M & W Electric Manufacturing Co. v. Gatto Electric Supply Co.

260 F. Supp. 891, 151 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 40, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10254
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedJuly 22, 1966
DocketNo. 36396
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 260 F. Supp. 891 (M & W Electric Manufacturing Co. v. Gatto Electric Supply Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
M & W Electric Manufacturing Co. v. Gatto Electric Supply Co., 260 F. Supp. 891, 151 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 40, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10254 (N.D. Ohio 1966).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

KALBFLEISCH, District Judge.

In this action plaintiff alleges that the manufacture and sale by defendant and intervener of certain offset reducers constitute an infringement of plaintiff’s Wayman Patent No. 2,836,437 issued on May 27, 1958, entitled “Eccentric Coupler for Attaching Service Entrance Masts for Meters.” Plaintiff seeks an injunction against further infringement of its patent by the defendant and intervener, an accounting for profits and damages, an assessment of costs, an award of reasonable attorneys’ fees and an assessment of treble damages as provided for in 35 U.S.C. § 284, and such other and further relief as to the Court may seem just.

The defendant and intervener deny they have wilfully and deliberately infringed plaintiff’s patent, either directly or as contributory infringers, and deny that plaintiff is entitled to an assessment of treble damages; and pray that the complaint be dismissed, that the costs of this suit be assessed against plaintiff, that reasonable attorneys’ fees be awarded defendant and intervener, and under their counterclaim pray that the Court declare Wayman Patent No. 2,836,437 and the claims therein invalid and void or not infringed by the defendant and intervener, and for such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. The plaintiff in this action is the M & W Electric Manufacturing Company (hereinafter called “M & W”), an Ohio corporation, having a place of business at East Palestine, Ohio.

2. The defendant, Gatto Electric Supply Company (hereinafter called “Gat-[892]*892to”), is an Ohio corporation, having a place of business in Cleveland, Ohio; and the intervener, Atlas Industries Company (hereinafter called “Atlas”), is a Pennsylvania corporation, having a place of business at Scranton, Pennsylvania.

3. Legal title to the Wayman Patent No. 2,836,437, issued May 27, 1958, is vested in M & W by virtue of an assignment from the patentee, Albert J. Wayman (PX 5).

4. Plaintiff is the owner of the entire right, title and interest in and to the patent in suit (T. 347) and all rights or recovery for infringement thereof and has the right to maintain this action.

5. Atlas became a party to this suit by a motion to intervene filed on June 29, 1961, and approved by order of the Court on August 4, 1961.

6. Federal jurisdiction exists since this action arises under the patent laws of the United States, and jurisdiction is conferred by 35 U.S.C. § 281 and 28 U.S.C. § 1338. The Court has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter, and no issue is presented as to venue.

7. At trial, the plaintiff withdrew with prejudice all charges of infringement based on claims 1 and 2 of the patent, and the trial was confined solely to claims 3 and 4, the only other claims of the Wayman patent.

8. The patent in suit discloses a service mast installation embodying an offset reducer (PX 2) for forming the connection between the conduit mast and the meter base in the service mast installation.

9. The offset reducer (PX 2) has an upper portion A provided with a smooth external surface for insertion upwardly into the lower end of the mast conduit to provide an external slip fit in which the outer surface of the part A is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the lower end of the mast conduit providing a water-tight connection and permitting relative rotation therebetween.

10. The offset reducer (PX 2) has a lower portion B, in eccentric relation with the upper portion A to provide a range of eccentric adjustment, and is adapted to be connected such as by a threaded nipple to the internal thread of the hub of a meter base located below the service mast conduit.

11. A flange extends outwardly from the offset reducer (PX 2) between the upper A and the lower portion B and provides a surface C for contact with the lower end of the service mast.

12. The offset reducer (PX 2) has means for clamping the offset reducer to the mast conduit and providing ground continuity between the mast conduit and the meter base while, at the same time, not interfering with movement of the offset reducer throughout its full range of eccentric adjustment or to obtain the maximum displacement provided by the eccentricity of the upper and lower portions.

13. Such clamping means, shown as a lug and set screw, is located at an angle approximately or substantially 90° to the axis of symmetry of the coupling device, or at a substantial angle to the axis of symmetry measured from a point on the axis of maximum displacement.

14. In the summer of 1953, the invention of the patent in suit was made by Albert J. Wayman. Patterns for the manufacture of offset reducers in accordance with the invention of the patent in suit were made by Krider Pattern Works of Warren, Ohio (T. 348) and delivered to M & W around mid-August 1953 (T. 347). M & W prepared a price sheet (PX 32) and in September 1953 began manufacture and sale of 2-inch offset reducers, catalogue number 2200 (PX 34) (later modified (PX 64) to reduce metal). Around November 1954 M & W manufactured and sold a 2-inch offset reducer (PX 2) with a slightly greater offset (T. 402) as well as a 2%-inch offset reducer (PX 42).

15. Atlas Industries was organized around June 1957 and Mr. Sebo became general manager. During four years prior to that time, Mr. Sebo was general manager of Arlington Industries of [893]*893Scranton, Pennsylvania, a company also involved in the manufacture and sale of electrical fittings. Atlas first put on the market a line of fittings (PX 44) identical to the line of fittings manufactured and sold by Arlington Industries (PX 43).

About the fall of 1958, Mr. Sebo, as a result of making a survey (T. 485), obtained (T. 535, 536), in service entrance mast kits, offset reducers manufactured by Blackhawk (PX 40), Porcelain Products (PX 37) and M & W (PX 2 or PX 34).

16. Mr. Sebo copied directly from the M & W offset reducer (PX 2 or PX 34) and in March or April 1959 (T. 647) began the manufacture and sale of an identical offset reducer (PX 3). About the same time (T. 677) Mr. Sebo began the manufacture and sale of a 2%-inch offset reducer (PX 41) which is identical (T. 607) in all significant respects to an offset reducer manufactured by M & W (PX 42).

17. M & W, through its patent counsel, advised Atlas of its infringement and Atlas agreed to accept a license agreement under the patent in suit (PX 55, PX 56). Months passed without Atlas executing the license agreement and the present suit was filed. Thereafter, around August 1, 1960, M & W was advised (PX 57) Atlas has discontinued the manufacture and sale of the original offset reducer (PX 3) and was manufacturing a modified offset reducer (PX 4). Atlas agreed to accept a license under the patent in suit provided royalties would not be paid with respect to the modified offset reducers (PX 4) unless a Federal Court held that the modified offset reducers infringed the patent in suit. That proposal would not avoid existing litigation and was not accepted.

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Bluebook (online)
260 F. Supp. 891, 151 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 40, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10254, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/m-w-electric-manufacturing-co-v-gatto-electric-supply-co-ohnd-1966.