Western Willite Co. v. Trinidad Asphalt Mfg. Co.

32 F.2d 487, 1929 U.S. App. LEXIS 3804
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Western Willite Co. v. Trinidad Asphalt Mfg. Co.. Read the opinion of the Court — 16 F.2d 446
Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit·Decided March 20, 1929·No. Nos. 8156, 8157·Published

Opinion

STONE, Circuit Judge.

In March, 1924, Trinidad Asphalt Manufacturing Company (appellee herein) entered into separate contracts with the city of St. Louis for the paving of Pendleton avenue and of Meramee street. Each of those contracts required the paving to be in accordance with the Willite process. This was a process covered by letters patent 1,190,615 and consisted, generally speaking, of a mixture of asphaltic binder, sulphate of copper and a’ filler of finely ground soil. Mixtures according to this process are used for the hinder course and the top wearing surface of ■ pavements, being superimposed on a base of concrete or other substance. Appellant, 'Western - Willite Company, is an associate licensee with the Missouri Willite Company for territory including St. Louis, Mo. Appellee proceeded to make this mixture at its own plant and to lay the mixture, thus prepared-in paving the above streets. This disregard of the above patent rights resulted in an action by appellant and its associates against appellee for infringement of the patent. During the pendency of that -action, a temporary injunction was issued enjoining appellee generally from manufacturing, using or selling any products covered by the above patents and particularly from the manufacture and use on Meramee street “of an asphaltic paving mixture such as is specified as the Willite process asphaltic pavement.” A condition in granting this injunction was a bond for $25,000 “conditioned upon the payment by plaintiffs of such costs and damages as may be incurred or suffered by any party who- may be found to have been wrongfully enjoined or restrained by said injunction.” The bond was given. Faced (under the injunction) with the situation of defaulting on its contract or of securing the mixture from plaintiffs, appellee elected to do the latter and purchased the mixture necessary for the paving of Meramee street. The result of the infringement suit -was that the patent was held invalid. 16 F.(2d) 446 (C. C. A.). -After such determination, the Trinidad Company filed its motion, later amended, for allowance of damages on the injunction bond. These motions claimed, as damages under the bond, the difference in cost of production by appellee and the price paid to appellant, haulage and some other minor items. - The- matter w<as' referred to a master who, after full hearing, recommended allowance of $24,242.27. Upon hearing of exceptions thereto, the trial court entered decree for $19,557.87 from which this appeal is brought. -There is a cross-appeal (No. 8157).

One contention urged by appellant is that no liability for any damages exists because the contract for the paving of Meramee street expressly obligated appellee to do just what it did do under the injunction, to wit, buy the Willite process mixture from the Missouri Willite Company. This contention i-s presented from.several angles. It is argued that the contract created an obligation to pro[488]*488cure the mixture from the above company; that the contract was, in this respect, for the benefit of the above Willite Company; that' the specifications, specifying “Willite process,” defined “the souree of supply and the brand of manufacture of the said materials,” thus giving the city the legal right to insist .upon such mixture being obtained from the above Willite Company and that there is no evidence that the city would not so have insisted. This contention makes it necessary'to .determine just what the contract for paving Meramec street did require in this respect.

The contract is, apparently, a printed form used by the city with necessary alterations, .insertions and additions. It provides for the paving of a designated portion of Meramec street. It includes detailed specifications. The base was to be concrete upon which was to be laid a “binder course and wearing surface of asphaltic cement and mineral matter (Willite' process).” That this binder and wearing surface were to be Willite process is repeatedly and clearly expressed. The precise mixtures and a prescribed method for preparation of this binder course and of this wearing surface are set out in detail. Respecting whether the contractor (appel-lee) was to make this mixture itself or to buy it ready made from the Willite Company, there are two provisions w.hich are to be considered, The first is an extended and detailed description of the required equipment of the “plant * * * furnishing materials and preparing same for the binder course or wearing surface under these specifications.” That this provision was not left in haphazard, because part of a printed form, is shown by the erasures and changes made in the printed provision. The second is under the head of “Payment.” In the printed form, this latter provision is short and as follows:

“The price bid per square yard for ‘Refined asphalt pavement including binder course and concrete foundation’ shall include the whole cost of furnishing all materials, mixing and placing of the concrete foundation and sprinkling same, of laying and rolling binder course and wearing surface, of protecting the work during construction and until ready to receive traffic, and of protecting adjoining pavement.”

In place of this printed form there was a substitution, the final paragraph of which is evidently patterned rather closely after the eliminated printed provision, while the first and second paragraphs are. entirely new. It is as follows:

“The Missouri Willite -Company, owner of the patents, used in the construction of asphalt binder course and wearing surface, Willite Process, has filed with the Board of Public Service on January 2d, 1924, a binding agreement to furnish to any contractor desiring to bid for the work, all the necessary mixture of asphalt binder mixed ready for use in accordance with the foregoing specifications at any time within five (5) months from date, at the price of $10.75 a ton, at the mixing plant of said Company at 6161 Maple Avenue. They have also agreed to furnish to any contractor desiring to bid for the work, all the necessary mixture for the refined asphalt wearing surface, Wil-lite Process, mixed ready for use, in accordance with the foregoing specifications, at any time within five (5) months from above date, at,the price of $15.50 per ton, at the mixing plant of said Company at 6161 Maple Avenue, in the City of St. Louis; said prices shall include license to use all the patents required in the construction of the binder course and refined asphalt wearing surface, Willite Process, as therein specified.
“The acceptance of bids by the Board of Public Service and the letting' of a contract for same will be deemed by the Missouri Willite Company to be an ac-eeptanee of its proposal by the Board of Public Service and by the contractor to whom such contracts shall be awarded and are all- that shall be necessary to bind the Missouri Willite Company to said agreement. The filing of a bid under this specification will be construed as an acceptance of the terms and the license agreement filed by the Missouri Willite Company at the price fixed by said agreement above outlined, which is on file with the Board of Public Service.
ACCEPTANCE THEREOF BY THE CONTRACTOR.

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Western Willite Co. v. Trinidad Asphalt Mfg. Co., 32 F.2d 487, 1929 U.S. App. LEXIS 3804 (8th Cir. 1929).

32 F.2d 487 (Western Willite Co. v. Trinidad Asphalt Mfg. Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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Western Willite Co. v. Trinidad Asphalt Mfg. Co.
16 F.2d 446 (Eighth Circuit, 1926)