Hendy v. Golden State Miners' Iron-Works

This is a suit in equity, brought by Joshua Hendy against the Golden State & Miners' Iron-Works, a corporation, and six individual defendants, in the circuit court of the United States for the district of California, for the infringement of letters patent No. 140,250, granted June 24, 1873, to James D. Cusenbary and James A. Mars, for an 'improvement in ore-stamp feeders.' The specification, claims, and drawings of the patent are as follows: 'Our invention relates to improvements in that class of orefeeders for quartz-mills in which a pawl and ratchet are employed to operate the feeder automatically by the drop of the stamp. Our improvements consist, first, in mounting a feed-cylinder upon a movable frame or truck, so that it can be readily shifted from place to place when it is desired to repair the mill; and, lastly, of an improved arrangement for operating the pawl-rod by the drop of the stamp without the use of springs. In order to more fully illustrate and explain our invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Fig. 1 i a vertical section; Fig. 2 is a back view; Fig. 3 is a transverse section. A represents the frame of a stamp-mill; B is the stamp; C is the stamp-stem, with its tappet, D; F is the cam-shaft; and G the cam which lifts the stamp,-all of which are arranged in the ordinary manner of constructing a stamp-battery. H, H, are the foundation timbers upon which the feeding cylinder is mounted. These timbers are mounted upon rollers, so that the cylinder and frame can be moved about as desired. The cylinder, I, is made of cast-metal, and has its outer surface formed into chambers or depressions, J, J, which are separated from each other by longitudinal partitions, K. The cylinder and its carriage, when in working position, are placed below the hopper, L, so that the ore from the hopper will fall into the chambers upon an inclined apron, M, which directs it beneath the stamp. This feeding cylinder, being made of cast-metal, will not wear out like the endless belts heretofore used in this class of machines, and, as it turns upon journals, like any common roller or cylinder, it cannot become clogged, as the endless belt is liable to do. To one end of the cylinder a ratchet-wheel, N, is secured, and this ratchet-wheel is operated by a pawl-bar, C, to revolve the cylinder. In order to operate the pawl-bar from the tappet, a horizontal shaft, p, has its opposite ends supported in boxes, which are secured to the sides of the upright timbers of the frame, so that the shaft will pass across directly in front of the tappet, transversely to the movement of the stamp-stem. A fixed arm, q, extends backwards from the shaft, p, so that its extremity will terminate below the tappet, in position to receive a blow from it when the stamp falls. Another fixed arm, r, extends forward from the shaft directly over the ratchet-wheel, and to the extremity of this arm the upper end of the pawl-bar, o, is attached by means of a trunnion block, t. This bar extends down to the middle of the periphery of the ratchet-wheel, and has one or more upward projecting teeth on its lower end, which serve to engage with the teeth of the ratchet when the pawl is lifted by the rock-shaft, and thus rotate the feeding cylinder. It will therefore be evident that, at each drop of the stamp, the tappet will strike the arm, q, and carry it downward, thus giving the shaft, p, a rocking motion; the weight of the pawl, and its arm, r, serving to rotate the shaft in an opposite direction, thus feeding the ore automatically when it is needed. When there is a sufficient quantity of ore beneath the stamp, the drop will not be sufficient to operate the cylinder; but, when the quantity of ore beneath the stamp is reduced, the drop is greater, and consequently the tappet strikes the arm, q, and operates the cylinder. Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by letters patent is (1) the feeding cylinder, I, mounted upon the movable timbers, H, H, substantially as and for the purpose above described; (2) the rock-shaft, p, with its fixed arms, q, r, in combination with the pawl-bar, o, ratchet-wheel, N, and feeding cylinder, I, when arranged to be operated by the tappet, D, substantially as and for the purpose described.' The answer denies infringement, and sets up two patents on the question of novelty, and denies the utility of the invention. After replication, proofs were taken on both sides, and the circuit court, on a hearing, dismissed the bill.

John H. Miller and J. P. Langhorne, for appellant.

M. A. Wheaton, for appellees.

BLATCHFORD, J.