American Goggle Co. v. Malcom
American Goggle Co. v. Malcom
Opinion of the Court
(after stating the facts as above).
We thus find in the prior art goggles or eye shields of celluloid or other flexible material, and those with the transparent seeing parts made of two shades of material. • While Sheldon does not mention two colors, and it does not appear that he employed more than one color, yet in view of the prior art it would not involve invention in Malcom over Sheldon, and would therefore not be patentable in Malcom, to employ two colors in Sheldon’s shield. But we are convinced from the record here that, wholly aside from the two colors, the Sheldon shield is not the shield of the patents in issue, which we find to embody a patentably different concept from that of Sheldon. Sheldon evidently contemplated a shield which at its ends or sides extended somewhat outwardly, but otherwise lay flat against the face; the front of the shield conforming to the face contour. The concept of the Malcom and Rextrew patents appears to be substantially different. They show a sort of outwardly sloping roof extending forwardly from above the eyes, and straight across between the outward points of the side walls; the entire horizontal line across the face at the most forward part of the shield being substantially at right angles with the plane of the side walls. The evidence shows that this conception, when embodied in the commercial structure, found prompt and substantial recognition by the public in the very considerable trade which the new article immediately commanded, a fact which must be accorded due weight in determining whether or not the new article possesses the merit of novelty and involves invention in its conception.
Malcom’s claims 1, 2, 3, and 4, viewed in the light of what he shows and of the prior art, secured to him the advance he thus made in the construction of the shield. His claim 5 is predicated simply upon the employment of an eye shield of two colors, extending from- end to end of the shield; one of, the colors affording greater light obstruction than the other. This claim would give to Malcom any shield which
Appellee’s claim of novelty in the employment of the rubber rim is clearly overcome by the revelations of the prior art. Genese, No. 295,212, 1884, Mirovitch, No. 807,844, 1905, and Stevens, No. 599,289, 1898, show cushioned rims for goggles. Sheldon describes a rim of felt surrounding his mica shield. We do not find patentable invention in the patents in issue in the employment of the rubber tube for the rim.
It is insisted for appellants that their device is made under the teachings of Rextrew’s junior patent, No. 1,186,943, June 13, 1916, assigned to appellant Green, and that it therefore does not infringe. This patent purports to be on its face an improvement on the first named Rcxtrew patent, the difference claimed to he material to the issues here being the employment in the transparent part of the shield of two pieces of differently colored materials extending longitudinally across the face; the two pieces slightly overlapping and secured together in the various ways described. It seems plain enough that the employment of two pieces of material, instead of one, would not avoid Malcom or the first Rextrew patent. If merit and patentable novelty reside in the employment of two pieces, where Malcom used but one, this would constitute only what Rextrew’s last patent claims to he — an improvement on his first. But one may not, in using, this improvement, appropriate with impunity the structure upon which
As to the Malcom patent, we conclude that claims 1, 2, 3, and 4 are valid and infringed; claims 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are invalid; and claim 10 is valid and infringed, in so far as the evidence shows the end walls of appellants’ device to be substantially darker than the rest of the shield.
As to the Rextrew patent in issue, we find that claims 1, 2, and 3, comprising as they do the folded ends to form the side walls, without making any cut or notch in the ends of the blank, are not infringed by appelllants’ device, which does not have its ends folded. Claim 4, securing to the patentee the feature of the elastic -cord and hook for holding the shades in place, is invalid. Claims 5 and 6 include as an element a hook or pin device for holding the shield to the faces of women by hooking into their hair. No such element is shown in .appellants’ device, and claims 5 and 6 are thus not infringed. Claims 7 to 12, inclusive, are those which were awarded to Malcom on the interference, and are thus disposed of.
The decree of the District Court will be modified in accordance with these views, and, as modified, affirmed; each side to pay one-half the costs of this court.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- AMERICAN GOGGLE CO. v. MALCOM
- Status
- Published