Spill v. Celluloid Manuf'g Co.

21 F. 631, 22 Blatchf. 441, 1884 U.S. App. LEXIS 2433
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York
DecidedAugust 21, 1884
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 21 F. 631 (Spill v. Celluloid Manuf'g Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Spill v. Celluloid Manuf'g Co., 21 F. 631, 22 Blatchf. 441, 1884 U.S. App. LEXIS 2433 (circtsdny 1884).

Opinion

Blatchford, Justice.

This suit was brought on two patents granted to the plaintiff. One is No. 97,454, granted November 30, 1869, for an “improvement in dissolving xyloidine for use in the arts.” The other is No. 101,175, granted March 22, 1870, for an “improvement in the manufacture of xyloidine and its compounds.” On a hearing on pleadings and proofs, a decision was made (18 Blatchf. C. C. 190; S. C. 2 Fed. Rep. 707) in favor of the plaintiff on both patents. An interlocutory decree was entered June 12, 1880, declaring both patents to be valid, and to have been infringed, and awarding a recovery of profits and damages, to be ascertained by a reference to a master, and a perpetual injunction. The report of the master was filed February 25, 1884. The conclusions of the report, as matter of law, are, as to No. 97,454, that the master, not having been furnished with the necessary data, is unable, without further proof, to report any profits; and, as to No. 101,175, that, . not having been furnished with the necessary data, he is unable, without further proof, to report any profits; and that no evidence had been presented on the accounting, relating to the question of damages from the infringement of either patent. The plaintiff has filed 11 exceptions to the report, and claims, as to No. 97,454, that profits have been shown amounting to $276,667.66, with interest from June 12, 1880; and, as to No. 101,175, that profits have been shown amounting to $504,306.25, with interest from June 12, 1880. The defendant has filed six exceptions to the report. The exceptions have been heard, and at the same time the defendant has moved the court, on the report and the exceptions, and the evidence taken in the cause subsequently to the interlocutory decree, both before the master on the accounting and on a motion made by the plaintiff for an attachment for a violation of the injunction, and on all the proceedings in the cause, for a reconsideration of the questions of novelty, patentability, and infringement, passed upon by the court • at. the tiihe of the entry of the interlocutory decree, in view of the evidence since introduced into the case, and in view of the decision of the supreme court in Pennsylvania R. Co. v. Locomotive Engine Safety Truck Co. 110 U. S. 490, S. C. 4 Sup. Ct. Rep. 220, and for a correction or setting aside of said interlocutory decree, and such other, orders as may have been erroneously made in this cause.

What was said about No. 97,454, in the former decision, was this:

< “The specification states that the ‘ invention relates to the preparation and use of certain solvents of xyloidine, and which differ from the ordinary known [633]*633solvents of xyloidine, in that these menstrua which are employed are not, necessarily, in themselves, solvents of xyloidine, but become so by the addition of the bodies, compounds, or substances herein referred to.’ It also states that the invention consists in the employment of eight different solvents. Only tiie second solvent is alleged to have been used by the defendant. It is thus described in the specification: ‘Camphor, or camphor oil, or mixturo of the same, in conjunction with alcohol or spirits of wine, the same to be employed in about equal proportions.’ The claim is in these words: ‘ The preparation and use of solvents of xyloidine, such as have been before described, so as to ■render xyloidine more easy of conversion into compounds containing xyloidine, which are suitable for applications in tiie arts, and for industrial purposes.’ Thu defendant has infringed this claim by using camphor in connection with alcohol as a solvent of xyloidine. The defendant mixes ground and dried xyloidine with pulverized dry camphor, and then immerses the mixture in alcohol until the xyloidine is dissolved. It is dissolved by the joint action of the camphor and the alcohol. Neither alone is a solvent of xyloidine. It is immaterial, so far as the invention and the claim of the patent a,re concerned, whether the camphor and the alcohol are mixed so as to dissolve the camphor in the alcohol, and then the xyloidine is put into the solution, or whether either the alcohol or the camphor is first mixed with the xyloidine, and then the third substance'is added. The bringing of the three together, causing the xyloidine to be dissolved or softened, so as to be more easy of conversion or working into compounds or articles containing xyloidine, is the invention. Making use of the solvent power of camphor and alcohol when in the presence of each other, and of the xyloidine, is the essence of the invention. The use of the camphor and the alcohol in about equal proportions is not the essence of the invention. They are stated by the patentee to be useful in those proportions. But tiie evidence shows that the real invention was the discovery of: the fact that camphor and alcohol, when united, would he a solvent of xyloidine.
“The novelty of the invention of this solvent is attacked, but without success. The evidence is voluminous, and has been carefully considered, with tiie result that the defendant has failed to show want of novelty. The prior patents adduced and examined are the English patent to Cutting, No. 1,038, of 1854; and the English patents to Parkes, Mo. 2,859, of 1855; No. 2,675, of 1864; No. 1,813, of 1865; No. 1,695, of 1867; and No. 1,614, of 1868. Parkes’ pamphlet, of 1867, and Gfmellin’s Hand-book of Chemistry, of 1860, have also been considered, as well as tiie English patent to the plaintiff, No. 2,666, of 1867. Xo other anticipation than the above seems to be considered by the defendant's expert, and he does not allude to tiie pamphlet. Another defense relied ou is that one Parkes communicated to the plaintiff, in England, the knowledge that alcohol and camphor united were a solvent of xyloidine, and that tiie plaintiff never made the invention himself. On the whole evidence the defendant has failed to establish this defense.” 2 Fed. Rep. 707, 708.

The Parkes patent, No. 2,359, of October 22, 1855, says:

“It is well known that a solution of gun-cotton has been used principally as a photographic agent and in surgical operations, but my object is to employ collodion or its compounds for manufacturing purposes generally. Tiie method of dissolving gun-cotton being well known, I do not think it necessary to give proportions, hut simply to say that when I uso a thin solution I add more of either of the solvents to the gun-cotton; and, if I require a stiff preparation, less of the solvent is to be used. I dissolve gun-cotton, or other similar compounds, in vegetable naphtha, alcohol, methylated or other ethers, or other solvents of gun-cotioa.”»

[634]*634By “gun-cotton” it is understood was meant what is called “xyloidine,” in No. 97,454.

The Párkes patent, No. 2,675, of October 28,1864, says, in'the provisional specification:

“In manufacturing compounds of gun-cotton, and of other vegetable substances similarly prepared, I first distil wood naphtha, or alcoholic spirit, over chloride of ealcium, chloride of zinc, or chloride of manganese, using by preference the solid or fused salts. I employ the spirit obtained by this process, alone or combined, with the light spirits from coal naphtha, or other mineral naphtha, as solvents of gun-cotton or analogous compounds.”

The full specification says:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Standard Oil Co. v. Oklahoma Natural Gas Co.
284 F. 469 (Eighth Circuit, 1922)
Naylor v. Alsop Process Co.
168 F. 911 (Eighth Circuit, 1909)
Hoe v. Kahler
25 F. 271 (U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York, 1885)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
21 F. 631, 22 Blatchf. 441, 1884 U.S. App. LEXIS 2433, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spill-v-celluloid-manufg-co-circtsdny-1884.