United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Wollensak v. Reiher, 115 U.S. 87 (1885)

Wollensak v. Reiher

Argued April 14-15, 1885

Decided May 4, 1885

115 U.S. 87

Syllabus

In view of the state of the art existing at the date of the patent granted to John F. Wollensak for an improvement in transom lifters by original patent No. 136,801, dated March 11, 1873, and by reissued patent No. 9,307, dated July 20, 1880, and the claims of that patent, it must be limited to a combination, with a transom, its lifting arm and operating rod, of a guide for the upper end of the operating rod, prolonged beyond the junction with the lifting arm, so as to prevent the operating rod from being bent or displaced by the weight of the transom, and it is not infringed by the device secured to Frank A. Reiher by patent No. 226,33, dated April 6, 1880.

This was a bill in equity to restrain infringements of a patent. The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.