Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 8.djvu/444

This page needs to be proofread.

430 FEDEBAIi BEPOJi'IEB. �Frederic H. Betts, for plaintiff. �Benjamin F. Lee, for defendants. �Blatchford, C, J. This suit is brought qn two patents. One is re-issue No. 6,565, granted to George H. Wooster, July 27, 1875, for an "improvement in machines for making rufdes;" the original patent having been granted to Pipo and Sherwood, January 27, 1863, on the invention of John A. Pipo. Only four elaims of the patent, of which there are 13, are involved in this suit. ihose daims are elaims 1, 7, 8, and 10, and are as follows: �" (1) II! a ruffling mechanisin a spring or flexible blade, having its actiiig edge turned or beiit towards the surface against which it acts to form the ruffle, in combination with a carrier, to which the blade is rigidly attached, substantially as descrlbed. (7) The combination, with the aetuating leVer and ruffling blade, of a regulating device, to regulate the extent of baekward movement of the blade without affecting the position to which the forward end of the blade moves, for the purpose set forth. (8) In a ruffling or plait- ing mechanism, a spring or flexible blade, rigidly afflxed to its carrier, in combination with a surface opposed to the blade, and adapted to sustain the material being ruffled agaiiist the action of the blade, substantially as de- xscribed. (10) In a ruffling mechallism, the combination, with a blade and rocking lever, of a vibrating member of the needle-actuating mechanism, adapted to rock the lever and move the blade to form a ruffle, substantially as described." �The specification says : �"This invention relates to a mechanism for forming ruffles or plaiting fabrics, and consists iutiie combination, in a ruffliug mechanism, of a flexible ruffling blade, aud with such blade is combined a guide, adapted to guide the material to which, the ruffle is to be attached, and also other parts or devices, substantially as hereinafter described, to form a ruffle to be counected with a series of stitches." �The drawings represent the improvement as attached to a Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine. The specification says: �" 1 is the bed-plate, upon which, in an ordinary sewing machine, the work is usually laid to be sewed; 2 is the presser, by which the work is kept down to its place; 3 is the needle; 4 is a lower, and 5 is an upper, guide, through which strips of cloth, between which the ruffling is to be sewed, are passed ;

  • * * 6 is a tube which guides the strip of clotli of which the ruffling is

formed. This tube is flat like the others, and with a pvoper internai widtb. to receive and guide the cloth intended to be used. It is open on the top, near the end towards thb needle, to receivo blade, 7, by which the ruffling is formed, so as to allow said blade to work directly upon the cloth. This blade is a spring, or is made flexible, and is provided at the end next the needle with points, or a roughened surf-ace or sharp.edge, which will take hold of the cloth to be ruffled and move it forward upon the smoutli surface to which it is opposed, and its actiug edge is preferably turued or bent towards the surface ��� �