Sewing Machine Combination

The Sewing Machine Combination was the first patent pool in US history. It was formed by the "Albany Agreement" of 24 October 1856 and lasted until its last patent expired in 1877.^[1] It existed for the purpose of reducing the licensing and litigation overhead being imposed by the patent thicket known as the Sewing machine war.

Its four member companies were:

• Isaac Singer's Singer Manufacturing Company
• Elias Howe's Howe Machine Company
• Wheeler & Wilson
• Grover & Baker

In addition to its four member companies, dozens of other companies licensed its patents, for which they paid royalties and submitted annual production reports.^[2]

References

Sewing Techniques Basting Cut Darning Ease Embellishment Fabric tube turning Floating canvas Gather Godet Gusset Heirloom sewing Shirring Stitches List of sewing stitches Backstitch Bar tack Blanket Blind stitch Buttonhole Catch stitch Chain stitch Cross-stitch Embroidery stitch Hemstitch Lockstitch Overlock Pad stitch Pick stitch Running Sashiko Tack Topstitch Zigzag Seams Felled seam Seam allowance Style line Notions Trims Bias tape Collar stays Elastic Grommet / Eyelet Interfacing Passementerie Piping Rickrack Self-fabric Soutache Trim Twill tape Wrights Closures Buckle Button Buttonhole Frog Hook-and-eye Hook and loop fastener Shank Snap Zipper Materials Bias Yarn / Thread Selvage Textiles / Fabrics Tools Bobbin Dress form Needle threader Pattern notcher Pin Pincushion Pinking shears Scissors Seam ripper Sewing needle Stitching awl Tailor's ham Tape measure Thimble Tracing paper Tracing wheel Trades Suppliers Cloth merchant Draper Dressmaker Haberdasher Mercer Sewing occupations Tailor Sewing machine manufacturers Barthélemy Thimonnier Bernina Brother Industries Elias Howe Frister & Rossmann Janome Jones Sewing Machine Company Juki Merrow New Home Pfaff Sewmor Singer Tapemaster Viking / Husqvarna White Pattern Manufacturers Butterick Clothkits McCall's Simplicity Glossary of sewing terms