New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-03
TIE PLATINUM LAMP.
PATENT OFFICE DECISION IN FAVOR or MAXIM Az
FIRMED ON APPEAL

FIRMED ON APPEAL.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2.-The Commissioner
of Patents, to whom Mr. Edison appealed has finally
affirmed the decision given by the Examiner of Inter
ferences and Examiners-n Chief in OF Maxim
one of the electricians of the United Lighting
Company in the against Mr. Edison involving the
Platinum Lamp.
s. b. Eaton vice president OF the Edison Electric Light
Company gives the following explanation OF the
last night
This is decision the second appeal In the old
ohermastatic regulator case. patent originally
granted to Mr. Edison for this Device which was part
OF the old platinum lamp long since abandoned and for
more than two years out of use. The invention en-
bodied in the patent, concerning which this decision
given, belongs to the dead pasto the cemetery OF
ventions-and has absolutely nothing whatever to do
with any part of the present system lightning either
OF Mr. Edison or of any else 1t the very
first application for patent he made in connection
with the electric light. It filed October a. 1S7s
ana patent. No 214 636, granted to him April 49,
1879. Eight months after, December %, 1879, Mr..
Maxim filed patent for a similar invention, which he
had kept quiet about up to that time but which he
claimed he had invented before Edison That is four
teen months after Edison filed his application in the
Patent Office and eight months after he had obtained
patent Mr. Maxim filed application for the same dis
covery.
The result of these conflicting claims was an inter
ference in the Patent Office. The first decision the
interference, February s. 1881, against Edison and
was widely advertised at the time by certain hoetile
interests
them as now neither the decision nor the inven
ton had the slightest practical interest in company
and know it to be fact that little Importance
attached to the interference that executive Off
Ger OF the company either the directors the
Leading counsel Of the company, knew anything about
the case or knew of its coming to trial our
local counsel at Washington, who takes charge OF the
technical details OF patent business attended to the
case as OF the unmporlant details not worthy of the
attention OF the company. Since this first decision the
has been twice appealed, and the decision the
Aas appeal made by the Commissioner of Patents is the
one reported in the dispatches from Washington.
thermostatic regulator, with q platinum lamp; hut
neither the regulator the lamp is used in any
respect whatever, either by Edison any other
yentor Edison finally abandoned the of the plati
mum lamp and with IL the thermostatc regulator, about
Two years and began linen and SILK threads
After several months additional experiments he ahan
doned these, and used plotting paper letter paper and
card board. About year ago these were also
given up for such substances hbrous
WOODS, and this kind Of experiments which covered the
actual carbonzng and testing of several hundred differ
ent varieties of woods finally ended in the adoption by
Edison of the present. bamboo fibre carbOns used in
his lamps
This decision Of the Commissioner OF Patents ends the
hnal appeal in the Patent Office and the practical result
will be that patent win issue 20 Mr. Maxim for the
same invention for which patent has already been is
sued 10 Mr.. Edison Thus both inventors viii hold
patent for the same thing United States Court can
now be invoked TO cancel the Edison patent"