In re Burk

73 F.2d 497, 22 C.C.P.A. 731, 1934 CCPA LEXIS 262
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedDecember 3, 1934
DocketNo. 3346
StatusPublished

This text of 73 F.2d 497 (In re Burk) 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 Burk, 73 F.2d 497, 22 C.C.P.A. 731, 1934 CCPA LEXIS 262 (ccpa 1934).

Opinion

Garrett, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal from a decision of the Board of Appeals of the United States Patent Office affirming the decision of the examiner, rejecting, as unpatentable over the prior art, all claims of ani application for patent relating, respectively, to the treatment of cracked petroleum distillates and to the product resulting from the treatment.

There are eight claims in the application, as finally passed upon, numbered 18 to 25, inclusive. Five of the claims are for a process and three are for a product. Claims 18 and 23 are quoted as illustrative. v

18. A process of treating a cracked petroleum motor fuel distillate, which comprises inhibiting gum-formation, by a reagent of the character described of type NH3, in which one or more of the three nitrogen bonds is taken by carbon in an alkyl group.
23. A cracked petroleum motor fuel distillate substantially free from gum-formation by inclusion of a mixture! of alkylamines.

In the brief for appellant is found the following particularizations respecting the several claims:

Of appellant’s claims, claim 18 defines a process of treating a cracked petroleum motor fuel distillate, which comprises “ inhibiting- gum formation by a [732]*732reagent of the character described of type NH3 in which one or more of the three nitrogen bonds is taken by carbon in an alkyl group.” That is, an alkyl amine. Claim 19 further specifies “inhibiting gum formation therein by a' mixture of alkyl amines.” Claim 21 calls for “ inhibiting gum formation therein by di-ethylamine,” and claim 22 calls for “ inhibiting gum formation therein by tri-ethylamine.” Claim 23 defines a “ cracked petroleum motor fuel distillate substantially free from gum. formation by inclusion of a mixture of alkyl amines.” Claim 24 calls for “ a cracked motor fuel distillate substantially free from gum formation by inclusion) of di-ethylamine,” and claim 25 defines “ a cracked petroleum motor fuel distillate substantially free from gum formation by inclusion of tri-ethylamine.” Claim 20' calls for “ inhibiting gum formation therein by—
(a) dissolving an amine in an organic soVoent miscible with petroleum, and
(b) admixing such solution with the motor fuel distillate.” (Italics quoted).

It is thus to be seen that the declared purpose of appellant’s process is that of inhibiting gum-formation in cracked petroleum distillates, particularly a motor fuel distillate, and it is claimed that this purpose is accomplished by treating the distillates with a reagent of the alkylamine type. Several specific examples are recited in the specification.

The only reference cited is patent No. 1,748,507, of date February 25, 1930, issued to Benjamin T. Brooks. The Brooks patent bears the broad title of “ Process of Producing Stable Hydrocarbon Oils,” but the only purpose named in its two claims is that of “ stabilizing the color of gasoline,” and the claims recite the accomplishment of this by the use of ammonia in quantities ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 grams per gallon of “ freshly prepared and chemically refined gasoline.”

However, it apparently was the view of the respective tribunals of the Patent Office that while the damns of the Brooks patent are thus limited, both as to the problem (color stabilization) and as to the ingredient (ammonia), by the use of which the problem is claimed to be solved, the disclosures of the patent specification are broader.

At one point in the specification it is said:

A more specific object of tbis invention is to produce substantially colorless light hydrocarbon oils having an improved stability as to color and sedimentation * * *. (Italics ours.)

Again, there is a recitation to the effect that during the period elapsing between the completion of the refining process and sale of the refined product to the ultimate consumer, there is frequently a development of discoloration accompanied by “formation of a deposit or sediment which is usually dark brown in color.”

It was the vievr of the examiner, as we interpret his decision, that the “ sediment ” referred to by Brooks was the same as the “ gum ” referred to by appellant. Appellant contests this. The Board of [733]*733Appeals said, in its first decision (a second opinion having been written in denying a petition for rehearing), that:

While the term “ sediment ” appears to be broad enough to include gum formation, if not synonymous therewith, this matter is immaterial in the view we take of the easá.

Upon this particular phase of the case it is the view of this court that, even if both parties were in fact referring to the same impurity by using the respective térms “ sediment ” and K gum,” there is, nevertheless, no express teaching by Brooks of an “ inhibition ” of same. The fair construction of the above quotation from the Brooks specification seems to us to be that he there goes no further than to teach that the reaction of the chemical (ammonia) used by him, as well as those described as suitable for use, does no more than to affect the sediment in relation to its color.

Each of appellant’s process claims calls for “ inhibiting ” gum-formation, and each of his product claims calls for “ a cracked petroleum motor fuel distillate substantially free from guru-formation.^ (Italics ours.)

In other words, the purposes expressed by the Brooks patent are met by simply treating “ sediment ” according to his process so that color will be “ stabilized,” even if the sediment remain in the product; appellant’s application cap. be met only by inhibiting the gum-formation.

Did nothing further appear, our conclusion in the case might be different, but, unfortunately for appellant, other disclosures do appear in the Brooks specification, although not embraced in the Brooks claims. While the claims call only for ammonia, the specification recites:

Although in the accomplishment of' this result, alkaline substances of a relatively oil-insoluble nature such as hydrated lime, calcium carbonate and the like might be used, it has been found to be preferable to use oil-soluble bases such as ammonia or certain of its alkaline compounds or derivatives. Although ammonia is generally considered to be insoluble in mineral oils, it has been found that it is sufficiently soluble in light hydrocarbon oils to have the effect of preventing discoloration and that, although gasoline is capable of taking up or dissolving about 3 grams of anhydrous ammonia per gallon, at 20° 0, usually 0.5 grams more or less of ammonia (NH3), per gallon is sufficient to prevent discoloration or sedimentation on long standing or in the sunlight or heating tests.
It has also been found th¡at organic nitrogen bases or derivatives of ammonia, which are generally more soluble in hydrocarbon oils than gaseous ammonia, are also effective in preventing discoloration. Of these organic bases, it is preferred to employ those which do not readily form colored oxidation •or condensation products such as benzylamine, trimethyl amine, ethylamine, popylamine and the aliphatic primary, secondary and tertiary amines generally.'

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Bluebook (online)
73 F.2d 497, 22 C.C.P.A. 731, 1934 CCPA LEXIS 262, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-burk-ccpa-1934.