Fischer v. Hayes

6 F. 76, 19 Blatchf. 26, 1881 U.S. App. LEXIS 2111
U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York·Decided January 26, 1881·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Blatchford, C. J.

This suit is founded on letters patent No. 74,068, granted to the plaintiff February 4, 1868, for an “improvement in machine for forming sheet-metal mould-ings.” The patent was before this court in Fischer v. Wilson, 16 Blatchf. 220, and was there adjudicated upon. In that case it was held that the defendant had infringed claims 2 and 4. The novelty of claims 2 and 4 was attacked. Claim 4 is in these words: “4. Arranging the female die, G-, above the male die, E or F, for the purpose of keeping the female die clear, as set forth.” It was construed to be a claim to the described arrangement of the two dies, so that, having such a lower male die as E or F is, the female die shall be above the male die, and thus be kept clear, resulting in keeping both dies clear, instead of having the female die below, in a position to be clogged and mar the work, even though the upper male die should clear itself; and it was held that the lower male die must be so made and arranged as to afford no chance for the collection of dirt that would destroy the perfection of the work. Even though the female die is placed over the male die, yet the Fischer invention is not found if the male die has concavities or surrounding hollows in which dirt or foreign matter can collect. With that view of claim 4 it was held, in the Wilson case, that nothing was shown which affected the novelty of that claim. Various patents were introduced on the question of novelty, with other evidence. One of these patents was the Worthen and Renwick patent, referred to hereafter. It was held that nothing which was shown affected the novelty of claim 2 or claim 4.

In the present case several questions are raised which were not brought up in the Wilson ease:

(1) As to the objection that the replication to the answer was not filed until after the time prescribed in rule 66, and that then it was filed without prior leave of the court, and that the plaintiff’s proofs were taken after the expiration of three months from the time the replication was in fact filed. [78]*78The order dated March 19, 1880, but actually filed and entered March 25, 1880, made on the defendant’s motion to dismiss' the bill for the foregoing reasons, disposed of the foregoing questions. It was an order within the power of the court to make, in the exercise of its discretion, under rules 66 and 69. The court could rightfully direct the replication filed and the proofs taken to stand, as if the proceedings had severally been had within the times prescribed, as fully as if the order of the court to that effect had been made before taking such proceedings. The record shows that as full opportunity was given- afterwards to the defendant to enter objections on the record to the proofs previously taken, and to cross-examine the witnesses before examined, as if his counsel had been present when they were taken, and that he availed himself of such opportunity. The order, through some oversight, does not show on its face that affidavits were presented on the part of the plaintiff as a foundation for denying the defendant’s motion and for granting the plaintiff, the relief granted. Such, affidavits are on file among the papers in the cause, and it clearly appears that they were presented and acted on by the court. Like affidavits were presented on like motions made at the same time in the case against Neil and the case against O’Shaughnessey and Simpson, and those affidavits are recited in the orders made at the same time, of the same tenor, in those two cases.

(2) As to the objections to the direct testimony of the witnesses MacClay and Abbott. These questions are disposed of in the .decision on the separate motion of the defendant to strike out such testimony.

(3) The bill charges that the defendant “has operated and used, and is still operating and using, in the city of New York, at No. 71 Eighth avenue, a machine or machines constructed in accordance with and containing and embodying” the invention secured by the patent. The objection is taken that the bill does not state what the defendant has made by the use of the machine, or that he has made cornices with it. The patent grants to the plaintiff the exclusive right to use the [79]*79improvement; patented for any purpose. The improvement is stated in the specification to be an invention relating to “a new machine for pressing mouldings for cornices, etc., from galvanized or other sheet metal.” What is meant by “mouldings” is shown by the red lines in figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. They are structures resulting from round or angular bends in sheet metal. The allegation of the bill is sufficient.

(4) As to the use by the defendant, the evidence of MacClay shows that since the patent was granted the defendant has used at his places of business in the city of New York, for making sky-light bars, a machine embodying the inventions covered by claims 2 and 4 of the patent, with the female die above, and reciprocating np and down, and the male die below, not re-reciprocating, and resting on an upright standard, which was Lent over at the top so as to allow metal which had been partly bent to swing down under the male die, while further bends were being made, and not have the prior bends crushed out. The male die was so arranged that no dirt could collect around it, or between it and the female die. The defendant liad this machine made for himself. In the Fischer machine and in the defendant’s machine only two dies are in place at a time, one upper one and one lower one. Abbott says that he saw the defendant’s machine used in his factory to bend sheet metal into a sky-light bar. The evidence is sufficient to show the use of the machine in infringement of claims 2 and 4, in bending square angles in sheet metal. This is enough. Moreover, the answer admits that the defendant has a machine, and uses or operates it. A drawing of it is given by the witness MacClay. It was easy for the defendant to show, if the fact were so, that this drawing was not correct, or that the machine had not been used by him in the shape shown, to make the bends testified to in sheet-metal sky-light bars.

(5) The bill alleges that the defendant’s use of the machine has been without the plaintiff’s consent. This allegation is not specifically denied in the answer, nor does the answer [80]*80allege any license or consent. It is objected that the plaintiff has not proved want of consent. This was not necessary. It was for the defendant to prove consent, if anything needed to be proved on the subject.

(6) The apparatuses testified to by Philip Barkel, Axel Schiermacher, and John R. Hopkins have no bearing on the plaintiff’s patent. They are not alluded to in the brief for the defendant. They show no organized machine with a concave upright standard, on the top of which a male die is placed, and they show no male or female die, and the defendant’s expert, Mr. Renwick, gives no testimony in regard to them.

(7) The machine testified to by Ristine and Brand was a corrugating machine, and was incapable of making the structure shown in the drawings of the plaintiff’s patent. It is not shown ever to have been used in bending a square angle in sheet metal. It is not shown to have been ever used with only two dies at a time, — one above and one below, — with the lower die arranged as in the plaintiff’s machine. The testimony given by Renwick and Ristine as to the machine, and the model of it, was properly objected to on the ground that the use of the machine was not set up in the answer.

(8) As to the Peltier patent, Mr.

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Fischer v. Hayes, 6 F. 76, 19 Blatchf. 26, 1881 U.S. App. LEXIS 2111 (circtsdny 1881).

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