Majority — STRONG J.
Syllabus
1. The patent of E. H. Graham, of October 16th, 1860, reissued May 28th, 1867, for “picker-staff motion in looms,” has no relation to the mere form of a journal-bearing arm, nor does it consist in arranging a journal-bearing arm in a slot in the rocker. It embraces every combination of a rocker with a bed and loose journal-bearing arms, arranged so as to produce the result described in the specification as effected by the combination. ,delivered the opinion of the court.
By the arrangement described in Graham’s reissued patent of 1867, and claimed as his invention, it is manifest that that part of the device called the rocker is prevented from sliding perceptibly on its bed and is kept true in its bearings by the arm or bar from which the journals are projected, the arm having also a long bearing in the box of the rocker. The journals, moreover, having bearings in the ears of the
We think the invention has no relation to any mere form of a journal-bearing arm. Nor do we think it consists in arranging a journal-bearing arm in a slot in the rocker. In our opinion it embraces every combination of a rocker with a bed and loose journal-bearing arms, arranged so as to produce the result described in the specifications as effected by the combination.
And we have been unable to perceive that the invention was anticipated by any of those devices which the defendant has given in evidence. We do not propose to go into any critical examination of them. The case docs not call for it. Of them all it may be said that while each has a rocker and a bed, no one connects the rocker with the bed by means of loose journals, or by loose journal-hearing arms, and no one of them obtains the beneficial results secured by the invention belonging to the complainants. It is but faintly claimed, if at all, that any of these patents describe the invention of the complainants. The defendant has used them rather as exhibiting the state of the art when the reissued patent in question was granted, and as requiring that patent to be construed to cover only a combination, of which a journal-bearing arm sliding vertically in a hollow place or box in the rocker, and having journals which turn in open boxes in the bed-piece, is an essential constituent. W¿ think, however, they exhibit no- such state of the art as requires that construction to be given to the patent, and we cannot perceive that such a construction is justified by the language of the specification and claims.
We come, then, to the inquiry whether the devices made and sold by the defendant are substantially the same as those patented by the reissued patent; or, in other words, whether the picker-staff motion made and sold by the defendant is
But we think there was error in the ascertainment of the profits with which he was charged. The master to whom the statement of the account was referred reported that the
But the master further reported that the defendant ¿made • the infringing motions after a pattern of his own devising; that they cost per pair 50 cents less than the picker-staff mechanism which he had immediately before put upon his looms; that they were made under a patent granted to him, and that they cost about 50 cents less than the motions made by the plaintiffs, the difference in the cost being due to his invention. If this is so, it is clear that the 50 cents saved on each pair, equivalent to 50 cents profit, is not due to the complainants’ invention. Were it not for the defendant’s improvement the cost of making a pair of motions would have been, not 91 cents, but 91 plus 50 cents, or
The defendant, therefore, has been charged by the master’s report, confirmed by the court, too much for the profit derived from the sale of 414 pairs of motions sold separately from the looms, and from the sale of 297|- motions also sold separately from the looms. For the former he should have been charged $243.26, instead of $451.26, and for the latter $175.52, instead of $263.
We think, also, that the defendant has been excessively charged for the profits made by him on the 346 beds, and the 1548 rockers sold by him at various times for the repair of bridle motions previously made. He has ■ been credited with the cost only, without reference to the fact that the cost was reduced by his own invention. The complainants have not shown how much the cost would have been had the defendant made them without employing his own improvements. Under such circumstances it appears just to assume that but for the improvement of the defendant the cost of making the bed would have been 42 cents instead of 27t25, and the cost of making the rockers would have been 19T25 cents instead of 12 cents and 4 mills, as reported by the master. The consequence of this is that the profit ou the 346 beds sold was only $167.68, and the profit ou the 1548 rockers sold was only $471.49.
The decree, therefore, should have been in favor of the complainants for
1st. Profits on bridle motions sold on looms, . . $1819 50
2d. Profits on 414 pairs sold separately, . . . 243 26
3d. Profits on 297J pairs sold separately, . . 175 52
4th. Profits on the beds sold,..... 167 68
5th. Profits on the rockers sold separately, . . 471 49
Total,.......$2877 45
A majority of the court is of opinion that the appellant is not entitled to a credit for the $1000 paid on the 25th of October, 1869, for which a receipt was then given.
Reversal and remand accordingly.