Edison Electric Light Co. v. United States Electric Lighting Co.

Two claims of letters patent No. 223,898, granted Thomas A. Edison, January 27, 1880, for an improvement in electric lamps, are in controversy in this suit. These are claims 1 and 2. It is not asserted for plaintiff that the defendant infringes the other claims of the patent, consequently they will require no attention further than to see whether their terms may assist in defining the meaning of the claims in litigation.

The plaintiff contends that these claims are for fundamental inventions of great merit, and are entitled to a construction by which every incandescent lamp for electric…