Kelton v. United States

32 Ct. Cl. 314, 1897 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 66, 1800 WL 2088
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedApril 5, 1897
DocketNo. 15593
StatusPublished

This text of 32 Ct. Cl. 314 (Kelton v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kelton v. United States, 32 Ct. Cl. 314, 1897 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 66, 1800 WL 2088 (cc 1897).

Opinion

Nott, Ch. J.,

delivered the opinion of the court:

In January, 1882, the officer in command of the Benicia Arsenal received a communication from the assistant adjutant-general at the headquarters of the Military Division of the Pacific, which said: “The division commander directs me to enclose herewith for your information a copy of a ‘memorandum of opinions upon target practice and in regard to the Springfield rifle and carbine.’ ” The communication was signed “J. 0. Kelton, Assistant Adjutant-General.” It enclosed a printed circular signed “ J. 0. Kelton, Colonel, A. A. G-.,” purporting to be issued by “ direction of the division commander,” in regard to proposed changes in small arms. The circular was accompanied by a plate or drawing of the proposed changes, and, among other things, said: “If these wants are generally felt by company cavalry officers, they should, if they adopt the devices proposed, or present better, make known their wishes to the commanding officer, Benicia Arsenal, through their department commander.” To the plate was attached a memorandum entitled “Memorandum of views entertained in respect to inexpensive modifications in the Springfield rifle and carbine, perfection consisting in the sum of small improvements.” It referred to a number of changes and improvements in small arms and, among others, to a front-sight cover for rifles and carbines, which device, as afterwards modified and patented, is the subject of the present action.

[340]*340The commanding officer of tbe arsenal wrote in reply, requesting “to be informed whether the division commander desired him to forward these enclosures to the Chief of Ordnance.” Other communications followed during the year 1882 which were less formal and more personal, and referred to the changes in small arms as “his” (Ool. Kelton’s) “proposed devices.” The tone of the communications chahged, but they always remained official — communications between the adjutant-general of the Military Division of the Pacific and an ordnance officer.

The commanding officer of the arsenal forwarded the communication and memorandum setting forth the- proposed changes to the Chief of Ordnance at Washin gton, an d requested authority “to comply with the desire of the division commander.” TheChief ofOrdnance referred them to thecounnand-ing officer of the national armory at Springfield for examination and report; a board reported favorably; the Springfield Arsenal, with modifications and changes, manufactured or made sample sights; the Chief of Ordnance examined the sample sights and forwarded them to the Benicia Arsenal, “with authority to comply with the wishes of Col. Kelton and division cominauder as far as funds may permit.”

At a later day, August 10th, 1882, Ool. Kelton, referring to one of his proi>osed improvements, “ an experimental magazine rifle,” proposed to bear the expense of it, and the commanding officer of the Springfield Arsenal called attention to the Act 3rd March, 1875 (18 Stat. -L., 452, 455,- § J), which provides “that hereafter no money shall be expended at said armories in the perfection of patentable inventions in the manufacture of arms by officers of the Army.” The Chief of Ordnance authorized this experimental rifle to be made at Col. Kelton’s cost, but the expense of the front-sight covers was borne by the Government.

On the 31st October, 1882, the Chief of Ordnance. directed the commanding officer of the Benicia Arsenal “ to confer with Col. Kelton and furnish the Bureau with such information as may aid it in coming to some definite conclusion as to the number, if any, of these front-sight covers to be issued to the Army.” On the 22d December, 1882, Colonel Kelton said that he did “not think 10,000 too many to have made; ” and on the 16th January, 1883, the Chief of Ordnance directed that 3,000 [341]*341be made and sent to tbe Benicia Arsenal for issue ; and on tbe 22d January, 1883, be further directed that tbe front-sight covers should be made like tbe sample furnished from tbe Armory, which Col. Kelton calls tbe ordnance device — tbe one approved by him” — that is to say, like tbe tracing shown in tbe armory letter, but changed at tbe suggestion of Colonel Kelton with regard to tbe elevation of tbe front sight.

On tbe 16th June following Colonel Kelton applied for a patent.

Tbe question which these facts present is whether tbe claimant can maintain an action against tbe Government for tbe use of bis alleged patented invention.

Tbe counsel for tbe defendants contends that tbe device which Colonel Kelton brought in January, 1882, to tbe attention of tbe ordnance officers was not a fully completed invention. “ Tbe development of that suggestion, up to tbe moment when tbe Government sight cover existed as an operative device, was solely at the cost and risk of tbe Government. This being so, and Col. Kelton being an army officer, tbe case clearly comes in tbe recent decision in Gill v. United States (160 U. S., 426).” Tbe counsel for tbe claimant replies that the facts in Gill’s Case “ bear no possible or conceivable resemblance to those presented in tbe case at bar ; ” that Colonel Kelton did not take advantage of bis connection with tbe Government; that bis duties as Adjutant-General in no way related to tbe manufacture, adoption, or issuance of ordnance; that bis invention was not introduced or bis sight covers issued for service until after be bad applied for a patent; that be never received increased pay or preferment on account of bis invention, and that be notified tbe Ordnance Department that bis invention was bis property, and acted in accordance with tbe usage and custom prevailing in tbe Ordnance Department governing tbe adoption of patented inventions.

Tbe last position does not seem to tbe court to be sustained by tbe evidence. If there was any such notification, it has not been shown or must be a matter of inference from tbe communications set forth in tbe findings.

McKeever’s (14 C. Cls. R., 396) is tbe leading case of actions brought on implied contracts to recover for tbe use of an invention — tbe first case where an inventor recovered for what, as . between individuals, would be an infringement of bis [342]*342patented device — without there being an express contract as the foundation of the action. The claimant there was also an officer of the Army, and his invention was for a military accouterment, but he did not act until his patent had been issued, and he then addressed a written communication to the Ordnance Office, in which he expressly stated that the device was patented. The Chief of Ordnance acknowledged the receiptofthe “sample boxes” as “your patent cartridge boxes,” and the board which recommended their adoption described them as “ the cartridge box invented by Lieutenant McKeever.” In this case there was no such notification on the part of the inventor and no such acknowledgment of an understanding-on the part of the Ordnance Office. Some of the front sights were manufactured, or in process of manufacture, before an application for a patent had been filed; some were manufactured after the application, but before the patent was issued. What proportion has since been manufactured does not appear.

Colonel Kelton, as “Assistant Adjutant-General,” was consulted and deferred to as to the number which should be manufactured, and the communications from him were always signed as assistant adjutant-general.

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Bluebook (online)
32 Ct. Cl. 314, 1897 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 66, 1800 WL 2088, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kelton-v-united-states-cc-1897.