *rtk kaekt
•ttk kaekt * flat jlkWti ID.
Rodeo
1-lb. pkg.
Swift's Rib End *
Tend'r Lean 7 rib cut...... lb.
Swift's Loin End $
Tend'r Lean 7 inch cut***** lb.
.. lb T 8 POTATO SALAD
lb ‘1 w RIB PORK CHOPS
47
*1 19 MEAT FRANKS R “ d “
I 1 ’ CHUCK ROAST. XA..
I 29 CHUCK ROAST S /L p .^ n
LOIN PORK CHOPS ... F .* c ra l p r aek
•••••••••
•••••••••••••••SB
.... 12 oz. pkg.
Del Monte
CUNG PEACHES
CUBE STEAKS
’BIG ONES"
2-1/2 can
WE
give!
, ■ . ■■■■■■■■■■■■
Aunt Jemma I c.ineUina m
CORN
MEAL
Sunshine
VANIUA
WAFERS
Round Bone
Shoulder Cut
Beef
tuk 99 < CHUCK STEAK
lb $ 1 58 SWISS STEAK
lb J 1 68 SHORT RIBS
Swift Proten
Tenderized .........a
Oscar Mayer
> Wieners ••••••••••• 1-lb. pkq.
COTTO SALAMI Luncheon Loaf or 8 oz. pkq.
•••••••
Piggly Wiggly
24 oz. loaf
BREAD
59
PORK & BEANS
1
Showboat
# 300
15 oz
cans
11 oz. box
WE I:
GIVE ■!
Piggly Wiggly
• MEDIUM
; EGGS
DOZEN
Piggly Wiggly
s LOW FAT
• MILK
gal. jug
we a
GIVE!
100 EXTRA
S&H
GREEN STAMPS
with every order of
FILM PROCESSING
Developing and prints
This coupon must accompany
your order.
Regents give
Coach Metcalf
first contract
gal. jug
»••••••••••••»•
CLOROX BLEACH
GRAPE JUICE...^.A 4 o bti.‘1 39 SUNBEAM COOKIES3
DILL PICKLES ^ M j., 69 DRINK MIX Ko.i-Aid
BLACKEYEPEAS::rL...3, 5 „„
PURPLE HULL PEAS.?“*^ S 3 )5 * 2 30 ® nt 1 CORN Z COBJ.^r.. 5 .. 8 ct . pk ,.
SEEDLESS RAISINS ‘
•••••••••••••••••A
16 oz. bti. 63*!!
7oz. pkgs.*1 i|
*|89 H
Quantity rights reserved.
BA
i«lbeen
SALAD DRESSING Best Maid
10 qt. can
qt. jar
79
99
DOG FOOD
LISINS S =ifl5 K bo ;iM POT PIES *.n,ue,Baef ur ^ 33 0 , e ^\ |
3 14 at.cans * 1 SIZZLEAN Swift... n o;. pM- j 19 |
«■■■■■ ■ b a|B[■■■■■■■■
US # 1 1 Ari20na m lb. Vk
/ im ■■ - - ^ ~ - I VALENCIA ORANGES 4 bag
S&H GREEN STAMPS I■ BASSET Ideucious^apTles!" i b . 495
COUPOnT^" POTATOES JbEU PEPPERS 2 far 49£
ic« Managers Sales Contest H
100 ■: UB.
HA MEEK STAMPS MfMr | oco lt 19* B
with this coupon Hm If ll 1 RUT/VBAGES lb. ■
and 1 Ilf L Qn I Ca. Nncy QQ**
50 in produce purchases t*- * ■ NAVEL ORANGES.... 3 lbs. TTV
JHUJHI Ml m Mb wl ^ ■■■■■■■ Hi ■■■!■■■■■■■■
EXTRA
PEPPERS..
B Super Select
■cucumbers
|u$»t * OO
■ YAMS 3 Iks ▼ *
•••••••••••
2 for
49 J
2700 Texas Ave S.
3516 Texas Ave.
200 E. 24th St.
9 Redmond Terrace
COLLEGE STATION,
and
BRYAN, TEXAS
Double fisH Green Stamps every Tuesday wrffi^2.S^or more purchase.