In re Maule

16 F. Cas. 1165, 1 MacA. Pat. Cas. 271
CourtDistrict of Columbia Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 15, 1853
StatusPublished

This text of 16 F. Cas. 1165 (In re Maule) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District of Columbia Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Maule, 16 F. Cas. 1165, 1 MacA. Pat. Cas. 271 (D.C. 1853).

Opinion

Morsell, J.

The original application was filed on the 15th of December, 1851, and withdrawn, and the return fee paid to him. On the 13th of March, 1852, the same party filed another application for a patent for the same refuse material, to be treated in the same way and for the same purpose. This application was inclosed and sent on to the Office in a letter from Mr. Maulé’s counsel bearing date on the 11th of March, 1852, in which letter he says : “The invention is a valuable one. The paint is manufactured at very little cost, being produced from an article which has hereto- • fore been considered of no value, and yet it is of. very superior quality for the purpose intended — for forming an almost purely metallic coating, very hard and durable. It has already.been extensively used, and is very highly recommended. ” In a subsequent letter he incloses a printed paper dated 10th of February, 1852, from which it appears by the certificates of sundry persons that previously to that time, and previously to the application of the 13th of March just stated, the article for the invention of which the patent was prayed had been publicly bought and sold with the knowledge and consent of Mr. Maulé. The provision in the statute of 1836 authorizing the party to withdraw his application is in these words : “In every' such case, if the applicant shall elect to withdraw his application relinquishing his claim to the model, he shall be entitled to receive back twenty dollars — part of the duty required by this act — on filing a notice in writing of such election in the Patent Office, a copy of which, certified by the Commissioner, shall be a sufficient warrant to the Treasurer for paying [272]*272back to the said applicant the said sum of twenty dollars.” (Section 7.) Whether under such circumstances a statutory objection existed at the time of filing the second application to the claim for a patent, I express no opinion, no such objection having been raised.

It- appears from the papers in the cause that another application, dated the 10th of September, 1852, was presented to the Office by the appellant, in which he says: “ I have invented a new and improved metallic paint.” And he proceeds to give a full and particular description thereof, at the close of which he says: “What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters-patent, is the before-described paint manufactured from the insoluble metallic residuum or refuse which remains after the extraction of the soluble parts in the manufacture of the chromate of potash or soda from chromic iron ore.”

This application was examined and rejected by the Commissioner upon the ground that the alleged invention was not patentable for the want of novelty; and upon notice given an appeal was taken from the said decision and refusal to grant the ¡latent as aforesaid. The reasons for which said appeal were duly filed, and the substance of which are—

First. The application is not for making paint out of the oxides, &c., of iron, but from the residuum from the manufacture of bi-chromate of potash, which is a substance of a distinctive character well known in the arts* and is to be considered without reference to the elements of its composition.

Second. The discovery of the peculiar properties of this substance, which render it capable of being manufactured into a most valuable paint, and its application to that purpose by the process of cleansing and manufacture pointed out in the specification, constitute a patentable invention under the sixth section of the act of Congress of July 4th, 1852.

Third. Though these properties were due entirely to the oxide of iron which the substance contains, and which have been known to be applicable to the same purpose, yet the discovery of these ingredients existing in this refuse material in such combinations and proportions as to render it useful to mankind in the manner now applied by Mr. Maulé, together with the manner of prepara[273]*273tion pointed out for rendering it capable of use, are patentable, a new and important result in the arts being produced thereby.

Fourth. Though the amount of novelty or invention was small, yet this discovery is 'patentable on account of its great utility. The manufacture of the residuum into paint, in connection with the manufacture of bi-chromate of potash, is, therefore, a great improvement of the trade. The paint yields a large profit.

The Commissioner, in order to show the absence of patentable invention, in answer to the reasons of appeal, makes a comparative analysis between what the appellant states the ingredients of the residuum to be and what is stated in the books of the composition of chromic iron, from which the conclusion is deduced that iron rust or oxide of iron must give the leading character to the material, and the residue will be red or brown, according as the roasting has been more or less skillfully conducted.

“Mar's colors” are referred to, in which are to be seen various paints prepared from the oxide of iron, mixed with other bodies, and of similar colors.

To the second reason, to show that appellant was not the first to discover that this refuse is capable of being pulverized, washed, dried, and mixed with oils to form a paint, he says there is but one operation common to all these substances by which each is converted to a paint, namely, washing (when necessary), drying, pulverizing, and mixing with oil. This process, therefore, is not new. As to the washing, the books direct that the chromate of potash shall be lixiviated with water to save all of its salts.

Third, that as to the discovery of the ingredients existing in this refuse mineral in such proportions as to render it useful and give it value, and to produce a new and important result in the arts, the same was no new discovery by the appellant. The books give the analysis of this ore, and show how to find out the exact composition ; and so also with respect to the process. Mr. Maulé has added substantially nothing to the knowledge of the chemical arts that was not known before.

As to the difference in the expense, the red oxide of iron is one of the most abundant and most easily pulverized (next to the ochres) of all earthly minerals, and is known under the name [274]*274of bog-iron — hematite. This makes a paint equal to any iron paint, of a strong reddish-brown color, and it is very abundant. And so as to the hematites and other ores of iron.

To the fourth, Mr. Maulé’s paint has no title to claim on the score of utility. It has not been shown to be better than any other ore or mineral. No invention has been proved. The mere repetition of this well-known process on any mineral or other matter, whether new or old, does not constitute a patentable invention.

On the day and place appointed for the hearing said appeal, according to previous notice duly given, an examiner from the Office appeared, and, as required of the Commissioner by law, the said reasons of appeal and all the original papers in the case, together with the grounds of said Commissioner’s decision, fully set forth in writing, touching all the points involved by the reasons of appeal, were laid before me; and the said appellant filed his arguments in writing in support of his claim. ,

It will therefore appear that the appellant states his claim to a patent to be for a metallic paint.

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Bluebook (online)
16 F. Cas. 1165, 1 MacA. Pat. Cas. 271, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-maule-dc-1853.