Hoffheins v. Russell

107 U.S. 132, 1 S. Ct. 570, 27 L. Ed. 332, 17 Otto 132, 1882 U.S. LEXIS 1210
CourtSupreme Court of the United States
DecidedJanuary 22, 1883
Docket142
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 107 U.S. 132 (Hoffheins v. Russell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of the United States primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hoffheins v. Russell, 107 U.S. 132, 1 S. Ct. 570, 27 L. Ed. 332, 17 Otto 132, 1882 U.S. LEXIS 1210 (1883).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Blatcheobd

delivered the opinion of the court.

This suit is brought for the infringement of two reissued letters-patent granted to Reuben Hoffheins, the appellant. One, No. 2224, was issued April 10, 1866, for an “ improvement in harvesters,” the original patent, No. 35,315, having been issued to him May 20, 1862. The other, No. 2490, was issued Feb. 19, 1867, for an “ improvement in harvesters,” the original patent, No. 40,481, having been issued to him Nov. 3,1863, and reissued in two divisions, one, No. 1888, Feb. 28, 1865, and the other. No. 2102, Nov. 7, 1865, and No. 2490 having been issued on the surrender of No. 2102.

No. 2224 contains nineteen claims,, and No. 2490 contains *134 nine claims. In No. 2224, claims 1, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, and 19, and in No. 2490, claims 1, 2, 6, 7, and 9, are alleged to have been infringed. The Circuit Court rendered a decree that the appellees had not infringed any invention of which the appellant was the original and first inventor, recited in the two reissues sued on ; that No. 2224 “ contains inventions different from that contained ” in No. 35,315; that No. 2490 contains inventions different from that embraced in No. 40,481; that the said, reissues respectively are, therefore, void; and that the bill be dismissed. From this decree this appeal is taken.

In No. 2224 the claims in question are these: “ 1. A sweep-rake, which is mounted upon - the heel of the finger-beam proper, or upon the inner front corner of the platform of a harvester which has its cutting apparatus and platform hinged to the draft-frame, all in such manner that the rake-arm sweeps the platform from front to inner side, and maintains a correct position in relation to the finger-beam and platform during the rising or falling movements thereof on the joint or joints by which the finger-beam is connected to the draft-frame, substantially as set forth.” “ 8. In a harvesting machine which has its cutting apparatus hinged or jointed to the main frame in such manner as to allow it to conform at both ends to the undulations of the ground, and a rake mounted upon the said cutting apparatus, or upon the platform thereof, I claim so constructing and arranging the several parts, that the support of the rake can occupy a position outside of the inner drive-wheel B, or a position which is between the point of suspension h and the outer divider Gr, and can also be hung or be suspended below the draft-frame, substantially as described.” “ 9. Effecting a combination of a rake and ‘reel, located substantially as described, and a finger-beam and platform, with the main frame, by means of a hinged draw-bar, 5, and hinged brace, I, or hinged suspender, /, and an extension bracket, 2, or their equivalents, substantially as and for the purposes described.” “ 11. Preventing a too sudden or abrupt deflection of a rake and reel mounted upon a hinged-joint cutting apparatus, by carrying the point of suspension beyond the rake-support toward the centre of the draft-frame, by means substantially as described.” “ 12. A continuously revolving *135 rake, which is mounted directly and wholly upon the platform or finger-beam, so as to rise and fall therewith independently of the draft-frame, when said rake is located between the centre of the draft-frame and the outer divider, and passes in at the front of the machine upon the platform and sweeps around to the inner side of the platform, substantially as described.” “ 14. The combination of a suspended hinge-joint cutting apparatus of harvesters, and a combined rake and reel, which is mounted directly and wholly upon the suspended platform or hinged finger-beam, substantially as and for the purpose described.” “16. The combination of a combined rake and reel, mounted upon a hinged-joint cutting apparatus, and a yielding belt-tightener, substantially as and for the purpose described.” • “ 19. Providing, in a harvester with the rake attached to its hinged finger-beam or platform, an extensible means for driving the rake, which will permit the platform and rake to rise and fall together,- and- accommodate themselves independently of the draft-frame to the undulations of the ground, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.”

The original patent, No. 35,315, in stating what the invention is, says that -it consists of certain improvements “ in the manner of mounting and operating a revolving rake.” There were three features set forth in the specification of No. 35,315 : 1. The peculiar construction of the reel and rake. 2. The peculiar form and location of the rake-post. 3. The peculiar manner of operating the rakes. There were only three claims in No. 35,315, one covering each of said three features, as follows : “ (1.) A combined reel and rake, rotating upon a vertical axis, and having its arms .successively turned up into an inverted position to pass over the main frame, substantially as explained.” “ (2.) The inclined standard I, rigidly mounted upon a loosely hinged platform, and employed to support a revolving reel and rake in an unchangeable position in relation to the said platform, without obstructing the free motion of the latter.” “ (3.) The yielding and swivelled rod Q operating in combination with the band P and pulleys O and R, in the manner and for the purposes herein shpwn and explained.”

A copy of the model filed in the Patent Office with the *136 original application for No. 35,315 is in evidence. The invention shown in the specification of No. 35,315 consists, in general terms, in mounting a rake upon a quadrant-shaped platform, said platform being hinged to the frame of a two-wheeled machine in such manner that the raking-arms will maintain at all times a proper working position relatively to the surface of the platform, and at the same time receive motion from driving mechanism mounted on the main frame, the result being accomplished by constructing the raking apparatus in a peculiar manner, and mounting it in a peculiar manner upon the platform of the machine, and, also, by connecting the driving mechanism of the rake with the driving mechanism on the main frame, by a belt mounted in a peculiar manner, so that the varying changes in the position of the platform and the raking apparatus relatively to the main frame and the gearing therein will not affect the driving mechanism of the rake. The specification says: “ D is a segmental platform, provided' with a divider, E, at its outer end, and resting upon a roller, e. F is a draw-bar, connected at front by a universal joint to the frame A, and attached at back to a shoe,/, upon which the inner side of the platform may rest. G is a lateral brace-rod, hinged at one end beneath the right-hand rear corner of the main frame, and at the other to the draw-bar F, or shoe /. H is a link by which the inner end of the platform is suspended from the back of the main frame.” This language describes the parts which relate to the platform and the devices by which it is attached to the main frame, and by which it is permitted to vary' its movement relatively to the main frame, to conform to the unevenness of the ground, and there is nothing else on the subject in the text of the specification. In the drawings of No.

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Bluebook (online)
107 U.S. 132, 1 S. Ct. 570, 27 L. Ed. 332, 17 Otto 132, 1882 U.S. LEXIS 1210, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hoffheins-v-russell-scotus-1883.