St. Louis Car-Coupler Co. v. National Malleable Castings Co.

• Decision Date: 08 March 1898
• Docket Number: 527.
• Citation: 87 F. 885
• Parties: ST. LOUIS CAR-COUPLER CO. v. NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS CO.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Sixth Circuit

87 F. 885

ST. LOUIS CAR-COUPLER CO. v. NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS CO.

No. 527.

United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.

March 8, 1898

The complainant below and appellant here is engaged in the manufacture and sale of an automatic car coupler, generally known as the 'St. Louis Coupler,' and made under and in accordance with reissued patent No. 10,941, dated June 26 1888. The original patent was No. 369,195, dated August 30 1887. Both the original and reissue were to Madison J Lorraine and Charles T. Aubin. The object of the bill was to restrain an alleged infringement of said reissued patent by the defendant company, which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of a rival car coupler, under a patent to C. A Tower of June 18, 1895, and numbered 541,446. This patent is for an improvement on the patent issued to the same patentee, June 5, 1894, and that was an improvement on the patent issued to the same patentee, October 24, 1893, No. 507,511. Upon a final hearing, before Taft, circuit judge, the bill of complainant was dismissed, upon the ground that the Tower device did not infringe the Lorraine and Aubin patent. The opinion of the circuit court is reported in 81 F. 706. The defenses were noninfringement, invalidity of patent for want of novelty and patentable invention, and that the reissued patent is void for unlawful extensions of the claims of the original patent.

The character of the reissued patent to Lorraine and Aubin is thus stated in the specifications: 'Our invention relates to that class of car couplings known as 'vertical plane,' and having a pivoted outwardly opening coupling head or clutch and an extended arm or buffer. The object of our invention is to provide a vertical plane coupling free from complicated parts, locking by means of a simple automatic gravity pink requiring no adjusting and made in one piece; to provide a vertical plane coupling in which, when a coupling-head is unlocked and released, said coupling-head, by reason of its own weight, will turn outwardly and open, and thus automatically set itself in position to effect a coupling with a similar opposing coupling-head, which may be either open or closed; to provide an improved and simplified means of setting not to couple; to so construct and arrange the coupling-head that it will be unusually strong, and to make a coupling that will perform the work under all circumstances, as well on the sharpest curves as on a tangent, and with the greatest variations in height of the opposing parts,-- in fact, to provide a car coupling that will be simple in construction, automatic in action, and free from springs and superfluous and loose parts, that will combine strength and durability with simplicity and perfection of action.'

For further illustration, we here set out Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, and 10, shown in the drawings of the patent. The drawings show but one form and arrangement of a vertical plane coupler, and the specifications describe only that form, and do not suggest any modification.

(Image Omitted)

Fig. 1 is a plan of draw-head, with coupling-head-- sometimes called a 'knuckle'-- attached and closed. Fig. 2 is a plan of coupling-head detached from draw-head.

(Image Omitted)

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, showing lower half of draw-head separate from coupling knuckle. Fig. 5 is a side view of locking pin.

(Image Omitted) Fig. 9 is a side view of two draw-heads, with coupling-heads attached, about to make a coupling, with the left-hand coupling-head closed up and locked, and showing vertical longitudinal section of draw-head through line X9, Y9, of Fig. 10.

(Image Omitted)

Fig. 10 is a horizontal longitudinal section of two opposing draw-heads, with coupling-heads attached, about to make a coupling, with left-hand coupling-head unlocked and open, and the right-hand coupling-head closed and locked. The same letters of reference refer to the same parts throughout.

In Fig. 10, J is the draw-bar; R is the draw-head; B is the buffer; A is the coupling-head, which is pivoted at its center to the draw-head, and which, viewed in position shown in Fig. 2 (which shows the knuckle of Fig. 10), has a general U shape; E is pin that pivots coupling-head to draw-head; A1 is the outer arm or clutch of U-shaped coupling-head; L is rearward arm of U-shaped coupling-head; H is locking pin (said locking pin can be either oblong, round, or square); * * * F is hole in top of draw-head for reception of locking pin (this is not shown in Fig. 10, but is in Fig. 1); F1 is hole which perforates inner arm of coupling-head for purpose of receiving locking pin, and F2 is a hole in bottom of draw-head for purpose of receiving locking pin, and F2 is a hole in bottom of draw-head for same purpose; G is groove in inner arm of coupling-head for guiding locking pin as hole F1 moves from or towards it; S is recess in arm, L, made to receive rib, S1, which is cast to side of draw-head.

The outer or hook arm of the coupling-head is divided so as to receive a link when coupling with common draw-head. The operation of this coupler, as described in the patent, is as follows: 'Should the two similarly constructed draw-heads approach each other in the position shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the arm, A1, of the closed coupling-head, encounters the point of the arm, L, of the open coupling-head, turning it partly inward, when the point of the arm, A1, of the open coupling-head, then encounters the concave face of the buffer-arm, B, which forces it completely around to the limit of its inward movement. As the coupling-head turns inwardly, the projecting knob or pin, D1, being at the commencement of this movement at the top of the inclined or curved groove, D, the upper side of the groove travels up and across the pin, D1, being at the commencement of this movement at the top of the inclined or curved groove, D, the upper side of the groove travels up and across the pin, D1, and by this movement raises the coupling-head up into a space left at the top to allow for this upward movement. At the same time the coupling-head is turning, and raising the pin, H, which rests on top of the inner arm, L, is guided in the guide groove, G, towards the hole, F, and when it is over said hole the pin, H, falls through it and into the hole, F2, and thus securely holding and locking the coupling-head. The rib, S1, fitting into the recess, S, is intended to give the coupling-head a solid bearing against draw-head when the coupling-head is locked by the pin, H. For uncoupling, the lever arm, N, or any suitable device, is used. To uncouple, the arm, N, is raised, and this in turn, through the chain, M, raises the pin, H. The coupling-head has then nothing to retain and support it, and as the opposing head draws away from it the action of gravity draws the coupling-head down into the vacant space beneath, and as it falls, by reason of the top of the groove, D, traveling down and across the knob or pin, D1, the coupling-head turns and opens and is set into position for another coupling. Should both heads be closed when desiring to make a coupling, the pin, H, is raised, and the automatic action of the coupling-head immediately opens and turns it ready for coupling. After the coupling-head is open the pin, H, is allowed to fall, and rests (in the position shown in Figs. 7 and 10) in the groove and on top of the arm, L, of the coupling-head. Should it be necessary to set not to couple, the lever arm, N, is raised and pushed or pulled on top of the block, P (Fig. 9), and as this keeps the pin, H, in a raised position, the coupling-head can therefore not be locked and a coupling cannot be effected. It is only necessary that one pin be operated to set a couple, to uncouple, or set not to couple.'

The claims of the patent said to be infringed are the 1st, 2d 3d, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th, and 20th, and are as follows: '(1) The combination of the u-shaped coupling-head pivoted at its center, the draw-head, and the automatic locking pin, for the purposes set forth. (2) The combination of the u-shaped coupling-head, the draw-head, the pivot, E, the inclined (or curved) groove, D, and the knob or pin, D1, for the purpose of making an automatically opening coupling-head. (3) The combination of the u-shaped coupling-head, the groove, G, the draw-head, the locking pin resting on top of the arm, L, when the coupling-head is open, and falling through the holes, F1 and F2, when the coupling-head is closed, and the lever arm and chain, substantially as described.' '(6) The combination of the u-shaped coupling-head having the recess, S, the locking pin engaged with the rearward arm of said coupling-head, and the draw-head having the rib, S1, which fits in the recess, S, only when the coupling-head is closed for making the coupling-head firm and secure when locked. (7) The combination of a coupling-head turning laterally on its pivot, and having an external arm extended to engage with and grip a like fellow and a rearward arm intended to engage with some locking mechanism, with a draw-head carrying a common gravity vertically moving locking pin, said automatically locking pin riding directly upon such rearward arm when opened, and locking such inner arm by dropping through a hole perforated in the inner arm of the coupling-head, substantially as described. (S) The combination of two similarly constructed draw-heads having u-shaped pivoted automatically opening coupling-heads and the automatic locking pins, substantially as described, for the purpose of making an automatic coupling.' '(10) The combination of a coupling-head, the draw-head, the groove, G, the locking pin resting on top of the arm, L, when the coupling-head is closed, and the lever arm and chain, substantially as described. (11)...