Pittsburgh Water Heater Co. v. Beler Water Heater Co.

228 F. 674, 143 C.C.A. 196, 1915 U.S. App. LEXIS 2058
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit
DecidedAugust 9, 1915
DocketNo. 1975
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 228 F. 674 (Pittsburgh Water Heater Co. v. Beler Water Heater Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pittsburgh Water Heater Co. v. Beler Water Heater Co., 228 F. 674, 143 C.C.A. 196, 1915 U.S. App. LEXIS 2058 (3d Cir. 1915).

Opinion

BUFFINGTON, Circuit Judge.

This case concerns instantaneous water heaters. In them the water flows through a pyramided coil of thin copper pipe. When one wants hot water he opens the hot water spigot, and the flow of- water automatically opens a gas valve of the heater and floods the coil with gas. This is ignited from a constantly kept burning pilot light. It was also customary to have in such heater á second gas valve, which was independent and was controlled by a thermostat.

The prior art is aptly described in Ruud v. Pittsburg. Co. (D. C.) 200 Fed. 426, a case in the Second Circuit, where the court said:'

[675]*675“The invention of the patent in suit consists of an automatic instantaneous water heater, in which the water flows through thin copper coiis over tiie burners, as in the old heaters, and the flow of gas to the burners is controlled and regulated both by the flow of water through the * * * conduit and the temperature of the water flowing from the heater acting through the medium of a thermostat; the parts being so arranged that all of the gas which flows to the burners to effect the heating of the water is subjected to the control of the water-actuated element, and to the regulation of the thermostat or temperature-actuated element. By this means all of the objectionable features of both of the old heaters were eliminated, and all of the desirable features of those healers retained, and in addition to this an entirely new result was secured in this art, viz. the proportioning of the amount of gas consumed to the amount of water heated under all the varying conditions of gas and water main pressures and temperatures (Bartlett, C. R. p. 268). This new result was of the highest importance in the art. If no hot water was withdrawn during a given period, no gas was consumed, except the negligible amount burned by the pilot light; and, if hot water was withdrawn, the amount of gas consumed was always in proportion to the amount of hot water so withdrawn.”

[1] This construction, Shook, the present patentee, sought to improve by using but one gas valve, and subjecting it to both the water-actuated and the heat-actuated control. In his patent, No. 993,723, applied for January 4, 1909, and granted May 30, 1911, to him for an instantaneous water heater, he said:

“I have found that one of these gas valves may be dispensed with, and that the controlling means therefor may be so arranged that all the advantages incident to the two-valve construction are retained, and other advantages not present in the two-valve construction secured, in addition to the general simplification and cheapening of the apparatus due to the use of one valve instead of two.”

To appreciate the significance and value of Shook’s conception, if it could be successfully carried out, we should note the necessity of the independence of the two gas valves. In the two-valve construction, one of the gas valves was subjected to the control of die flow of water through the heater; the other was subjected to the control of the thermostat, which was under the influence of the temperature of the water flowing from the heater, and such two controls were independent of each other. This independence is essential from the standpoint of safety; for by making the two controls independent safety is secured through thermostat control, even if the water piston stick. Shook’s device disclosed an independent and dual gas control of a single valve, which he accomplished by subjecting such single valve to the dual control of (1) a water valve actuated by variations of water pressure, and (2) a thermostat governed by the heat of the water in the heater; the parts being so arranged that the thermostat or heat element could close the gas valve, even when the water element was in a position to open such valve. This he did by subjecting the gas valve to the action of two springs, one of which was under thermostat, the other under water, control.

In prosecuting his patent Shook’s concept of a compound dual valve control was thrown into interference with two other applicants — . Ruud, the subsequent grantee of patent No. 1,028,284, applied for July 8, 1909, and granted June 4, 1912, and Humphreys, the subse[676]*676quent grantee of patent No. 928,310, applied for December 26, 1908, and granted July 20, 1909. In these proceedings Shook prevailed and was awarded priority. As these other inventors were granted -specific claims, and as Shook was granted the broader and more generic claims involved in the interference, it would seem that, in the view of the Patent Office, the latter’s disclosure was the generic one. It will also appear that the device has proved of large commercial value. In-that regard the proof is:

“Q. How are the demands incident to varying pressures in gas and water mains met in the water heater art at the present time? A. By automatic instantaneous water heaters containing the dual control of fuel by independent means; that is, the flow of gas to the burners is independently controlled by a water-actuated element and a thermostatical-aetuated element. Q. How important is this, or how has its introduction into-the art affected the sale of heaters? A. It is of the greatest importance. It is absolutely essential that these heaters, to be commercially successful, must embody the safety and economy incident to this dual control. And the introduction of this dual control resulted in an enormously increased sale of these heaters.”

Taking, therefore, claim 20, the subject-maiter of which was involved in the interference, we find it is for:

“In a water heater, the combination of a conduit for water under pressure a burner for heating the water in said conduit, a normally seated valve controlling. the flow of fuel to said burner, a compound power mechanism adapted to hold said valve closed, a device operated by the flow of water through said conduit for controlling one part of said power mechanism, and a device operated by variations of temperature in said water for controlling the other part of said mechanism.”

We next inquire whether it is infringed by defendant’s device. The latter is manufactured under patent No. 1,053,370, applied for April 25, 1912, and granted February 18, 1913, to Filis. The specification of Ellis concedes his invention has for one of its objects:

“The provision of a single gas-controlling valve and mechanism therefor, to take the place of a plurality of gas valves as usually employed.”

This, as we have seen, in language heretofore quoted, was also the object of Shook in his earlier disclosure. And that the machines made under these respective patents secure the same practical results is the proof:

“Q. Are you familiar with the dual-valve control known as the Pittsburgh single-valve heater, on the market to-day? A. I am. #Q. Are you familiar with the heater known as the Beler hot water heater? A. I am. Q. Please state whether or not either or both of these heaters possess the control that you have just (above) described as essential to commercial success. A. Both ■ of these heaters have this control. Q. Are there any advantages secured, speaking from the standpoint of a practical commercial man, that are secured by the Pittsburgh construction that are not secured by the Beler construction? A. There are none.”

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Bluebook (online)
228 F. 674, 143 C.C.A. 196, 1915 U.S. App. LEXIS 2058, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pittsburgh-water-heater-co-v-beler-water-heater-co-ca3-1915.