Washington sentinel., 1855-03-15
WOOD GAs.-CAUTION.


ID tanned letters patent in December, 1851, for
an apparatus for the destructive distillation OF
wood, and the making therefrom Of tar or pitch st
pleasure, and gas and that in the Judgment OF
competent persons the invention Of appar.
tus recently patented by w. ID. Porter cannot be
used by him or any other person without infrnG-
ing my said patent And, further, that what -
patented by said Porter rghlfuly belongs 10 me,
as | expect TO prove ere long before the Unised
States Patent Office nd,further, that the Of
| said Porter's invention involves also process
which am now claiming before the United Sfaiss
Patent Office, and which has been adiudged TO BE-
patentable 10 the FIRST inventor thereof and which
said w. d. Porter has formally discIaimed ss ap-
pears upon the public records OF said Office, OF
which an official copy is hereto annexed and also
a copy Of his claims.
In the National Infelligsaesr Of the 25th instant
Mr.. Porter announces that he has secured by
patent the exclusive right 10 making gas from
wood" and threatens prosecution TO all parties
infringing his patent | ask how this statement
comports with the fact of my patent Of December,
1891, and how far the threat can intmdate under
such circumstances? MIR. Porer's claim 10 based
upon movable perforated diaphragm, and was
so understood by the Patent Office, as il appears
from the records Of the Patent Office that his
claim was al FIRST refused interfering with q
prior patent TO Robert Fouls, Of Canada, for au
equivalent conirivance. This claim, as given be-
low, and in which The perforated diaphragm 10 tho
s"~'ae clause is what Mr. p--.-- --.- .oSssisS
the "exciu-i-o rgu AZ making gas from wooo-
u,
is libel on tbs good sense Of the Patent Odice
Ii such a claim right had been granted, Il would
forbid every coaLkiln and charcoal manuiactory
IN the country.
The following copies of correspondence and
extracts from the records of the Patent Once VII
show the true state of the ease:
UMTkD STATES PATENT Orucx,
ASgua IS, 1854
SIR. In reply TO your letter Of this date, asking
I" if any patent has been granted to W. ID. Porter.
dat AA fbapt tarnn
10 any other person or persons, securing 10 him
or them "hs sroi,ssips right of making gas Jyo~
,cood" and whether any such claim was made By
w. ID. Porter, under his application for pateat,
which letters patent were issued bearing the
above date, you are informed that w. ID. Pouss's
claims believed TO be mined TO his appara.
tus and, further, this Office is not aware that
patent ias been granted heretofore for the srelr-
sire right Of making gas from wosd II would,
however, be unjus,ibabc to expect me TO make
an extended investigation to answer your re-
quest.
| am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
G. MASON, Commissioner Of Pateats.
!" Care i Of Prof c. G. Page, Washington, D. c.
The United States Patsnt ONoe-To all p~ss-u 70
ohor these pvs,s~f' shall eorss, s,simS:
This is TO certify that the annexed 10 auus copy
from the files OF this Office Of an extract from
paper fled in the matter Of the application Of w.
ID. Porter for letters patent, in accordanoe with
ssid w ID Porter on the 22d day OF August,
eighteen hundred and ffty-four.
In testimony whereof Charles Mason, Com
missioner OF Patents, have caused the seal
OF the Patent Office 10 he bereupto sfkxed
II. 81 this 2sth day OF August, in the wear OF our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and CAV.
four and OF the indepe pdepce OF the United
States the seventy-nintb. G. MAsox.
Cor oS s,,cL,,,r<, of w n po,,<r -, A., o,vy,,y.
ron 6or an ,nprop,d s,,H 70, ,7oIipr seoo1
Uas 66zed AugDaS 1884 L.ffs,y vofs,f ,sSv II
dnrna22 1854
al do not claim as nv invention and discovery
.ns improvements - nlasns sas no o.'1,. Moon ~
t.ye,s ~. 49, S.~oe ~ ~, ,,s.,.n,'s,,,