Risdon Iron Locomotive Works v. Medart

by Henry Billings Brown

United States Supreme Court

158 U.S. 68

Risdon Iron Locomotive Works  v.  Medart

Appeal rom the circuit Court of the United States for the Northern District of California.

This was a suit in equity institutedb y Philip and William Medart against the appellant for the infringement of three letters patent granted to Philip Medart, viz.: Patent No. 248,599, dated October 25, 1881, for the manufacture of belt pulleys; patent No. 248,598, also dated October 25, 1881, for a belt pulley; and patent No. 238,702, granted March 8, 1881, also for a belt pulley.

In the first patent, No. 248,599, the patentee stated in his specification that his invention 'relates to that class of belt pulleys formed of a wrought-metal rim and a separate center, usually a spider, and usually made of cast metal. Heretofore considerable difficulty has been encountered in the manufacture of such pulleys, much time, skilled labor, and large and elaborate machinery have been required, and their production has been correspondingly expensive. The object of my invention is to cheapen and simplify their construction, overcome the objections above mentioned, and produce strong and perfect pulleys in a quick and efficient manner. My invention, therefore, consists in an improved process of manufacture, whereby the above results are obtained.'

The drawings accompanying the specification represent the machinery for carrying out the invention, and the pulley at various stages of its manufacture. The specification sets forth in detail the manner in which the machinery is operated, and winds up with the following statement: 'Pulleys thus manufactured are perfectly balanced, faultless in shape, strong, and durable, and can be produced more rapidly and at less expense than the imperfect pulleys heretofore made. The machinery herein shown and referred to has not been described more in detail, as its operation will be clear to those skilled in such matters; and no claim to it is herein made, it being my purpose to secure protection for such apparatus by other applications hereafter to be made.'

The claims, which are four in number, are all for the described improvement in the art of manufacturing belt pulleys, which consist in centering the pulley center or spider, and then grinding the same concentrically with the axis of the pulley, the several claims stating with more or less detail the principal steps in the manufacture.

In his specification to patent No. 248,598 the patentee states that his 'improved pulley belongs to that class of pulleys composed of a separate spider, usually of cast metal, and a wrought-metal rim, which is secured to the spider,' and that his invention 'consists in a pulley which is perfectly true and accurately balanced; that is, a pulley in which the center of gravity and geometrical center or axis coincide.'

In his specification to patent No. 238,702, which was granted about seven months before the other patents, the patentee states that his invention 'relates to certain improvements in belt pulleys, and had for its object-First, the production of a cheap, light, and durable pulley; and, secondly, the production of irregular sizes of pulleys without the necessity of a separate pattern for each size of pulley required. And this invention consists-First, in constructing the usual crown or dish on the rim of wrought-metal rimmed pulleys by bending said rim transversely during the process of manufacture; secondly, the belt pulley having arms formed of wood, preferably of a cylindrical shape, which at their inner ends rest in sockets cast on the hub, and at their outer ends are provided with bracket lugs, to which the pin is secured by rivets or other equivalent means.'

Fig. 1 of the following drawings exhibits a perspective view, and fig. 2 a vertical section, of the patented pulley:

The defendant appeared and demurred to the bill upon the ground that the patents did not show invention upon their faces. The demurrer was argued and overruled, and leave given to answer, and upon a subsequent hearing upon pleadings and proofs it was adjudged that all of the patents were valid; that the defendant had infringed the first, second, and third claims of patent No. 248,599, the two clais of patent No. 248,598, and the first claim of patent No. 238,702,-and defendant was enjoined from further infringing. A final decree was subsequently entered, upon the report of the master, for $1,811.25, from which decree the defendant appealed.

M. A. Wheaton, F. J. Kierce, and E. R. Taylor, for appellant.

William M. Eccles, for appellees.

Mr. Justice BROWN, after stating the facts in the foregoing language, delivered the opinion of the court.

Notes