Chapter 210: Sewing Machine

The tense expression on Walter's face gradually relaxed after hearing this, and his impression of Liang Yao became better and better.

Being able to accurately say that what he invented was a lock-type single-needle sewing machine shows that Liang Yao has carefully read his drawings.

Walter was relieved and moved that Liang Yao, a rich man and dignitary with many things to do, could carefully examine his patent drawings.

There are still smart people in this world.

“If I were to accept this award in the name of an improver, I would be more than happy to accept it.”

Speaking of this, Walter felt a little sad.

“But you should know that I do not own the sewing machine patent, although I had improved the sewing machine before 1834, made a prototype, and completed the drawings and instructions for use.

But at that time, I was worried that the emergence of sewing machines would cause a large number of tailors to lose their livelihood, so I did not submit a patent to the patent office immediately.

The patent document you got was submitted to the patent office by me in 1849. The patents related to sewing machines submitted by Erics and Yinsak were earlier than mine. In other words, my ownership of the sewing machine patent is in dispute. "

Liang Yao certainly knew this. The five-year sewing machine patent dispute from 1849 to 1854 was one of the famous patent disputes in American history.

This patent dispute directly promoted the revision of the American patent law.

The three important players in the sewing machine patent dispute are Walter, Erics and Yinsak.

The first of the three to be eliminated was Walter. Although Walter had produced a prototype of an improved sewing machine as early as 1834, because Walter did not register a patent with the Patent Office, the Patent Office did not recognize that Hunter had a patent for sewing machine technology.

After several unsuccessful appeals, a mentally and physically exhausted Walter gave up his appeal in 1854.

Erics and Isaac had already made a small fortune by opening a factory to manufacture sewing machines, and could afford a specialized patent lawyer in New York.

In particular, Yin Sak's patent attorney Edward is a well-known Patent Dispute Pizza Hut in New York.

And Walter had difficulty even supporting his family in Hukou, so naturally he couldn't afford a specialized patent lawyer to help him litigate, so he had to reluctantly give up the sewing machine patent.

The last two players in the battle for sewing machine patents continue to fight for sewing machine patents.

Erics sued Yin Sak for infringement of his lock-stitch patent. Since Walter had given up the patent on the sewing machine, the court held that the lock-stitch patent belonged to Eric. The court ultimately ruled that Yin Sak's infringement was established, and Yin Sak Compensate Erics with $15,000.

Erics did not have the last laugh. Under Edward's guidance, Yinsak made magic modifications to the patented sewing machine technology. The sewing machines produced by Yinsak's Singer Company were still Erics' Bridgeport Machinery. The company's most powerful competitor.

The two parties continued to litigate and argue over the matter, and the court did not make a clear decision until the patent expired in 1869.

Liang Yao also saw Erics' sewing machine patent in the Patent Office. Erics' sewing machine patent was applied for and approved in 1846. The patented technology is almost exactly the same as Walter's patent.

If the two inventors didn't have a clear understanding of each other, there is only one explanation: Erics plagiarized Walter's patent.

Of course, Erics himself would never admit his plagiarism.

"Do you still have the sewing machine prototype you made?" Liang Yao asked Walter.

"Here, I'll take you to see it."

Walter nodded, and then took Liang Yao up to the attic on the top floor.

Walter's home was very messy. There were more than twenty people living in a four-story building and it was already overcrowded.

In the house, Walter's various inventions were placed everywhere on the walkways, and it was difficult to even find a place to put his feet.

Walter himself was very familiar with these things he invented. He took Liang Yao directly to the top attic and quickly found the sewing machine covered with rags among a pile of messy equipment.

In this era, there are very few people in the United States who are over 6 feet tall. Unfortunately, Walter and Liang Yao are both one of the rare ones.

Especially Walter's huge body of over 190 centimeters, it was almost difficult to stretch out his limbs in the small attic. If he moved a little bigger, his hands would touch the wall and his head would hit the ceiling.

In order to more conveniently view and test Walter's sewing machine, the two decided to move the sewing machine to the more spacious first floor for testing.

After moving the sewing machine to the first floor, Liang Yao finally saw the whole thing clearly.

Different from the foot-operated sewing machine that Liang Yao was exposed to when he was a child, this is a hand-operated sewing machine. There is a large metal wheel on the left side of the machine. There is a rocking handle on the metal wheel, which is specially used to hold and rotate the metal wheel to drive the sewing machine. Work.

"Dad, the wooden stand for the sewing machine."

Walter's little son staggered down from the attic with the wooden frame in his arms.

"Just put it on the ground."

Walter smiled with relief and said to his youngest son.

“Will this sewing machine still work?”

Liang Yao held the handle on the runner and tried to turn the sewing machine. Perhaps because it had not been used for many years and the mechanical gears were rusty, the runner got stuck before it could turn even one turn.

"It hasn't been used for too long. The mechanical parts inside may have rusted. Please wait."

Walter turned and took down a bottle of whale oil from the bottles on the shelf behind him.

He disassembled the sewing machine skillfully, lubricated it carefully, and then installed the wooden frame and fixed it on the wooden frame.

Liang Yao opened the cover of the pocket watch. From disassembling, oiling and installing, to fixing the sewing machine on the special wooden frame, Walter only took 35 minutes in total, which was amazingly fast.

"Now try again." Walter said to Liang Yao.

Liang Yao tried to turn the handle again, and it was indeed much smoother.

"How many stitches can this sewing machine sew in one minute? How many times more than hand sewing?" This is the question Liang Yao is most concerned about.

"If I remember correctly, it can sew about 300 stitches per minute, which is about 5 times more efficient than hand sewing.

This is only compared with very skilled old tailors. If it is a new tailor, a sewing machine can do at least eight or nine new tailors' work.

At the beginning, I was also shocked by the sewing efficiency of the sewing machine. I was worried that the poor tailors would lose their jobs if this thing came out, so I put it aside. It has only seen the light of day today."

Speaking of this, Walter looked around the sewing machine, as if looking for something, and muttered.

"Damn, the needle is gone."

Walter couldn't find the needle, so he had to make a needle on the spot. After it was done, he installed it on the sewing machine and threaded it.

After the preparations were completed, Walter reached out and pulled the diaper off his grandson's crotch.

Walter pressed the diaper on the sewing machine and said to Liang Yao.

"Sir, please time it."

Liang Yao nodded and looked at the time on the pocket watch.

A minute later, Liang Yao shouted, "Time is up."

Walter stopped his work, handed over the diaper, and Liang Yao said to Connie.

"Connie, count how many stitches are on the diaper."

Connie had to take the diaper and carefully count the stitches on the diaper.

"307 stitches, sir."

"It seems that my memory is not bad." Walter moved his sore arms.

"This sewing machine can be faster! More labor-saving!" Liang Yao said.

"Faster and more labor-saving?" Walter was puzzled, "Do you have any better ideas?"

Liang Yao didn't say much, asked Walter for a piece of white paper, took out a pen and started drawing on the white paper.

A hand-crank sewing machine is good, but there is a better choice, that is, a foot-operated sewing machine.

This hand-crank sewing machine is mature enough, and it can be converted into a foot-operated sewing machine with a little modification, directly bypassing the disputed patent.

What Liang Yao wanted was to quickly put into production to form productivity and efficiency. He was not in the mood to fight a patent lawsuit with Erics and Yin Sak.

Liang Yao drew a sketch of a pedal-operated sewing machine on a blank piece of paper based on his memory of the future.

Liang Yao was not unfamiliar with pedal-operated sewing machines. In his previous life, his mother married to Zhuhai from Fujian, and her dowry included a Minjiang brand sewing machine.

When he was a child, Liang Yao was naughty and liked to touch everything. He secretly played with the sewing machine when the adults were not around, and often messed up his mother's semi-finished products and was beaten a lot.

He even tried to play with his fingers on the sewing machine, but ended up pricking his fingers.

Liang Yao drew a pedal-operated sewing machine based on his childhood memories.

Outsiders may not understand what Liang Yao was talking about. Connie looked at Liang Yao's sketch with a confused look on his face.

Walter just stared for a moment, and suddenly he understood, shaking Liang Yao's shoulders excitedly and shouting.

"Genius design! Genius design! Mr. Liang, you are really a genius!

It is more labor-saving to drive the sewing machine with a foot pedal! No need to worry about the problem of sore hands!

Let me think about it

If you follow the design on your drawing, the wheel can be made smaller and connected to the wheel drive with a conveyor belt

It is completely feasible! It is completely feasible! This foot-operated sewing machine has more potential than a hand-cranked sewing machine! The efficiency should also be higher!"

Walter is worthy of being a genius inventor. Just through a very simple drawing, he has figured out the working principle of the foot-operated sewing machine.

"Can the prototype of this sewing machine be manufactured?"

Liang Yao put the pen back in his pocket and asked Walter.

"Absolutely!" Walter looked at the drawings on the table in a trance and said confidently.

With the foundation of the hand-cranked sewing machine and the ready-made drawings, it is not difficult to make a foot-operated sewing machine.

Liang Yao also believed that Walter had the ability.

"How long will it take to make it?" Liang Yao asked.

"Give me a quiet working environment and enough tools and materials, and I can make it within a week!" Walter patted his chest and promised.

"Mr. Vanderbilt's estate is quite quiet. I'll ask Mr. Vanderbilt to vacate a quiet room for you to use as a studio. Just tell me if you need anything." Liang Yao said to Walter.

"I need an artist to help me draw sketches so that I can apply for a patent." Walter said.

"No problem." Liang Yao readily agreed to Walter's request.