214 - Heinrich BERTRAMS (2) [1]
On 26 August 1872 BERTRAMS had already applied in Luxembourg for a basic patent relating to « Knieblech-Röhren » and to an apparatus for manufacturing them. While he had received allowance for a patent on the apparatus he had not received allowance for a product patent. BERTRAMS at the time withdrew his patent application. [2]
Six years later, however, the inventive concept having been further developed, BERTRAMS filed a new patent application in Luxembourg, based on a German patent of 1878. The application related only to the « Knieblechröhren » and not to the apparatus for shaping them.
The 1872 administrative file was reopened and the new documents filed therein. No separate « case-file » was opened although a separate entry was made into the Patent Register on 21 July 1878.
Although BERTRAMS had obtained in 1878 German patents for the machinery for making « Knieblech-Röhren » [3] [4] he chose not to file corresponding patent applications in Luxembourg. He probably remembered the refusal of a machinery patent of 1872 and probably did not even consider either setting up a manufacturing facility in Luxembourg or license his machinery-invention in Luxembourg.
The original German patent [5] on which he presumably based his Luxembourg patent application showed the following variations of «Knieblech-Röhren» manufactured through BERTRAMS’ technique.
The Luxembourg patent application was filed on 17 July 1878 by representative Charles Auguste MUNCHEN under the title of
Nouveau système de coudes en tôle
The drawing supplied with the Luxembourg patent application was less elaborate than the one filed with the corresponding German patent application.
On 3 November 1878, experts C. NOUVEAU & P. PFEIFFENSCHNEIDER, ferblantiers, issued their report on the examination of the application (NOUVEAU drafted the report):
Après avoir pris inspection des plans et modèles des dits « Knieblechröhren », qui par leur invention utile et économique jouissent depuis bien des années d'une renommée universellement connue dans le commerce, j'ai constaté de concert avec Monsieur Pfeiffenschneider, ferblantier, que le brevet d'importation pour le système en question peut être accordé à Monsieur Bertrams à Burscheid sans le moindre inconvénient.
J'ai l'honneur de joindre à la présente les pièces relatives à la demande, ainsi que des observations au sujet du même brevet approuvé en Allemagne sous la date du 13 juillet 1878 [3], annoté par les soins obligeants de Monsieur Mathieu Müllendorf, Conseiller du Gouvernement.
The Chambre de commerce endorsed the opinion of its experts and recommended that a patent be granted, albeit with a limitation:
La chambre de commerce … a émis un avis favorable sur cette demande, avec la réserve de limiter la durée du brevet sollicité à cinq ans.
BERTRAMS, although he had requested a duration of 15 years, accepted the limitation of 5 years.
The patent was granted on 12 February 1879.
The company BERTRAMS
The company founded by Heinrich BERTRAMS in Vienna in 1876 has survived until now (2020). It is still run by family members of the founder. [6]
The following information is provided by the company on its web-site:
1872 - Heinrich Bertrams und Karl Höher gründen das Unternehmen Bertrams. Mit der Erfindung der innovativen Kniepresse für die industrielle Produktion von Falzbögen erlangt Bertrams in kurzer Zeit weltweite Bekanntheit.
1876 - Aufnahme des Betriebs am Standort Wien zur Herstellung von Ofenrohren und Kniepressen, die in die ganze Welt verkauft werden. In den Jahren darauf werden Werke in Basel, Berlin, Breslau, Brüssel, Mailand, Paris und Siegen eröffnet. Damit etabliert sich Bertrams über die nächsten 100 Jahre als führender Hersteller für Kniepressen und Ofenröhre.
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[2] see No 137
[3] DE patent No 715
[4] DE patent No 1,342
[5] DE patent No 1,634
(15/02/2021)
