During the intense legal disputes following the 1850s, which inventor’s fundamental patent did manufacturers like Singer have to license?
Answer
Elias Howe Jr.’s lockstitch patent
Howe held the fundamental patent for the lockstitch mechanism until 1867, which meant manufacturers like Singer had to secure licenses or face litigation over the core mechanical concept.
Related Questions
When did Thomas Saint patent his early design for a sewing machine intended for leather?What type of stitch did Barthélemy Thimonnier's early French machine primarily use?What halted the early industrial application of Barthélemy Thimonnier's sewing machines?What mechanical element, patented by Elias Howe Jr. in 1846, formed the foundation of the modern sewing machine stitch?Howe’s revolutionary lockstitch required the cooperation of which two specific components?Which inventor focused primarily on making the sewing machine commercially viable and user-friendly after the lockstitch was established?What key innovation did Isaac Singer introduce that freed the operator's hands for guiding fabric?The durability provided by Howe's lockstitch was instrumental in making which economic shift possible?During the intense legal disputes following the 1850s, which inventor’s fundamental patent did manufacturers like Singer have to license?Which later refinement transformed the sewing machine from a purely utilitarian tool into a craft instrument?