Stearns v. Beard

This is an equity action of infringement, based upon letters patent No. 16,031, granted to the complainant April 7, 1885, for a design for the casing of a hay-fork pulley. The claim is as follows:

*194“The design for the easing of a hay-fork puiiey, consisting of; Je plates, o, haying a ring, 6, and hubs, d, central ribs, e, laterally-projecting ears,/, and marginal beads, g, substantially as shown and described.”

The defense is lack of patentable novelty. Infringement is conclusively proved. Pulley-casings, of course, were old. A pulley cannot operate without the casing. The record shows many…