Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-05-11
10 the Public.

! MEssRs. A. 81 ii. BEARD, Of Green.
vile. having published an article in the
Staunton Spectator of the 9th Of Apr
last designed to injure the sale OF ar
Improvement in the Spring of Spring
Seat Saddles invented by me, for which
| have lately obtained Letters Patent oil
the United States, | am compelled in
defence OF my rights to state a few facts
IN order TO relieve those who may feel
disposed TO patronise my improvement
from the apprehension of danger with
winch they are threatened. The Mes
srs. Boards having been very industrious
in collecting aud spreading before the
pubhc certihcates as to the usefulness OF
their invention, now intimate that what
| claim as my invention is precisely their
angled spring curved. This charge is
incorrect in point OF fact. as is proved by
their own description of their machine
as taken from their Patent now before
me. In their description they use this
language: "Now we do not claim as
'new in the construction of spring seat
saddles, the application of spring to
''the head OF the tree, nor a spring of
"zig-zag or w shape, as applied to this
purpose. But what we do claim as
"new, and our invention. and for W hich
1--WE ask Letters Patent, is the form and
manner Of constructing the frame and
attaching the spring thereto, both be-
ling curved so as 10 conformEto the gull
"let of the saddle" From this descrip-
ton 1t is apparent that the form and
manner of constructing the machine Of
the Messrs. Boards may be attained by
any one who will weld one end of zig
gag spring 10 the side of buckle. such
as old men formerly wore OH their shoes
This mode of obtaining the action of a
zig-zag spring on a saddle seat is for
aught l know, entirely new, and the
invention of the Messrs. Boards; they
are entitled TO all the merit of the dis,
covery, which seems to consist in its
unsurpassed simplicity.
|, like the Messrs EBeards, do not
pretend to claim the invention of the
zig gag spring | only claim, as any one
who will take the trouble to read my
Letters Patent will discover, the i'm
provement produced by the invention
and application of the double sliding
frame regulating the action of the spring.
The public now have before them dis
tinctly what is claimed by me as my in
vention, and what is claimed by the
Messrs. Boards as theirs, and the entire
dissimilarity in the two machines is so
very obvious, that | cannot conceive it
possible for any man of common sense TO
point out one single particular in which
my invention infringes upon that of the
Messrs. Boards. 1t is not true, as the
Messrs. Boards suppose. that my spring
will cost from two to three dollars Il can
pay the wages of ski!ful workmen who
are making them for me, and afford to
sell them at one dollar; and expect very
shortly to have them made for even less
than thal.-Not to be tedious, | will
merely state to the public that am au-
thorised by the United States Govern
ment to make and sell my improvement,
the threat of the Messrs Boards to the
contrary Notwithstanding and if have
infringed upon their rights, their most
ettectual mode of redress is by the YER
dict of twelve men, which dare them
to seek, in Court of justice, which is
open to them. This course would be
more fair and manly than their attempt
to injure me by unfounded insinuations.
And that they may not be subjected to
Inconvenience in looking up evidence,
! here distinctly avow that have made
and sold, and shall continue 10 do SO
whenever and wherever | can, the i'm
Provement patented to me on the Both
day of March, 1897, which the Messrs.
Boards pretend is an infringement upon
their improvement; and moreover, !
will furnish them with a list of the per-
sons TO whom | have already sold rights,
and model ofmy machine gratis, to file
as evidence in their suit, should they be
so accommodating to me as TO institute
one. HENRY SHEETS.
Staunton, May IL, 1897.
!