United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Dunbar v. Myers, 94 U.S. 187 (1876)

Dunbar v. Myers

94 U.S. 187

Syllabus

1. In letters patent of the United States, No. 10,965, bearing date May 23, 1854, issued to John Myers and Robert G. Eunson, granting to them, for the term of fourteen years from that date, the exclusive right and liberty of making, using, and vending to others to be used an improved machine for sawing thin boards, &c., which letters patent were subsequently extended for the term of seven years from May 23, 1868, the claim of the improvement described as the employment or use of deflecting plates -- one or two -- placed at the sides of a circular saw for the purposes set forth in the specification is void because it does not describe a patentable invention.

2. This court finds that the respondents below did not infringe the second and fourth claims of the patent.

The facts are fully stated in the opinion of the Court.