In Re Ackenbach

45 F.2d 437, 18 C.C.P.A. 769
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedDecember 19, 1930
DocketPatent Appeal 2532
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 45 F.2d 437 (In Re Ackenbach) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Ackenbach, 45 F.2d 437, 18 C.C.P.A. 769 (ccpa 1930).

Opinion

GRAHAM, Presiding Judge.

Earl Ackenbaeh filed his application, serial No. 221,908, in the Patent Office on September 26, 1927, claiming a patent for a process for producing advertising literature by combining paint stenciling with printing. The Examiner rejected claims 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and this action was sustained by the Board of Appeals. The references relied upon by the Board of Appeals vere as follows: Hiett’s Manual of Stencil Screen Process Work, Indianapolis, 1926, page 38; Johnston, 1,189,453, July 4, 1916; Woodbury, 1,209,097, December 19, 1916; Beck et ah, 1,254,764, January 29, 1918; Kem, 1,478,745, December 25, 1923; Tull, 1,622,747, March 29,1927.

The Board of Appeals cited, as illustrative of all of the claims, claims 1, 3, and 5, and, inasmuch as it seems to be conceded that they are so illustrative, they are here given:

“1. The process of producing advertising literature' having ornamentation which consists in outlining the ornamentation upon a screen, coating the screen temporarily in selected portions to make it impervious thereat, applying a selected color of paint to the screen, forcing the paint through the pervious portions of the screen onto paper and printing selected data on the paper at selected points.”

“3. The process of producing paper advertising literature which consists in outlining upon a screen having a plurality of compartments, selected configurations coating the screen in each compartment except within the configurations to make the remainder of the screen impervious, applying paints of selected colors to the compartments, forcing the paints simultaneously through all the pervious portions of the screen onto a paper sheet and finally printing data on the sheet at selected points.”-

“5. That method of producing advertising literature and the like which consists in producing on a sheet of suitable material an artistic design by means of a silk screen, oil paint stenciling process, said design including a suitable space for printed matter, and thereinafter printing text in said space.”

The applicant’s process consists of producing painted advertising material on paper in one color or more, leaving spaces at proper places on the painted advertising material upon and in which, by means of ordinary printing press operations, printed matter may be placed. As detailed in his specifications and drawings, the process is, substantially, as follows:

A drawing or sketch of the design desired is painted on a sheet and then transferred to a silk screen by outlining the same on the screen. Then such portions of the drawing as are not to receive color are blocked off by coating the screen over said portions with some impervious coating, such as shellac. Paint of the proper color is then deposited on the screen, which screen is made of a thin silk material, and a squeegee is then drawn along, or across the screen and paint, and squeezes the paint through the silk screen upon the surface to be colored. The screen is then washed and the colored portion and blank portion covered, leaving exposed only-so much of the screen as it is desired to color with another color, which color is then applied and squeezed through as before. As many operations follow as are desired, according to the number of colors to be applied. Finally, the coloring having been completed, the paper is removed and put in a printing press, where printed matter is inserted in the spaces left blank, according to the desire of the producer .of the advertising matter. The result, as shown by samples produced before the court, is pleasing, and, as it further appears from the affidavits ■ in the record, is one that has met with very considerable commercial success. In addition to what has already been detailed, the appellant also uses a multiple screen in which the several processes are carried on a.t the same time, thus making the work much more ■ rapid of accomplishment.

Both upon the oral argument of the case and in his printed brief and argument counsel for appellant concedes that the individual steps in his alleged invention axe not new,. *439 but contends that new and useful results are obtained and that the process is therefore patentable. On this point he states in his printed brief:

“The invention, as stated in the application filed in the Patent Office, contemplates the use of a known method of stenciling as a part of the complete process invented by this appellant, namely, as the means of applying paint, it further contemplates the use of another known art, namely, printing, as another portion of the new process. The invention resides in the combination of these two known arts primarily and further includes improvements in the use of these arts as applied to the articles resultant from the complete new process. * * *

“Appellant concedes that there is no broad novelty in his main steps considered per se, but claims as his invention the combination of these main steps, together with certain improvements thereof and points to the beautiful effects, the entirely novel results and the heretofore unattainable advantages made possible only by the combination of steps forming his invention.”

The issue, therefore, is whether any new and useful result is obtained by appellant’s process, for it is well settled that, if the appellant has merely taken one device known to the ait, and another device likewise so known, and has combined them, and has produced no results other than were produced by the original devices in their individual operation, he has invented nothing. In re Isherwood (Cust. & Pat. App.) 40 F.(2d) 987; McClain v. Ortmayer, 141 U. S. 419, 428, 12 S. Ct. 76, 35 L. Ed. 800; Olin v. Timken, 155 U. S. 141, 155, 15 S. Ct. 49, 39 L. Ed. 300; Duer v. Lock Co., 149 U. S. 216, 13 S. Ct. 850, 37 L. Ed. 707.

In view of the concessions of appellant that the individual elements of his alleged invention are not new, we might content ourselves with discussing only whether any new and useful result has been obtained. A brief summation of some of the references, however, is, perhaps, advisable.

The Beck reference discloses a method of printing colored pictures and designs upon smooth surfaces, including paper, and is accomplished by the use of a. silk screen, whieh is blocked out by impervious matter, such as shellac, in practically the same manner in which the appellant proposes to accomplish his results. We consider this reference, so far as the coloring of the paper or other material is concerned, to he a complete anticipation of that portion of appellant’s application.

The Kem reference shows the use of a similar silk screen; the only appreciable distinction between his method and that of appellant’s being that Kem uses stencils instead of coatings of impervious material on his silk screen.

Further comment on the references as to this portion of appellant’s method are unnecessary. Plainly there is nothing new"or novel in the use of a screen, as the applicant shows it.

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45 F.2d 437, 18 C.C.P.A. 769, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-ackenbach-ccpa-1930.