The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-20
SYDNEY D. TUCKER,l
l.. @. CBAMPNRY. Judges.
JOSEPH WuEELoCK,
List of Points in which Superiority was
Claimed tor the Florence Machine.
/. A reversible feed This claim, lodS sustained

OlUlIueu lOT Tue flOreuCS maCn1ne.
/. A reversible feed. This claim lods sustained
NoTE.-The capacity Of reversing the feed was
decided to be an advantage, but not TO the extent
claimed; the alleged advantage in fastening off a
seam being considered by the Judges invalid as
against the Wilcox Gibbs Machine, which
fastens off its own seam quite as efectually and
more neatly, without any eXtra labor, or any
care, and without any special device for that
purpose.
2. 1t makes four different stitches. Gain of
superiority not sustained
NoTT.-After o very thorough trial on this
point, 1t was decided that neither of these four
stitches is as good, for general purposes, as the
twisted loop stitch" OF the Wilcox and Gibbs.
II was urged in support OF this claim, that the
extra stitches are useful in certain kinds of
work, where greater elasticity is required But
1t was the opinion of the judges that the a1van-
tage thus.gained was not sufficient TO compensate
or the resulting complication Of the machine;
while il was pToued, by positive tests, that the
"Wlcox and Gibbs stitch"-whlch is always
more elastic than the flock stck'i-mav be made
more elastic than eltber of their STITCHES, by sim
ply shortening IT, more or less, according to the
degree Of elasticity required.
3. 1t works from thick to thin fabrics, or over
an uneven surface, without missing stitches, and
without change of tension, needle, or stitch.
Claim q superiority not sustained
NoTE.-Ihe trial test upon this claim was
81 ort, but decisive. The Wilcox & Gibbs Agent
took piece of fine heavy linen, and folded 1t
double with small roll of the same maCerial
OF twelve thicknesses, placed between the two
| folds; and sewed across the WHOLE at right
| angles with the ridee formed by the roll, thus
| passing from two, over fourteen thicknesses of
| the goods, repeating itseveral times, and then
| handed it to the Florence Agent, who, on the
| second attempt, succeeded in sewing across the
| same. Again, the Wilcox q Gibbs Agent folded
| the piece 80 as to doube the ridge over length
| wise upon iJsef, and without any difficulty
sewed from the four lhickuesses over the twenty
| eight, and back agaln but the Florence Agent,
| on again attempting to 'tollow copy" broke his
| needle the moment it struck the ridge, and
abandoned any further effort to sustain TINS
claim.
4. The advantage of double thread, az in all
shuttle machines. Gain Of superiority not s~s.
| tdined.
NoTE.-This claim gave rise to a protracted
and severely contested trial, the result of which
| was, an unauimous decision OF the judges that
| the advantage is not On the size of do ible
thread" but on that OF "siugle thread" as used
| by the Wilcox & Gibbs machine.
| s. 1t Will do a greater range aud variety of
worksthan any other machine, being used for
| shirt and collar making both in Albany and
Troy; also for taiors' work. 1t will hem (narrow
and wde), tuck, fell, bind, stitch, quilt, gather,
| and sew on (or 'pHf"), and will DO anything
| that can be done on any other machine, except
| embroidery; il can also do ornamental stitching.
| Clam of Superiority not sustained.
NoTE.-In the trial upon this claim, it was
shown, to the satisfaction OF the Judges that the
| Wilcox and Gibbs machine will 10 quite great
| "a range and varsity of work. rs the Florence;
| while the qltdtHy OF the work done upon the
| former was pronounced decidedly superior to
| that OF the " ork done on the latter.
During this test one OF the iudoPs called atten-
tion 10 the fact that the stitching of the Florence
| machine was much soiled with OLA defect which
| he had noticed, he said, in all the work done on
| that machine thus far during the trial. This being
| REGARDED by the Judges as a serious detect, espe-
| crally in all kinds OF work upon a0hHe goods,
| considerable time was spent in the effort to
| ascertain the cause. The investigation resulted
in conclusion that the defect was owing TO a
| cause inherent in the machine ITSELF
6. 1t has a selfsdjusting tension on the under
thread; the stitch is alike on both sides. Claim
| of superiority not sustained.
| NoTE.-There being no other double-thread
machine in competition, this claim was impro.
| perly made-snce there could be no advantage
over the Wilcox and Gibbs machine in the seLt-
| adjusting character of a tension which the Will
cox and Gibbs neither had nor required 1t was
| therefore decided that whether their under-ten-
sion be eltadjusting or not, their claim of supe-
TtOT9ty on this point was not sustained. More
! over, 1t did not appear from the tests made that
said tension is reliably uniform, but that II re-
| qures attention: and hence the stitch is not
| uniformly alike on botn Sides but more or less
variable; being generally the fairest on the upper
| side. '.y n. l.
Z. The stitches win not rip if one is broken or
worn oil; yet it can be taken out in case a mis-,
take is made in placing the fabric. Cain of
superiority not sustained.
4 NoTE.-A variety of tests were made on this
| point, each terminating in the same result, and
i proving concluslyely that the Florence seam
i UM rip If a stitch Is brOken"-and much more
| easily than than the WILCOX & Gibbs; and that
| it is not so easily "taken out" when desired.
/ s. 1t uses less thread than other machines.
| CLAIM sustained.
| NoTE.-This claim was not tested, the Agent
| OF the Wilcox 4 Gibbs machine c0nce0iRg it.
| At the same time he remarked that the peculiar
/ wording OF this claim was all tnat saved it; for
i ii it had been claimed that the Florence con-
| SuTled less thread than the Wilcox IL Gibbs,
instead OF "uSedn less, they could not have sus-
tanned tie Claln-it being fact, as ne claimed,
4 that while the Florence uses less thread IN the
seam 1t l5dStes still more at the ends of the
| seam.
8. The manner in which the threads are draw
whom ma6ing the stitch; no dependence being
placed upon wire coils; every motion being
positive, and the stitch certainly and securely
drawn tight. Claim Of superiority not sus-
tained.
| NoTE.-The decision of the judges on this
claim was, that the BlOrence has no ADVANTAGE
over the Wilcox and Gibbs IN either Of the
points named.
10. The Florence Is as easily managed as any
machine in the world. Cain of S'tpGriority not
sustained. uU IH,. .es... F.Tff
NoTE.--The absurdity of this claim had been
already thoroughly manifested, that no test
was offered or required
List of Points on which Superiority was
| n6 ~ fhs, 81 (nihhg fu0-