Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/294/20/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 02:25:49+00:00

Document:
1. Claim 1 of Patent No. 1,262,860, to Smith for a method of incubating eggs, held valid and infringed. See Smith v. Snow, ante p. 294 U. S. 1. P. 294 U. S. 21.
2. The claim is for a method or process, and not for a machine or the function of a machine. P. 294 U. S. 21.
3. A method, otherwise patentable, is not to be rejected as "functional" merely because the specifications show a machine capable of using it. P. 294 U. S. 22.
4. Infringement of the Smith method is not avoided by use of it, whether more or less efficiently, in an incubator of different structure than Smith's. P. 294 U. S. 23.
Certiorari to review a judgment affirming a judgment of the District Court holding a patent valid and infringed.
In this companion case to Smith v. Snow, ante, p. 294 U. S. 1, certiorari was granted to review a decree of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 70 F.2d 457, which affirmed the decree of the District Court, and held valid and infringed the first claim of the Smith patent, No. 1,262,860, of April 16, 1918, for an improved apparatus and method for the incubation of eggs.
eggs in different stages of incubation, and the flow of heat units from one to the other, in achieving the desired result. He did this by arrangement of the eggs in staged incubation and applying to them a current of heated air under the conditions specified in Claim 1. By the use of materials in a particular manner, he secured the performance of the function by a means which had never occurred in nature, and had not been anticipated by the prior art; this is a patentable method or process. Corning v. Burden, 15 How. 252, 56 U. S. 267-268; Risdon Iron & Locomotive Works v. Medart, supra, 158 U. S. 77; Cochrane v. Deener, 94 U. S. 780, 94 U. S. 788. A method, which may be patented irrespective of the particular form of the mechanism which may be availed of for carrying it into operation, is not to be rejected as "functional" merely because the specifications show a machine capable of using it. Expanded Metal Co. v. Bradford, 214 U. S. 366, 214 U. S. 382-386; Cochrane v. Deener, supra, 94 U. S. 787-788. Cf. Holland Furniture Co. v. Perkins Glue Co., 277 U. S. 245, 277 U. S. 255-256.
they are deflected in the direction of the fans, and there "drawn" toward them through the central part of the chamber. Less than 1% of the air passes out through the foul air exits in the course of making the described circuits, so that there is circulation and recirculation of the air within the chamber. The evidence supports the finding of the special master and of the two courts below that the currents of air set in motion by the fans flow continuously along defined paths.
The petitioner's machine thus employs every essential of the patented method as it is defined by Claim 1. Petitioner does not avoid infringement of respondent's method patent merely by employing it in a machine of different structure than respondent's, whether more or less efficiently. Winans v. Denmead, 15 How. 330, 56 U. S. 344; Sewall v. Jones, 91 U. S. 171, 91 U. S. 184; Cochrane v. Deener, supra, 94 U. S. 789; Carnegie Steel Co. v. Cambria Iron Co., 185 U. S. 403, 185 U. S. 441.

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