Noetzel v. A. George Schulz Co.
Noetzel v. A. George Schulz Co.
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff was working at a machine for cutting cardboard for paper boxes. The machine was five feet wide and four feet high and provided on one side with a drive-wheel and a fly-wheel. In front there was a movable jaw which opened and, closed in operation considerably narrower than the width of the machine, and the top of which
“I was supposed to stop the machine, and I put my hand on the switch and my foot on the brake; my left foot on the brake. I slipped off with my left foot. My weight went on, my right foot gave out, I fell toward the right, and by falling I fell on the cog-wheel.”
In rescuing himself from the cog-wheel he got his fingers into the jaw.
The case was apparently tried without any definite or clear theory of defendant’s liability. Mr. Wilke was the superintendent. The plaintiff further testified: “Wóll, I stood there, and Mr. Willie told that fellow to show me how to run the machine. The foreman told him to instruct me and he did so.” The details of this instruction are not given, nor is it shown by the plaintiff to have been informal or insufficient. There was no proof of any defect in the machine, except that the front end of the brake lever was worn from foot pressure. The plaintiff was standing upon this slippery floor and using this brake day after day, the condition was obvious, and the alleged defect in the brake lever could not have caused his injury. The upper side of this brake lever was not to exceed four inches above the level of the floor, and, assuming that it was footworn at this place, the evidence shows that the wear was slight and that this was not the cause of his fall. The proper way to apply a friction brake is to first shut off the power and then apply the brake. The plaintiff attempted to do these things simultaneously, thus placing himself in a dangerous and very awkward position on the slippery floor. This attempt, coupled with the condition of the floor, caused him to fall. His request for repairs had no relation to the slippery condition of the floor or the slippery condition of the front end of the brake lever. It related to the worn condition and ineffective action of the brake. This worn condition is
The foregoing evidence was given by the plaintiff himself, and entitled the defendant to a nonsuit on the ground that no defect in the machine which caused the injury was shown, and that it was not shown to be one which the statute required to be fenced or guarded; -that the plaintiff had been instructed ; that he assumed the risk arising from the slippery floor; and that in fact his injury w.as caused by his attempt to perform the feat of throwing off the switch and stepping on the brake lever simultaneously, situated as they were at such distance apart.
By the Court. — Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.