Allied Metal Stamping Co. v. Standard Electric Equipment Corp.

57 F.2d 296, 13 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 50, 1932 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1112
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedMarch 21, 1932
DocketNo. 5584
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 57 F.2d 296 (Allied Metal Stamping Co. v. Standard Electric Equipment Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allied Metal Stamping Co. v. Standard Electric Equipment Corp., 57 F.2d 296, 13 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 50, 1932 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1112 (E.D.N.Y. 1932).

Opinion

CAMPBELL, District Judge.

This is an action in equity in which the plaintiff seeks relief against the defendant by injunction and damages for the alleged infringement of patent No. 3,611,499, issued by the United States Patent Office to Herman F. Vaughn and Baymond B. Ter-pening, for electrical installation assemblage and conductor clamp, granted December 21, 1926, which patent was thereafter duly assigned to the plaintiff, which is the lawful owner thereof.

Defendant has interposed an answer setting up the defenses of invalidity and noninfringement, and also a counterclaim, which defense of counterclaim was dismissed on motion prior to the trial, and that decision is binding on this court.

The plaintiff is a corporation organized under the laws of the state of New Jersey.

The defendant is a corporation organized under the laws of the state of Delaware.

The problem which the patentees were called upon to solve and the objects of their invention are clearly set forth in the specification of the patent in suit, as follows:

“In electrical construction work, when clamping conductors to switch boxes, outlet boxes, and other receptacles, it is customary to pass said conductors through relatively large openings in the receptacle and secure them by means of a screw-operated clamp within the receptacle. The form of clamp heretofore employed leaves gaps between the conductors and the edge walls of the openings through which they pass, which gaps are contrary to regulations covering electrical installation, and constitute a dangerous fire hazard. It is the principal object o-f our invention to provide a new and improved electrical installation assemblage including ta. clamp whieli is so constructed as to close the gaps of the openings, heretofore left by the form of clamp previously employed.
“Another object of the invention is to provide a clamp which will not only effectively close the portion of the knockout hole not occupied by the conductor armor, but which may be used to effectively grip and hold any of the several sizes of flexible metallic armored cables, as well as the non-metallie sheathed cables and the flexible tubings now in use.
“Other objects are to provide a combined cable clamp and knockout hole closure of almost universal application to the standard switch and outlet boxes, which may he manufactured at small cost, which may bo easily and quickly installed, and which will be strong and highly effective in use.”

There was evidence received on the trial that fir'es had been caused by sparks from the switch boxes escaping through the openings left in the boxes where the conductor cables entered the box. The patent in suit is simple and easily understandable, and the embodiment shown in the patent and drawings comprises a receptacle 5, which may be of the type of any well-known cabinet, switch box[298]*298•es, outlet boxes, or other inelosures or receptacles commonly used in electric installa-which receives a clamping screw 13, slidably engaged by threading or the like, with an tion. This receptacle is formed with the us-uab continuous walled openings or knockout -holes 6, through which the conductors 7 and ■their protecting armor 8 pass, and in which they are held by the clamping member 9. This clamping member comprises two arched clamping portions 10, to engage the armors 8 of the conductors 1: The arched clamping portions 10' are integrally connected by a ■connecting portion 11, having an opening 12; opening in the wall of the receptacle which is at right angles to the wall in which the knockout holes 6 are formed.

The clamping member 9' is disposed ad-jaeent to the inner side of one wall of the re-eeptacle 5, and its inner edge, in the clamping portion 10> is preferably provided with inwardly stamped lugs 14, to anti-slippingly engage the armor's 8, of the conductors 7. The outer edge of the clamping member 9 is [299]*299provided with an integral pi ate 15, in a plane at right angles to that of the connecting portion 11; the plate 15 being adapted to slid-ably engage the inner side of the receptacle wall.

The portions 10, 11, and 15 strengthen each other and provide a strong clamp with tho nse of the minimum amount of metal; and the hearing of the stamping portions 10 on the cables is sufficient to prevent the tilting of tho plate 15 away from, the wall of the receptacle when the screw 13 is tightened; thus the plate 15 covers the gaps which would otherwise exist between the conductor armors and the edges of the opening 6, and the fire hazard is reduced.

The defendant’s contention that the patent in suit is invalid, because the disclosure thereof is misleading and incorrect as to the operation and function of the clamp and (damp plate 15, is not sustained.

The clamp of the patent does function and perform in exactly the manner described in the specification, and the description and drawing are not misleading or incorrect as io its operation.

The drawings and specifications of the patent in suit describe and show a clamp which will accomplish the expressed objects of tin! patent in suit. The clamp of the patent in suit functions to grip and hold the several sizes of cable mentioned in the patent, and in tho manner described, and tho up^ standing plate 15 of the clamp also closes the gaps or openings between the conductors and the edge walls of the openings through which the conductors pass.

I do not understand how the clamp, when screwed down on tho conductor to grip the same, moves forwardly and inwardly so that the piale thereof moves slightly away from the inside box wall, in view of the fact that tho rigid screw 13 does not pass through a slot in the clamp but through a hole accommodated thereto, and that such translation would be impossible without bonding the screw; hut, even if the upstanding plate be so moved, it is immaterial, as, whatever position it ultimately assumes, it will still remain a closure for the holes.

Whether plate 15 bo called a baffle, plate, or closure is immaterial, as it effectively functions to block off or close the holes against sparks passing therethrough, when the clamp is screwed down in clamping position.

In determining the meaning of the word "close” as used in the patent in suit, it must be considered with reference to tho objects of tho patent. Liquid Carbonic Co. v. Gilchrist (C. C. A.) 253 F. 54; Imperial Machine & Foundry Corp. v. American Machinery Co. (D. C.) 276 F. 436.

The objects of the patent in suit are attainable by the structure disclosed in the patent in suit, and that structure may be satisfactorily made and used by any person skilled in the art.

The defendant’s contention that the patent in suit is invalid because the disclosure thereof does not show an operative device, when used with the flexible ¿rmored cable illustrated to form a closure of the character described and claimed, requires but little further consideration in view of what I have already said on the question of apertures.

However, even if the plate 15 may or may not be positioned slightly away from the wall of the box, when the flexible cable is clamped down, does not deprive it of the function of serving- to close the apertures where they are unoccupied by the conductors.

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57 F.2d 296, 13 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 50, 1932 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1112, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allied-metal-stamping-co-v-standard-electric-equipment-corp-nyed-1932.