Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 9.djvu/844

PATTEE V, MOLINE PLOW CO. 829 �a yoke, each plow drawn by its own draft animal, and opera ting independently of the other. �The specifications in the patent of Arnton Smith show the idea which he intended to embody in bis machine very clearly, as follows : �" Be it known that I, Arnton Smith, of the county of Macoupin and state of Illinois, have invented a new and useful improvement on the plow, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the an- nexed drawings making a part of this specification. �" The nature of my improvements consist in so constructing them that they shall admit of a free and independent motion of each other by means of the hinged slide-rods, D, in combination with the bar, E, and the coupling-rod, F, said rod F answering the double purpose of a coupler and a double-tree, and thus dispense with the weight of a double-tree usually employed. * * * �" Having thus connected the two plows together as before deseribed, and attachee a horse to each plow, I proceed to plow two furrows at a time. By placing them between two rows of corn I can plow next to each rovv and throw the dirt either up to, or away f rom, the corn ; or I can place the two plows on each side of a row of com and plow each side of the coni row, and throw the dirt away from the corn, or throw the same towards it, and thus hill up the corn. * * * �" I do not claim any of the separate parts of my plow as new, and I am aware that two plows have been united somewhat llke mine, but so that both must advance together, and one must, when raised alone, rotate upon and afEect the other, whilst my separate plows may move freely." �He shows, in bis plans, the two plow-beams held together by a coupling-rod, as be calls it, and to which the plows are jointed by swivel-joints. For the purpose of holding bis plows in an upright position he bas a rear connection, or shackle-bar, as it is termed in ■the complainants' device, — shackling the two plows together. Here, then, we have in Smith's device two plows jointed to a beam-yoke in sucb a manner as to allow of a lateral and vertical motion to each plow, independently of the other, and each animal draws bis own plow. This is the first beam-yoke shown in the proofs in this case ; but the disclaimer by Smith in bis specification intimates certainly that other inventors or manufacturers had adopted the coupling-rod or beam-yoke prior to bim. Nor was tli,e idea of an arched beam- yoke new to Scbroeder, who is the first and oldest of the complain- ants' patentees. An arched beam-yoke is shown in the Constant patent of 1851. This beam-yoke is arched so as to pass over the plants to be cultivated, and yet operates to bold the two plow-heams together. The same idea is also shown in the patents of Saville, ��� �