Page:Federal Reporter, 1st Series, Volume 9.djvu/668

 DAVIS V- mow^. '.653 �springB, aided by the pushing of a rod, instead of by the pulling of a rod through a lever, aud that the shoes are not nominally out of a straight line. These minor matters are all aside from the real invention of Davis, as disclosed by.his original specification. �The next question is, what is secured by the claims of the patent, in view of anything shown to have existed before ? Varions alleged prior inventions and patents are set, up in the answer. Testimony appears to have been taken only as to those of Powers, Slander, and Uring, in respect to shifting arrangements. The latter two were not insisted on at the hearing, and are not mentioned in the defendants' brief. Anticipation by Powers is strenuously urged as to the shifting arrangements. It is also urged tha.t the defendants have done in that respect only what Powers did before Davis. Davis carries back his invention to September, 1866. Whatever Powers did he did in 1862. He was engaged in that year inmaking and selUng farm implements^ at Madison, Wisconsin. During thewinter of 1861-2 aud the spriiig of 1862 he was selling these grain-drills, with iron drag-bare, Diir- ing the season of 1862, noticing the working of drills in- the field, he conoeived the idea that the shoes could be put into single and doubl« ranks by a more easy method than then used. He worked ont a plan and made a model of it, and applied for a patent thereon. The ap- plication was filed November 10, 1862. The patent was ordered to issue December 6, 1862, but was never issued. Why, does not appear. The specification filed states that the "invention consists of a device to enable the shovels or plows of a drill to be set in single or double rows or ranks, with greater ease and facility than hitherto." The method described, and shown in the drawings, is to baye a cross- row of stationary shovels ; a cross-row of other shovels attached to a eross-bar. This cross-bar is arranged at each end of it to slide to the extent of eight inches to and fro in a groove, and thus two rows may be made; or the sliding cross-bar may be set at a point where all the shovels are in a Une, and thus one row be f ormed. The mov- able cross-bar is secured, when set, by bolts, �The claim covers "the method of double and single rankipg the drill-teeth, by the adjustment of the sliding cross-bar, A, to which are attached the alternate drill-teeth or shovels to different positions between the side pieces of the frame." The description states that "by this device double or single ranking can be effecteid in a moment, instead of more tedious processes of other similar machines;" and that "double and single ranking is a highly-important feature in a drill to adapt it to different soils and circumstances." It is clear ��� �