Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

227 F. Supp. 394

Ballantyne Instruments & Electronics, Inc. v. Wagner

U.S. District Court

Decided February 14, 1964

U.S. District Court · decided 1964-02-14

Cited by 4 later decisions — most recently May 1981

1 district ·

Applies 35 U.S.C. § 102

Relies on Bobertz v. General Motors Corp.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1964-02-14

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

WEINMAN, Chief Judge.

¶1In this matter, plaintiff has moved the Court to declare, by summary judgment, that United States Letters Patent No. 2,778,736 is invalid as a matter of law. The Court finds that plaintiff’s motion is well taken.

¶2The pleadings and exhibits show that there is no genuine issues as to any of the following material facts: On April 9, 1954, Chester Wagner filed an application for a patent on a method of deep fat cooking foods under pressure. The patent, with three claims, was issued on January 22, 1957 as United States Letters Patent No. 2,778,736.

¶3Nola Treat and Lenore Richards are the authors of a printed publication, Quantity Cookery, Revised Edition, published by Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Massachusetts on January 12, 1951. At pages 233 through 236, the authors of the aforementioned publication describe a method for frying chicken in deep fat.

¶4The Court notes that the patent involved is sufficiently simple to obviate-the necessity of expert testimony and summary judgment is a proper remedy for plaintiff. Bobertz v. General Motors Corp., 228 F.2d 94 (Cir. 6, 1955).

¶5The Court finds that each claim of the patent in suit is anticipated by the method for frying chicken in deep fat as disclosed in Quantity Cookery. It follows that since the application for the patent was filed on April 9, 1954, which is more than one year after the publication of Quantity Cookery, the patent is invalid. See 35 U.S.C.A. § 102(b).

¶6Accordingly, it is hereby ordered, adjudged and decreed that plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment is sustained and United States Letters Patent No. 2,778,736, and each claim thereof, is invalid.

¶7The Clerk shall enter judgment forthwith; entry of counsel not required.

/227/fsupp/394 · .json · Public domain