Show THE FLOTATION DECISION back in the eighties carrie everson an american school teacher took out patents for the use of oil for the flotation of certain minerals in a pulp of gangue and minerals and thus showed the world another method of separation of mineral from gangue because a foreign corporation some time ago took out other patents to secure the same result recent progress in the metallurgical art in this country has been hampered by litigation specifically the minerals separation ltd a london corporation sought to enjoin the use of the so called hyde flotation process in the lower courts they were successful to the extent that the hyde process was adjudged an infringement of the minerals separation patents on may 4 the united states court of appeals of the ninth circuit handed d do 1 an opinion reversing the lower court a holding that the hyde process was not infringement without going into tair th e 3 ent claims in detail the court thought though t the issue resolved itself into whether hether tl froth produced in the hyde process N was v a 0 t same as the one produced in the manerl j n er separation process and whether the clai cladi for the use of a small amount of oil as d from the larger amounts used prior patents constituted a basic and one on which a basic patent should sue the court held that the use of less i than in the original patents now was a natural evolution in the practice oil flotation and not a basic process tl th decision unless reversed by the court will open up the american field the use of the flotation process without 1 payment of royalties and means much 1 the development of some of our low gra sulphide ores there is still room for gitig liti tion over apparatus patents but there is great objection and in fact much appio of such patents whereas sentiment is grea gre ly against the retarding influence of ba sa s1 1 process patents which in most cases i the metallurgical field have resulted in mor mi harm than good to mankind the minerals separation ltd deserve deser great credit for its successful application its process the world over but it will b no longer a factor in american metal me u irgy if this decision stands and our own C OM banies will be free to work out their ow 0 processes inasmuch as tile basic faatu of oil flotation have been known for man ms years the decision of the court would see se to square with justice |