broad or a narrow rim, and with the rim | mechanism, substantially as described, and the thicker or thinner relatively to the other parts: side guides or either of them, substantially as and with a view to facilitate this distribution, described, to prevent fur fibres from getting the plate is made in two parts, with the out of the proper influence of the currents travpart beyond the supporting screw and nearest eling to the cone, and to protect the traveling the cone hinged to the other part, and provided fibers from disturbing currents, the said comwith a cam and lever or other equivalent de- bination having the mode of operation certified and for the purposes set forth.

vice.

There is an upper guide or deflector which extends from the feeding mechanism over the rotating brush or picker, and forward of it toward the cone, to direct the fibers and effect a proper distribution of them on the tip of the cone and down the sides thereon toward the base. The better to effect the distribution of the fibers on the cone, the under surface of this guide or deflector nearest the picker brush is flat, or parallel with the axis of the picker brush, and thence toward the other end concave, and of a gradual increasing concavity toward the cone; and still further to diversify the distribution of the fibers, an additional deflector, somewhat in the form of a hood, is hinged to the end of the deflector nearest the cone, so that it can be moved by a cord passing over a pulley, or by a lever actuated by an ec

centric or a cam on a shaft.

On each side there is a guide, extending from the picker brush toward the cone. These guides prevent fur fibers from escaping laterally out of the proper influence of the currents which are traveling toward the cone, and which would otherwise go to waste; and they also prevent the fibers which are traveling toward the cone from being disturbed by lateral or foreign currents, which are induced by the rotating brush or picker, or by the exhausting of the cone.

By placing the two guides relatively, the one to the other, as represented, that is, further apart at the picker or brush than toward the cone, a much longer picker or brush can be used than if they were parallel. When so placed, they gradually contract the fur bearing current as it approaches the cone, so that a greater quantity of fur can be disintegrated and thrown in, in a given time, than with a picker or brush so short as would be required if the side guides were parallel.

In the machine illustrated by the drawings, the bottom plate, top guides or deflector and side guides, are all united along their edges, and the claim is as follows:

4. The combination of the feeding apron, on which the fur can be placed in separate batches, as described, the rotating brush or picker, substantially as described, the rotating pervious cone or former, provided with an exhausting mechanism, substantially as described; the said combination having a mode of operation substantially such as described.

5. The combination of the feed apron, on which the fur fibers can be placed in separate batches, each in quantity sufficient to make one hat body, the rotating brush or picker, substantially as described, the rotating pervious cone, provided with an exhausting mechanism, and the devices for guiding the fur fibers, substantially as described; the combination having the mode of operation specified and for the purpose set forth."

The court charged the jury, among other things, as follows:

As to fourth claim.

"Now, these instrumentalities that I have named: the moving belt or apron, the revolving rollers, to receive the fur from the apron, and the picker or brush, to disintegrate and to diffuse the particles of fibers of fur, Mr. Welis did not claim were new. It is not claimed in the re-issue, nor by the plaintiff's counsel, that they were new. They had been used before, and were open to the public. Then, upon the other end of the machine, he exhibits a rotating pervious cone, provided with an instrumentality beneath, whereby the air within the cone could be partially exhausted, or could be drawn with greater or less power from above, through the perforations of the cone. That was not claimed by Mr. Wells at the time, nor is it claimed now by counsel, to be new. On the contrary, the perforated cone and the exhausting apparatus are conceded to be old. The combination of the three under the fourth claim, as an aggregate instrumentality, to be used in the making of hat bodies, or for analogous purposes, is claimed 1. The combination of the rotating brush or to be new. You have heard the observations picker, substantially such as described, the ro- of counsel upon that question. If that combitating pervious cone, provided with an exhaust-nation was not new, then his patent, in so ing mechanism, substantially as described, and far forth as it depends upon that combination, the bottom plate or guide, substantially as de- fails, and the mere use of these three things scribed, for directing the fur fibers toward in a machine which embodied no other part of the lower part of the cone, and preventing the Mr. Wells' structure, does not subject the defibers going to waste; the said combination fendant to an action. If it was new, then having the mode of operation specified and for the point has been urged upon the attention of the purpose set forth. the court, that, nevertheless, the patent is not 2. The combination of the feed apron, the valid because those three devices in combinarotating brush or picker, substantially as de- tion are not available, except in combination scribed, the rotating pervious cone, provided with the trunk which Mr. Wells used, as I with an exhausting mechanism, substantially shall presently observe, as an intermediate as described, and a guide or deflector for di- means to accomplish the result. I am not able recting the fur fibers onto the tip and upper to assent to that proposition. If this was a part of the cone, substantially as described; useful combination, which might be employed the said combination having the mode of oper- for the purpose of facilitating the making of ation specified, and for the purpose set forth. hat bodies, supplemented by any known means 3. The combination of the rotating brush or of guiding the fur in such a way as to bring, picker, substantially as described, the rotating by the operation of these three devices, the pervious cone, provided with an exhausting fur to the cone, so as to make a hat body: