Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 4.djvu/554

 640 FEDEBAli BEPOBTEB. �of the ratchet, and when the lever is central or out of use the pawls lock both faces of the ratehet-wheel, and leave the wrench rigid like the old form of that tool. By moving the lever to the right the pawl on that side is disengaged, and the ratohet-wheel is free to move to the right, but is rigid in the other direction, and so, conversely, when the lever is moved to the left the pawl on this side is disengaged. The claim ia for "the combination in a wrench of the ratchet- wheel, B, containing the soeket for seizing the work, with the detents, [pawls,] b, b, and lever, g, so constructed as to lock the ratchet against rotation in any direction, and also to lock it at wUl so that the implement may be worked as a right-hand or left- hand wrench without removing it from the work, substantially as described." �The defendant uses the ratchet-wheel with the spring, pawls, and lever precisely like Moore's, in a bit-stock which is adapted to receive various tools. Upon inspection I cannot doubt that one was copied from the other. The plaintiffs' expert testi- fies that this part of the defendant's bit-stock operates like a wrench, and that wrenches are often used to work taps, which are tools for turning screw threads. These statements are not denied, and, if true, there is no doubt that the defendant uses the plaintiffs' wrench, with additions, and infringes the patent. �Tbere are, however, two questions of fact which affect the validity of the patent. Three witnesses declare that they used a wrench which would operate as a right or left hand ratchet- wrench, or as a rigid one ; and they reproduce from memory a model which they say is substantially like it. It is true, and is creditable to them, that they do not undertake to verify the reproduction as precisely like the original. This tool is known in the record as the Coggeshall wrench, and the origi- nal has not been seen for about 20 years. Supposing the model to represent the original, tho question is whether Moore made a patentable improvement upon it. �The Coggeshall tool had two wheels rigidly nnited, with their eogs facing different ways, two pawls with suitable eprings, which made the wrench rigid when both were oper- ating, and a rotary cam, by the action of which either pawl ����