Opinion ID: 398222
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Special Master's Report

Text: 17
18 Based upon our prior opinion, 467 F.2d at 261, the Special Master ruled that the accused practices which involved the use of borax-based lubricants (soap and borax) in cold forming bumpers and non-bumpers infringed the Devex patent, where the use of those lubricants led to cleanability in conjunction with lubricity, and where the advantages of both the cleanability and lubricity were used by General Motors. Thus, the Special Master concluded that accused bumper practices 4, 5, 12, 13, 36, 48, 49, 51, and non-bumper practices 7, 9, 16, 17, 22, 25 (in part), 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 37, 38, 42, 47, 54 and 56 infringed the Devex patent. Special Master's Report at 27; Appendix at 287. 19
20 The Special Master also ruled that General Motors' use of tetrapotassium pyrophosphate (TKPP) as a borax substitute in bumper making (accused practices 6, 14, 50, 52, and 53) and of trisodium phosphate (TSP) as a borax substitute in non-bumper making (accused practices 3, 11, 15 and 45) infringed the Devex patent. Special Master's Report at 29-38; Appendix at 289-298. 21 The Special Master found as a fact that TKPP was put in (to the lubricant) as a borax substitute, to help the soap do the job of efficiently lubricating the workpiece. Special Master's Report at 31; Appendix at 291. General Motors argued that the use of TKPP did not infringe the patent because pure TKPP melts at a higher temperature than the ferrous metal phosphate coating, which meant that TKPP did not fit the literal language of the patent. The Special Master rejected that argument, found as a fact that TKPP, when mixed in the coatings and as a matter of actual practice, melts before the ferrous metal phosphate coating, and concluded that the use of TKPP as a borax substitute to improve lubricity and cleanability therefore infringed the Devex patent. Special Master's Report at 32-37; Appendix at 292-297. The Special Master also found that TSP (accused practices 3, 11, 15, 45) has a lower melting point than the ferrous metal phosphate coating, and that if it were used as a borax substitute to obtain improved lubricity and cleanability it would infringe the Devex patent. Special Master's Report at 37-38; Appendix at 297-98. 22
23 The Special Master held that accused practices 2, 3, 10, 11, 15, 19, 20, 21, 25 (in part), 33, 34, 35, 39, 40, 41, 44 and 45 did not infringe the Devex patent. Some of those practices involved little or no actual cleaning of the part after its formation; some involved a cleaning process which, unlike the easy cleaning process used on borax-treated parts, would have removed the residue even if the Devex process had not been used. Because ease of cleaning is an element vital to the life of the patent, the Special Master held that those practices which do not involve cleaning of the part cannot infringe the patent. Special Master's Report at 39-43; Appendix at 299-303. 3 24
25 Accused Practices 1, 2, 8, 18, 20, 23, 24, 32, 34, 35, 39, 43, 55, 57 and 58 allegedly involved the use of a neutralizing rinse (as opposed to a lubricant) containing borax. 4 The Special Master concluded that the use of rinses containing borax did not infringe claim 4, for the following reasons:i) There was no evidence that borax (or equivalent) rinses were used to lubricate the metal or to aid in cleaning. Special Master's Report at 46; Appendix at 306. 26 ii) The borax was used solely to neutralize acid carryover resulting from the phosphate bath. Numerous other techniques which did not involve borax were also used to achieve this result. Special Master's Report at 46-47; Appendix at 306-07. 27 iii) Example XXXV in the 1950 Henricks patent application set forth the use of a borax rinse to neutralize the acid. Example XXXV was cancelled by Henricks when the patent examiner required that the specification be shortened and limited to 'such parts of it as are commensurate with claims that applicant will continue to prosecute.'  Moreover, Henricks testified that neutralizing rinses were old and well known. Special Master's Report at 47-48; Appendix at 307-08. 28