US Patent: 118,617
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| Bush and Wrench for Barrels
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Patent Dates:
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| Granted: |
Aug. 29, 1871 |
| Reissue Information: |
| Reissued as RE5,026 (Aug. 06, 1872) |
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Patent Pictures:
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Lacey and Cornell Pat. Aug. 29, 1871 |
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Stan Schulz
Schumacher v. Cornell
Cornell v. Littlejohn
Cornell v. Downer & Bemis Brewiing Co. & American Bush Co.
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Description: |
| "Our invention has relation to means for protecting the bungs of casks, &c.; and it consists in an improvement in metallic bushings for lining the bungs, and in a wrench for turning said bushing, which is cast with a screw-thread, into the bung-hole." -- from the specifications. The wrench has a spur that fits a notch in the rim of the bushing, and several sizes of interchangeable cones corresponding with a range of bushing sizes.
The patent was divided and reissued on Aug. 6, 1872 as reissue patents RE5,026 for the wrench and RE5,027 for the bushing.
The reissue patents were subject of an infringement lawsuit that was taken to the U.S. Supreme Court (Schumacher v. Cornell). In a 2nd suit (Cornell v. Littlejohn), Littlejohn's bush and wrench were found not to infringe the Cornell patent. In a 3rd suit (Cornell v. Downer & Bemis), the Cornell patent was found valid, and the defendants' product an infringement.
In a 1903 book on the history of the brewing industry, Cornell's patents were noted as a significant advance. |
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