The Petroleum Centre daily record. [volume] (Petroleum Center, Pa.) 1868-1873, 1870-10-18
ROBERTS PETROLEUA TORPEDO.

ROBERTS PETROLEUM TORPEDO.
TORPEDOES.
THE ROBERTS
PETROLEUM TsRpEDo %.
Office Mt the
RED PLANING MILL.
Corner OF Pine and second Streets, ]
Near tho RailrOad)
TITUsv1LLE, PA.
Owing 10 the large and increasing demand for the
Roberts Torped0es and the late decision Of the
Commissioner of Patents in refusing TO Vim Reed
patent and the decision Of Judge X. Z. Grier sHs-
taining the Roberts patent they have LOW Erred
the price Of their Torpcdoes
TWENTY. PER CENT.
20 that every Operator can afford ,u'try q Topedo
before abandoning Well
The following ia the decision rendered bv Judoe
rier SS % on the (s2l day of September
phia, the case was argued three days by Charles
NJ. Keller Of New York, b. P. Lucas and s. A. Pur
vance OF Pittsburgh, for defendants, and George
IL
Pittsburgh, for plaintiff.
OPINION OF JUDGE GRIER
As write with difficulty can only state the M,
ensions 70 which my mind has come after carefti.
o The complanant has exhibited patent dated
25th Of April, 1865 This is prima facie evidence NJ
good title, and puts on the respondents the bnr.
den OF proof that the patent is void worthless.
year vs.: Day t2Wall, C. c. Rep; 2sS1 Int NOW now
adopt them as affording rule Of decision which an.
plies clearly to the present case.
.,a ot tne nringement Of the patent is admitted,
the only question will be as to the validity of COM
plainants patent of April a5, 1855
'lt was after speculation had been reduced to
Complainant es n experiments that the
and Ignorance of the people on the subject and
persuading the public that his invention was usefu:
ater ne nad established its great utility and value,
spite of sncers and scOtfs," were comnleteIv snc ~
cessful, that Reed, who had before made eyneri
mems Oh tne same subject, and was unsuccessful
ana after purchasing one more COMPLAINANT q tor
ped0es, ne applied on the 1st of November, 1857
;n,s palsns s .; or substantially the same combina
ants patent On the 10Th of the same month the
respondents formed them SO Ives into comnanv or
sSr ,Ss called % The Reed Torpedo Company"
lor tne purpose OF pfrating the cOmplainant's in.
vehtion, and supporting the expense of litigation.
and thus defraud him of the fruits. They have ner
= seVered even siter the preliminary injunction very
Let decree he entered for complainant for n ner
petual Injunction. and Master appointed to take
an account according to the prayer Of the bill
Il. q. GRIER Judge
,ForE-The passage referred to bv Judge Grier in
ms i2rIner decision, Wallace, p. 299, adopted as
applicable to this case was as follows:
~ ls Usually the case, when any valuable discoy.
cry s made, or any new machine Of great utilitv ia
Invented that theatenton of the public has beey
turned to that subject previously, and that many
persons have been making researches and erneri
ments. philosophers and mechanicans may have
~ some measure anticipated in their specuations
tne possibility or probability of such discovery or
inventions many experiments have been successful.
y iled coming very near. yet falling short of the
nesled ne;a result They have produced nothing bene
Hcial Ihe Invention when perfected may truly be
said to be the eliminating point of MANY exDeri
men = not only by the inventor, but by many 9th.
ors Tie may have profted Indirectly BY the i,nsllc
cessini experiments and failures of others, but it
gives mem no r!ght to claim share of the hcn of
the profit of the successful inventor II ia when
speculation has been reduced to practice, when ex
pertinent has resulted In discovery and when that
discovery has been perfected by patient and contin
manuiactnre, or machine has been thus produced
which Is useful TO public that the party makingit
becomes apublic bencfactor and entitled to n natent
AL, "And yet when genius and patient perseverance
feois, some valuable invention or disco-ery. how
seldom Is II followed by reward Envy robs him
Of TIE honor, while speculators syyinders. and nj
rates ROD MN OF the profits. Every unsuccessful
near making discovery now claims it, Every ons
VINO can invent an Improvement or vary its form.
claims right to pirate the original discovery We
neh not summons Morse, or Blanchard, or Wood
worm TO prove that this ia the usual history of eve
~ graat discovery or invention.
"Ipe present case adds another chapter to this
Dng and snlforn history."- Wallace, G. c. Ike.
Derts p. ee2.