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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> Peter Joseph Crowley (Patent) [2013] UKIntelP o38913 (27 September 2013)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2013/o38913.html
Cite as: [2013] UKIntelP o38913
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Peter Joseph Crowley (Patent) [2013] UKIntelP o38913 (27 September 2013)
Patent decision
- BL number
- O/389/13
- Concerning rights in
- GB0819309.6
- Hearing Officer
- Mr B Micklewright
- Decision date
- 27 September 2013
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- Peter Joseph Crowley
- Provisions discussed
- Patents Act 1977 sections 1(1)(c) and 14(3)
- Keywords
- Industrial application
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The invention related to a series of bags connected to form a vertical conveyer which rotates over rollers. Bags on the descending side of the conveyer are filled with water, causing the conveyer to rotate as the water-filled bags fall under gravity. Bags on the ascending side of the conveyer are empty, because a compression roller at the bottom of the conveyer squeezes water out of each water-filled bag as it reaches the bottom of its descent. A system of valves and ducts allegedly carries this water to the top of the conveyer where it fills the next empty bag which has just reached the top of its ascent. The invention was alleged to generate an energy surplus without any energy input. The hearing officer found that the invention operated in a manner clearly contrary to well-established physical laws and therefore was not capable of industrial application. He therefore refused the application.