Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co. v. Allis-Chalmers Co.

180 F. 751, 1910 U.S. App. LEXIS 5506
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of New Jersey
DecidedMay 24, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 180 F. 751 (Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co. v. Allis-Chalmers Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co. v. Allis-Chalmers Co., 180 F. 751, 1910 U.S. App. LEXIS 5506 (circtdnj 1910).

Opinion

CROSS, District Judge.

The record contains two patents for consideration, both of which are alleged to have been infringed by the defendant. The defendant asserts the invalidity of both patents, but, if valid, denies that it has infringed them. The first to be considered is No. 609,977, issued August 30, 1898, to Albert Schmid, assignor to the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, for an electric railway motor. The inventor sets forth the objects of his invention in the following language:

“Another object of my invention is to supply a novel form of separable field-magnet admitting of complete protection and inelosure of the armature and at the same time of ready access to the interior parts of the field-magnet itself.
“Another object of my invention is the provision of a form of motor wherein the field-magnets may be readily inspected and repaired, without the removal of the armature from the motor and car, either side of the separable field-magnet being thus capable of inspection and repair.
“By the use of my invention, I am further able to dispense with all frame[752]*752work, except that necessary for the carrying of the reduction-gears, to cheapen the construction, and to gain certain other advantages more fully set out hereinafter.”

The patent contains eight claims, but five of which are in issue, namely, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. They are as follows:

“1. In a railway motor, the combination with an armature of a field-magnet constructed in two sections, the upper section being supported by the car truck and the lower section being hinged to and supported by the upper section and adapted to swing downward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
“2. In a railway motor, the combination with an armature, of a field-magnet constructed in two sections, the' upper section being spring-supported on the car truck, and the lower section being hinged to and supported by the upper section and adapted to swing downward, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
“3. In an electric car, a motor having a horizontally-divided field-magnet, one member of which is sleeved at one end upon an axle of the car, the other member being hinged to the first-named member at one end' and removably fastened thereto at its other end independently of the axle-bearing, substantially as described.
“4. An electric motor, having a horizontally-divided field-magnet, the upper portion of which is provided with an axle-bearing at one end and the lower portion of which is hinged to said upper portion, independently of said axle-bearing, whereby it may be swung downwardly without disturbing said bearing.”
“6. In a motor for electric cars, the combination with the armature, of a field-magnet comprising an upper section supported by the car truck and a lower section hinged to said upper section, and means whereby the armature may be supported by either section when the lower section is swung downward, substantially as described.”

The several claims, although expressed in somewhat technical language, are easily comprehended. A motor of the character in question necessarily consists of a field-magnet and an armature. The electro field-magnet is stationary, having its poles surrounded by coils of copper wire, within which poles a cylindrical shaped armature is revolved. The armature carries a series of conductors on its circumference, and, as these conductors are energized by the electric current, each, conductor in succession is attracted or repelled by the poles of ..the,; magnet, whereby the armature is caused to rotate, and such •.rotation-communicated through gearing to the axle of the car. Motors ¡■•usa<j;,in the propulsion of street cars manifestly require frequent inspection, and one of the main objects of this patent was to permit the jpaking of a thorough and yet comparatively expeditious and inexpensive inspection of the magnet, the poles and coils and armature, without disconnecting them, as a whole or in part; and, furthermore, if such inspection revealed the necessity of the removal of the parts, which are large and cumbersome, that such removal could be accomplished without tearing up the floor of the car or utterly dismantling or removing the motor. In order to effect these objects, the patent shows the.motor casing in halves as it were.and hinged together. ■ The precise method of construction and operation, however,, can best be shown by adopting in part the language of the specifications:

“As will be readily seen from tbe drawings, my motor is provided with a field-magnet jy'hich entirely incloses tbe armature and tbe two parts whereof are binged together at the back, or at that portion removed from the'axle [753]*753when suspended. The two parts of the field-magnet are shown at 1 and 2 and the hinge is shown at 3. This hinge is shown as depending from two strong lugs on the back of the upper field-magnet; but it is clear that any one skilled in the art may devise various forms of hinge adapted to this purpose.
“The forward end of the field-magnet is sleeved at 4 upon the axle, the upper or bearing half of the axle box or bearing 4, being cast in one piece with the upper portion of the field-magnet and the lower half being fastened thereto by means of bolts, 18, as shown, or by any other suitable means which will not be disturbed by or interfere with the independent movement of the field-magnet section 2 on its hinges.
“The field-magnets are provided with four poles (marked 5 in the drawings X), which are placed at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the horizon when the motors are in place. Each of these poles is appropriately wound, the windings in one half of the field-magnet being connected with those in the other half by means of a connection 6 sufficiently long to permit of the free opening of the motor.
“The two halves of the field-magnet are recessed at 7 and 8, as shown, for the purpose of receiving the bearings of the armature, one of these bearings being shown at 9. When the field-magnet is closed and the motor is in operative condition, the bearings, 9, are secured to both halves of said field-magnet, the bolts, 10, serving to fasten them to the upper half and the bolts, 11, to the lower half by means of proper threaded openings in the bearings, as shown in Fig. 2. It is evident from this form of construction that upon opening the field-magnet, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the hearings, 9, may be made to follow either the lower half or the upper half of the magnet or casing. If when the lower half is dropped, as shown, the bolts, 10, are unfastened, the bearings will follow the lower half and the poles and coils in the upper half of the field-magnet are open to inspection, as illustrated in IPig. 2. If, however, the lower bolts, 11, are loosened when the field-magnet is opened, the arma' ture will remain with the upper half of the field-magnet and the lower poles and coils will be exposed. Thus the whole field-magnet may be got at without removing the armature from the car, and thus a great saving of time and trouble in repairs is attained.”

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180 F. 751, 1910 U.S. App. LEXIS 5506, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/westinghouse-electric-mfg-co-v-allis-chalmers-co-circtdnj-1910.