United States Gypsum Co. v. Birdsboro Steel Foundry & Machine Co.

45 Pa. D. & C. 259, 1942 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 169
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
DecidedApril 14, 1942
Docketno. 539
StatusPublished

This text of 45 Pa. D. & C. 259 (United States Gypsum Co. v. Birdsboro Steel Foundry & Machine Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States Gypsum Co. v. Birdsboro Steel Foundry & Machine Co., 45 Pa. D. & C. 259, 1942 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 169 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1942).

Opinion

Oliver, P. J.,

This matter is before us on a statutory demurrer to the statement of claim in a suit to recover damages for breach of both implied and express warranties in the sale of machinery.

From the averments of the statement, we find that, on June 27, 1936, defendant, having theretofore held itself out as particularly skilled and experienced in the [261]*261matter of designing and manufacturing hydraulic presses and press equipment for special manufacturing purposes, entered into a written contract with plaintiff to manufacture and sell to plaintiff a 9,000-ton hydraulic press and press equipment designed to operate as an integral unit, as described in the contract which consisted of two letters between the parties, copies of which are attached to the statement of claim. Defendant manufactured the press equipment, delivered it to plaintiff, and installed it in plaintiff’s plant during the month of February 1937. Plaintiff purchased the press and equipment for use in the manufacture of asbestos roofing, which use required a precision machine designed and constructed to operate as an integral unit in plaintiff’s manufacturing process, withstanding the stresses and strains of normal operation and performing continuously the function of applying a uniform pressure on unpressed asbestos cement sheets. The particular purpose and use for which the press and equipment were ordered were made known to defendant by plaintiff. In the purchase, plaintiff relied upon defendant’s skill, judgment, and experience in the design and manufacture of that type of machinery. Plaintiff avers that defendant “warranted” the press and equipment to be fit for its intended purpose. We assume plaintiff, by that averment, refers to an implied warranty of fitness.

In addition, plaintiff relies upon certain express warranties contained in the first three paragraphs of the following provisions of the written contract (italics supplied) :

“The above equipment is guaranteed to perform as follows:
“ (1) It will be suitable to apply on a sheet 4'6" wide by 12'6" long, a total uniformly distributed pressure of 9,000 tons.
“(2) Under this pressure, the maximum combined deflections of the platens will not exceed .012". The [262]*262deflections will be tested by making use of a multiplicity of lead solder wires, and then applying the full pressure of 9,000 tons on the wires, and after such treatment, the individual lead strips will be miked, and their difference in thickness used to determine the amount of deflection.
“ (3) The various motions of the press and conveyor mechanism will be synchronized in a semi-automatic fashion, — that is, the up and down motions will be controlled by operating the lever of an operating valve by hand. The starting of the conveyor will be done by depressing a push button, and its stopping will be done automatically. With a daylight space between dies of approximately 3", and under the assumption that the green sheets will be placed on the loading table of the conveyor while the sheet in the press is being pressed, the total time (when operating at high speed with the present pump) of conveying the sheets into the press, lowering the press, building pressure on sheets in 30 seconds, opening press to the 3" start of opening will be done in not less than 52% seconds. The degree of accuracy would contemplate the centering of the sheets in the press within tolerances of about 2". With the addition of the second pump later the pressing period would be reduced to 15 seconds, and the total cycle period will then be not more than 37% seconds. The above equipment is further guaranteed with proper care of valves and of contacts and other electrical devices to function continuously in the manner as above described. [In and by plaintiff’s acceptance the words ‘not less than 52% seconds’ are corrected to read ‘not more than 52% seconds.]
“ (4) The above machinery will be of first class materials and workmanship throughout, and will be guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one year after date of shipment, the obligation under this guarantee being limited however to furnishing or re[263]*263pairing without charge f. o. b. our works a similar part to replace any part, which within three months from date of starting and not more than one year after date of shipment is proven to have been defective at the time it was shipped, provided the purchaser has given us immediate written notice upon the discovery of such defect. We reserve the option of requiring the return of the defective material, transportation prepaid, to establish the claim. We shall in no event be held liable for damages caused by defective material, and no allowance will be made for repairs or alterations unless made by our written consent or approval. We shall not be held liable for any special, direct or consequential damages.”

There are no other provisions in the contract relating to warranties or limitation of liability for damages, and there is no provision to the effect that all prior communications, conversations and agreements are merged in or superseded by the writing.

Plaintiff avers that, relying upon the warranties above mentioned, it paid the purchase price for the press and equipment, $47,000, and the delivery and installation expenses amounting to $8,500, and that it subsequently discovered that the press equipment was not of the quality or condition and not capable of performing as warranted, and, because of improper design and construction, was unfit for the purpose intended. More particularly plaintiff alleges that, in the course of normal operation, the three main pressure cylinders and the tension bolts and nuts cracked; that the pump and pump equipment attached to the press were of faulty and obsolete design and construction and of insufficient capacity to operate the press in the manner in which it was intended to operate; and that the filler valve and supports broke down because they also were of improper design and construction. Plaintiff avers further that, as soon as its diligent investigation of the causes of these failures of the press equipment revealed [264]*264that they were due to defendant’s breaches of warranty, it promptly notified defendant that it would hold defendant responsible therefor.

As a result of these alleged breaches of warranty, plaintiff had to replace the parts of the press equipment, which broke down, at a total cost of $57,270.

In the case of the main pressure cylinders and the nuts and bolts, plaintiff avers there was a second failure, which necessitated the purchase by it of a third set of equipment. Plaintiff avers that all of the replacement parts and equipment were purchased by it from defendant, after fully making known to defendant the intended uses thereof and in reliance by plaintiff upon defendant’s skill and experience, and that defendant warranted that the replacements would be fit for the purposes intended. We assume plaintiff refers to an implied warranty.

According to the statement of claim, the replacements were not fit for such uses and therefore they were unable to withstand the stresses and strains of normal operation of the press.

The statement of claim indicates in paragraph 26 that, even after all the replacements had been made, the press and equipment were still defective.

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Bluebook (online)
45 Pa. D. & C. 259, 1942 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-gypsum-co-v-birdsboro-steel-foundry-machine-co-pactcomplphilad-1942.