The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-03
BEAR FACTORY
LOSES CHAINS
PATENT FIGHT


The Bear Manufa curing COM
pany. First avenue and Seventeert III
street, today directed its attorneys
to appeal from the decision Sept.
II, of the United States commits
sicner of patents, setting aside a
patent on an automobile accessory
obtained by Anton Sandbo, an Of
fetal of the Bear firm. and the
\ rights 10 the patent and s25o,0ee in
mack royalties claimed by Henry
y. VosSS Davenport, and Mrs. Lo-
retta Rurris, Davenport, widow of
James Burris, partner with Voss,
who are held TO have been the in
veHters.
II. ". Dammann, secretary of the
Bear firm. said today that the com
parry has until Oct. II TO file its ap-
peal, and that the proper-legal ac-
ton will be taken by w. r. Fftz-
gerald. Washington, D. c., the
company's attorney.
The decision favoring the plain
tiffs in the suit was obtained
through moves made in their behalf
by Harry l.. Fisher, patent attorney
Of Muscatine, Iowa. The specific
charge in the case was that the
Bear Manufa curing company had
unlawfully sliced designs for a
sectional non-skid auto chain.
Mrs. Burris is nov said to be in
fine ncial straits, and Voss. a ma
chinist who aided the late Mr.. Bur
ris in making an Improvement en-
his patent. conducting a Small milk
rnute in navarnOrt
Claims That Are Made,
Claims made by the plaintiffs in
the case are as follows: Rurris,
who was former Muscatiue man.
/ q machinist by trade, designed a
sectional type of non-skid chain.
a radical departure from anything
previously invented. in April! 1917.
Each section was composed of a
steel frame, 5eii lined. fitting
round the fellOe of the wheel. be
tween the spokes. with two cross
chains which could he fastened
around the tire and could be put On
without use of jack.
He promptly applied for a pat
: ent, and while his application was
Aseirg through the slow-movi1g
Machinery of the patent office Ia
AEresentativeS of the Bear Manu-
featuring company, Rock Island.
who offered to pay him a royalty
of 10 cents a section for the right
to manufacture the article. AS he
had no funds to begin manufactur-
ing himself, ne Immediately signed
an agreement to this effect. and the
accessory was soon placed on the
:
alties which amounted to about
$500 a month.
Il Improves Invention.
ia His invention had one weak
8point: if the chain happened 20
~ break or become unfastenei whila
the car was in motion, the whole
unit dropped off the wheel ami
was lost
III collaboration with Noss, a
fellow machinist. he set 70 work
in an eGdeavor to improve the skid
resister After working several
months. they perfected new type
which differed only from the orig
inaI .ju that the felt-lined steel
frau Awas made with U-shaped
/ aper \re in the center so that II
1 migfS he clamped around the
spoke No matter what occurred
/ the net device could not become
detached from the wheel accident
Another Patents 1t.
The Bear concern, who were
still making the original sectional
chain, were notified of the improve
4 rnent by the inventors. before the
Halter had applied for patent. The
] lfiTm's representatives Immediately
Agot in touch with Burris and his
/ Aco- inventor. and agreed to pay
i Sfem the same royalties op the
4 Second accessory as were paid On
j tbe first This seemed satisfactory
4 fnG they asserted. relying on the
4 company to continue payments o.
Foyaltles as called for in the con
tracts previously made.
Time went by. They failed to
receive a penny in royalties and
/ Eir Burris' income on the original
i Eevice had ceased. the Bear firm
i hsving discontinued its manufac-
/ kure in favor of the new one. On
/ February S. 1919, Mr.. Burris re
Il fceiyed notice from Washington
II that his application for patent on
~ the first chain designed, had been
ssIi oprT~
zI Hrris SuccHmbs-
He Shortly after. leaving
Il only a all amount of money to
his widow. Fcss was named ex-
ecutor OF mis- estate Voss learned
JSthat it was rot too late to obtain
a patent on the improved device
sifeven though the design had beer
n patented by another. if it could
be proved that he and Burris were
/ the inventors
An application for patent was
forwarded to Washington. Not
long afterward word was sent back
that a patent had previously beer
Kranted on Just such device to
aon Sandbo. an officer Of the