The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-22
For the Union.
McC0rmick's Reaping Machine.

The Union OF the 18th instant contains article from
the New York Herald in commentator OF this reaper.
It's republication here at this time by McComlcks request
can be accounted for by those who know that since
April, ls4s he has been pressing upon Congress TO re-
vive one dead patent and to extend the life OF an exist.
ing one, enable him. possible, to monofollze the
manufacture OF reapers 10 the 23i oil October 1861 II
Congress be induced to believe that he has invented
the only reaper worthy OF pubic notice, he confidently
coniempaes his bill, now before the Senate will pass
and thereby 10 himself full million OF dollars
IN addition to the quarter OF million already realized
out of his patents from the pockets oil the American
farmers, The following facts may be relied upon as
true:
In 1854 Mccormick took out patent for reaper,
which expired in ls45 In this patent he claimed the
"cuttng by means OF vibrating blsde operated by
crank having the edge smooth with teeth either with
stationary wires or pieces above and below, and pro-
ecng before for the purpose OF staying or supporting
the grain whilst cutting" and 'the method OF gathering
bringing the grain back 10 The CUTTER and delivering
on an apron or platform by means OF reel ana the
method oil dividing and keeping separate The gram 10 be
cut from that 10 be lett standing"
His petition for an extension of his patent was, on
full elaboration. rejected by James Buchanan, Secretary
Of State r II Get. Solicitor of The Treasury, and Ell
mund Burke, Commissioner Of Patents, acting as board
OF extension McComick's petition and the records of
the Patent Office show that the testimony before the
board was taken first without and afterwards with no
ice Obed Hussey who opposed the extension, and
was acted upon legal evidence Mccormick now
asks Congress 10 revive this patent, alter has been
dead near five years and 10 reappropate him the
ting blade sickle, and the crank motion for operating
il, the fingers, The reel dvde and platform, which have
this would be, that all this old and property,
(snd all but the cutting blade invented and used before
! Mccormick commenced his improvements,) would be.
come his, and the numerous recent iDveOtions (and
many lar superior his) which in in all parts
OF the country, would be made place 10 bis reap
err There is probably half million OF dollars invested
in the growing states In The manufacture OF reap
es This capital would be rendered vaiueess or be de-
slroyed II Mccormick control the cutting blade, the
era, X motion, the diyiders, the reel, and platform
| Mccormick, by his petition oil extension, has SHOWN
that he never did make tbs old patented affair useful
aud that he sold machine until he introduced
sickle with The angles OF the teeth reversed every one or
two inches Tbs Improvement, with some others be
patented in 1s45 though this kind OF sickle was invented
and used in Michigan nine years before Mccormick
asks that Congress now extend THIS patent unl aef Inc
harvest oil 1861 These patents have never been estao-
In is47, Mccormick obtained another patent, in which
he claimed the invention oil seat. SUIT where TINS
patent was involved was tried at Albany In the fall OF
1851 and he Obtained verdict, the correctness OF which
will be tested bill of exceptions in the United States
Supreme Court. On that trial i was proved BY McCor
mick that he charged patent fee OF $50 on each ma
chine and that machines which cost him S37 each he sold
Tor from Sll0 10 Sl2O II was also shown that ne
had prior to that time, realized oper three hundrtd hou
sand dollars from these patents
The article copied INTO the Union refers TO the Scotch
machine by Bell, which competed with McCormcks IN
England. Bells invention was described IN 1929 IN Lou
dons Encyclopedia of Agriculture, now in Congress Ii
brary, at page 422. McCormcks machine, patented IN
1884, is substantially the same thing. except the cut
ting apparatus The imitation was so close as 10 agree IN
the absurdity now abolished by both) of bitcbipg the
horses behind Bells machine, and all others, failed
until the cutting apparatus improved, which, though
actually invented and used In Michigan, IN expert
mental machine in 1884 1885, not to have been
known by Mccormick until after 1Sle, four years alter
the invention and OF the scoop sickle by the par
ties in the same State and much used In his pc
on Tor extension referring TO two fcapers sold, he says
they the only reapers disposed OF 1910, and they
failed TO operate we'll The teeth OF the sickle made
than they had BEEN and all cut IN one direction
as they playing IN grooves, IN the fingers, The
blades of wbea, drawn into the grooves, and so
lodged on the under side OF the fingers to choke The
machine, especially in damp wheat Those gentlemen
could, OF course say nothing favor OF the reaper that
year" He says that subsequently IL put new sickle
into Mr.. Smiths machine, having The angle OF the teeth
reversed on the edge every and hall inch tabou)
alternately, equally 10 both direcllons and
the machine then performed satisfactorily" that he
warranted IT, With these facts actually in the document
ia the Senate where this bill IL pending, 1t is not sngu
lar that Mccormick seeks to divert attention from the
real merits of his claim upon Congress, to destroy the
business Of others to build up his by publishing
wha, g said of his machine in England, Hi, defeats IN
competing with American machines at home he eau
iiously omits TO refer TO.
At the Worlds Fair last year. there but two reap
ers present, McCormick's and Hussey's An English
imitation OF Hussey's not considered. On the first
trial Mccormick beat his American competitor
Al The trial OF the Cleveland Agricultural Society
meeting, IN England, the decision OF jury oh twelve
was IN iavor OF Husseys machine, as follows
1.-The jury, taking the different point. submitted to
their consideration in the order in which they occur
above, express
81 Their unanimous opinion that Mr. Husseys
chine. as exh,bned by Me.-rs William Dfsy and Com
pany, cut The corn the best especially scro-s
ridge and tufrow, and when the machine was working
in The direction The lay.
20 BY major,iy OF eleven 10 one that Mr. Hussey .
machine caused the least waste