to it
were:

1. The grooved, eye-pointed needle used with a shuttle to form the
lockstitch (E. Howe patent, held by E. Howe);

2. The four-motion feeding mechanism (A. B. Wilson patent, held by
Wheeler and Wilson company);

3. The needle moving vertically above a horizontal work-plate
(Bachelder patent), a continuous feeding device by belt or wheel
(Bachelder patent), a yielding presser resting on the cloth
(Bachelder patent), the spring or curved arm to hold the cloth by a
yielding pressure (Morey and Johnson patent), the heart-shaped cam
as applied to moving the needle bar (Singer patent); all these
patents, held by the Singer Company.[66]

The Grover and Baker company contributed several patents of relative
importance, but its most important claim for admission was the fact that
Potter had promoted the idea.

The consent of all four member-parties was required before any license
could be granted, and all were required to have a license--even the
member companies. The fee was $15 per machine. A portion of this money
was set aside to pay the cost of prosecuting infringers, Howe received
his initial fee, and the rest was divided between the four parties. The
advantage to the licensee was that he was required to pay only one fee.
Most license applications were granted; only those manufacturing a
machine specifically imitating the product of a licensed manufacturer
were refused.

The "Combination's" three company members each continued to manufacture,
improve, and perfect its own machine. Other than the joint control of
the patents, there was no pooling of interests, and each company
competed to attract purchasers to buy its particular type of machine, as
did the companies who were licensed by them.

In 1860, the year Howe's patent was renewed, the general license fee was
reduced from $15 to $7, and Howe's special royalty was reduced to $1 per
machine. Howe remained a member until his patent ran out in 1867. The
other members continued the "Combination" until 1877, when the Bachelder
patent, which had been extended twice, finally expired. By that time the
fundamental features of the sewing machine were no longer controlled by
anyone. Open competition by the smaller manufacturers was possible, and
a slight reduction in price followed. Many new companies came into
being--some destined to be very short-lived.

From the beginning to the end of the "Combination"