The Petroleum Centre daily record. [volume] (Petroleum Center, Pa.) 1868-1873, 1870-10-15
ROBERTS PETROLEUM TORPEDO.

ECRPEDOES.
THE ROBERTS
PfTRakGyM TaRpED0 90.
Office at the
RED PLANNING MILL,
corner Of Pine and second Streets,
Near the IatlrOad,)
TTTUsvILLE, PA.
6Dbers Torpedoes, and the late decision Of the
Commissioner Of Patents In refusing to VIM. Reed
patent. and the decision of Judge X. e. Grier sas
taining the k0herts' patent they have LOWERED
the price Of their TorpedOes
TWENTY. PER CENT.
20 that every Operator can afford lu-try q Toroedo
before abandoning Well.
Ths following is the decision rendered BY JUDGE
Crier on the twenty. (22) day of September,
1S69, in the United States Circuit Court at Phlade
phia The case was argued three days by Charles
VANCE Of Pittsburgh, for defendants, and George
Harding Of Philadelphia, and George Ii. Chli.iy, Of
f1ttsburgh, for plaintiff.
OPINION OF JUDGE GRIER.
A. write with difficulty can only state the con
elusions 70 whicn my mind has Come after careful.
The complainant has exhibited patent dated
2,th Of April 1855 This Is prima facie evidence OF
gooa title, ana puts on the respondents the bur.
am OF proof that the patent Is void or worthless
neea not repeat my remarks In the case of Good.
year W; Day Il Wall, G. c. Rep; 220) but now
adopt them as affording rule OF decision which an
plies clearly to the present case.
AZ the management of the Datenf IL al,,,;, tod
the only question will be as to the validity Of corr
painaIlts patent of April q, 1885,
practice" and after repeated experiments that the
complainant succeeded in overcoming he prejudice
and ignorance OF the people on the subject, and
persuading the public that his invention was usefnl:
after he had established its great utility and yaIna
and "when his genius and patient perseverance in
spite OF sncers and scOfs," were completely snc
eessini, Inat heed' who had before made expert.
ments ON the same subject and was unsuccessful.
imagined that he had the best right to the
and after purchasing one OF more Complainautis tor
psaoes, Shea ne applied on the ist Of November, 1857,
ttons OF devices and machine contained in Complain.
ants patent On the 18th of the same month the
Iesponaesa,s formed & themselves into company or
corporation called "The Reed Torpedo Coinpany. u
f0r the purpose OF pirating the compainant's in.
vention, and supporting the expense of litiration.
and thus deffaud him Of the fruits. They have per
severed, even after the preliminary Injunction very
properly granted by the District Judge.
Let decree be entered for complainant for a per.
petuai inunctlOn. and Master appointed to fake
IN account according to the prayer Of the bill ~
t. G. GRIER, Judge.
NorE-The passage referred to bv judge Grier IN
his former decision, Wallace, p. 800 adopted AZ
applicable to this case was as follows: --
1T 10 usually the case, when any valuable discoy
cry Is made or any new machine Of great utility i.
invented that the attention of the public has beer
turned to that subject previously, and that many
persons have been making researches and exneri
ments. philosophers and nechanicians NAV hav,
IN some measure anticipated in their specuations
invention; many experiments have been sllccessfl
Iiied, coming very near. yet falling short of the
desired result They have produced nothing bene
nciai: The invention when perfected may truly be
ssia 70 Dc tne eliminating point of MANY expert
mon 3 not only by the inventor, but by many 9TH
ors. he may have profted indirectly by the ilusuc
cessiu experiments and failures of Others. hnt i,
gives them no right to claim share of the he nor Of
tne pront OF the successful inventor 1t ia when
specuiauon mas Deen REDUCED to practice, when ex.
discovery has been perfected by patient ana contn
ued experiments, when some new compOund art
manuincture, or machine has been thus nrofluced
which 10 useful to the public that the party akiny Il
Desomes apu6iic benefactOr and entitled to patent
SAND yet when genius and patient perseycrancr
have ut length succeeded, in spite of sneers and
scohs, some valuabs invention or disco-ery. how
seldom Is IL followed by reward Envy robs lin
OF the honor, while speculators swindle g. and nj
rates ron him OF the profits. Every unsuccessful
near making discovery now claims it, Every onjj
wno can invent an Improvement or vary its iurm
claims right to pirate the original discovery W,
neeu not summons Morse, Or Blanchard or Wood
worm 70 that this Is the usual history of eve
1.-THE present case ADDS another chantor m tb;
long and uniform history.'-2 Wallace, c. {. Ike
ports p 29s. ~ A''