This is a suit in equty, brought by the California Artificial Stone-paving Company, a California corporation, against F. W. Schalicke, to recover for the infringement of reissued letters patent No. 4,364, granted to John J. Schillinger, May 2, 1871, for an improvement in concrete pavements on the surrender of original letters patent No. 105,559, granted to him July 19, 1870. The specification and drawings of the reissued patent are as follows:
'Figure 1 represents a plan of my pavement. Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same. Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.
'This invention relates to a concrete pavement, which is laid in sections, so that each section can be taken up and relaid without disturbing the adjoining sections. With the joints of this sectional concrete pavement are combined strips of tar-paper, or equivalent material, arranged between the several blocks or sections in such a manner as to produce a suitable tight joint, and yet allow the blocks to be raised separately, without affecting the blocks adjacent thereto.
'In carrying out my invention, I form the concrete by mixing cement with sand and gravel, or other suitable material, to form a plastic compound, using about the following proportions: One part, by measure, of cement, one part, by measure, of sand, and from three to six parts, by measure, of gravel, with sufficient water to render the mixture plastic; but I do not confine myself to any definite proportions or material for making the concrete composition. While the mass is plastic, I lay or spread the same on the foundation or bed of the pavement, either in moulds or between movable joists of the proper thickness, so as to form the edges of the concrete blocks, a, a; one block being formed after the other. When the first block has set, I remove the joists or partitions between it and the block next to be formed, and then I form the second block, and so on, each succeeding block being formed after the adjacent blocks have set, [and, since the concrete in setting shrinks, the second block, when set, does not adhere to the first, and so on;] and, when the pavement is completed, each block can be taken up independent of the adjoining blocks. Between the joints of the adjacent blocks are placed strips, b, of tarpaper, or other suitable material, in the following manner: After completing one block, a, I place the tar-paper, b, along the edge where the next block is to be formed, and I put the plastic composition for such next block up against the tar-paper joint, and proceed with the formation of the new block until is is completed. In this manner I proceed until the pavement is completed, interposing tar-paper between the several joints, as described. The paper constitutes a tight water-proof joint, but it allows the several blocks to heave separately, from the effects of frost, or to be raised or removed separately, whenever occasion may arise, without injury to the adjacent blocks. The paper, when placed against the block first formed, does not adhere thereto, and therefore the joints are always free between the several blocks, although the paper may adhere to the edges of the block or blocks formed after the same has been set up in its place between the joints. [In such cases, however, where cheapness is an object, the tar-paper may be omitted, and the blocks formed without interposing anything between their joints, as previously described. In this latter case, the joints soon fill up with sand or dust, and the pavement is rendered sufficiently tight for many purposes, while the blocks are detached from each other, and can be taken up and relaid, each independent of the adjoining blocks.]
'What I claim as new, and desire to secure by letters patent, is: (1) A concrete pavement laid in detached blocks or sections, substantially in the manner shown and described; (2) the arrangement of tar-paper, or its equivalent, between adjoining blocks of concrete, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.'
On the first of March, 1875, Schillinger filed in the patent-office a disclaimer, in which he disclaimed the matter above inclosed in brackets, and stated, also, that he disclaimed 'the forming of blocks from plastic material without interposing anything between their joints while in the process of formation.' The only defense set up in the answer is non-infringement. After a hearing, on proofs, the circuit court dismissed the bill, on the ground that the defendant's pavement did not infringe either one of the two claims of the patent.
This patent has been construed by several circuit courts since the disclaimer was filed.